Unfortunately Hindy, I can only see a 20+ hiding.
This team was flawed from the start of LAST season when Ryles took over and never managed to secure at least two new front rowers to ad to the squad after we gave up RCG, which was probably the right thing to do IF he then went out and secured two new fresh large bodies that could fill the breach of an already weakening front row rotation.
I know I keep harping on this, but when will we get it through our thick skulls... YOU DON'T WIN BIG GAMES WITHOUT SIZE AND POWER IN THE MIDDLE.
We haven't had the right mix of quality size in our roster while BA was here and even when he took us to the 2022 GF and boy did it show in that game.
Now with Ryles, being an ex middle himself and working with Melbourne for so many years, you would think that he of all people would make it a priority to sign as many quality middles as he possibly could, even if it meant he would weaken other areas initially.
If I said it before, I'll say it again, when building a squad, I start with my halves and my middles and then the dummy half and Fullback. End of.
Now no matter what the quality of the rest of the squad, you will almost never concede these types of embarrassing scoreline defeats if you have those positions covered.
Then the benefit of building up a squad from these strong foundations first is that it greatly assists you in attracting quality in any other position/s that you may need to recruit in without needing to go overboard in overs for them.
Players will almost always go to a strong and well run club for similar money than a basket case like we have been for way to long and that has no identity other then being mentally weak and being in a 40 year long drought.