Thanks for the info.

Expectations or more accurately hopes, don't put any extra pressure on the players or change how they play..

The players and coaches probably are aiming higher than most of our fans.

Most Dogs Fans are not sure that we will make the 8, very few think that we are any chance of winning it.

There is no guarantee that we will make the 8, but the team certainly did the work in the off season,  we are the fittest team in the comp. 

I am taking the last 2 games against the Chooks and Sharks as fairly positive all things considered. 

For the Chooks we need to hope that they are peaking now or that luck runs against them in the semis.

As mentioned by  Gus our team is still improving and we hope that there is a lot of improvement to come.

Dream the impossible dream!!!...

Take a look at the home page and sports links... Something up .. IS hacked???...

Hi Team, I am getting email notifications users I've never heard of "has posted new content"... There is a link to click to "view the post"... Be vigilant.... 

Lets make finals this year and worry about premierships going forward.
We are not there yet....

We need to be good enough to win each week, no easy games on the horizon. 

Every game is vital, Cows after the bye a very tough game, Warriors might be physical. 

Sharks and Roosters played well our form line is pretty good. 

QLD has a dry season in winter we might get a fast dry track at Townsville which might suit us.

If also suits their players in particular Drinkwater.

I wouldn't mind seeing 2 sides going head to head on a fast dry tack with exciting attacking footy.

Seen more than enough winter grind, but the Warriors game is a 50-50 at least it is daytime which suits us.

Panthers and the Broncos patchy at times this season. 

We are close to the most consistent team in the comp. Perhaps the Storm. 

Chooks patchy earlier but on the right track now.

Cows are a dangerous side, that could beat any team on their day.

Improving like the Chooks. 

Bloody logjam on 20 points.... Each game gets bigger for us...

Cows had 5 or 6 out...

Hypothetically would you rather finish 4th or 5th?

5th has no second chance and needs to win week 1.

Week 2 they are playing a team that lost week1, sometimes that team is mentally vulnerable. 

If forgot Too also out for Panthers. 

Not if they met us!!!...

Reserve grade list 18-10 2 tries each.

Opposition kicked 3 penalty goals and an extra conversion.  Unusual these days. 

Game probably doesn't tell us anything.

2 first choice halves,  fullback and starting second rower out.

Can be hard to score close to opposition line with first choice halfback out.

Watching the riff, how many do they have out?, because the team they are fielding would pass week one in the finals.

So we're back to the trip being a sin bin???... Good... 

Amstel Dark..sounds like a brand of turd!

To be clear while I think that we are a genuine chance to win the comp, that chance is far from a certain thing.

The team needs to keep improving, the coach needs to get a few tricky things right, we need to be close to full strength with all players in good form, and we need a few lucky breaks in the semis. 

Hardest teams to beat are the Panthers,  Storm and Roosters with the Broncos being potentially dangerous if they get back on track.  In the semis we want to play these teams at the right times,  not play too many of them and get a bit of luck in those key games. 

In our favour is if we are in, I expect the Dogs Fans to turn up in droves and probably own the crowd numbers most Sydney games. 

As for our perceived weakness of bring out muscled by bigger packs, that is were the coach needs to make a few tricky team selections and thread the needle on bench rotation, 

Other teams have more semi final experience,  better depth and a bit more size and power. So they have more margin for error. 

Warriors game is critical  a win going into the bye sets us up nicely. 

If we win that one I'll start shopping for the champagne. 

Worst result for me is I am stuck with a lot of grog and only a poor excuse to drink on GF day.

Had an Amstel Dark the other day....
Yummy stuff.

Solid plan...

Great result!!!...

Probably just after the ref and 80% of the crowd yell out - "flat tracker "

I am currently celebrating the end of the Parra season, the wine sure tastes good. 

I am confident enough to plan by drinks for the Dogs GF win.

Drinking 2014 Hunter Valley Shiraz at present,  my sister gave me the tip that 2014 was a great year years ago. Brought a case and a few more. Forgot about them, I have most of them- excellent. 

So a few Japanese Dark Lager beers during the game.

A glass of champagne to celebrate the inevitable victory. 

Then open a 2014 Shiraz and have a few glasses.

Been waiting 10 years,  but at least I have a plan :)

Thank Dog that Mutch Misses wankfest is over from Vossy....
And yet another tough/close game where Mutch Misses again ...

When does Mutch Misses get binned for his non stop approaches to the ref without the C next to his name???...

1 is 6 is a figure Mutch Misses would dream of in close games....

It is tricky, because we need to balance work rate, size and creativity. 

IMO Todd or Sutton will make almost as many tackles as Salmon or Morrin, 

I would rather roll the dice on more punch up the middle. 

Taking the Sharks game as an example,  we went better later on with Hayward,  Taaffee, King and Hughes on.

Hopoi has great potential but is a bit young and inexperienced. 

IMO the key to our attack is roating Mann and Hayward at lock, then Sexton,  Burton and Tracey can make things happen off the back of that.

We need to remember the Roosters game was a tough game in tough conditions. Then into an intense game against the Sharks off a short turnaround without Mann, Preston and Tracey. And with Chricton starting with half a tank of fuel.

Roosters and Sharks teams both ran hard and had good line speed and tackle technique for most of the 80 minutes

The form of Skelton in the last 2 games isa big plus.. 

IMO, Salmon has been instrumental in showing the rest of our forwards how to tighten the middle and conserve energy levels in order to repel set after set.

Our attacking metres gained is still not great and its our defensive improvement that has seen us climb the ladder and stay in contention nearly every game. 

CC needed /needs high endurance guys like Salmon and Hutch who have come from systems where they work with each other. There is no way Salmon is out of this team if fit. No way.

The rest of the team has learnt the system but is still not 100% without those guys.

Attack is a different story. That comes down to the line speed and quality of halves. Burton looks like he had his 1 in 6 top games but is inconsistent. Sexy is not the half that can take us deep into finals. Need a top shelf half to do that.

We will most likely have to remain patient, enjoy the possibility of finals footy for next couple of years and possibly tilt at a premiership in 2 years time.