TPJ played good the other night too, not bad the week before either. His best games in the last 3 years have been since he left Broncos.

By the books we got 29 of 30 spots filled, but I don’t believe that. I think Gus will find a way to move a few on and bring a few in.

I know many believe the priority should be an experienced #7 and a #9 and I hear you. But I’d like to think the plethora of options we got will cover them for ‘22 at least, review for ‘23 when there may be more quality available if nobody steps up.

A politician type spin on our season. 
A great year for the bulldogs. Only three trophies up for and we are the first team to win one. The wooden spoon

It's all about playing in front of a crowd.
If an outbreak happens in the next week, the state will unlikely contain it and there will be no crowd in a GF - disaster.

Better to play it in ADL or Tassie in front of a crowd, than anywhere in QLD with no crowd...

Been the story of the last 30 years I tell ya....
I'm glad you noticed it this time.

But the game showed you dont always need metre eaters if you can make line breaks or force errors in the opposition.

How many times did we get the ball back from an an attacking bomb kicked from their 40m line? At least 3 that I remember.... and for once we challenged the bombs and it resulted in knock on from the Tigers.

If Flanno plays, we dont get that result. 

Punt him. Punt him now.

The Tigers pack out played ours for the first 20 mins  and the Tigers forwards played well for most of the game.

Patolo and Odgen shifted the balance when they came on.

I wouldn't mind moving Ellliott on, promoting a young forward after the trials and keeping on spot open for a few rounds. We can always get a good Vaughan like prop from the reserve grade comps. 

We might find that the 22 squad is better than some expect in many areas. And we might get a run of early season injuries in 1 position.

30 years now? I thought it was 40.

Congrats Mr Robinson, Tunks, Kelly, Gillespie and your 80’s brothers. You’ve been moved up from being just good kick chasers.

O’Mealey, Price, Asotasi, Mason, all in the same team.

Never won a forward battle but…

… good kick chasers.

My thoughts at this stage are.

Props - Vaughan, TPJ
2nd Row - Hertho, Tommo.
Lock - Jacko
Hooker - Cook / JMK

Bench
Patolo - first pick IMO, very promising young player.
Seafood / Odgen?
Stuckey? / RFM
BBO  / Topine.

I think that is plenty of punch in the forwards add in a great long kicking game from Burton and I don't think yards will be a major problem.

The ? Players might not be here, or might be on development contacts that affects our depth.

For the rest of the side it is similar, my hunch is we have good options in most positions, and it is too early to make a call on further signings.

Marki came here from an alternative universe, and he is still in it.

Go back and read the posts.
I made it clear I kept away from the 80's as i didn't follow the game closely prior to 85.

I also made it clear that while our forwards of the early 2000's were considered top names, we still didnt win the forward battle on most ocassions and only brought the territorial battle on even keel with a strong kicking game (Sherwin, Anasta, Thurston, Hughes) and line breaks from good centers and wingers.

My point remains.
We don't play a style of footy that allows for forward domination. It's all one out crap.

But yesterday showed what can happen with abit more unpredictability at hooker and hard running on edges. It should be the blueprint of how we need to play going forward.

You are correct about the Burton long kicking game and the fact that we have enough forwards.

How we play off the ruck will determine how well we go next year. 

I wouldnt be starting the season with Cook and JMK. BBO must be there - at least on the bench.

If we are 0 from 3, you can then give him a go. 

I'd love for you all to get some stats on where we sat in forwards metres during those "halcyon years".

Actually better you dont.
The heart attack wards in the hospitals are full and cannot take you all in at once. Just take my word for it. We made territory from line breaks and kicks. 

The players would have to move now, pre any lockdown. With the semis this week it ain't going to happen. Remember SA is quite strict and quick to act.

You’re the one with the memory of O’Mealey, Price, Asotasi and Mason being trampled all over, so why don’t you go find your stats.

That is true.
I'm sure the NRL are in close talks with the QLD government (and other states) on where they sit.
No lockdown decision will be made without sufficient time to alert the NRL and all they need is rest of that day to pack up the teams and move.
That's what they did with NSW to QLD move. 

No doubt playing at Suncorp is the intent here, but im sure they'd want it with crowds

Hetherington reminds me of a mix between Grimaldi and Simon Gillies. Thats in terms of looks. Haven't seen enough of him to comment on his footballing abilities. 

