We have a great side for 2013

[Breathingfire]

The problem will be in the centres...we need two good young centres with pace that put the polish on the end of our attacking plays...

Chase Stanley is a real problem IMO.

 

[Godz Illa]

Approaching possm levels of repetition with the Chase Stanley thing

 

[mighty v]

Always liked Stanley as a player ,and dont know why alot of people are on his back ..

Thought he showed some great stuff in his game later part of the season

Has speed ,can beat defenders,very strong fend and can offload ,only area he needs to improve imo is his defence

 

[Country Dragon]

Stanley is a much better centre than Cooper these days, Coops should have caught the same train as Hornby and Young!

 

[mighty v]

Yeah ,agree with you in regards to that

Coops really was very predictable in his play last year ,so was an easy target ,and got shut down most of the time with ball in hand

Hes a great player ,great bloke ,and very good clubman ,but he should have taken the opportunity to retire alongside Hornby and Young ,and given the team a "complete" fresh start this year

 

[Hutty1986]

Stanley is a much better centre than Cooper these days, Coops should have caught the same train as Hornby and Young!

Disagree there. Cooper is still far, far superior to Chase defensively and I think Coops still has a fair bit to offer with the ball in hand

 

[hardbaby]

I have always rated Chase Stanley. Last year, Morris and him were the only two players to consistently threaten the line. Bear in mind that he was also getting average ball all season.

If we do sign Harrison we have a far more dangerous pack than this year. We should go forward and have two snipers out of dummy half. Add a younger, faster half back and a (hopefully improved Soward) and I expect Stanley to go very well. I'm backing him for 12 - 14 tries next year.

 

[Godz Illa]

Coops should have caught the same train as Hornby and Young!

Yeah because we're flush with centres. Dumb.

 

[hardbaby]

Coops will go ok. He would still be one of the best defensive centres in the league. My concern is that he has lost some pace and the umbrella defence pushed him back inside a lot this year. He has arguable the best finisher in the world playing outside him and needs to pass more (which isn't his natural game).

Hopefully with Beale's passing game, we can use him more as a decoy so when he does get the ball, he will be more dangerous. Less runs but better quality. That's what we need from Cooper and he is more than capable of giving us that.

 

[Fire]

Cooper will be solid for us this year. He doesn't have his pace anymore, but he won't let the team down.

Disagree he should've retired last year. You can't have all that experience walking out the door at once.

 

[Country Dragon]

I hope Cooper does have a good season next year, I just can't see it with what he dished up this year. Is just at that stage!

 

[Godz Illa]

I'm sure you'll be the first in here bagging a club legend if he doesn't, all with an exclamation point at the end!

 

[Mr Red]

Stanley is a much better centre than Cooper these days, Coops should have caught the same train as Hornby and Young!

:shock::shock:
comparing cooper to stanley is crazy..
Cooper may have lost a little speed in his legs, but is still 10 times quicker in the head than stanley will ever be..
Cooper reads the game perfectly and is still one of the best defensive centres in the game..

 

[Jersey No 14]

Sorry Boys. I've had a good look around at the different clubs and who's been brought and who's left.
In my heart we'll do okay, but in my head the only battle we'll be fighting for is the wooden spoon.
We won't get past the charity shield. Souths will tear us a new arse.
30 years to win a comp.
in just 2 short years - 10 premiers, then 11 - 5th, 12 - 9th. Get the picture.
Doust, your days are numbered, you will pay for whats about to happen. The linch mob will see to that. Price won't be spared either.
I hate to say I told you so. I'm just getting this on record.
Again, I'm sorry.

 

[jenninga]

Sorry Boys. I've had a good look around at the different clubs and who's been brought and who's left.
In my heart we'll do okay, but in my head the only battle we'll be fighting for is the wooden spoon.
We won't get past the charity shield. Souths will tear us a new arse.
30 years to win a comp.
in just 2 short years - 10 premiers, then 11 - 5th, 12 - 9th. Get the picture.
Doust, your days are numbered, you will pay for whats about to happen. The linch mob will see to that. Price won't be spared either.
I hate to say I told you so. I'm just getting this on record.
Again, I'm sorry.

Can't we keep the offseason a little positive before as you say the inevitable happens.
If our defence is as good as last season and we have learn't to attack a bit better it should be reasonable,,,,,,,,,, i hope.

 

[Godz Illa]

We won't get past the charity shield.

What!? I have paid for season tickets! This is an outrage

 

[bottle]

Don't sound sorry to me, funny.

 

[Fire]

Sorry Boys. I've had a good look around at the different clubs and who's been brought and who's left.
In my heart we'll do okay, but in my head the only battle we'll be fighting for is the wooden spoon.
We won't get past the charity shield. Souths will tear us a new arse.
30 years to win a comp.
in just 2 short years - 10 premiers, then 11 - 5th, 12 - 9th. Get the picture.
Doust, your days are numbered, you will pay for whats about to happen. The linch mob will see to that. Price won't be spared either.
I hate to say I told you so. I'm just getting this on record.
Again, I'm sorry.

Mate I have to respectfully disagree.

Three things
1. Spoon talk is a joke. I love it how people think we'll get the spoon. Won't happen.
2. f**k the Charity Shield. We've never taken it seriously (we take our NRL players off with 20 minutes to go every year).
3. It's a long season, and it hasn't even started yet. Too early to write us off without having seen a minute of footy.

Just my 2c worth old mate.

 

[saint06]

I'm with fire.

Lets just wait and see what happens. We havent played a minute of footy, and you are already saying the only battle we'll face is to avoid the spoon.

The starting line up isnt that bad and there will be good players on the bench. All is not lost. Sure i dont think we'll win the comp, but i dont think we'll win the spoon either.

 

[bottle]

The acquisitions have been slow and steady to be sure, and have left the more histrionic on the forums screaming for blood. However it may well be that they have just been panic free and well thought through.

It all depends on how they fare in the heat of battle of course. However if we do end up getting Harrison, and he, along with Beale and Frizzel (and maybe even Drinkwater) come into their own, it could end up being a surprising year all round. Add to that a more mature De Belin, King, Rein, Stanleys, who knows.

There are a thousand ifs, if Weyman and Style get back to their best from the get go, if Merrin and Hunt continue to improve, if a solid halves combo develops (critical), if the newbys hit their straps, if Coops stays fit, if injuries/suspensions/rep duties don't kill us. If it does click, it will auger well because there is plenty of youth there.

I'll hold my pessimism over for now.

And the Charity Shield, that's Souffs GF. Let 'em win it, who cares? It's a trial for us.