We were equal 3rd after 13 rounds, so terrible luck with injuries (not just the total number of injuries, but their severity and the fact that it was key player after key player getting injured) + a bad defense is why we missed the 8.
Our defense has been made our #1 priority of the off season. We're unlikely to have the same terrible luck with injuries. And most of our best players are in their early 20s, they're all rapidly improving and with another year under their belt they will be much better this year.
And then there's the addition to last year's squad of a certain superstar named Greg.
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Typical ignorant anti-souths comment. Look at how many tries our outside backs scored last year, Inglis is obviously a vastly superior talent to them all, so he should do even better. Our attack was never the problem, and it has been made even better now with GI.
As for our defense, that's a team effort and with it being made a priority in the off season, I'm expecting a big improvement on that end. An improved defense combined with our 2010 attack + a years experience to our key players + GI is the recipe for the 2011 premiers.
So you can see my confidence in our chances this year isn't something I just woke up with one day and decided "Souths will be premiers this year and that's that". There is a logic and reasoning behind it.
Please mate, GI is not the answer for you.
Your forwards don't do the hard work and are lazy in defence.
You scored points against sides when it didn't matter.
Souths will go to Inglis all the time, and good defensive sides will shut him down.
If you think Sandow compares to Cronk then you are completely deluded.
Slater and Wesser on the same level also???
You have had the same core group of players for quite a few years, you over rate Taylor far too much.
Luke is a quality player no doubt but will be heavily guarded this year.
Inglis might be a better talent than all the guys you had last year, but he doesn't have the passion for Souths that someone like Champion did.
You had some injuries in the back end of the year, shows you have no depth and proves it takes more than a handful of players to make the 8 and beyond. What depth have you got for this year?
You've signed Inglis, Burgess & Taylor who are going to screw you over salary cap wise in the next few years.
And given your 20's made the GF last year, you can bet that side will be torn apart also.