Questions...
So many questions....
I have a question...
Do u wake up in the morning and think to yourself “what can I do to further confirm I’m a complete d1ck???”

So many in this world consider that must feign contempt at every opportunity. The good ones call Australia Day a uniting day....the bad ones say Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi.

I think our side for 21 is shaping up nicely.
We could have a new spine.
1. Allan.
6. Averillo.
7. Flanagan
9. Wakeham?

Cotric will and to the attack in the centres, I hope he can defend but almost anyone would be an improvement on thge defence last year. Hoppa for the other centre  newsreader and DWZ for inital wingers with Okunbor likely to push for a spot when he is fully fit.

Hetherington to add some much needed steel at prop and hopefully Napa lifts his game.

We also have some good young fowards and likely impact off the bench.

We are lacking a bit of depth in the centres, if Lewis misses out on a halves spot he might get a run in the centres.
DWZ might get a run in the centres.

Add in the Fox and Burton the 2023 squad is significantly stronger.
This year we might contend for bottom of the 8, with a few more smart signings and good player development top 4 in 2023 is possible. To win the comp around a 25% chance everytime a club finishes top 4 or is as good as the top 4 sides at the business end.

From 2023 onwards no reason why top 4 can't be our target every year, this year top 8 is the target.

This year the team should be a chance of playing finals. Next year should be the year to push further up the ladder. And yes, agreed 23 top four and a chance to win it. 

9 and 6 are the big Q’s for mine... 
Wonder if Barrett and co have been able to get a little something out of Lachie from a running and decision when to pass perspective??... 
Kotoa has sonething about him and if can get a couple of errors out of his game.,,
Wako improves D and few more kilos...

Some pressure for position will be a good thing...

Agreed.

Lewis and Katoa are other options for 6 and 9.

I think Averillo has X-factor and class that is rare in  our team, he has to start, 6 and 1 are the best positions.

What I expect is Baz has told all players what they need to work on, if a player doesn't show improvement in those areas, they may find themselves in reserve grade.

In previous seasons players were slow to improve and too often repeated the same mistakes. When a team is well organised, players only have to stick to instructions.

With Lewis my issues were, decision making, pass exection and the lack of a running game.
If he runs the ball more, other aspects might naturally click into gear, sometimes passing and decision making is best done by instinct, and often a short pass is the better pass. When the half looks like he is going to run, defenders make decisions. Somehow it is easier for the fullback to link into the backline and throw the cut out pass.
A half standing flat footed in the middle of the field and trying a long cut out often goes wrong.

The problem with Lewis is he hasn't the top speed or speed off the mark to have an effective running game in the halves.  He is a good tackler and may develop the versatility to be a 14. We're in trouble if he's a first choice in the halves.

Too bloody hot for Australia day.
Can we move it to tomorrow?

You're a genius.  You've come up with a way to move the date that no one can object to.

It's called the Duckworth Lewis System....

The thing about Jan 26th, is it’s divisive. You can say it shouldn’t be all you like, but  it only makes it more so.

Go on, say everyone should get behind it and be “proud to live in the best country in the world” and all the rest of it. And watch it don’t work.

Because it just doesn’t. And nothing is gonna change that.It’s just gonna continue to be the most divisive date on our calendar, forever.

Besides which, it’s a f***in’ stupid date to celebrate beside the obvious. Oh great, we’re celebrating Britain establishing a penal colony. What does that have to do with modern Australia?



 

Sums it up nicely. I’ve tried to explain the many reasons this shouldn’t be our national day many. I’ve changed my opinion on what points I agree with many times. And I have very little emotional attachment to the day. 

21st May is a good date. The day everyone was given the right to vote.

More significant than the date we became a f***in’ penal colony.

Or we could become a republic in February

Even better

You're missing something Zef.

The indigenous community doesn't want to move it to another day.... they want you, me and the rest of non indigenous to fekk off.

It's not gonna happen.

Greece celebrates October 28th as the day of defiance. I think the Indigenous community should consider Jan 26th in a similar way - a day of survival. Otherwise, they should put forward some dates for a national referendum. We need a national day and wanting to reverse the events of the past just isnt the answer.

