Season 2023: A Write-Off?

[Tooooks]

I don’t know what the cut-off will be for the top 8 this year, but I’m pretty certain we won’t make it. 13 games left. With every team getting 6 points in byes, maybe 30 points or thereabouts for 8th? If that’s the case we’d need to win 7 out of 13.

Put down next week as a guaranteed loss and the equation becomes 7/12. And that‘s assuming the cut off for 8th isn’t higher (I don‘t think it will be lower).

It’s been an incredibly frustrating season to watch. We are not a bad team, but unfortunately we have too many deficiencies in our roster and our defence to salvage this season in my opinion.

Some of BA’s selections are baffling. The stubbornness in continually picking Hodgson to start, Dunster is so underdone it’s almost comical, Davey signed and parachuted straight into the starting side? It’s not like he’s SBW. He’s not in our top four edges. I just don’t get it. Would that have an adverse effect on team harmony?

Our defence, once again, is atrocious. And BA doesn’t have the answer. It appears he has reached his ceiling as a coach. Our recruitment this year has been a debacle with the exception of Hopgood, who is going to continue to develop.

Anyway, end rant. It’s just very disappointing.

 

[lucablight]

I think we’re making up the numbers even if we get there. Our defence is just too fragile and we have too many players in the top 17 who aren’t good enough to help us be a team challenging for a title.

 

[Chipmunk]

I posted this in the 'stuff' thread, but it seems more appropriate to keep it here.

Our remaining games are
- Souths Away, at probably our worst performing stadium Allianz without RCG and Lane
- Cowboys at Home the week before Origin without RCG and possibly Junior and Lane
- Dogs Away without RCG
- Manly at Home without RCG
- Dolphins Away likely still without RCG
- Warriors at Home the week before Origin, likely still without RCG, potentially also Junior
- Titans at Home
- Cowboys Away
- Storm Away
- Dragons at Home
- Broncos Away
- Roosters at Home
- Panthers Away

I still think we will beat the Cowboys (only if Junior doesn't play Origin), Manly, Titans and Dragons at Home.

I don't think we'll beat Souths, Dolphins, Cowboys, Storm, Broncos and Panthers Away.

Games I still can't pick at this stage are Dogs Away, Roosters at Home, and Warriors at Home, but we'll need to win them all, and one or two of those I don't think we'll win, to be any chance of making the Top 8.

Generally you need 12 wins to make the Top 8. If the Sharks win today, then that will be every team in the Top 8 has won 6 games after 11 rounds. Does anyone think will win 8 out of our remaining 13?

If we don't beat Souths this week, I'm prepared to say it's time to pack her up and plan for 2024.

 

[Eelogical]

I reckon we're done for 2023. They've shown nothing at all so far to justify a spot in the 8. I try to stay positive when supporting the eels but I'm also a realist. May as well clean the train wreck of a season up and plan for next year. How to actually do that though is going to be a difficult assignment.

 

[eels_fan]

The comp is close enough that a string of wins will get you back in finals contention relatively fast.

I’m not writing us off yet, but we need to not lose Lane for more than a week or two, and then keep our strongest team on the park for the rest of the year.

At this stage imo there is only 2 teams that can win it - Souths and Penrith. Everyone else is making up numbers

 

[Wally21]

The comp is close enough that a string of wins will get you back in finals contention relatively fast.

I’m not writing us off yet, but we need to not lose Lane for more than a week or two, and then keep our strongest team on the park for the rest of the year.

At this stage imo there is only 2 teams that can win it - Souths and Penrith. Everyone else is making up numbers

It’s interesting. I was thinking, is there enough talent to go around for 17 teams? I was thinking watching some of the games this weekend that it’s only a close comp because there are some very average players in first grade across the comp

 

[King-Gutho94]

The comp is close enough that a string of wins will get you back in finals contention relatively fast.

I’m not writing us off yet, but we need to not lose Lane for more than a week or two, and then keep our strongest team on the park for the rest of the year.

At this stage imo there is only 2 teams that can win it - Souths and Penrith. Everyone else is making up numbers

Problem is we haven't won more the 3 games in a row for more then 2 years now.

We can be up for 2 weeks at most but can't play a good month of footy.

We made a GF last year despite never winning 4 games in a row last year.

The past month was supposedly to easier part to make a run to recover from a poor start.

We have pissed that down the drain.

 

[Bandwagon]

We aint gone yet, I expect we'll lose to $ouFF$, and with that done we're likely gone for the year, I reckon we're capable of going on a bit of a run, but likely only to build up a bit of hope only to land firmly on arse again

 

[JokerEel]

Yep when the Defence has been Poor for a majority of his tenure as coach BA won't get us out of this hole

 

[Avenger]

On Friday it will be our 8th loss for the season. Last year we lost 8 games during the entire season and 9 in 2021 when we came 6th on the table.

