Please elaborate Zef. Running out of time to salvage the season... I think we are passed the point of no return already with that one. Running out of time to stop the NRL from forcing us to relocate... well that one is up to Gus and the board.

They say you only wake up to yourself when you finally see the bottom rushing up to meet you.

Well, here it comes.

Well we have nothing left to lose. Yes ditch those that don't give a fvck for those that do.

It’s a line from a song I find appropriate… the following line even more appropriate.

“I wish something would break, cause we’re running out of time.

I am overcome.”

We're pretty slow. The bottom came and got us well before this season.

100%.

The defence from Dufty and TPJ was a always likely to be a problem.

No player is too big for reserve grade, a coach like Bennett never has a problem making that kind of call.

This season is all about giving some young guys experience now and maybe avoiding the spoon.

Good options in 9,7,1 will do a lot for the side. By good options I mean not the current guys.

Unfortunately some of the dead wood is still contracted next year. I am not sure anyone will take them off our hands.

Watching us this year, even though we recruited well we only picked up a few elite players, but those we did recruit should be performing at a much higher level than we are witnessing. So is it the coach and his assistants that are the problem or is it the calibre of player we have recruited not being good enough OR is it a combination of the two.

It will not go on forever, but we need to build properly, not take shortcuts.

Get the right player for each position, start a season with the right team, stick with it and build combinations.
Players that frequently miss tackles and drop balls belong in reserve grade, regardless of their pay check.

Set standards and enforce them, starting with fitness.

Send them all to reggies, we aren't doing any good with them in the side anyway

Next week’s Rnd 11 so players outside the. 30 can be selected, off the top of my head Kiraz is probably the only one likely, but he MUST be picked. And if there isn’t a scalpel run through the team like a mad surgeon regardless of wether they come from inside or outside the 30 the place should be raided for drugs.

The rule of the definition of insanity demands that it’s time to just fucking DO SOMETHING. If that’s punting half the team than so be it. I can count half a dozen at minimum that’s not gonna change a fucking thing.

Do something! Drastic. It’s that fucking time.

Some of those recruits did have some question marks about them, mostly in defence.

If we were completing more sets and executing better in attack the opposition would get fewer chances at our end and the defensive problems might not be exposed.

If the attack was functioning better, players would look better in attack.

9,7,1 are most responsible for the misfiring attack.

King, Vaughan Burton and Fox have been great recruits. The others are a problem, and partly why their previous clubs let thrm go.

Im going to play the piano now.....

You're correct to question how the accountability should be apportioned between the players and the coach. All we can say for sure is the coach should have the team a little higher than last.

Team selection I would go nuclear.

Tola/Averillo at fullback - replacing Dufty.
Kiraz/Casey  - replacing Okunbor
Kiraz/Averillo replacing Naden.
Cook to starting hooker, JMK to 14.
Wakeham/BBO to half- replacing Flanagan.
If we have a good young 2nd rower, he can replace Wardell.

The guys I am dropping are not coming back anytime soon.

Give the young guys some experience and see which ones stand up.

Let's see some energy and effort even if the young guys make mistakes. 

I agree.
We are not making it OK for our players to shrug off a mistake and get back on the horse.

By not converting opportunities and field position into points, we bring errors into the equation and then panic sets in.

It all comes from poor attack. Flanno is garbage and should never have been promoted back into the team. Our best player last 2 years should never have been dropped from 5/8th. 

JMK should never be playing more than 30mins per half.

But the coach can't see this 

Coach 50%, recruitment 25%, players 25%.

IMO the squad is deficient in a few areas, but the coach has to pick the best 17 and get them performing to their ability and set standards.

Whoever was coaching we are 10-14 at best this year. But we are a lot worse than that.

Five seasons including this one, about 100 games, complete squad regeneration, two coaches, last place. No sugar coating it, not good enough. A big immediate change required or we will waste the talent we have now,  have coming forward and can potentially attract.

The changes I would make are:

Toia for Dufty
JAC and Casey on wings
Kiraz and Schoup in centres
Burton -Wakeham halves
JMK plays first 30 at hooker then moves to lock
BBO plays next 35mins at hooker and replaced by JMK if needed
JOK in 2nd row (yes I think we need him in the team)
Averillo 14

It's a lightweight team I know, but you don't need size. You need effectiveness. 

The team above is about getting a good lead and winning by the 60th minute. 

We need them out of the club. The Reggie's should be our back ups and the future 

Just to change the subject. Why are Manly keeping a hobbling Turbo on the field a risking further injury when they're down by 30?

The problem with Averillo and Burton is two 5/8s didn't work, worth a try as both have excellent running games, but Burton has improved a lot since then.

Averillo played mostly at fullback and 5/8  in lower grades. Tola looks like an excellent fullback and would be my first choice. If Tola doesn't work out, try Averillo, if Averilllo doesn't work out try Fox.
One of these 3 might be our next fullback, give up on Dufty.

Hayward is injured and a bit young, otherwise he would be my first choice half.
Try Wakeham and BBO in that order, give Wakeham 5 games regardless.

If none of these options work out we might need to recruit somebody, but give up on Dufty and Flanagan, permanently.

Des is coaching 😁

Who knows.
Maybe they are trying to get him to run it out?

In any case, if we can sack Barrett and get a new lease of life, we can catch some of these other shit teams....

I am happy with most of that but JOK to 2nd row is a bridge to far.
Try it in reserve grade first.

Corey Oates with the Willie Talau angled run...
A thing of beauty...

What about Alomotti?  I don't associate JOK with effectiveness.

Alomotti also an option for centre, Kiraz can play wimg.

Give the young guys a taste of NRL and see how they handle it.

What is funny is that we haven't copped many floggings this season.

Occasionally the attack looks dangerous and often we hang in and defend well for long stretches.

But there is a pattern, we lose direction in attack at the opponent's end.
Dropped balls, compounded by 6-agains and penalties.
We spend a long stretch defending and eventually crack.
When we finally get the ball again, the team has no energy and we are no threat.

It is common to be with 6 points of the opposition with 10 minutes to play,  and to have no hope of winning.

It is frustrating for the fans, because we are a record stuck in the groove and are boring to watch.

Many other teams have been flogged, Jacko, Vaughan and Thompson are keeping us from being flogged, little reward for their efforts. 

ICE the attacking opportunity at the opponent's end, it is a completely different story.

You're  right our attack is almost non existent.  We lack organisation. We don t  have players in motion, we don't  have support playes presenting themselves to give our "playmakers" options. This is mainly coaching and practice until you get consistency. You need to get selectios right and get consistency  through training.