Your new buys

[simon says]

You're the one who resorted to insulting peoples mothers. That's what I'd call ordinary debating.

Errr that was a joke,obviously you didnt note the sarcasm.

 

[eels1986]

Simon, you mentioned that the Australian selectors would know netter than us. Did you know that Chris Muckert (one of the players you said were crap) was an Australian Schoolboy - just like Payton!!! What has Payton done since schoolboys - I'll tell you - nothing!! As for Scott Prince, his days are over. You said he was a former SOS player but lets be truthful, did he ever play SOS? Pat Richards - well imho he was the most over rated player at the Eels. Good under the high ball you say, I disagree and you will see that this year. He won't make the first grade. Brett Hodgson will only shine if your forwards lay the platform but the pack you named was very average. Tim Sheens might be all class when he had Stuart, Clyde, Meninga, Belcher etc but we all saw how he went with the Cowboys. No quality players there Simon so how will I don't and can't tackle Hodgson going to go? Nick Graham ha ha ha. Oh dear fancy signing this guy. Just taking up some of your salary cap unfortunatley - should have kept Willie Manu. Now for the Eels buys. Some good some puzzling. The only explanation any one will give for Moi Moi, Stapelton, McKinnon (I do rate this guy but that's my right), Muspratt, Kativerata is for depth. Really these players wioll struggle to make first grade but Grothe, Cannings, Muckert, Pai and Pearson will play first in 2004. Cannings is a great buy to help with size, aggression and go forward. Grothe will fit nicely on the wing, Muckert is my pick to partner Hindmarsh in the 2nd row, Pai will be good on the bench and Pearson could even start but I expenct hiom to be a good bench players for us. His expreience will help the next generation come through. I am not expecting great things from Pearson and i know he is 32 but he can play. Good luck to your team but I certainly like the chances of my team.

 

[simon says]

Funny,I rate Payten as a top first grader,certainly better than Muckert lol.

And good luck to your team,I hope they go as well as you think they will. :lol: :lol:

 

[Sterling]

Funny,I rate Payten as a top first grader,certainly better than Muckert lol.

And good luck to your team,I hope they go as well as you think they will. :lol: :lol:

simon says " piss off to your own forum"....now listen to simon says....simon says.

 

[simon says]

Yeah i think you are right.You dont need anyone else to test your intelligence,you just stay here and tell yourseleves how good your new buys are....

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[ball boy]

Speaking of the Eels 1st divy team

It's actually looking pretty good due to all the injuries over the last two seasons, reggies could have a very strong team.

NRL
Burt, Grothe, Lyon, Vaealiki, Petersen, Dykes, Witt, Cayless, Morris, Vella, Hindmarsh, Hopkins, Wagon (Thorman, Cannings, Widders, Muckert)

makes reggies

PRINCE, Gruska, GRAHAM, LANGI, KATIVERATA, MUSPRATT, WEBSTER, PEARSON, Le'Strange, TSOULOS, ARMIT, PEEK, Hinchcliffe (MCKINNON, MCMILLAN, STAPLETON, Kaufusi)

Players in caps played NRL in 2003.

Sorry Mate they wont beat the great Raiders Reggies team

 

[Hurriflatch]

you could be right as all the ex-Eels you signed keep on pushing the Raiders 1st grades from the year before into reggies.

Soon you'll have a EEls b grade team playing 1st grade.

battling with the Eels c grade team AKA Manly

then the D grade team AKA Wests

 

[JessEel]

oh yeah, you're funny! :roll:
except that those b, c and d grade players were talented and loyal eels until they got booted
the Tigers will go well with their new boys, it'll take a while to mesh, but good luck to em.
Canberra have proved that buying 3 or 4 (or 5 ) players from one club pays off which means Manly have a good squad!

i say good luck to all.

 

[Jic Jarrett]

It is smart to buy a few from a club, doesn't take as long to gel. BTW, I happened to be very pleased with signing Pearson, the bloke has got alot of aggresion and isn't afraid of doing some dirty work. Good luck to the Tigers next season, always love watching an underdog win, except if it's against us.

