You'll be waiting a long time....
I'm never wrong, and even if I'm slightly wrong, I'm still right.

Lou is the full deck at hooker, every skill we need, smart, hard working and competitive.

Our halves don't show a lot of signs of  being able to throw short passes to put players into a gap, IMO this can't easily be coached it is instinct. Passing is a big part of playing in the halves, not an optional extra.

But so far the halves haven't been able to play behind a dominant forward pack very often.

Some excuses here, we are down a lot of troops in the middle.

On the positives Perham, Alamotti and Preston good debuts, also good effort from Tanner.
IMO Nu Brown adds a lot to the team, especially when fresh.

Overall the squad would be stronger if we didn't have so many middle forwards out.

I am completely mystified about why Waddell is consistenly preferred to Topine, had Topine played I doubt that Manly would have made so many yards and linebreaks up the middle.

Or perhaps so far wrong that you circle the globe.

Famous last words. I'm sure ywere one of the punters that were hanging sh!t on the club for not getting the cheese. That would have been a disaster from what we are seeing thus far.

Cheese will be fine. Roosters will be fine.

The benefit of cheese is that you can play him as an impact forward as well as hooker. 

Good to see the Fins win tho.. If only had they the bye next week to celebrate their achievement and create more fanfare...

Cheese will be fine. Roosters will be fine.

The benefit of cheese is that you can play him as an impact forward as well as hooker. 

Good to see the Fins win tho.. If only had they the bye next week to celebrate their achievement and create more fanfare...

I heard you the first time!

Yes… I’m sure their coach would be happy with them a week off instead of building on any momentum…

Perhaps a Stunning&brave cavalcade down the Main Street of Ipswich…

I see my iPhone is doing its thing… 
An advert for can you believe it, Qantas Health Insurance just popped up… 

I reckon if Mockstradamus wrote in quatrains it would make more sense.

The blue and white Dog of war is caught in a tempest
Much thunder and lightning surrounds him.
The battle rages below until a barage of projectiles is fired into the sky,
When the clouds Part the dog is victoroius.

He has been successfully cloned 😉

Outstanding!!!…

They club is getting most signings right.

Lou - great we couldn't  do better at 9, maybe shaded by Harry Grant but no other hooker comes close.
Preston - looks like a great signing.
Pele - raw but potential.
Sutton - a good replacement for Jacko.
Kicks - one of the best in the NRL in his position.
Karl - seems like a great young plater.
Davey - another reason why the selection of Wardell is a mystery.
Nu Brown- I am pleasantly surprised.
Perham - good player with potential to be better.
Critter - will be an excellent fullback when he gets here.

Any criticism I make of our players are hopefully temporary. I will be delighted to be proven wrong and I will admit it when I am.

In terms of turning it around this week.
I would like to see Topine, Davey or a local bus driver to replace Wardell, but in the last game Wardell didn't annoy me as much as he usally does.
Perhaps Grub for Flanno.

Mostly we just need to play better with fewer errors, Burto needs to find his kicking boots, I don't know what he was wearing last game, perhaps ice skates?

If Burto isn't 100% sure about the pass then run, if Kicks isn't 100% sure about the pass hold on to it.

There is no longer a 20 year jail sentence for passing right, Flanno and Burton can play on the same side of the field in attack. Centres can play on the same side, Averillo can sometimes slot in at fullback in attack.

Most importantly get up to speed with Lou, when he runs, the halves and fullback need to be supporting. 

Forwards need to run hard, Nu Brown should be the main forward ball player.

We could fix it in 1 week, becuase last game was a comedy of errors, the Storm might still beat us, but let's show the comp that we are not wooden spoon favourites.

My theory is that you need to see a player play about 6 games before you can make a judgement.
So the jury is out on all the new signings.
My mind is made up on last year's....

My opinion is based on what I have seen so far and prior games in the NRL, it may change.

Maybe instead of signing Davey I would have signed another prop, but many of the  injuries are recent.

Having said that....
Lou and Preston have shown plenty in 3 games and I doubt will disappoint from here on.

Perham, Pele, Sutton, Davey are a mixed bag ATM.

Kikau i feel will be a good player for us eventually, but doubt he will hit his best form in our colours. Unfortunately his price tag and poor use by the halves could easily have him in the TRex category. I personally feel is a far better professional than TRex ever was, but his effectiveness on the field will be dependent on how the halves make use of him. 

And once again, that probably says more about the shortcomings of our halves than anything else.

Witk Kikau there are 2 good ways to use him.

