We could've had Wayne Bennett as coach, we opted for Ivan Cleary

[herbert henry1908]

Our squad has 13 good players:

1. Edwards (not the same since injury)
2. Mansour (not the same since injury)
3. Blake
4. Whare (not the same since injury)
5. DWZ
6. Maloney
7. Cleary
8. Leota
10. Tamou
11. Yeo
12. Kikau
13. JFH
15. RCG

We then have potentially good players, but but so far yet to show it:
9. Katoa
14. Egan
18. Luai (has shown it once.. needs a better run though)

Followed by fringe first graders:
Sele
Hetherington
Ellis
Winterstein
Fuimaono
etc.

Our cap is all put into our 13 proven players and the potential hooker/halves. After that the quality drops off quickly.

Which would be fine except we've had injuries to Yeo and Kikau. While 3 of our star backs are not even close to peak form and have barely showed glimpses of it since injury.

We lost a few representative players and signed other clubs reserve graders who are walking into our top 17.

Last year these guys wouldn't go close to it short of an enormous injury toll.

We came 7th last year with Griffin, we’ve only lost two players of note from that campaign. One of them is Merrin and he didn’t play all that well anyway.

There’s no reason Clearly shouldn’t improve on that with this roster. The comp is quite weak at the moment too.

 

[mxlegend99]

We came 7th last year with Griffin, we’ve only lost two players of note from that campaign. One of them is Merrin and he didn’t play all that well anyway.

There’s no reason Clearly shouldn’t improve on that with this roster. The comp is quite weak at the moment too.

Merrin, Peachey and CHN. All permanent top 17 fixtures in 2018 who would improve this years top 17.

We havent had Kikau yet which has hurt. Yeo has missed like a game and a half at the same time which has really shown how thin our second row depth is.

If Kikau and Yeo were out for the season. We would be fighting for a spoon. Not the top 8.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Merrin, Peachey and CHN. All permanent top 17 fixtures in 2018 who would improve this years top 17.

We havent had Kikau yet which has hurt. Yeo has missed like a game and a half at the same time which has really shown how thin our second row depth is.

If Kikau and Yeo were out for the season. We would be fighting for a spoon. Not the top 8.

I'm talking about the end of the season, not what's happened so far. Top 6 or it's a failure.

I don't consider CHN much of a loss at all. Dime a dozen backrower.

 

[TheFrog]

We came 7th last year with Griffin

5th actually.

 

[herbert henry1908]

5th actually.

My bad, was thinking of 2017.

All the more reason top 6 is attainable this year.

 

[TheFrog]

My bad, was thinking of 2017.

All the more reason top 6 is attainable this year.

I think it is too, if a few people step up.

 

[Exsilium]

I think if Wayne Bennett ever came here, the realisation that our juniors aren’t that good would be wel and truly felt.

He’d not sit around waiting for juniors to come good, he’d identify weakness and cut it out.

Can’t have a team of juniors and expect them all to come good and you certainly cannot bank on more than a few in the same position, like katoa and Egan.

Bennett would have shaken things up.

 

[luv my panfas]

I think it is too, if a few people step up.

Of course it is Lets get behind them Clearys the coach No good looking back They are our team

 

[mxlegend99]

I'm talking about the end of the season, not what's happened so far. Top 6 or it's a failure.

I don't consider CHN much of a loss at all. Dime a dozen backrower.

CHN is a hell of a lot better than the likes of Fuimaono and Winterstein though.

He's cetainly replaceable... although so far we haveyet to replace him with anyone as good or better. Fingers crossed someone develops into that. He kind of got a chance out of nowhere and took it with both hands. Hopefully someone like Martin or Jed does the same. There's certainly spots in our team that haven't been locked down yet.

 

[franklin2323]

CHN is a hell of a lot better than the likes of Fuimaono and Winterstein though.