 

[Misty Bee]

Simon, I think to address your first post, we are confident because we know that we couldn't possibly have a year as shit as the last 2 with the players we have. He have been pissweak in the forwards, and have signed muscle to improve this. Besides, there were not many big names.


re Smith, we had the big debate last year when we crashed and burned. My belief if that Smith should have gone last year - many were more accepting of his massive failures, but if he fails this year, I certainly won't be alone in calling for his head.

I reckon you have got a good buy in Hodgeson. People here forget his class, his 3 tries in the 01GF (best in 30years?). As for mini's debut being better than Hodgesons, that is a stupid statement. Hodgeson's 1st origin was reputtedto be the best debut ever. Remember that try?

I hope that sheens can restore Hogsen's abilities

 

[simon says]

Cheers Misty,thanks for being one of the few NOT to tell me to get nicked for giving my opinion.

On your points,I dont think you have improved too much with your buys,you do have some more beef in Cannings and Pearson thats for sure.Corey has excellent hands and can get away top shelf balls,so if he is used well could be a real matchwinner,but not a big metres getter.Id use him in short spells and have your nippier guys running off him.

I agree with you on Hodgson.I watched that Origin game in 2002 and he was UNBELIEVABLY good,way better than Minis debut IMHO.I blame injuries and Parras poor form at the same time for his ordinary(not bad) form.All Tiger fans are very excited about his arrival.

Parra will do well this year,but they must keep Lyons and Hindmarsh healthy,and hope that the Witt/Thorman/Dykes scrumbase combo works.I know how important those positions are.At the Tigers we have struggled in that area for years and have suffered in our attack BIG time.Cant win if you dont score points,lol.

Good luck for 2004.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

dam simon says......your too intelectual for us.......lets all bow to simon says.........and to his beloved tigers with their awesome new buys :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Simon's farts are intellectually superior to you.

Damn
You're
Intellectual
Let's

Jot them down for future use putz.

I'd like to see Parra and Wests do well and both finish in front of the Roosters.

That'd be a good year.

 

[Jake the snake]

 

[Sterling]

dam simon says......your too intelectual for us.......lets all bow to simon says.........and to his beloved tigers with their awesome new buys :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Simon's farts are intellectually superior to you.

Damn
You're
Intellectual
Let's

Jot them down for future use putz.

I'd like to see Parra and Wests do well and both finish in front of the Roosters.

That'd be a good year.

go back to your old forum you FAILED administrator.........

 

[btaag]

Leave Simon alone I say - lets act like adults, or at worst polite juveniles.
On paper the players we have signed vs the players we have lost doesnt look the best - ask any radio commentators and they will back this up. Therefore Simon is right is asking the question "why are we so cheery about the players"? I think we are happy because, as has been said previously, we have a core of good players already, and have strengthened our forwards and improved our depth.
Hurriflash's posy sums it up on the gains / losses, so I wont go into too much detail.

One thing I have learnt about Brian Smith is that he finds diamond players in the rough and maximises the potential of little known players - he draws blood from a stone.
Unknown players who come to Parramatta either maximise their potential or spend the year in the reggies. This has happened to too many players to mention.

Cannings, Grothe, Pearson and thorman could slot into the team quickly, but players like Stapleton Muspratt and Muckert will be suprise packets who Smith will mould into very good players .

I have no doubt Smith is paying most of our signings a pittance, therefore 3-5 first grade games is all we are expecting - if we get more it is a bonus. Losing Hodgson and his $200k salary means we get more value for money.

Last year our forwards could not compete with the the Gorilla forward packs. We have signed a team load of big forwards. We have lost some backs, but already have 4-5 class backs. This year we got some handy back up players. Therefore, though the starting 17 wont radically change this year, we are a much stronger team than last year. Neutral fans of other clubs wont see it as they dont understand Smith, his buying policy and the way he can turn players around.

