Semi Radradra: The Crystal Ball Thread

[Incorrect]

That was Jarryd Hayne ........hang on !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No no no... You're mistaken. You're thinking of Benji Marshall saying he would never play against the Tigers when shipped himself off to the Auckland Blues Stupor Rugby team....

 

[Gazzamatta]

Parramatta has had a lot of difficulty attracting elite players over the last …… well, for a long time. We need to break this cycle. The answer, I think, is to sign a big-name star (or a big-name coach) and start from there. Arthur nearly got it right when he signed Foran. That could have been the start of a proper re-building of this club. We need to try something like that again - pay massive overs for one absolute star, and begin from there. The days of constructing a solid, well-balanced team of 'good value hard workers' is over. You need a couple (at least) of absolute stars if you intend challenging for the premiership. If we signed Radradra he would immediately make us a top 4 contender, which might then attract better players to our club. Perhaps even a better coach? I say we should make a big play for Radradra. My only concern with him would be his attitude. Would he be too big for his boots these days?

Welcome back Ivor.
I reckon our recruitment has been pretty good. Waqa is a great signing and our big 4, Fergo, Lane, Sivo and Paulo have been great without costing the earth.
Id also love Semi back but I share your fear re his attitude. The NRL virtually drove him out of the game so I reckon hes learned heaps from that. Money is a big motivator for him now which it wasnt when he played his best footy. Regardless. What a player if he bought his best form back to our beloved Eels.

 

[Eelogical]

Welcome back Ivor.
I reckon our recruitment has been pretty good. Waqa is a great signing and our big 4, Fergo, Lane, Sivo and Paulo have been great without costing the earth.
Id also love Semi back but I share your fear re his attitude. The NRL virtually drove him out of the game so I reckon hes learned heaps from that. Money is a big motivator for him now which it wasnt when he played his best footy. Regardless. What a player if he bought his best form back to our beloved Eels.

Give us some more decent forwards and the backs will do the rest.

 

[T-Boon]

Give us some more decent forwards and the backs will do the rest.

Wingers are the new forwards

 

[Twizzle]

who is the U/18 Rugby player we got direct from Fiji Rugby ?

supposedly a very good young prospect

 

[strider]

Parramatta has had a lot of difficulty attracting elite players over the last …… well, for a long time. We need to break this cycle. The answer, I think, is to sign a big-name star (or a big-name coach) and start from there. Arthur nearly got it right when he signed Foran. That could have been the start of a proper re-building of this club. We need to try something like that again - pay massive overs for one absolute star, and begin from there. The days of constructing a solid, well-balanced team of 'good value hard workers' is over. You need a couple (at least) of absolute stars if you intend challenging for the premiership. If we signed Radradra he would immediately make us a top 4 contender, which might then attract better players to our club. Perhaps even a better coach? I say we should make a big play for Radradra. My only concern with him would be his attitude. Would he be too big for his boots these days?

How many teams sign big name players? .... roosters, souths, brisbane

Foran was a massive name before he fell off the wagon

 

[Obscene Assassin]

who is the U/18 Rugby player we got direct from Fiji Rugby ?

supposedly a very good young prospect

Solomoni Naiduki. Has been okay in the games I've seen but hasn't featured in many games this year. Same as the other Fijian back we brought in via England.

 

[84 Baby]

Give us some more decent forwards and the backs will do the rest.

The Manly game showed that really it is 13 of one and a bakers dozen of the other

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Wingers are the new forwards

Not in defence

 

[lingard]

How many teams sign big name players? .... roosters, souths, brisbane

Foran was a massive name before he fell off the wagon

How many teams win grand finals without big name players?

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

If we do get him, Reagan Campbell-Gillard would be our biggest name. 21 letters.

 

[strider]

How many teams win grand finals without big name players?

Not saying i dont want/need em ... just that it aint easy

 

[T.S Quint]

How many teams win grand finals without big name players?