1. Long shift and early ball in space, he will do the rest.

2, Play square and  put him into a gap with a good short ball.

If our halves could play square Preston also runs great lines and is a willing runner.

If our halves can't do 2., then 1. Is something any monkey can do. The team just needs to stand deep and chain pass quickly and accurately. To set it up, the play before has to go to Averillo, who can if needed turn Kiraz back inside.

Bottom line, work on setting up play 1 and support Lou. Let Kicks and Lou play to their natural instincts. Try to give Averillo the ball with time and space and let him use his instincts.

Forwards/backs just run hard for a few plays until we have the momentum for a shift.

I think that the Panthers style of attach creates an overlap by commiting defenders in the middle.

I hope that we try simply running hard off one or 2 passes or fast shifts to guys in space.

I back our tackle breaking ability more than I back our ability to execute complex precision passing movements.

These plays work for the Panthers and Roosters becuase they have a lot of players in motion.

I think that the Storm plays closer to the style we should play.

Last season we seemed to be copying the Panthers style. Round 1 I am not sure what we were doing.

We really need a player like Luai to bring out the best in Kikau. The only player like that comes to mind like that is JR, although KO might also be able to do it.

Bottom line is that Burton is not this player and the sooner he is shifted to centre the better. Either that or he needs a rocket and an ultimatum to improve. We cannot wreck the next 4 years trying to Frankenstein him into a 5/8th

Hopefully Sherwin is working with Burton, even better would be Thurston. 
Or just watch videos of Thurston and Cliff Lyons, they were the best at what I would like to see Burton do.
Another guy in RL was a cousin of Gary and Glenn Ella, I can't remember his name,  that guy throwing precision passes with Gary and Glenn both hitting the line at top pace was great to watch, everything was millimeter / split second perfect or if it wasn't they caught the ball anyway.

A guy throwing the right pass to a guy running the right line at speed often works out, with Kicks it would be impossible to defend.

Can we scroll back a year and bit where you savaged Luai, and even claimed you’d sit him on his arse…
No wonder you think you’re always right when you have the memory of a goldfish…

Nice memory Damn ....
I'm impressed!

Not sure if I quite said I'd sit him on his arse, but i was frustrated watching him jink and weave past defenders and felt I wouldn't fall for that shit.

Whether or not I could do it is another discussion, but the point is, he's good at it, he commits defenders and can release a pass to a good line running second rower who straightens the attack (Kikau or Martin). 

And so my point is Burton needs to take a leaf and commit defenders and then release his outside (or inside) man, with a well timed pass.

It's not alot to ask for in a 5/8th now is it?
JR could do it. 

Quatrain 267.

The small black panther from far off islands is called to enlighten the one who hair bears resemblance to a woolly sheep.
The ruse is called by the dee man.
The goldfish cannot remember the times of past,
And sinks into a false sense of knowledge and wisdom.

Poetry!
I knew I was special but I never thought I'd make it into a poem like that. Thanks ODF.

Years back in an old bdp incarnation, there was a (quite long) riddle put together that covered many of the members, but somehow excluded me. I was rather upset about it given my years of BDP service before it. Even Steve Sewer got a mention.

But this good recognition....

Steel trap…

The actual point is… you were completely wrong about Romy… yet only 18 months later here singing his praises… 

Mockstradamus Gold(fish)…

Marki, you need to lighten up dude. Even if you did possess all the answers and tricky moves, bottom line is we are just mere supporters whose opinion and comments are worth as much as p!ssing into a stiff breeze. Management will play who they want to play, in what position they want them to play when they are ready. So just sit back relax any enjoy the ride because we are only passengers.... Don't forget to fasten your seat belt though.

I really can't believe Villi didn't rate Thurston, no wonder that he never did well at super coach.

5 minutes of watching Thurston play U20s had me sold, just as exciting as SBW's NRL debut or a Steve Mortimer chip and chase try.

Good teams find their own identity and a style of play that suits them.

Looking at the reserve grade highlights I think Karl might combine well with Burto.

The young reserve grade fullback and Hayward also look like top shelf talent to me. The fullback is particularly impressive, should be a real star in future if all goes well.

Team line up against Storm unchanged Karl O and Topine on an extended bench.

Sometimes the reserve grade team selection, or who travels to Melbourne, can be a clue.

Grub injured and Davey still injured, the named team and the extended bench is pretty much who is available.

Winning a game when down on troops like this would be epic and would kick start our season.

Very tough to beat the Storm in Melbourne even when at full strength. Last season we did play well in an early season game against thrm.