I am confidant this year because I think we had class to begin with and now have a bruising forward pack to support the skilful attacking forwards we already had.

 

[simon says]

No doubt you guys have a good core of 5 or so top shelf players.

And i do note that Smith is a good talent spotter.The only point I was making is that you guys seemed very happy with who you had bought,when to me they looked ordinary.

I suppose you already have guys there so Im assuming most of your newies are speculators.Like you say,if only 1 or 2 come good,they have cost you little so I suppose its a win/win in that sense.

And thank you for making sense and joining into some healthy debate

 

[btaag]

As for Hodgson and Richards, I wish them well. As was said earlier, Richards was never the same after his terrible knee injury (I was at that game vs Melbourne - bad stuff ) After that, he lost a yard of pace and didnt recover.

With Hodgson, I think he was always really small. That wasnt a problem with the larger ten metres of 2000/2001. With the reduced ten metre rule, and compressed defences he was getting smashed. His defence was also deficient.

I think he was one of the players Smith had in mind when he told us that some players from the 2001 team hadnt mentally recovered fro mteh GF loss - he was never at his best after midway through 2002...

I think he would make a good 5/8 or even winger, but we were paying him alot of money and the return wasnt there. Losing him meant we kept Burt and signed a whole bunch of players in positions that needed boosting.

We shouldnt pay out on the Tigers as they are in a simmilar position we were in during various parts of the early 90's. I think they have signed some good players and hopefully will be more competitive - you still have Galea and Wilson - two ex Parra players that we miss!!!!

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

dam simon says......your too intelectual for us.......lets all bow to simon says.........and to his beloved tigers with their awesome new buys :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Simon's farts are intellectually superior to you.

Damn
You're
Intellectual
Let's

Jot them down for future use putz.

I'd like to see Parra and Wests do well and both finish in front of the Roosters.

That'd be a good year.

go back to your old forum you FAILED administrator.........

I have, but unfortunately for you, I'll still be here as well.

Ever notice how the really, really dopey ones always laugh at their own attempted jokes?

The failed thing is all you've got and it's pretty much a lie. Hopefully your music career isn't going as badly as your internet hitman career.

Let me guess, you tried out for 4th cymbal in the restarted Bay City Rollers and got knocked back for looking too weird?

 

[btaag]

We could trot out 2003's starting 17 this year and they would be a decent side.
Apart from Moody and possibly Dunley on the bench, we have not lost anyone from our starting 17.
Therefore, when you look at the players we have signed we have added
Cannings, Kafusi, Pearson, who are all big 100kg + Front Rowers. We needed to add weight and go-forward up front. They dont need to be like Webke, they just need to go forward and set the platform
We have signed hard working second rowers, Stapleton, Muckert and Muspratt (either Muspratt or Muckert were second in offloads last year at Nth QLD).
We have signed some potential accross the field to add to what we have got.

When you signed John Wilson, no-one had heard of him - but he had potential and now he is an established first grader - Us Parra fans have grown used to seeing at least one of Smiths "crappy" signings turn into established first Graders - last season it was Hopkins, this year I think it will be Muckert and Stapleton.

Naturally being Parra fans we are optimistic - we have to be. We have had two seasons where our results have gotten worse, so this year HAS to turn it around.

 

[legend]

I think Parra will do well and wipe the floor with the Dogs in the opening round. I also think the Tigers will do well but both sides have made major changes to their playing roster. If Hindmarsh and Lyon can stay fit for most of the season, then Eels will have a very good side to build around while the Tigers have done a major recruiting drive so it's too early to tell how well they will travel but I think they have the potential to make the top eight.

I think Brisbane and the Dogs will be next seasons major disappointments and will struggle to make the eight.

Being a Canberra fan, we are waiting for Nathan Hindmarsh to come off contract so he can join Ian, Moggles, Schif (but not Drew) in Canberra to win us another premiership. :lol: