2024

[raider]

Tilt has calmed, I've thought about things rationally.

Sam Burgess is a passionate leader and he was trying to override JD in some capacity with his opinions. He's not a man who can sit in the background. We love that about him but you can't have that in an assistant role, so he had to step away. He overstepped his responsibilities and probably treated the gig as if he were just as culpable as the head coach is for the results. But he wasn't, he was an assistant.

I believe the drama was a mountain out of a molehill at the end of the day now that the dust has settled. Just two passionate leaders butting heads. Likely over training intensity and physical workload.

We weren't good enough for months and months. So this big story about the end of season, controversial collapse and infighting is just overblown. We were poor for the majority of the season outside of a purple patch in rounds 6-10 (albeit a very good one).

I never believe that losses are 'what's needed to wake up' and extending from that, I still don't believe we needed to miss the top 8 to wake up as a club either. But it happened, and now that our run of deep finals runs has ended, I believe we're going to bounce back in a big way. The club is too elite in too many areas not to.

The only concern I have is our style of football is very formulaic. The harder we tried to 'stick to the process' the uglier and worse we performed. I truly think these players need the freedom to go out there and play, express themselves, and accept that sometimes errors will happen. Then our talent will rise to the occasion and ascend back towards the top.

After that, the hurdle then becomes back to what it always was. How to beat Penrith/whichever other side starts roiding up their whole backline.

2021 still hurts. Society wise, football wise. The grand final should always have been a massive 80k crowd at Stadium Australia and I genuinely know that the club timed everything under Wayne to peak with that premiership. The pieces were all there then the world went clownish and Penrith started pumping their blood with oxygen illegally. It happens, whatever, we lost.

We suffered in 22 and 23 because of the holes in the outside backs and second rowers at the club (due to stacking the cap for 21). Our class when it comes to 2nd 3rd and 4th in was lacking.

But now, Jack Wighton is going to change that in a major way. Having a world class player in that crucial area allows us to drop one plodderpocalypse second rower and move someone like Tass (or Wighton himself, or Talis Duncan) into that role and it genuinely just starts the domino effect in my opinion. Suddenly our side on paper has no holes again.

Another off season for Munro will be huge. I truly believe he will break open our game. Long range points are a must in modern NRL and being able to threaten points from anywhere on the field due to his pace and finishing ability will be massive for us.

Finally, I have a gut feeling the coaches will see the light and start shifting guys internally like Milne or Thompson into the second row. I really don't believe we will go another season playing merry-go-round with Host and Cheekam as our starting back rowers. Or yet ANOTHER season with our slowest players camped on the right wing. It would be suicide to do so.

I don't think purchases are coming and I think instead big bodies like that who are used to playing on the wing will instead come infield to protect their lack of pace and provide us some punch.

I don't see any threats in the NRL for 2024 that prevents us from returning to the top. Once we do that we'll see if the dark arts start to come out in September. I think JD is willing to encourage them but the biggest lesson that he will have learned is, don't disrespect the regular season again thinking that we just need to time absolutely everything for finals.

Play good, dominant football every single week. Pummel who is in front of you or die trying. Do not try to create a happy injury free camp that can coast along and sing songs until finals. Set the standards from round 1 and sacrifice 9 months of your life chasing eternal glory.

I think it's more likely we do that than continue to slide.

 

[Craig Field 7]

I hope youre right.

Agree with most of what your saying, but I have concerns around our coaching style, our outside backs (no metre eaters) and the quality of our front row.

 

[Bully]

A couple of points for me:

- How our middles respond in 2024 will be
interesting - we got pretty beat up there in the 2nd half of the year and there isn’t much coming in as it stands. I’d love another big bopper..
- I’m a broken record on this but we rely really heavily on Trell and Walker to create and then Murray & Cook below that. If the Top 2 teams are Brisbane & Penrith, they all have “throw it to that guy and he’ll create something” talent in spades and we don’t .I’m confident Wighton and Munro give us some thing in that regard.
- Whether Hawkins gets a crack will be interesting. He can certainly kick better than anyone in the club, we know that. I’m a fan of Lachy but it was hard to watch him kick them over the sidelines or give away 7 tackle sets when we were up against it as it was.