Other nations around the world have been wiped out or persecuted if the survivors even attempted to not follow the rules of the sovereignty. 

If nothin changes, nothin changes...

I think you would find that if the date was changed and Australia Day was renamed ‘survival day’ it would keep the majority happy. 

What a load of shallow absolute bullish.t. Never been put forward by any indigenous body, nor I have I ever heard any indigenous individual mention it, anytime, anywhere, ever.

Maybe some loser in jail somewhere, that’d be about it.

where do you make this absolute crap up from Marki? And more to the point why? Is bullshit all you got?

Have you ever heard an indigenous person say to you, or anyone, “Why don’t you go back to where you came from”, Marki?

More to the point, have you ever said it to anyone?

I know which one I reckon’s more likely.

I disagree.
Find me 1 Aus citizen who doesnt know this land  was previously occupied by Aboriginals. You'd struggle.

Like I said, we can't reverse what was done 2 centuries ago. 

I just feel there is no pleasing some.....so this debate will go on and on and on....

I have equally never heard an Indigenous person come forward and propose an alternate date for our "national day" - you know.... the day we all feel united and proud of the country we live in and the way of life we choose to live.

Not one. Never.

And they never will. 

They dont want us here Zef.... dont fool yourself into thinking they do. 

Their silence is deafening.
It speaks more words than anything.

You and I know that if they approached the government and said to make some other day on the calendar our "national day" and leave Jan 26th as a day of mourning for them, I'm sure the government would eventually buckle under the pressure from the people and pick another day.

But that's not what they want.

They are probably happy with any other day of the year.

If there is a discussion about an alernative date, they may make a comment.

There is a way for the country to be happy and united, it is possible by everyone being suitably flexible and considerate.

I don't care what the date is,  but I do respect the opinion of our indigenous brothers. If they aren't celebrating, I'm not celebrating. 

Speaking of celbrating, West Ham 4th on the table.
I am expecting Dman to buy the drinks when we go to the pub to watch the replay of the Palace game.
Am I being optimistic?

When was the legal status of Australian citizenship created by the National Citizenship Act?  26 January 1949.  All simply British subjects before that.
The date that the 1967 referendum came into effect may be worthy of consideration. It was the first attempt at inclusion.

Touchy subject... yes, but there are 365 days in a normal year and I can safely bet my left nut that any one of those 365 days will offend or upset somebody. I would rather see the 26th January remain, I think it's extremely humourous seeing the "offended and entitled" getting upset over a public holiday.

You just got a binary brain, Marki. You’re utterly incapable of considering, or contributing, anything on this subject outside the context of “us and them.”

And if really you want to know what somebody wants, maybe you should try listening to them instead of trying to Markisplain to them what they want.

That is because you don't see it from their point of view.

Pick a good date one that signifies unity, and no one will be offended, there are lots of good dates to choose from.

So far we have
- 67 referundum
- federation
- a new date with an associated act of parliament enhancing human rights, tolerance and non-discrimination.

There are many possibilities.

IMO try to cling to the current date this will get more divisive and a bigger farce with every passing year. Australia Day will become a day in which we argue about our differences, not a day for celebrating unity.
If it isn't about unity  it is simply a meaningless day off work.

I don't think retaining Paine as test skipper is the right move, it is like retaining Des as coach. The team will not play smarter, players may get burnt out.

CA are really telling us they are clueless and just enjoying the free lunches until Dman takes over.

It will be a pleasant surprise to see any energy and innovation from the team, I expect to lose to SA and the Poms.
If we play NZ, they might beat us. Smith, Labs, Cummins and Haselwood may be able to carry the side, but we can't expect these 4 to perform every series and make up for a lack of strategy and quality elsewhere.

This reminds me of the Dibbies last stand.

India were good, but when it came to the crunch we didn't have it. And I can't remember when we last had it against top opposition. When we did Smith and Cummins probably did most of the damage.

I can cop my sporting teams losing, I hate it when teams and administrators are clueless.