No one had heard of Preston before this season.

We just need to find similar quality lower grade fringe top 30 players, even if we only have a 30% success rate, with locally developed players we will get there over the next few seasons.

TPJ didn't do much to increase our chances of winning this season.

I am dreading Dr Marki bagging me first needing to in interchanged after the warm up.

I like the way that you have my  age, fitness, talent and location wrong, in fact everything is totally wrong, you would make it as a journo.

Haas has resigned with the Bronx.

IMO TPJ was the most frustrating player this season, we need a player like that,  but ideally someone consistent. 

What a story for Matt Nable to do his thing…

This  plucky 47 year old…
Every game is like playing in the backyard… with his teenage kids…
The big man with the bigger age bracket… He has to scroll back in an iPhone for 2 minutes when entering his vaxxxination information…
With a twinkle in his eye… or cataracts… he’d rather bet on number 5 in every race than admits he needs glasses to read the form… he never gives in…
A fire in his belly… or indigestion…
The trek from the bar at Turvey Park Tavern to Belmore sports ground a well trodden path… etc…

A real dearth of talent available to spend the coin on… I reckon I might go to a gym for the first time ever, bulk up, and offer my services as a 20 min prop who can throw stupid passes in my own 20… I’ll take $400K…

TPJ…. Gooooone at seasons end… Boxing… 

Now waiting for the ‘we can sign haas with that money’ proclamation from the same people who proclaimed Haas was coming to play with his mate TPJ…

One key difference IMO is that players like Averillo, King and Kiraz were injury free in round 2.

After about round 7 there seems to be 4-5 players returning from injury or playing with injuries each week.

We have definitely made some mistakes in that area, but luck has been a factor.

This season hasn't been that bad apart from 3-4 truly terrible performances, 2 of them against Drugcastle.

Aside from the odd 10-15 mins here and there the team hasn't played to its full potential.

But when we have been bad on occasions there have been no half measures and barely 5-10 minutes of decent footy from us all game.

Last game was one of those games, the refs didn't help us, but it would have taken a lot of help from the refs to even get us in the game. The Knights fumbled and bumbled for the first 20 mins of the second half and virtually begged us to do something, but we were incapable in attack, and quick to fold again in defence.

Preston is suspended for 2 weeks, I hope we can find some energy, motivation, execution, intent, team spirit, confidence and resilience for the last few weeks. If the players are looking for leadership and inspiration Kiks was the player setting the example. I hate to think how that game would have gone if he wasn't on the field.

Earlier in the season Edwards showed a lot in attack and defence, the coach needs to start him.

I doubt that this will carry over into next season, but the coach and most of the players who are staying need to reflect on this season and change the things that need to be changed. 

I still think that if we could put 80 mins of our best footy on the field we can win most games, or at least be in the game at the back end. It would be great to see that before the end of the season, but it hasn't happened all year.  Our round 2 performance against the Storm was one of the better games, currently we are well below that level.

Yeah that Edwards sin bin was as stupid as you can get. Bunker has no feel for the game or even the game as a product. 

IMO the offload was forward anyway so it didn't even matter if Edwards grabbed him or not. 

I blame the NRL who constantly keep trying to make things black and white by applying blanket rules. I'm sure if you slow down every tackle or every play, you can find something to rule on.

Dont think it would have changed the result as we were pathetic throughout, but it certainly made sure if it.

Not the same person.
We use to agree on many things but over time our differing thoughts have come to the fore.

He's still got the closest views to mine. It use to be HD and Dman. 

Nowdays I'm on my own.

More than once I have thought Micko is Marki using a different alias. There was still hope when Edwards was sent to the bin for a professional foul which wasn't even remotely close to one....all hope was gone after that. In saying that Newcastle have momentum going into the finals....and it would have been a hard task to come back but made beyond the realms of even remote possibility by a totally incorrect call by Kasey Bludger.

