Rumours and Stuff

[hindy111]

So we played the worst game in about 6 years last round, but nearly won on the bell. Then we go to Melbourne with a few injuries and lost the best player in the game, and scored 5 tries each but lost.

I think you might be cooked.

2nd best player in game.
Ponga is no 1

 

[hindy111]

Robson would’ve been just as good (holding his own) in Origin. We know this because he was as good at club level as Cleary was back then.

The reason Robson was never picked in Origin, despite being as good as Cleary at the time he was picked, was because Robson was already at his peak and there was no upside. There were also better NSW halves available than Robson. But he was a very solid player, just like Cleary back then. Gronk’s observation was correct, and you’re wrong to keep going on about it.

Robson's kicking game was elite. I've not seen to many better. Silky ball playing skills and as fast as a Lambo. He had it all

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Robson was unlucky not to be picked in Origin. lol dude drugs must be better in Canberra.

He wasn't unlucky, he just wasn't good enough. Same as Cleary, who was picked on potential rather than form. That's why merkins were critical of his selection at the time. They would've been critical of Robson if he had been picked as well.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

No .... the whole point of the Robson mkII remark was to try and put Cleary down and say he is only ever mediocre like Robson ..... not that Robson was high quality

No it was a comment about Cleary's ability at the time, not his ability in future. No doubt all of Talagi's critics assumed he would improve as well. That doesn't change his poor defence in 2024. No matter how good he becomes, it doesn't justify his form in 2024.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

That might be the case, but salary cap benefits are useless if you're not using it. We've had 5 months to sign players for 2026, where are the signings??? Everyone else is announcing signings.

We were trying to re-sign Dylan Brown ffs. Plus we have re-signed Moses and a bunch of others. We will no doubt need to spend big to keep some of our best SG Ball players. TAKE-IT-OR-LEAVE-IT just doesn't cut it for high demand players in their late teens. You could get a 50 game journeyman for cheaper.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I've seen Cleary do things on the field that Robson couldn't even dream of:

- taking that Grand Final by the scruff of the neck (while the Panthers were behind), and winning them the game

- kicking a 40m field goal to tie the game against us after having kicked for touch (that was insane)

About the only knock you could make on Nathan Cleary is that he hasn't dominated at rep level.

But I would have him as our 7 every damn day of the week.

But he didn't do any of those things back when he was compared to Robson.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Yeh, but 'doing the same thing' is not well-defined. You can 'not do the same thing' by changing a very small element of the previous process (e.g. keep all the staff and put more emphasis on defensive training). Or you can do it by ripping everything up. Einstein's quote is one of the most misused in history.He was talking about controlled environments.

I was at the roulette table at the casino and put half my money on red. It came up black and I lost. Then I put the rest of my money on red again and it came up red this time. Delboy would've said it was madness to do the same thing and expect a different result. Maybe it was madness, but I won my ten bucks back. Then I went and blew the lot on the pokies. So maybe Delboy was right all along?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

And we have done it by ripping out the previous and stale coaching staff, by releasing our long-standing captain, by increasing the injection of youth and by seemingly adopting a speedier style of play.

Might be enough.
Who knows?

Fair to say we aren't 'doing the same thing', even if we still have the same front office.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Young players should be flocking to Parra because there is a heap of opportunity but they would rather be a back up and get a good “education” at storm, panthers, souths etc right now. Looks like Talagi has already improved his game for example.

He has now had twice as many NRL pre-seasons as he had before. So he would have improved anyway.

 

[hindy111]

But he didn't do any of those things back when he was compared to Robson.

Yes he did. He had a few MOM performances in his debut year. So did Luai.
I don't think Robson ever was a MOM

 

[DaveMc]

Robson would’ve been just as good (holding his own) in Origin. We know this because he was as good at club level as Cleary was back then.

The reason Robson was never picked in Origin, despite being as good as Cleary at the time he was picked, was because Robson was already at his peak and there was no upside. There were also better NSW halves available than Robson. But he was a very solid player, just like Cleary back then. Gronk’s observation was correct, and you’re wrong to keep going on about it.

This is so deeply cooked.

 

[senior]

Moses isn't a lot better than Brooks tbh, garbage defender and severely overrated. I'd hope we don't look at him.

going back a few pages always gives me a good laugh

 

[strider]

Yes he did. He had a few MOM performances in his debut year. So did Luai.
I don't think Robson ever was a MOM

Yeah, Cleary absolutely played big games.
Its part of his greatness. He will play the role he needs to.
In his early years alongside Maloney, he was prepared to play 2nd fiddle ... but when Maloney missed games through injury, Cleary took charge and played a different style.
Any dick with half a brain could tell he had ability and smarts few others do.

 

[strider]

No it was a comment about Cleary's ability at the time, not his ability in future. No doubt all of Talagi's critics assumed he would improve as well. That doesn't change his poor defence in 2024. No matter how good he becomes, it doesn't justify his form in 2024.

No it was a stupid dig at someone motivated by jealously .... if it wasnt jealousy then it was just plaun dumb.

 

[hineyrulz]

This is so deeply cooked.

*Poued.

 

[Legal Eel]

Robson would’ve been just as good (holding his own) in Origin. We know this because he was as good at club level as Cleary was back then.

The reason Robson was never picked in Origin, despite being as good as Cleary at the time he was picked, was because Robson was already at his peak and there was no upside. There were also better NSW halves available than Robson. But he was a very solid player, just like Cleary back then. Gronk’s observation was correct, and you’re wrong to keep going on about it.

You pick some weird hills to die on.

it’s how I know you don’t believe anything you write

 

[Gronk]

No .... the whole point of the Robson mkII remark was to try and put Cleary down and say he is only ever mediocre like Robson ..... not that Robson was high quality

Is that a fact ? So I was posting morphed faces of Cleary on Robbo’s body as a serious prophecy of his talent and not taking the piss on another player on another team and Mr f**king know-it-all Gould ?

Seriously do you know that he made his FG debut at 19 and he will be 28 this year ? Yet you guys are STILL obsessed with this ?

 

[Eelogical]

*abscessed

 

[DaveMc]

Is that a fact ? So I was posting morphed faces of Cleary on Robbo’s body as a serious prophecy of his talent and not taking the piss on another player on another team and Mr f**king know-it-all Gould ?

Seriously do you know that he made his FG debut at 19 and he will be 28 this year ? Yet you guys are STILL obsessed with this ?

Dude, it was a dumb as f**k comparison at the time, and it hasn’t improved with age. It’s your “guitar groups are on the way out” moment. Don’t get indignant about it, own it. It’s actually funny as f**k.

 

[Gronk]

Dude, it was a dumb as f**k comparison at the time, and it hasn’t improved with age. It’s your “guitar groups are on the way out” moment. Don’t get indignant about it, own it. It’s actually funny as f**k.

I think you’re missing the point. I am very happy to own that I was taking the piss. I do it all the time. Everyone does it, look at the game day thread here.

On the days when he was passing to the linesman and kicking out on the full, I was giving it to him.

It’s a bit of a stretch to say that I said he’d never amount to anything. Someone should find a quote that wasn’t taking the piss Statler & Waldorf style.