Who's your wooden spoon pick for 2025

[Mojo]

Last year we were predicted for the spoon and obviously for many and varied reasons we didn't get that but more of that in a minute.

This year some pundits are again predicting us for the spoon so how will we rate our season if we did win it or in fact even when we don't?

Looking at 2024

Did we finish as high as we did due to Sua, Suli, Liddle & Lomax improving under S F?
or
Did we finish as low as we did under S F due to Hunt's obvious inefficiencies, Sloan not progressing nearly far enough, Rava having a completely forgettable season, Cake being cake and the team being highly disorganized / leaderless (for the want of words) as highlighted by S F's podcast with James Graham?

Looking at 2025
Will we finish as high as we do due to Gutho, Holmes, Cooke & Illias providing experience and the things Hunt could not ?
or
Will we finish as low as we do because we have under-whelming halves, an inefficient and under-powered forward pack & poor depth in key positions ?

What praise and what scrutiny should be applied to the coach, his team and the playing group and should that be based upon us judging our final result off the initial media expectation?

I don't believe we will get the spoon but should we be disappointed if we don't get into the eight after all we have a coach coming into his 2nd year and we either have a better squad or we don't so people need to get their heads around that and make a decision as to where we finish based upon that and not the media expectations.

If our squad is better then is anything below 9th a failure and somewhat akin to winning our own spoon?

Looking at 2024 - both of the scenarios you have set out were influential.
Looking at 2025 - the negatives from 2024 have been largely addressed - by the positives you have listed for 2025.

I see us finishing in the 8 in 2025. I don't think our halves will be underwhelming; I'm anticipating they will surprise many. Two talented young guys finally let off the leash. I don't think our forward pack is as poor as many believe, but the improvement of our pack is the standout factor for really putting the 'finishing touches' on a solid team IMO.

At the end of 24 I was thinking our backs were so poor. Now I think we're very competitive. I believe we have some great young forwards coming through. In the meantime if we can find a so-called 'alpha prop' we will be solid across the park. I think the weakness in our defence in 24 was primarily due to our slow backs. Our forwards were pretty solid in defence but opposition sides effectively went around us all the time.

I also think there's going to be some very innovative attack in 25. There's some interesting options available and I doubt Flanno isn't very much aware of them.

 

[Ddraig]

Have a feeling Sloan has a higher leap than Lomax.

It was clear Flanno jr did our organising and we missed him in those last rounds.
The Coachmen will be better. Cook and Liddle 1 2 punch. Cook and Gutho will dramatically improve culture.
Ilias finding his feet may be an issue, but his defence is good.
Probably far more cohesive unit this year.
Good juniors coming through.
Barring injury I think we make the 8.

 

[KingFlanno7]

Eels or Broncos would be absolutely beautiful

 

[Belta]

Souths? With Wayne? That would be interesting

Whoops I wasn’t thinking of that. The Wayne factor may just save them - but only just.