The stats are for you guys.
For me the proof is in the pudding and what i see, game to game.

Look, there's multiple ways to skin the cat.
Our early 2000's team, whilst not entirely dependent on forward winning battles, was highly competitive because we had the ability to make breaks from anywhere on the field and had exceptionally good kicking games (probably best in league). We also had incredibly alert and smart players who could snuff out "out of the ordinary" plays and we scrambled well. In a nutshell, we were able to defend mistakes.

With the introduction of Dufty, JAC, Burton, Averillo, Naden, i am confident we can get back to becoming a team that can score from anywhere.
This will relieve pressure on our forwards to always win the forwards battle. It is therefore not as imperative that we have meter eaters. That is my whole point.

He plays very much like Hazem El Magic, including goal kicking, when he gets the chance. 😁

We had good forwards under Des and some good outside backs, but the spine was a mess.

IMO Katoa took some time off his ball runners and didn't often get them over the ad line with momentum and doesn't disguise the intended receiver well.

But aside from that our ball movement, structures and organisation were very good.
Seems to me like our attack is improving and I have high hopes for Cook at dummy half.

I also agree that the pace is there in 22 to take any opportunity.

I also expect, Thompson, Hetherington, TPJ and Patolo to create opportunities with a run / offload.

People underestimate how much Katoa, Flanno, Napa and Wardell have held us back this season.
The last round win is even more meritorious becuase 3 of these guys were involved.

But Marki how could it be...you hated at least Luke Patten who made many of those long breaks. He was also responsible for snuffing out many an attacking play.

The General was a legend.

Fullback is an important position, teams need a good fullback to be successful.

Why coaches thought that we would be successful with Hoppa and DWZ at fullback is beyond me, pace is a non-negoitable requirement.

The selection of Renolds and Mbye in the halves.

Persisting with Lichaa at hooker etc...

Bad options in spine positions were not an accident.

He was poor at reading kicks. If you look back at replays he would make just about every grubber kick to the ingoal, a forced dropout. 

It was hair pulling stuff.

Barba and Silva showed how it's done.

You keep knocking JR but he was a very good foil for Hodkinson or Keating. The Barba of 2012 is like the Turbo of 2021. With Barba in the team, you just needed a solid half. JRs unpredictability gave us an added edge. 

Bellamy shut down the pass to Barba I'm the GF and that was that. I expect Storm to shut down Tom this week and win.

We lost the 2012 GF for one reasons...errors....we made too fekking many. I bet the Storm watch our game against Manly...gee we were unlucky.

Latest rumours.......... "Penrith star Viliame Kikau has been linked with a big-money move to St George Illawarra. Tariq Sims is expected to sign a deal with Manly. The rumours won’t die at Brisbane that Payne Haas is unhappy and will look to exit the club in the coming years though a recent pay rise may quieten that discontent. John Bateman has been linked to a return to the NRL with the Wests Tigers his most likely destination."

JR had talent he was a top shelf 14, playing him in the halves was a mistake.
Mbye is hard to figure out, but more or a fullback/centre than a half.

If the game agsinst the Tigers Wakeham and Averillo executed a much better kicking game than most sides in the Des era, 2 tries from kicks, 2 repeat set, one kick that was nearly a try...
Excellent line drop out after a dropped catch.

I also praised JR on occasions as he was good at times. 

One game doesn't prove anything, but it is a step in the right direction.

I do think Tariq Sims might be a handy addition to our club.

Just make sure that he passes a medical.

Bateman is on record denying the rumours...
We can guess Haas wants more money...
Sims and the Dragons seem to have a falling out... those 2 have some legs...

Kikau to the Dragons is dubious...

The Dragons and Tigers have been trying high priced quick fixes for years and got the results they deserve.

Both teams have been in and around that 8th spot and you can hardly blame them for looking for that proven player to make them a top 8 team. 

Dragons have a number of good young players to come through. But it's clear how important Ben Hunt is to that team. 

Tigers are abit of a basket case but needed to see out it this year to clear some dead wood in their SC.

It will be interested to see what they do with madge. He's had 2 years, has had a say in player retention / recruitment but they have regressed. If I were them, I'd give Madge first 8 weeks of next year and start some discussions with John Morris (played for them). Do a review after 8 games in 2022 and make s decision to keep Madge or move on.

No thanks to T Sims