I reckon Dragons in 2010 would be closest to having achieved that.
I guess Gasnier was a big name but he only played the back half of that season.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

I reckon Dragons in 2010 would be closest to having achieved that.
I guess Gasnier was a big name but he only played the back half of that season.

True, but they probably did have an high amount of above average NRL players rather then just average ones.

Here is the GF side:

Dragons: 1. Darius Boyd 2. Brett Morris 3. Mark Gasnier 4. Matt Cooper 5. Jason Nightingale 6. Jamie Soward 7. Ben Hornby 8. Neville Costigan 9. Dean Young 10. Michael Weyman 11. Beau Scott 12. Ben Creagh 13. Jeremy Smith
Interchange: 14. Nathan Fien 15. Trent Merrin 16. Matt Prior 17. Jarrod Saffy; Reserves: 18. Nick Emmett 19. Kyle Stanley 20. Jon Green 21. Luke Priddis

https://leagueunlimited.com/news/grand-final-teams-2010-hot-off-the-wire

14 of the top 17 played / or went on the play origin - of which 8 played 5 or more games (good indication they weren’t just lucky because of playing in a strong club side). And 3 played for NZ, all who played 10 or more games.

Only Saffy didn’t play rep footy.

 

[emjaycee]

True, but they probably did have an high amount of above average NRL players rather then just average ones.

Here is the GF side:

Dragons: 1. Darius Boyd 2. Brett Morris 3. Mark Gasnier 4. Matt Cooper 5. Jason Nightingale 6. Jamie Soward 7. Ben Hornby 8. Neville Costigan 9. Dean Young 10. Michael Weyman 11. Beau Scott 12. Ben Creagh 13. Jeremy Smith
Interchange: 14. Nathan Fien 15. Trent Merrin 16. Matt Prior 17. Jarrod Saffy; Reserves: 18. Nick Emmett 19. Kyle Stanley 20. Jon Green 21. Luke Priddis

https://leagueunlimited.com/news/grand-final-teams-2010-hot-off-the-wire

14 of the top 17 played / or went on the play origin - of which 8 played 5 or more games (good indication they weren’t just lucky because of playing in a strong club side). And 3 played for NZ, all who played 10 or more games.

Only Saffy didn’t play rep footy.

Apart from Soward and Dean Young, the whole St George 1-13 were rep players (current or past) when they won the Grand Final. Hardly an average squad by any measure.

 

[T.S Quint]

True, but they probably did have an high amount of above average NRL players rather then just average ones.

Here is the GF side:

Dragons: 1. Darius Boyd 2. Brett Morris 3. Mark Gasnier 4. Matt Cooper 5. Jason Nightingale 6. Jamie Soward 7. Ben Hornby 8. Neville Costigan 9. Dean Young 10. Michael Weyman 11. Beau Scott 12. Ben Creagh 13. Jeremy Smith
Interchange: 14. Nathan Fien 15. Trent Merrin 16. Matt Prior 17. Jarrod Saffy; Reserves: 18. Nick Emmett 19. Kyle Stanley 20. Jon Green 21. Luke Priddis

https://leagueunlimited.com/news/grand-final-teams-2010-hot-off-the-wire

14 of the top 17 played / or went on the play origin - of which 8 played 5 or more games (good indication they weren’t just lucky because of playing in a strong club side). And 3 played for NZ, all who played 10 or more games.

Only Saffy didn’t play rep footy.

They played rep footy because they played in a very good team.

How many of those players would be considered as truly great players? Like I said, probably just Gasnier.

 

[strider]

They played rep footy because they played in a very good team.

How many of those players would be considered as truly great players? Like I said, probably just Gasnier.

Cooper was a gun centre

 

[T.S Quint]

Cooper was a gun centre

Yeah fair enough. Definitely a gun.

 

[emjaycee]

Darius was actually pretty good back then.

 

[Gronk]

How good that pretty much everyone is happy with Sivo and rates Semi as overpriced.

We will get Sivo for 3 years for what Semi would want for 1 year.

Their ability is not that far apart either.