 

[Pplspoet]

A couple of points for me:

- How our middles respond in 2024 will be
interesting - we got pretty beat up there in the 2nd half of the year and there isn’t much coming in as it stands. I’d love another big bopper..
- I’m a broken record on this but we rely really heavily on Trell and Walker to create and then Murray & Cook below that. If the Top 2 teams are Brisbane & Penrith, they all have “throw it to that guy and he’ll create something” talent in spades and we don’t .I’m confident Wighton and Munro give us some thing in that regard.
- Whether Hawkins gets a crack will be interesting. He can certainly kick better than anyone in the club, we know that. I’m a fan of Lachy but it was hard to watch him kick them over the sidelines or give away 7 tackle sets when we were up against it as it was.

Agree, our middles have recently (not the second half of the year) probably played above their ability.

Losing a safety like Nichols, and Tatola losing form through injury really hurt. You then lose Turgess once Mitchell is back, and Moale didn’t really come on at all.

Losing Sele next year hurts given this context (after him finding an injury free run).

It likely results in them needing to keep Arrow at prop.

Wighton should help a little with the ‘give the ball to this guy’ thing. He’s certainly another element in attack that is legitimate.

I really think the club needs to strongly consider having all 3 of Latrell, Cody and Wighton in the spine. With Ilias as the backup half.

Perhaps Lachie just had some second year stuff and this season will be good for his development, but if that isn’t the case, we need a plan B.

 

[kor3]

A couple of points for me:

- How our middles respond in 2024 will be
interesting - we got pretty beat up there in the 2nd half of the year and there isn’t much coming in as it stands. I’d love another big bopper..
- I’m a broken record on this but we rely really heavily on Trell and Walker to create and then Murray & Cook below that. If the Top 2 teams are Brisbane & Penrith, they all have “throw it to that guy and he’ll create something” talent in spades and we don’t .I’m confident Wighton and Munro give us some thing in that regard.
- Whether Hawkins gets a crack will be interesting. He can certainly kick better than anyone in the club, we know that. I’m a fan of Lachy but it was hard to watch him kick them over the sidelines or give away 7 tackle sets when we were up against it as it was.

I think part of the middles situation was the constant chopping and changing due to injuries and suspension. Hopefully we get some continuity there next year.

 

[Prowsey]

A few points for me:

1) Thanks for posting. I don't agree with everything you've said but it's a rational post.

2) We seemed cursed from the start in 2023, although not obvious at the time. Tats lasting 20 seconds or whatever it was in the game against the Sharks set the stage for a season decimated by injuries.

3) I do think we needed to miss the 8 - despite how painful it was and continues to be. I think we've allowed finishing in the top 4 in the last 5 seasons mask some painful truths - which will now be exposed to sunlight.

4) I was saying to someone from the club earlier in the year wrt Wighton, that I haven't been as excited about a signing since GI joined us. He was surprised and said "what about Latrell?" And I responded "that he didn't excite me that much, as I didn't really think he was a fullback".
I think he's going to be a revelation for us.

5) I continue to rate Host. On your edges you need to balance game breakers with defensive workhorses. Unfortunately Host didn't kick on this year as much as I thought he would and seemed to be struggling.
Tend to agree with @Brownrabbit that he may be better placed as a middle.

6) While we persist with Milne and/or Thompson on that right wing we will continue to slaughter opportunities.
I hope that Munro is conditioned over the off season to make the step up to make that right wing position his own.
His pace and aggression will make a huge difference. I mean we bombed 3 tries alone against Newcastle, on that right edge with Taane as winger.

7) Moale will be better again. I think Shaq will come on in leaps and bounds.
And I expect us to recruit to fill some gaps.
Agree that Milne, Tass and Thompson will be re-positioned into backrowers. (Wighton will start the season - well week 3 or 4 - at left centre.