I never said it was the refs fault we lost and I agree we play like sh!t, what I did infer that the ref was substandard and the bunker was occupied by a useless, incompetent female genitalia that has scant knowledge of the rules of Rugby League. Micko, stop defending the officials they are atrocious.

I tend to agree with CC stick to the defensive system and find players who can play it.

But the middle forwards need to be fit mobile and hard working, the defenders need to move across and up. We need to win the ruck and have a well set line.

When the opposition punch through and get a quick play the ball, the system fails appart it is back to scramble.

Players who are good in CC's system are good in any system.

CC is used to Penrith where the players were good enough to play the system.

There are other issues that get exposed due to needing to scramble.

Scramble has dropped off badly and that is unlike a dogs team.

The only good thing about CC's system is players who are not good enough tend to stand out 
.
Time will tell if we can find enough good players to play it.

The only other alternative I can think of is traditional up and in jambing defence where the edges do most of the moving. The problem with that is most sides have their fullback join in and throw the ball to the winger in open space.

NRL sides are good at moving the ball, defences needed to move and play the same system.

Tommo and Kiks not on the same page.

Kiks moves fast and expects inside defenders to push across and come up fast.

Players coming up fast should not be a problem as others should cover.

Kiks is defending in the way CC's  system is supposed to work.

The underlying problem is we don't complete sets, concede penalties, the opposition has a lot of ball we get tired switch off and stop moving, in particular the middle forwards. After a few weeks not moving becomes a habit.

TPJ isn't really a problem because other players should move and cover.

Stop blaming the refs. The team played like shit. Defence is the most important part of winning. We can’t even hold a straight line. There were gaps everywhere. Either the players don’t know how to communicate with each other or they ignore each other. 

Even though I was critical of the on field ref last night, my full dummy spit is directed at that useless imitation of female genetalia, masquerading as an official that was occupying the bunker. She has shown every time she offciates our games she "finds" reasons to deny us points and "fabricates" excuses to award our opposition scores. If this is a representation of next generation of match officials then pity help the future of Rugby League.

For 1, I think Critter and Taaffe are better options considering attack and defence.
Taaffe might also end up in the halves or at 14.
Sexton is at least an upgrade on Flanagan.
We will see how Burton goes with better players supporting him.

We still need to strengthen the forwards, but if Tommo and Kiks play the majority of games, we win a few more and have more confidence.

Still critical to get recruitment and retention right, especially we a club is towards the bottom of the table. The top teams can afford to get a few things wrong.

I am happy with who we have signed so far, but at best problems are only 60% solved. 2 good props would add a lot to our side. One of them could be Tommo staying. If he is keen to aim up for us next year, I would factor that in, if he is anything less than highly motivated, time to go our separate ways.

Very much agree with all this. 
I don't unfortunately think we will be in same position next year as this.

Spine not yet settled. Other than Mahoney, there's no confidence that we have found a 1,6, 7 combination that can lead to success.

We were 75% of the problem the ref's were 25%.

When a team is constantly defending they are likely to concede ruck infringements an penalties.

1.Tommo was unfortunately well off the pace, the 2 early soft tries were mainly down to Tommo.
2.Wilson unfortunately dropped a few difficult passes in possible try scoring positions.
3. After 1. & 2. The binning of Edwards was the icing on the cake.

After 1., 2, & 3. The team chewed up a lot of energy in defence and looked lethargic in attack.

The main reason for the loss was Tommo starting. Several times this season CC has realised that the forwards were too small and underpowered and has gambled on a solution  Everytime the gamble has failed.

This is one of those games where fans are simply well advised to forget it and move on.

Being a player doing a review of that game would be no fun.

IMO the coach shouldn't waste the last 3 games, with the exception of Tommo I would not play players carrying injuries or lacking fitness unless we needed to make a call on retention and needed more evidence.

If we have already decided players are moving on I would not play them unless they increase our chances of winning. 

