Rumours and Stuff

[hindy111]

Both Dooley and Keppie were lost the same year as they looked for development contracts and apparently there were some slow decisions being made, the other clubs pounced.

Keppie looks just an average NRL prop. I don't think he makes our strongest 17.
Dooley went to the Raiders right?

 

[hindy111]

Well they'll be more experienced next year and even more after that. But you're right, by then we will have lost other players to the cap and had to replace them with someone not quite as good. Do you really think we would ever be able to keep improving the team until we're a 100% chance of a premiership? It doesn't work that way. We just need to be a chance (like we are this year and presumably next) and hope for some luck.

Not sure about that. MJ contract would of been far less.
Fergo is on 500k and I reckon you'd get a better replacement for that.
KE would free up about 350k
Taka,Alvaro would be on top 17 money.

Most our starting forwards are on decent coin already . Marata is only one who could get an upgrade.

The other 2 who will are Mahoney and D.Brown.

 

[hindy111]

Both things are true. We are not the perfect team without any weaknesses, but luckily for us neither are any of the other teams.

Come finals there isn't going to be much between anyone. Storm look the most polished but if Rooster get most their side fit theyl give it a shake again.
Pamthers get better each week but are hardly unbeatable. I'd say most teams who make finals are capable of beating everyone. If fully fit I don't see anyone getting pass Storm or Roosters unless they are off their game and the others have a bit of luck.
Penrith and Eels have the most potential to do so. But Sharks and Raiders on their day could surprise.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Not sure about that. MJ contract would of been far less.
Fergo is on 500k and I reckon you'd get a better replacement for that.
KE would free up about 350k
Taka,Alvaro would be on top 17 money.

Most our starting forwards are on decent coin already . Marata is only one who could get an upgrade.

The other 2 who will are Mahoney and D.Brown.

If next year's team is better than this year's it will only be because young blokes like Drown, Mahoney and Kaufusi have improved enough to offset the decline of Jennings and Ferguson, not because we've signed blokes to fill gaps in the top 17. We might get some good signings for 2022* but the cap might also be starting to bite by then. It's very exciting but we also need to hope we go well in the finals during this window, because it will shut eventually. That will probably be the time to replace the coach as well.

*Ferguson, Sivo, Alvaro and Nrown are all off contract plus Moses and Matterson have player options

 

[hindy111]

If next year's team is better than this year's it will only be because young blokes like Drown, Mahoney and Kaufusi have improved enough to offset the decline of Jennings and Ferguson, not because we've signed blokes to fill gaps in the top 17. We might get some good signings for 2022* but the cap might also be starting to bite by then. It's very exciting but we also need to hope we go well in the finals during this window, because it will shut eventually. That will probably be the time to replace the coach as well.

*Ferguson, Sivo, Alvaro and Nrown are all off contract plus Moses and Matterson have player options

Aslong as replace with quality. Most our squad is on decent coin and some on overs. Not a heap there on unders. Only perhaps Mahoney and Dbags.
MJ decline was 3yrs ago. I expect the same from him and Fergo as this season. Both are well pass best nowadays. I wouldn't of signed MJ again. The squad always needs to be freshened. Our backs lack zip.

I do not see a reason why we can not be a contender most years. If your sqaud is balanced well and the right players are signed and a good junior set up than you always finals chance. Only 4 or 5 sides usually aren't capable of finals most season. A club like ours should never be in that category bar horrid injury toll or perhaps once every 8-10yrs.

Our worse seasons should be a top 8 chance but not capable of taking the title. That should be our rebuild years. Finishing between 7 - 11th and stronger the following season.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

I still think we can beat anyone on our day.

And I think our decades of mediocrity make losses in a year like this when we are actually playing pretty well, more heightened.

we sit 3rd, we deserve to sit 3rd. We are 2 wins ahead of the back to back champs and last years other grand finalist (assuming Canberra win today). You don’t achieve that by fluke.

we will likely finish the round 10 points ahead of 9th place.

I don’t think last years grand finalists’ fans are slitting their wrists as much as parra fans are, and they were expected to be higher up the ladder than us prior to season kickoff.

yep, we’ll likely lose next week.

