Rumours and Stuff

[Glenneel]

He’s easily the best leader of the NRL/ARL/NSWRL since Arko. I would say his weakness is that he is impatient and impulsive but he gets shit done and has helped grow the game enormously…and I don’t think that has come at the expense of the quality of the game.

It’s not at the heights that it was in the late 80s/early 90s but the quality definitely hasn’t declined on his watch. I’d say it has marginally improved.

It is still an exceptional product with a lot of great games each week and for the first time ever has greater viewership than the AFL. We can always improve, but right now I think rugby league is in a very good space.

I hope he sticks around to ensure we get a massive new broadcasting rights deal which makes us the richest sporting code in the country (which I think he will).

Don't remember much about Arko but wasn't he originally associated with Manly and let them rape and pillage teams during 70s and 80s?

 

[85 Baby]

Nah, early opener, 8am start!

Is that an invitation? Where we heading?

 

[Glenneel]

Arthur Moses is a top shelf lawyer as well.

I dare say mark down the day January 22, 2026.

The day Parramatta Eels got there balls back and made a ruthless stand we wont be push overs for the Melbourne Storm and any peanut that just wants to walk out the back door then sneak his way back in without sny consequences.

Gee these Moses' get around. How many rellies does Mitch have?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Went to watch the boys at Lennox today.

Everyone quite impressive. Few boys not training or limited involvement either due to limiting loading (Moses) or injury recovery (Moretti, Hoppy, Paulo, Riley).

Williams, Walker and Simo not present at all (know Simo had a baby a couple of days ago, but unsure on the other 2).

If I was framing our team based on what I saw today (and assumptions on some uninvolved players) in the field work and opposed runs

1. Iongi
2. Fox
3. Penisini (played inside fox all session)
4. Samrani
5. Russell
6. Pezet
7. Moses (wasn’t training but obvious choice)
8. Paulo (assumed only involved 10-20%)
9. Smith
10. Hopgood (as per Moses)
11. Kautoga
12. Kelma (though Williams my pick to slot in)
13. JDB

14. Walker (assumed)
15. TDS (looked super sharp as main 9 today)
17. Doorey - just looked super fit and focused
18. Tuivati
19. Joash (played 6 and looked good all session)
20. Guymer

Are you saying JAC was on the right? At the fan day Samrani/Russell were on the left but JAC wasn’t training.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Was Penisini at left centre?

ffs

 

[Stagger eel]

Don't remember much about Arko but wasn't he originally associated with Manly and let them rape and pillage teams during 70s and 80s?

Arko has and probably still is (as an ambassador?? ) associated with Manly..

whilst he had the games interest at heart his involvement as chairman was an absolute conflict of interest,

 

[King-Gutho94]

Is that an invitation? Where we heading?

The closest pub to the NSW Supreme Court

 

[85 Baby]

The closest pub to the NSW Supreme Court

The Judge’s Chambers

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Looks like we have got under there skin down there.

Storm Posting this last night

Going to be a big crowd for round one!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Compare his tackling efficiency to say Cleary or Hughes and see how he compares. I'd say he's comparable and probably better than Munster.

No

 

[emjaycee]

That’s only recently happened under Ryles. The former coach had:

“Me / my kids / Gutho”

Actually it started before the former coach left and may just have been a part of the reason he left in the manner he did.

 

[emjaycee]

Who’s going to go and be the stenographer for the forum?

TCT of course.

 

[Glenneel]

Looks like we have got under there skin down there.

Storm Posting this last night

More Storm dirty tactics

 

[Avenger]

Actually it started before the former coach left and may just have been a part of the reason he left in the manner he did.

What?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Actually it started before the former coach left and may just have been a part of the reason he left in the manner he did.

It’s not uncommon for club stakeholders outside the playing group to want access to the players, and for that to cause friction within the group. Considering some players earn more and are more influential than the coach, this can harm the coach’s authority within the team.

Imagine if Ryles wanted to drop Moses or Paulo, for example. Or recommended against extending their contracts. If they’re best mates with MON or the CEO or the Chairman, now the coach is on the outer.

It’s a lot more complex than the-coach-is-the-boss-of-the-team. I’d say at most clubs he really isn’t. It’ll be the senior players who run the team.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Don't remember much about Arko but wasn't he originally associated with Manly and let them rape and pillage teams during 70s and 80s?

Yeah, that’s him. You could easily make a case that Vlandys is better than Arko as well.

 

[emjaycee]

It’s not uncommon for club stakeholders outside the playing group to want access to the players, and for that to cause friction within the group. Considering some players earn more and are more influential than the coach, this can harm the coach’s authority within the team.

Imagine if Ryles wanted to drop Moses or Paulo, for example. Or recommended against extending their contracts. If they’re best mates with MON or the CEO or the Chairman, now the coach is on the outer.

It’s a lot more complex than the-coach-is-the-boss-of-the-team. I’d say at most clubs he really isn’t. It’ll be the senior players who run the team.

Team isn't the first priority in the culture we have put in place, so senior players running the team wasn't necessarily our issue (or what occurred).

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Team isn't the first priority in the culture we have put in place, so senior players running the team wasn't necessarily our issue (or what occurred).

No but this club first (over team) by definition sidelines the coach, who is nominally in charge of the team. It essentially formalises the fact that the players answer to the club (Chairman, CEO, etc.) first and the team (and therefore the coach) second.

It's not a problem for a united club, but when you have warring factions (a feature of our club, at least in the recent past) it was common for the factions to try to recruit influential players to their cause. This created huge rifts in the playing group, especially in the period before the club was taken out of the hands of elected officials.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

double ffs