We are done for Season 2023.


#perspective

 

[Avenger]

Problem is we haven't won more the 3 games in a row for more then 2 years now.

We can be up for 2 weeks at most but can't play a good month of footy.

We made a GF last year despite never winning 4 games in a row last year.

The past month was supposedly to easier part to make a run to recover from a poor start.

We have pissed that down the drain.

Apparently it's not BA's fault. It's a lack of resources issue.

@Poupou Escobar

circulus in probando

 

[Noise]

And just good old bad luck

 

[Suitman]

And just good old bad luck

Yep. That's it. Bad luck.
Bad luck that we are just shit this season.

 

[hindy111]

Yep. That's it. Bad luck.
Bad luck that we are just shit this season.

BA has taught players a lot of things. He's been ok. I won't remember him as a terrible coach. Our next one could be worse. Good chance he will be.
But BA just isn't a generational coach. I'd give him a score of about 6.5-7/10....
Nothing wrong with a new coach every 4-5yrs either. Keeps things fresh. New ideas etc. It's like the apologists think we all think he is hopeless. This is not true. It's just we are stale and need new ideas. Players are far to comfortable. It explains why players are putting in one week and taking it easy the following.

 

[the phantom menace]

Agree. Despite the obfuscation and deflection, any honest analysis of our 2023 performance sees that we've gone backwards on the field, and the best we can hope for from here is to scrape into the 8 (and then capitulate in finals week one).

Sure there are factors as to why we are shitter this season - the player exodus and recruitment of lesser replacements, some of those specific replacements and the coach's continued selection of them (Hodgson), some of the coach's other selection decisions (Dunster over Russell, Davey over Cartwright/Doorey), the lack of evolution or improvement in the performance of almost all players and the coach's game plan and bench use... just to start with a few.

We're all fans/supporters and want the team and club to do well... but that doesn't mean we have to only post positive optimistic fluff here to "support" the club. Good to see a thread that hasn't been derailed by Poupou Escobar or Emjaycee's nonsense contortions.

 

[King-Gutho94]

And just good old bad luck

Well in a way you make your own luck.

If Moses had brought his goal kicking boots in the close matches we would be in the top 4 instead languishing in the bottom 4.

But overall we just aren't defending like a top 4 team.

 

[Avenger]

BA has taught players a lot of things. He's been ok. I won't remember him as a terrible coach. Our next one could be worse. Good chance he will be.
But BA just isn't a generational coach. I'd give him a score of about 6.5-7/10....
Nothing wrong with a new coach every 4-5yrs either. Keeps things fresh. New ideas etc. It's like the apologists think we all think he is hopeless. This is not true. It's just we are stale and need new ideas. Players are far to comfortable. It explains why players are putting in one week and taking it easy the following.

He's the best we have had since Brian Smith, but even Brian eventually had to go.

 

[hindy111]

Agree. Despite the obfuscation and deflection, any honest analysis of our 2023 performance sees that we've gone backwards on the field, and the best we can hope for from here is to scrape into the 8 (and then capitulate in finals week one).

Sure there are factors as to why we are shitter this season - the player exodus and recruitment of lesser replacements, some of those specific replacements and the coach's continued selection of them (Hodgson), some of the coach's other selection decisions (Dunster over Russell, Davey over Cartwright/Doorey), the lack of evolution or improvement in the performance of almost all players and the coach's game plan and bench use... just to start with a few.

We're all fans/supporters and want the team and club to do well... but that doesn't mean we have to only post positive optimistic fluff here to "support" the club. Good to see a thread that hasn't been derailed by Poupou Escobar or Emjaycee's nonsense contortions.

Why would we make top 8?

Penrith,Storm,Souths,Brisbane are my top 4. Sharks maybe. That's 5 and none of them are missing finals.
I still think the Cowboys who are putting it together will sneak in as will Roosters. They are just to good a squads not to.
Who gets 8th? Manly,Dolphins, Warriors,Canberra,Parra,Titans,Knights,Manly are all some chance.
I'd only put a line thru Dogs,Tigers and Dragons.
I reckon I'd lean toward Raiders of that bunch. Knights bad against us but have played with a lot of heart as have Warriors.
Manly are capable as we are of stringing a few wins. But the cream is rising. If we don't BEAT souths its over

 

[Suitman]

I won't remember him as a terrible coach.

Neither will I.
But it is time he was moved on.
We will not win a comp with him in charge, so why persist with him? Same thing, year after year.
We need to be pushing the boundaries of success.
Despite the shite that Pou carries on with, we ARE a big club. We DO have the resources.
We have a great stadium and the largest fan base in Sydney. We have a very profitable Leagues Club and finally, a stable Board at administration level.
Close enough isn't good enough anymore.
37 years without the major prize in the cabinet.

 

[Mr Angry]

Yes new coach required, decent squad, treading water, needs a change is all.