I would like to see CC put some thought into
 team selections and keep experimenting in case he finally gets lucky.

I will only be disappointed if we learn nothing from this season and are in the same position next year.

Sometimes it isn't your day, or isn't our season. Just about everything that could go wrong this year has, but we have found some good young players.

Preston, Morrin, Edwards, KO, Wilson and Skelton all look like prospects. King,, Burns and Kiraz have confirmed my high opinion of them. Sexton has been very good in patches. Moving Okunbor to the forwards was the right call.

Foxy and TPJ very disappointing at times and under performed, especially considering their salaries. I am mostly critical of decision making not effort.

I want to see more of KO, Morrin and Skelton, plus any other player the coach thinks deserves a chance.

Burto 50/50 great at times, disappointing at others, just too much load for one player to carry, he needs more help.

There were at least 3 things ...Edwards should never have been sinbinned...it wasn't a professional foul...simply put. The Newcastle player knocked the ball out of preston's hand when he was going to score...how could it not have been a knockon and the Newcastle prick on another occasion lost the ball on the way down. We started badly and were robbed when Edwards was sent to the bin. Our Narcissistic friend will be in all his self enthused glory. Not a place for sane people who at least take one hand off it some of the time.

Appalling *

This squad has been put together under the guidance of the coach and football manager. 

I don't buy the "such bad shape" excuse anymore. It's a cop-out. 

I blame the coaching staff for not having basics instilled in footballers and have them game ready.

Earlier in the season we had injuries but could hang in there. Now, it's turnstiles everywhere or yawning gaps between shirt grabbing tacklers.

It's appealing. 

I said many weeks ago that our season was over and we couldn't wait till off season to reset. These last few rounds will cause more damage than benefit. Wish the season could just end now 

It is partially just a lack of confidence from a string off loses and having very little to play for.

The coach can't quickly make an injured player injury free, an unfit play fit, a weak defender a good defender, a follower a leader, or put fight in a player that doesn't have it.

Preston, Reed, Kicks, King,, Karaz and Burns have what is required.
Burton, Sexton, Edwards and Morrin probably just need more experience.
Knight needs to get injury free, TPJ needs to get a lot smarter.
Tommo hard to judge, he is way underdone.

The squad is in such bad shape that it is hard to judge the coach.

I really don't like the mental fortitude of this team.
One or two things happen in a game and we collapse like a deck of cards.

Very concerning. I feel the players aren't buying into this coach and his plans. They lose faith as soon as they execute whatever it is he is trying to implement.

We are so bad on so many levels when things aren't going out way. We dont even have smart enough players in key positions to swing momentum. If the opposition doesn't take the foot off the throttle, we can wrestle it back. 

We really need to sort out these horrible defensive reads (or misreads) as a start but we also lake punch in attack. We are desperate for an elite half or 5/8th.

Unfortunately, I don't see many of this current crop of players being in our next title contending team. These guys are all stop gap entries.

The team should had organised a toilet meeting with Ponga this week and take some off the stuff his on. 

Knights are one of those teams I hate losing to. Not quite as bad as the Lemons, but not far off.

Recently we struggle to put in a decent performance against either side, we can't handle big props wingers and centres.

Yeah we got nothing in the first half, screwing us over was a team effort.

The defence for the first 2-3 tries was pathetic, attack wise we struggled to get into first gear.

We should experiment with Wilson at fullback, I would have done that weeks ago.

Just put Averillo on the wing, we can always swap back later. Especially if Averillo is injured.

Since we can't get the spoon, try a few sensible experiments. 

I still wouldn't have Flanno on the bench.

Tommo was a mistake this week, but he should be better for the run. 

BTW both tries the druggies scored in the second half were p!ss poor incorrect calls. But what do you expect from the NRLol.

While ever that useless cagina Badger is in the bunker we will be on a hiding to nothing. The dopey tart has cruelled us every game she has ever officiated.