The run home

[Kilkenny]

Who would have dreamed we would have been in a position to recruit top quality players such as Merrin and now Tamou in the prime of there careers. If Tamou offers half as much as Trent Merrin has given us we are going to have a very strong forward pack next season.

Gould has his detractors, not me, but I think he has done an amazing job across the whole football club. Not all his decisions have been popular ones, sacking Cleary was a huge call but probably proven to be the right one and maybe we did need a change.

Anyway looking foward to a positive finish at home, hopefully a really good performance, with no more injuries given what happened to RCG.

Hopefully other results go our way and we get a semi final in Sydney against the Bulldogs.

 

[BxTom]

As much as most people don't like Matthew Elliot, Greg Alexander did say that, in regards to the roster at Penrith, he walked into a hornet's nest - and, iirc, they were Greg's exact words.. I think the bad culture went at least back to Priddis. Look how quickly most of the 2003 team were shipped out. They persevered with Lewis because he had talent, but enough was enough eventually.

Tom.

 

[Kilkenny]

As much as most people don't like Matthew Elliot, Greg Alexander did say that, in regards to the roster at Penrith, he walked into a hornet's nest - and, iirc, they were Greg's exact words.. I think the bad culture went at least back to Priddis. Look how quickly most of the 2003 team were shipped out. They persevered with Lewis because he had talent, but enough was enough eventually.

Tom.

Matthew Elliot despite publicly stating on many an occasion about how talented a roster he had I agree he was hamstrung by poor management during his reign.

Elliot's biggest failure was not addressing the player power culture within the club and ultimately he was too 'matey' with many of his players and it proved his downfall in the end.

 

[TheFrog]

If Tamou offers half as much as Trent Merrin

I've made a point of watching Tamou whenever the Cows are playing. Offering half as much as Merrin appears close to the mark at this stage. He's well behind Lolo, Lowe and Cooper at the Cows. He was very ordinary in Origin this year. Hopefully he will produce his best with us.

 

[Abacus]

sacking Cleary was a huge call but probably proven to be the right one and maybe we did need a change.

Can't help thinking this was mainly to do with fast-tracking Nathan into 1st grade. Certainly can't argue with the result.

 

[maple_69]

I think the Nathan Cleary decision may be the poster boy for the actual reason. Cleary was cautious in promoting youngsters. We were in a position where we needed to transition our squad fairly quickly out of the solid fill ins we had to the young guys we are banking on to win us titles. Griffin was willing to do that and had done it. To his credit i think the young guys, both who debited under Griffin and earlier, have progressed very well. Yeo, JFH, Cleary, Blake, Cartwright, Martin in his stint, Latu etc have all come progressed a huge amount.

 

[Kilkenny]

I've made a point of watching Tamou whenever the Cows are playing. Offering half as much as Merrin appears close to the mark at this stage. He's well behind Lolo, Lowe and Cooper at the Cows. He was very ordinary in Origin this year. Hopefully he will produce his best with us.

I dont know! Makes big metres, almost always impossible to pull down to the ground which means a quicker play the ball and very very solid in defence. I have watched him too and he has a big ticker in so much as he get's back into the defensive line very quickly. I understand what your saying but I wasn't sure about Merrin either, but when you see him week in week out with us he is an amazing player and I think we will be equally pleased with Tamou.

 

[Pomoz]

Matthew Elliot's biggest failing was his lack of interest in the juniors. His view was it was the club's job to provide players, not his to build a pool of juniors. He showed little interest in it, according to somebody at the club.

 

[betcats]

I've made a point of watching Tamou whenever the Cows are playing. Offering half as much as Merrin appears close to the mark at this stage. He's well behind Lolo, Lowe and Cooper at the Cows. He was very ordinary in Origin this year. Hopefully he will produce his best with us.

Being a bit harsh mate He had like 230m 2 weeks ago with no errors and no missed tackles. I watch him a little bit and he rarely makes a mistake or misses a tackle and while he isn't a big hitter he dominates and slows down tackles due to his overwhelming size. He makes 10 metres every hitup while attracting 3 defenders atleast, often 4. He is just one of those guys who is lazy and doesn't go looking for work, hopefully a change of clubs will help.

 

[franklin2323]

I have said I'd rather Brennan was coach. Though I didn't rate Cleary he was too defensive we'd be no better off with Cleary infact I say worse as Soward/Wallace would still be our halves. Atleast we have potentially a 10 year halfback blooded and finals this year. So the decison to punt Ivan was right whether Griffin is a long term coach is the question

 

[umina panther]

Nathan wouldn't be playing NRL until 2020 if Ivan was still here

 

[pandas]

If the Titans cause an upset over the Cowboys (no Scott, JT in some doubt) and the Dogs beat Souths we'll be going to Townsville in week 1. Let's hope that doesn't happen...

 

[maple_69]

Yeah it'd be Cowboys in Townsville then likely Brisbane in Brisbane if we make it that far.
Dogs first week then either Sharks or Raiders looks much better.

 

[pandas]

Sure does. Well, go the bunnies tonight!

 

[mxlegend99]

Bulldogs are very beatable. Really experience in big games is all they have on us. And a ferocious forward pack. But the spine is trash and the backline is solid. We contain the pack and the rest takes care of itself.

Cowboys... well it's not impossible but they would be the hardest team to face. Especially at their home ground. Defending premiers with all that rep and finals experience... against a club with only a few experienced players.

 

[GongPanther]

You sound like a religious fanatic.

Not at all BC.I simply like throwing out the bait for the idiot(s) whom I simply knew would bite.

All in jest...

 

[TheFrog]

Bulldogs are very beatable.

Toughest game of the year for us. Mark my words.

 

[TheFrog]

Being a bit harsh mate

Lets hope so. This Browne also looks like he could be a good signing. Serious forward pack next year.

 

[PenrithPanther45]

Toughest game of the year for us. Mark my words.

I really fear that most will now write off the dogs and seeing they lift in the finals (see the 2014 finals after they lost 6 of their last 8 games going into the finals and made it to the gf) they may just roll us. But I have the confidence that we can get it done and they seem really down on confidence too

 

[umina panther]

Dogs have the better coach. We shit all over them in every other aspect