And our efforts this year will mean that will still have us in 3rd place.

think we need to take a breath

And we still have the second best defence, teams have to score somewhere it's probably better to have them score on the flanks than in the middle like they used to against us. It's unreasonable to think we'll keep every team to nil.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

I had a dream we were coming 3rd, 4 points clear of 4th, 3 points from first, 2nd best defence and a record of 4 wins from 5 against the current top 8 including the current first team...........

 

[Mr Parramatta]

Who do we play in semis if we finish 3rd and the top 8 remains as is?

 

[IFR33K]

Both things are true. We are not the perfect team without any weaknesses, but luckily for us neither are any of the other teams.

Both are true? Panthers are fielding the youngest team across the nrl week in week out. How’s the lack of experience hindering them?

 

[IFR33K]

The posters who are less f**ken stupid than you and iFreak have no trouble understanding my opinions.

oh don’t worry champ, both suity and I understand you too. We understand you’re the ultimate shit stirrer that loves nothing more than shit talking.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Both are true? Panthers are fielding the youngest team across the nrl week in week out. How’s the lack of experience hindering them?

Well we beat them. And they were pretty f**king ordinary against the Warriors. Are their wheels about to fall off?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

oh don’t worry champ, both suity and I understand you too. We understand you’re the ultimate shit stirrer that loves nothing more than shit talking.

You and Suity are simpletons who think every problem has an easy solution.

 

[eels_fan]

Who do we play in semis if we finish 3rd and the top 8 remains as is?

melbourne in QLD, likely at suncorp. Thankfully there are no bad memories from clashes between us and the storm at that ground...

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Magic Finals Round!

 

[lucablight]

I had a dream we were coming 3rd, 4 points clear of 4th, 3 points from first, 2nd best defence and a record of 4 wins from 5 against the current top 8 including the current first team...........

Do you see the forest through the trees? If you want to talk about stats then how about we talk about how in successive weeks despite having a full strength team we only beat the team coming last by 2, scored less tries than the sharks but fell over the line and lost to a team at home that just sacked its coach?

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Do you see the forest through the trees? If you want to talk about stats then how about we talk about how in successive weeks despite having a full strength team we only beat the team coming last by 2, scored less tries than the sharks but fell over the line and lost to a team at home that just sacked its coach?

While I agree our recent form hasn’t been great, over the previous 3 years we wouId lose plenty of those games.......

 

[hindy111]

f**k. I just dreamed ir was Parra vs Storm gf.

 

[IFR33K]

While I agree our recent form hasn’t been great, over the previous 3 years we wouId lose plenty of those games.......

We could of very easily lost another 4 or so games this year. Not many wins have been convincing. We are fortunate enough to be 3rd on the ladder, but I’m not sure that’s a true indication of where we’re at.

 

[lucablight]

While I agree our recent form hasn’t been great, over the previous 3 years we wouId lose plenty of those games.......

We won a lot of games like this in 2017 as well. We shouldn’t even be in such a close position most of the time considering the strength of the roster. This is the best chance we have had to win a premiership in a long time yet we are struggling to put away even lower ranked teams. There’s no clinical efficiency like the Storm, Roosters and Panthers. I’d be ok if it happened occasionally but we see same silly things every damn week. We usually have a territorial advantage because of the strength of our forwards but we bumble our way through our attacking sets in front of the opposition try line. Every week we see Mahoney making 50+ tackles and not run the ball even there are opportunities. We see Waqa Blake and Blake Ferguson come off their wing and leave a saloon passage for the opposition to score. You have to wonder why these glaring weaknesses haven’t been addressed and why we aren’t seeing any improvement. It’s nice to have as many wins as we have and have good defence for the most part but it’s not really reflective of how the team is actually travelling. If we were playing well against quality teams and winning the close ones I don’t think the fans would have any issues but that’s not what’s happening here. Let’s hope the team can get it’s act together.

 

[Soren Lorenson]

Glad you are still lurking @Barry O'Speedwagon. I only started reading this forum slightly before Bigfella disappeared, and I hate to think that anyone of us could have fulltime called and most of this community would be none the wiser. I find that a bit sad tbh. I don't think I know any of you personally, but we have probably sat close together over the years, have mutual friends perhaps, or even waited for the lights to change on the corner of O'connell St at the same time. Life is strange.