Wouldashouldacoulda

[Since 73]

End of the day we ended where we should.
Or even above.

Man for man against storm and pennies we fall short. Many of our squad have peaked in their careers.
And are being found out for a variety of reasons.

To win a prelim you need a ben barba. A Jimmy. Cleary. Paps. Grant. Munster. Hughes.

X Factor.

2 plays last night killed us.
Their big 4.
We dont have a big 4.
We dont have a big 1.

That kick from munster.
Shite.
On a dime for paps to toe ahead and touchdown.
You pay those guys a million because when the game is on the line - the big game - they pull that out and execute it millimetre perfect.

Hughes.
Busted.
Shimmy.
Shimmy again.
Try.

Cleary does that shit.

We have a million dollar player but he isnt doing that.

So im content today. We ended where we deserved to be. Maybe even higher.

We'll get the excitement back come Feb next year when trials start but we dont have the squad to win it next year either. Unless something happens and there's a domino effect between clubs.

Raiders young guns will be a year older and our older guys will also be another year older.
DCE will be running the roosters machine.

Spots in the 8 will be harder to come by.

We've had 2 consecutive unsuccessful prelims and I see no up moving forward with this squad.
Ison and stonestreet have no x factor and are like for like replacements.
Deckchairs.

So enjoy this one for what it was.
Probably be a while.

 

[shadowboxer]

Late to the party.
Great post wash up or wash down.
First thread I opened at 900am after a long day night and glad to see some common sense.
Had a bit of time to dissect the game mixed with beer and a long walk home into the wee small hours, but gym then coffee this morning solidified it.
Never like to lose, but little things that come unstuck did for us and not Melbourne.
As well, we were good but they were next level. I mean what player comes back from a broken arm in 20 odd days and performs like Hughes.
Most (not all) will be proud of the late season resurgence. It’s been a good watch.
The Storm perform like that next week. They win easy.

 

[Bookie]

This season has shown how important the spine is, when games matter.

By rep level below I mean origin, Australia or NZ.

1. Canberra - no rep level spone players
2. Storm - 4 rep level, including 2 of the best in their position, pappy may not have played but he is that good.
3. Dogs - no rep level spine players
4. Broncos - 1 in Walsh, but maybe add Reynolds
5. Sharks - no rep level spine players
6. Panthers - 2 this season
7. Warriors - no rep level spine players
8. Roosters - 1 Tedesco. I don’t think Watson is rep level as a hooker

From the rest, the dolphins have hammer, eels have Moses, cows have Robson and Dearden, knights have pings.

Eagles, Tigers, rabbits, dragons, titans have none.

I see what you’re trying to say but the logic is balls.
Paps has 2 fewer games as a Blue than Hynes. Pick one system or the other. Don’t let emotion ruin it.

 

[ragzouken]

I think we do improve next year, I think they will be hurting for once. last year I didnt see it.
Two interstate semis don’t make it easy, week of is huge, securing top two is non negotiable

 

[Griffoshark66]

I see what you’re trying to say but the logic is balls.
Paps has 2 fewer games as a Blue than Hynes. Pick one system or the other. Don’t let emotion ruin it.

Hynes is a failure at rep level. Rightly or wrongly, that's how it is. Paps is unproven. Paps could slot into any rep side and excel.

 

[Peach & Apricot]

We need a fullback who will trail Brailey and AFB up the middle waiting for the offload.

 

[Since 73]

Our lack of supporting the runner the other night was so bad it has be a plan.

 

[PJ]

Our lack of supporting the runner the other night was so bad it has be a plan.

Given it hasn't been a thing all year I would say it is a plan

 

[Quicksilver]

Today's result means we come 3rd.

Congratulations to us all. Bronze medal.

 

[Quigs]

Bugger the bronze ..... humbug.

 

[Stake Removed]

So 4 teams made the prelim twice since 2023, and we are the only ones to fail to make the GF.
Even the Broncos have improved

 

[DJDL]

So 4 teams made the prelim twice since 2023, and we are the only ones to fail to make the GF.
Even the Broncos have improved

8 teams have made the prelim since 2021.
Us, Manly and the Cows haven’t made a GF.

What’s your point?

 

[Stake Removed]

8 teams have made the prelim since 2021.
Us, Manly and the Cows haven’t made a GF.

What’s your point?

