What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Rumours and Stuff

T.S Quint

Coach
Messages
14,594
Also nothing that happens next year will say anything about Brad Arthur's coaching. The 2025 squad is quite different from this year's squad, just as 2019 was better than the 2018 squad.

To achieve more than Arthur, Ryles will need to win the comp. And if he does it in his first year he will be up there with Hagan and Stuart for rookie premiership winning coaches. Did Stuart's first year at Easts prove that Graham Murray couldn't coach?

FFS!
 

Tmars

Juniors
Messages
101
Talking about coverage for positions I've listed the positions below with players for each position (only players in top 30 listed). Other players are available from development list (able play from round 1) and lower grades with approval of NRL.

Fullback: Iongi, Papalli, Lomax
Winger: Dunster, Papalli, JAC, Lomax, Russell, Simonsson
Centre: Simonsson, Papalli, Russell, Peninisi, Lomax
Halves: Moses, Brown, Hawkins, Papalli
Middle: Hopgood, Ofanengaue, Paulo, Moretti. Matterson, Tuivalti,
Lane, Greig, Williams
Edge: Cartwright, Williams, Tuilagi, Moretti, Doorey, Matterson.
Lane, Mataele, Guymer
Hooker: Hands, Lussick
Development List: Kautoga, Keir, Pryke, Richard Peninisi
Ryley Smith
 

Soren Lorenson

First Grade
Messages
7,583
Then they got the Warriors on GF day now no disrespect to that warriors side.

But i reckon DA overachieved with that side who most had never played in a GF before.
Would I be correct in remembering the warriors were balls deep in GF until Richard villasanti tried to murder Freddy with his forehead?
 

Eelementary

Post Whore
Messages
57,207
Has John Bateman ever finished a contract in his life.

The Tigers have released him 2 years early to the cowboys.

He has Jackson Hastings vibes about him as an A-Grade halfwit that can't stay at a joint for more then 2 years

How is his English body going to handle the Townsville heat.

I give it 12 months and he will be back in the UK.

And, to add insult to injury, John Bateman is a massive plodder.
 

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
77,691
No, it doesn't.

Sounds more like a post written in 2024.

Just out of curiosity, exactly how many conversations amongst the Gadigal from 200 years ago were you privy to?

Keep covering yourself in Champagne socialist woke glory every chance you get.
Spoken like a barstool conservative.
 

Joshuatheeel

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
20,182
Do you think we’d have Gutherson instead of Iongi and RCG on the books if Brad Arthur was still the coach? If your answer is yes then it absolutely does say things about the differences between the coaches. Ricky Stuart deserves credit for the 2002 premiership. He had the Roosters playing very well that season. The Knights were just a better team than the Roosters in 2001. Murray also got a relatively average Cowboys side to a grand final against a much stronger opponent (ironically against Parramatta). Brad Arthur never achieved any upsets of that magnitude during his coaching career (although he came very close in 2021 against the Panthers).
Murray's "very average" Cowboy's side in 2005, had players that have played 98 origin games and 17 NZ test matches.

While the "really great" 2022 parramatta side had players that have played 26 origin matches and 27 NZ test matches.

Total origin games is a good indication of the squad / experience/ potential. I have posted previously the 2022 eels had the lowest origin reputation of pretty much every premier/runner up over the last few years.

Yeah BA did things wrong, yeah it was his squad and yes it was time for change /new coach. But he did a pretty decent job with the squad he had.

while on Gutho, the push to move him away from fullback started under BA.
 

Incorrect

Coach
Messages
12,695
So it's ok for Ryles to do it....but not BA.....
He had to try something to fix up the mess he was left with...

Plus he has brought an NRL fullback to the club over the off season.... BA ummed and ahhhed about Talagi playing fullback but then also didn't know what his best position would be.... poor bastard was left in limbo and took up a deal elsewhere.... another masterstroke!
 
Last edited:

Joshuatheeel

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
20,182
He had to try something to fix up the mess he was left with...

Plus he has brought an NRL fullback to the club over the off season.... BA ummed and ahhhed about Talagi playing fullback but then also didn't know what his best position would be.... poor bastard was left in limbo and took up a deal elsewhere.... another masterstroke!
Nope, incorrect. Ryles first option was for Talagi......he also saw him as a fullback...only chase Iongi after BT left

"Ryles was willing to give Talagi the club’s No.1 jersey and held a candid conversation with Gutherson about changing roles at the club to accommodate Talagi."


While one of BA's first targets, when it was initially suggested of moving Gutho was Campbell

 
Last edited:

Incorrect

Coach
Messages
12,695
Nope, incorrect. Ryles first option was for Talagi......he also saw him as a fullback...

"Ryles was willing to give Talagi the club’s No.1 jersey and held a candid conversation with Gutherson about changing roles at the club to accommodate Talagi."


While one of BA's first targets, when it was initially suggested of moving Gutho was Campbell

So JR was able to develop a view on where to play Talagi despite not being in and around the club yet BA who, presumably, had a lot more to do with Talagi's development through the grades had no idea where he should play?? How did the bloke last 11 years? Clueless.
 

TheCrowe

Juniors
Messages
1,420
He had to try something to fix up the mess he was left with...

Plus he has brought an NRL fullback to the club over the off season.... BA ummed and ahhhed about Talagi playing fullback but then also didn't know what his best position would be.... poor bastard was left in limbo and took up a deal elsewhere.... another masterstroke!
We got the better deal. Talagi could not catch, could not tackle and was slow as F.
Not in the same class as Ionghi or JPap.
 

Pazza

First Grade
Messages
9,789
Imagine having a bloke at the club from Harold Matthew’s and after 4 or 5 years not having a clue where his best position was??

Dumber than spit and we made him a multi millionaire, what does that say about us!?

JR is going to take us from part-timers to full-timers
 

84 Baby

Referee
Messages
29,732
So JR was able to develop a view on where to play Talagi despite not being in and around the club yet BA who, presumably, had a lot more to do with Talagi's development through the grades had no idea where he should play?? How did the bloke last 11 years? Clueless.
Perhaps BA was of the view that Talagi isn’t a fullback, and nor is he enough to displace Moses/Drown in halves, whereas perhaps Talagi had dreams about the prestige of being a spine player over outside back
 

Joshuatheeel

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
20,182
Talagi was playing Matt's in 2022, only 2 years later he debuted in the NRL.

He was a utility in junior reps playing multiple positions. He was obviously held in high regard at the eels (and panthers), thus we needed to find a spot for him.

Fullback was the best opportunity for him in the short term to get an NRL start. Doesn't necessarily mean it's his best position (or the club thought it was).

We wouIdnt be first club or the last, to try to "mould" a player into a certain position to get them in the nrl side or keep them. Or even being unsure what is the best position for a promising junior.
 

Latest posts

Top