Why I'm excited by 2004

[PARRA_FAN]

If Parramatta doesnt make the 8 next year then i'll turn it up.

How many have we bought?

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Kenny coaching at penruff? That has to be the biggest load fo crap I've ever heard!

I don't know who to hate more for it - him for doing it or the Eels for not making sure he was in our ranks after expressing interest earlier in the year. No doubt thats where Penruff got the idea from.

 

[Eelectrica]

I'm always excited and positive before the start of a new season as all fans should be. Even Souths and manly fans have plentry to be excited about next year as they duel for the Wooden Spoon. I think Manly will rob Souths of their third straight spoon though.

 

[Misty Bee]

Bit hard to be excited when we already had a top 4 side, and are about to come 9th!

I felt like you guys at the beginning of this season, and look what happened. Now,unless you are like HJ and enjoy losing and underachieving, I can't fathom how you are satisfied with Smith's performance in 2003. You can look at the brisbane and Cronulla reults all you like, but you have to take in the Melbourne, Canberra, Canterbury and Easts games as well. 7 Games where we were utterly diabolical, that cost us our season.

Brian Smith has underachieved for 2 consecutive seasons now. How long must we give him before he gets it right? (No HJ, spoons are not achievements!)

As for Hindy'scountract, having a clause inserted when you are winning minorpremierships,and actually excercising them when you miss fnials are two vastly different things.

 

[bartman]

Within this impressive bunch of players you have left out one of our better preforming younger player from 2003 in Ashley Graham.
He would be first picked if one of our back 3 or centres were out!

Yes I left out poor Ash! Definitely first reserve back...

And the impressive range of juniors (Hinchcliffe, Dillon etc ) coming up is a real bnonus for 2004 strength.

 

[bartman]

The glimmer of hope I have lies in Adam Dyke's performance last week. The Dykes/Witt combo could be a great one. However, I fear that Brian Smith will bugger it up like he always does. We should be top 4 now, not potential semi finallists NEXT year!

I too was impressed with Dykes' best game in two years with the Eels, and have hopes that he can consistentlty produce next year!

But surely Brian Smith cannot be blamed for Dykes' injuries and poor form for the past (almost) two seasons! How is that Smith's fault? For mine Smith only could only be accused of buggering this year up by persisting with an out of form Dykes for too long, before making him run around in reggies to get up to speed.

How does the fact the Dykes/Witt combo appears to be working lead to the assumption that Smith will (or can) bugger this up for next year? Players have to take some responsibility for form. Maybe we should have been top four material this year, but poor form (of players and maybe some coaching?) is why we weren't/won't be. Simple as that.

I'm still strecthed for examples of how Smith's coaching THIS YEAR "buggered things up"? Or proof of which other coaches could have done SPECIFIC things differently with the eels THIS YEAR? Examples and proof - beyond name checking the clubs/coaches that have made this year's eight, or bringing up Smith's "poor record".

Any chance you can give some Misty?

(By the way, I support your right to have and state your opinion, am not personally attacking you, but am just interested in hearing the depth of evidence that leads you to come to your opinion.)

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Don't you get it? EVERYTHING is Smith's fault, and when we win a Premiership with Smith at the helm, he will get NO credit, or at best a whinge that it took him 7 years to do so or whatever.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Why i think 2004 will be great??.......Thorman, Cannings, Grothe, Stapelton, Junior's comming through, etc!!

Just on Smith.......how many coaches have spent 7 straight years at a club and have not delived a Premiership??.....i can't think of one??.....oh yes Brian Smith!!,

I think if Brian was at any other club he would've been shown the door by know!!

 

[Misty Bee]

Smith almost always buggers up the halves. Jook at John Simon. Smith couldn't make a decent 5/8 out of Jason Smith or Jim Dymock. Think fo the quality halves that had careers ended after meddling by Smith: Simon, Jason Bell, Andrew McFaddenn, Chris Lawler, Troy Pezet....

And the constant rebirth of Ben Kusto.....

Under Smith, Parramatta have not put together a confident half, 5/8 pairing until the last fortnight.

That's why I hope Smith doesn't bugger it up.

As for HJ, we all know that he is the bastion of mediocrity..... ;-)

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

I am the epitome of superiority, thank you very much 8)

And under Smith, Jason Smith became one of the best 3 players in the world, which he was not at Canterbury.

 

[Freak]

Misty - I agree with you in relation to the halves issues that Brian Smith has had. In his entire coaching career he has never once had a great halfback to coach! and even if he did I am not sure whether he could get the very best out of them.

However this is where I see JT playing a significant role for our club moving forward. Michael Witt has already suggested that JT has improved his own game some what and I expect this to continue.