4 teams did twice of those 4 we were only one too fail to make GF.
It shows when it comes to the crunch we fail.
Broncs hired a coach who was shocking in his last club and has got them to a GF in one year

 

[PJ]

4 teams did twice of those 4 we were only one too fail to make GF.
It shows when it comes to the crunch we fail.
Broncs hired a coach who was shocking in his last club and has got them to a GF in one year

You don't think that 2 of those clubs being amongst the most financially strong has anything to do with that?

We are apparently at near cap whilst Melbourne have 3-4 elite players in their spine and no problem.

Broncs have the Thoroughbreds and no end of 3rd party payers. With all their star players, most of the state to pick from for players and the financial clout they should have won multiple premierships in the last 20 years.

Despite what the NRL says, it ain't a level playing field and we have done well to be where we are.

Of course I'd love to be in a GF and win another but we currently don't have the cattle and need someone from the juniors to step up.

 

[DJDL]

It shows that prelims are pharquing hard to make, let alone win.

it also shows we are the only team that is not a financial powerhouse to make one.

 

[Chimp]

You don't think that 2 of those clubs being amongst the most financially strong has anything to do with that?

We are apparently at near cap whilst Melbourne have 3-4 elite players in their spine and no problem.

Broncs have the Thoroughbreds and no end of 3rd party payers. With all their star players, most of the state to pick from for players and the financial clout they should have won multiple premierships in the last 20 years.

Despite what the NRL says, it ain't a level playing field and we have done well to be where we are.

Of course I'd love to be in a GF and win another but we currently don't have the cattle and need someone from the juniors to step up.

This is absolutely one of our big issues - we’re at full cap next year already, as I’ve said on another thread, we can only pay Kennedy $350k next year as that’s all we’ve got available on the cap.

When you then look at the Storm (Paps, Munster, Hughes, Grant, NAS), Broncos (Walsh, Staggs, Mam, Reynolds, Hunt, Haas, Carrigan), Bulldogs (Chrichton, Burton, Kikau, Thompson and still cap space to be hunting Ponga), Roosters etc etc how on earth can they have the lineups they’ve got and only be paying the same as us? Unless we’re dramatically over paying a set of plodders, something ain’t right.

 

[Peach & Apricot]

Isn't Craig Laundy's dad giving sweetheart deals to 'invest' in pubs to the Dogs players?

 

[shadowboxer]

4 teams did twice of those 4 we were only one too fail to make GF.
It shows when it comes to the crunch we fail.
Broncs hired a coach who was shocking in his last club and has got them to a GF in one year

The shocking coach you referred to post the debacle at the West Tigers, coached NZ then coached and won Origin after a period of meh. If you think his influence at the West Tigers was all on him, look where they are now.
Get a better narrative.

 

[Since 73]

Had another watch of the Us v Storm last night.
Let the air clear and no beer goggles this time.

Watched the first half and 10 into the 2nd - that was enough.

Our defence certainly didnt let us down. By ferk we pulled off some desperate tackles inside our 10.

3 things:
1. We went away frfrowhat worked the previous 3 weeks in not letting the pigs run the show. And maybe storm didnt let us.
But we started to play football too early in the game. It brought us 2 nice tries but I think that is a false economy. The halves saw too much ball and Toby, beast and AFB didn't.

Storm is constantly looking for an offload out the back in the middle third of the field. Paps and munster and Hughes are always sniffing around the tackled player. Hughes solo try - Stefano has 3 guys on him and he gets a hand loose and drops it back to Hughes who scoots through and scores.
We do the opposite..NOBODY looks for 2nd phase. It must be an instruction not to do so as surely instinct tells WK to look for opportunitys. At times brayley goes sideways and then backwards to find a runner.

Bellyache. He deserves the accolades. His stats are truly off the chart. But seriously, come on... Take Hughes. Munster. Grant and Paps out of that side and the rest come back to the field by a long way.
We more than match up man for man with the other 13...most of the top 6 do, but that big 4 - they just are a class above.
The Hughes try. No way has our 7 got that in him.
And that try on halftime- Grant to Munster, chip over the top for Paps to score. The more you see it the better it gets.
Absolutely millimetre perfect. The precision and the execution. Where munster lands it. How Paps controls it with a kick on the run so it ends up over the try line. Hard enough with a soccer ball - but a rugby league ball??
If we had've had Paps, munster, Hughes and Grant in our roster for the last 5 years we win at least 2 GFs , maybe more.
And before that Bellyache had slater, Smith, Inglis and cronk.
Plus 13 other blokes.
So hats off to Bellamy, but has a coach ever been kissed on the arse for 2 generations of players like that?
11 GFs in 22 years. Maybe he shouldve made more. Maybe hes shit.