He's cetainly replaceable... although so far we haveyet to replace him with anyone as good or better. Fingers crossed someone develops into that. He kind of got a chance out of nowhere and took it with both hands. Hopefully someone like Martin or Jed does the same. There's certainly spots in our team that haven't been locked down yet.

That is it. Bench backrower/Hooker CHN was a loss

 

[herbert henry1908]

CHN is a hell of a lot better than the likes of Fuimaono and Winterstein though.

He's cetainly replaceable... although so far we haveyet to replace him with anyone as good or better. Fingers crossed someone develops into that. He kind of got a chance out of nowhere and took it with both hands. Hopefully someone like Martin or Jed does the same. There's certainly spots in our team that haven't been locked down yet.

Honestly not how I see it, he’s better but not significantly. His loss should be easily absorbed.



I feel like we’re already setting up the excuses for Cleary, but there’s nowhere to hide. The media will be relentless if this doesn’t work. Cleary is in his 13th season as an NRL coach, he has a pretty average record as is. This is make or break for him. The pressure on his son is already ramping up too.

 

[franklin2323]

I think if Wayne Bennett ever came here, the realisation that our juniors aren’t that good would be wel and truly felt.

He’d not sit around waiting for juniors to come good, he’d identify weakness and cut it out.

Can’t have a team of juniors and expect them all to come good and you certainly cannot bank on more than a few in the same position, like katoa and Egan.

Bennett would have shaken things up.

Maybe that is what is needed. Get an outsider in to assess

 

[franklin2323]

Honestly not how I see it, he’s better but not significantly. His loss should be easily absorbed.



I feel like we’re already setting up the excuses for Cleary, but there’s nowhere to hide. The media will be relentless if this doesn’t work. Cleary is in his 13th season as an NRL coach, he has a pretty average record as is. This is make or break for him. The pressure on his son is already ramping up too.

Hopefully he isn't like Ricky or Arthur and it is called for what it is once the season ends

 

[chrisD]

Anthony Griffin was not the right appointment but at the same time our squad achieved what it was capable of achieving. I really don’t think Bellamy or Bennett or any other coach could have guaranteed us a premiership we were a couple of of quality players short and still are regardless of who our coach is.

I disagree, 2017 was a chance if not for the Moylan fiasco, and the window that should have followed was lost because Griffin lost all the talent.

 

[franklin2323]

I disagree, 2017 was a chance if not for the Moylan fiasco, and the window that should have followed was lost because Griffin lost all the talent.

If we are on the cap now... No way we could of kept those guys we let go

 

[chrisD]

If we are on the cap now... No way we could of kept those guys we let go

Sure we could have at the expense of what we have now, what we did instead was trade for Maloney and paid Cleary and RCG what the media said they're worth.

 

[GongPanther]

I think if Wayne Bennett ever came here, the realisation that our juniors aren’t that good would be wel and truly felt.

He’d not sit around waiting for juniors to come good, he’d identify weakness and cut it out.

Can’t have a team of juniors and expect them all to come good and you certainly cannot bank on more than a few in the same position, like katoa and Egan.

Bennett would have shaken things up.

If we had got Bennett, Nathan Cleary would have been a Tiger.

 

[The Realist]

If we had got Bennett, Nathan Cleary would have been a Tiger.

So Bloody what!. At this stage of his career he is not the next Immortal we can gamble the next 5 years on!

 

[franklin2323]

Sure we could have at the expense of what we have now, what we did instead was trade for Maloney and paid Cleary and RCG what the media said they're worth.

Same could be said about Bryce's deal. Still he'd create more tries in the one month he played well than Nathan does in a season

 

[mxlegend99]

Same could be said about Bryce's deal. Still he'd create more tries in the one month he played well than Nathan does in a season

Yet Nathan has more try assists than anyone else in our team. Jimmy is yet to get one in 3 rounds of footy. Our fullback has only setup tries for the opposition.

Also Carty has no try assists this season. I don't think he had many if any last year either. Although he would be very handy to have right now. I also think surrounded by the kids he grew up with he would be better in our jersey than any other.