Between Smith, JT, and other coaching members I personally believe we have the formation to not only match it with other clubs, but to bring Rugby League to a new level again!!

 

[Misty Bee]

Smith has had good halves. Goldthorpe was pretty good, as was Simon. Green is a Rothman's Medallist. The other halves he has coached have been pretty talented as well.

Let'snot forget that he recently coached a team with andrew Johns - and lost. Buggered that up as well!

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

No way in hell, Misty. Johns had a shocker and it had nothing to do with Smithy. johns is just over-rated, is all.

Smith can't make Johns kick balls that GO FORWARD and not backwards and over the sideline!

 

[Disco]

I'm always excited and positive before the start of a new season as all fans should be. Even Souths and manly fans have plentry to be excited about next year as they duel for the Wooden Spoon. I think Manly will rob Souths of their third straight spoon though.

:lol: Turn it up, souths have the spoon wrapped up, Manly will suprise u all

 

[PJ Marshal]

1. Burt
2. Grothe
3. Lyon
4. Vaealiki
5. Petersen
6. Dykes
7. Witt
8. Cayless ( c )
9. Morris
10. Vella
11. Hindmarsh
12. Hopkins
13. Wagon

14. Thorman
15. Cannings
16. Widders
17. Armit

 

[Parraren]

My starting side for 2004 would currently be...

1. Burt
2. Grothe*
3. Lyon
4. Vaealiki
5. Peterson
6. Dykes
7. Witt
13. Wagon
12. Cayless (c)
11. Hindmarsh
10. Vella
8. Cannings*
9. Morris

14. Thorman*/Muspratt*
15. Hopkins
16. Muckert*/Stapelton*
17. Pearson*

(*new signings)

I think Thorman will probably start the year in Premier League and be slowly eased into First Grade. I also think young stars like Tsoulos & Armit will feature throughout the year but Smith will opt for more experienced guys like Muckert, Pearson & Stapleton early on. All I hope is we have more luck with injuries because I think we have a side that can definitely go all the way next year

 

[bartman]

Smith almost always buggers up the halves. Jook at John Simon. Smith couldn't make a decent 5/8 out of Jason Smith or Jim Dymock. Think fo the quality halves that had careers ended after meddling by Smith: Simon, Jason Bell, Andrew McFaddenn, Chris Lawler, Troy Pezet....

And the constant rebirth of Ben Kusto.....

Under Smith, Parramatta have not put together a confident half, 5/8 pairing until the last fortnight.

Turn it up! I thought our halves combination was quite confident in 2001, the year you keep slamming Smith for not living up to since. Does your final sentence above mean that you now think our halves play was average through 2001?

Jason Bell and Andrew McFadden "quality halves"? Handy players sometimes maybe, but never were or were going to be of regular NRL halfback standard for any club. And Troy Pezet? Ditto. Careers ending nothing to do with a year or two years under a particular coach!

Sure, Chris Lawler was very handy in reggies, and I think it was a trevesty that he didn't get a run in firsts that year (a la Steve Witt this year), but again you can't say he was or was going to be of regular NRL halfback standard for any club. (Otherwise he would have had the chance like that offered to Steve.)

Sure, John Simon didn't live up to his pre-Parra form, but sometimes you get that, not matter who is coaching. Gee, Jason Taylor did alright when he landed at Parra following some ordinary form, but a player going alright is all due to their own efforts, and the coach only to blame for the ones that don't turn out of course!

I actually think Jason Smith went alright for us at five-eighth, and only swapped into lock as a reult of a pack weakened by injuries. And by the time he was at Parra Dymock was better suited to lock, but had the necessary skills to be selected at five-eighth when no other choices were available.

It takes more than a coach to "bugger up" halves. Just as it takes more than just a coach for a confident halves pairing to exist. It has just a little bit to do with the players themselves - their talent, their attitudes, their fitness/condition, the form of the players around them. When it doesn't happen (even over seven years), it can't be blamed entirely on a coach, just like a coach wouldn't get the entire credit when a confident halves combination is on fire.

 

[Misty Bee]

Bump.

INteresting how we were all confident about 2004 because of the new signings.

 

[Suitman]

Seems like same old same old.

I must say that next year certainly promises more than this year.

But then again, we still have Smith.........

Suity

 

[Morenito]

Yeh i was thinking the same
looking through... we have nearly the same backline and halfs as we coulda had to start 2004 bar tahu for lyon...
we had morris and witt in 6 and 7 for that good stretch in 2003 which looking back maybe we shoulda kept
just got morrisson and stringer and riddell instead of webster at hooker or hopkins i guess next year

still looks promising...hopefully