8) I hope that Latrell is going to have 1 injury free season for us. We saw what he could do in the first half of this season.
But I fear that he is carrying too much weight to be a long term custodian for us.
Not sure who steps up. Maybe Munro in a couple of years.


Will probably have more to say, but enough for now.

 

[yobbo84]

I think we have the players but they're used poorly.

I've convinced myself I'd like to see a prop/middle rotation of Arrow, Tatola, Burgess and Koloamatangi.

I would like Duncan at lock, and second rowers of Murray and Graham.

I think that's an elite forward pack.

Wighton and AJ on the left flank, and then Tass and Munro on the right.

 

[Brownrabbit]

- Whether Hawkins gets a crack will be interesting.

Won’t be happening

He can certainly kick better than anyone in the club, we know that. I’m a fan of Lachy but it was hard to watch him kick them over the sidelines or give away 7 tackle sets when we were up against it as it was.

Sorry to say but you better get used to it

 

[Brownrabbit]

I think we have the players but they're used poorly.

I've convinced myself I'd like to see a prop/middle rotation of Arrow, Tatola, Burgess and Koloamatangi.

I would like Duncan at lock, and second rowers of Murray and Graham.

I think that's an elite forward pack.

Wighton and AJ on the left flank, and then Tass and Munro on the right.

Looking at that side it looks like you want to miss the 8 again

As if Graham hasn’t been flogged enough and now you want him in the back row, so Tass can move to the right and not pass to Munro

I really don’t think shuffling the deck chairs is what will define our season

It will come down to 3 things

Trell finding 2021 form

Ilias developing a tactical kicking game

JD discovering how to coach

Unless they happen it won’t matter who plays where

 

[yobbo84]

Looking at that side it looks like you want to miss the 8 again

As if Graham hasn’t been flogged enough and now you want him in the back row, so Tass can move to the right and not pass to Munro

Narkiness aside, I actually think playing 2nd row would reduce his workload. When fit he's a better defender than Keaon and a better line runner too. Otherwise go Wighton in the backrow instead. I don't really care.

Ideally we sign another gun back rower.

Basically, our lack of edge forwards are a massive problem and I'm a little tired of us deliberately stopping Arrow from playing his best footy by sticking him on an edge, purely because the rest of our edge forwards aren't up to it.

 

[raider]

Narkiness aside, I actually think playing 2nd row would reduce his workload. When fit he's a better defender than Keaon and a better line runner too. Otherwise go Wighton in the backrow instead. I don't really care.

Ideally we sign another gun back rower.

Basically, our lack of edge forwards are a massive problem and I'm a little tired of us deliberately stopping Arrow from playing his best footy by sticking him on an edge, purely because the rest of our edge forwards aren't up to it.

While I do agree that Graham has all the attributes to be a gun second rower, my problem with it is that Campbell proved, when uninjured, he can be the best center in the game. I don't think our backline can take another weakening just to improve our also weak second rower stocks.

I agree Arrow should become a middle and to do that our second rower crisis must be solved.

I still think guys like Milne and Thompson have the frame and attributes to convert. Tass too in a pinch.

 

[Pplspoet]

I think we have the players but they're used poorly.

I've convinced myself I'd like to see a prop/middle rotation of Arrow, Tatola, Burgess and Koloamatangi.

I would like Duncan at lock, and second rowers of Murray and Graham.

I think that's an elite forward pack.

Wighton and AJ on the left flank, and then Tass and Munro on the right.

Who’s your 7 in this rejig?

 

[yobbo84]

Who’s your 7 in this rejig?

Ilias/Hawkins/find someone

Wighton and Walker are not halfbacks

 

[Rabbitohs95]

The pieces are there. Whether we can put them together is another thing. But I do think finishing 9th could be the kick up the arse we need.

Our Cup side playing in the Grand Final will be a nice way to end an otherwise upsetting season.

 

[Pplspoet]

…cup side playing in winning the grand final…