This warriors team is playing an attractive style of football. Webster and his staff have done a great job.

The inclusion of CNK cannot be underestimated.
He gave stability to the Raiders 5 years ago and got them into a GF.

He's now bringing that same stability to the warriors and together with the new style they are playing, they are on the way up and deserving of a top 8 spot. 

Gus said that we will not have the salary cap fully under control until next year.

Looks like the strategy this season is a few key signings to strengthen the team, and relying on bringing younger players through.

My guess is that we have the cap space to further strengthen the team for 2024.

The Tits are not a great defensive side, so we are a chance to score some points.

After that we have the bye, so we should be able to give it everything.

Gus is responsible for the development pipeline, CC for NRL results.

I don't buy that BS excuse of salary cap anymore.
It's been the same story since 2017 and every year we wait for the following year to fix the SC yet every year we pay big bucks on forwards.

Let's cut that BS excuse once and for all and spend the big bucks on the spine.

We have Mahoney, Burton and next year Chrichton on big bucks. We probably won't get the value out of Burton me thinks, but that shouldn't stop us getting a top line and experienced halfback to fix up that error.

Gus was just giving a comment on the season so far, and his role.

At this stage, Burton is the halfback for 2024.

Averillo will be a centre for as long as he stays at the Dogs.

Karl will get plenty of opportunity in the 6 jumper.

We need to find a new fullback for the rest of the season.

But going by the results so far this season, fixing our defence in the middle will be a priority.

IMO the spine, backline and second row is pretty well set for 2024-2025. We will not sign many more players in those positions and a big money halfback signing is very unlikely.

Connor Tracey is an example of the type of player we should sign.

You are certainly right that the defence in the middle needs attention. In the last 2 games we have surrendered the best part of 60-70m on 5 or 6 tackles and allowed the opposition to put attacking kicks in. 

You might go through a short spell in a game where under fatigue you might give that up for 2 or 3 sets but we have been giving it up from the first minute of play which is unnacceptable.

I feel it's both a technique and attitude thing. Some players are switched-on at marker and others just aren't.

It all starts at marker and the middles closest to the ruck. If the markers aren't in position or don't follow the play, they are out of the tackle. If our closest middles don't rush up, it's then easy metres for the opposition who can wind up and gain good ground as well as good PCM.

Our ruck speed in both attack and defence started off well in round 2 but bad habits have crept in and we are down for the count.  I'm not sure 1 bye is enough to recover. We almost need a good month rest before I see us improving in this area. Players have settled into their habits now and it's difficult to shake off and reset.

If we can find a win this week and then go into the bye, we might be able to lift our spirits and attitude and work on tackling techniques but I can't see us winning any more games with such poor defence up the middle.

Out attack has its own shortcomings which are too many to fit in this already long post, but let's just say it's very much dependent on opposition mistakes rather than our own skill set 

I still think it is a personnel problem.

Yes, but I think it is as much work rate and mobility as it is size

Some change to our starting pack perhaps using guys from the lower grades or imports we can get, might work.

Sharks don't have a big pack, they have a pack with small fast mobile workers and a few big guys.

But it is important that the big guys are also effective capable defenders. TPJ trys to solve too many problems by himself and usually fails. Pele isn't on the field long. Patolo just back from injury but from memory his defence also needed work.

Big guys can improve, AFB has improved.

King and Sutton are a bit small but generally good, the problem is getting back to injury free to the extent that it doesn't impact on their performance. We might be able to sign a pom before June 30th, most poms are good defenders.

RFM doesn't seem to have the work rate.

Okunbor has enough size to make an impact and generally good mobility.

According to Gus Hughes played well in reserve grade.

Starting props are the positions we need to change, on form TPJ and King should be coming off the bench.

I am also wondering about picking a new fullback and playing Perham off the bench instead of Grub.

If Perham can be trained up to do a bit of dummy half work, he covers a few positions and IMO is fairly effective running the ball in the middle. Leaving out the fullback specific things and some of his passing decisions, he hasn't been that bad.

It's like there's infighting amonst the squad. They are playing but it's like they don't have each others back. Is there any members in here that are close to the club or have ties to the coaches thst could shed any light on the situation?

ODF - I don't think that there is a serious issue here. 

The coaches are happy with most of the young players.

Reed  hates losing and is getting frustrated with guys not doing their job. That is a good attribute for a player to have.

Wilson was absolutely mobbed by the squad when Foxy announced that he was making his debut.

That is another reason why trying a few new guys can help, the young guy is excited to be making his debut, his team mates are excited.

It is a wake up call for the player who was dropped or demoted to the bench, and the rest of the team is reminded that NRL selection is performance based.

CC just has to make the right calls. All indications are that some young players are impressing in reserve grade and are close to NRL selection.

We have got players coming back from injury and we can now afford to rest players or play them in reserve grade if necessary.

I don't think that we are far off, the start of games and defence in the middle needs to be fixed. When that happens most other things will fall into place.

When we are losing, some fans have a tendency to sing last year's tune. Scoring points isn't a problem for us. Averillo, Burton, Marhoney, Fox and  Preston  can handle that.

Yeah well... We keep buying expensive forwards and it always seems it's a personnel problem.

That tells me we are either wasting money on useless players, or it's in fact not the players.

And I strongly believe it's not the latter. 

The only expensive forwards I think we have are Marhoney, Kicks and TPJ. And perhaps Thompson.
Most of the teams above us on the table probably have more.

No one mentioned buying expensive forwards. Gus doesn't tend to spend big money on props.

Our biggest problem is 2-3, of our better forwards have been injured for most of the season.

We are more likely to promote Hughes than sign an expensive prop before June 30th.

For 2024 if we sign forwards others will be let go.

Gus is working on the pipeline of talent, the aim is to get back to "Bred not Bought".

I hope we get a win soon, fans are starting to panic, and lose perspective.

Not losing perspective. Running out of time.

I think that we have the right people running the club, but we can't expect instant results and consistency this season, especially considering the injury toll so far.

It is better to focus on young players with promise and access progress at the end of the season, I still expect progress.

So far the NRL standard is higher this season, in particular completions and attack are better. Only the top 3-4 teams can defend well for long periods.

I don't have any inside info, but from the sidelines, I feel that CC is looking for solutions and is making the necessary changes he sees fit.

He arms certain players with certain responsibilities and those players are trying to do it for him, but when it doesn't work out, they are getting frustrated.

It's obvious Perham was asked to and trained all week to ball-play against the warriors. Once again, I think this a backhand slap to Burton who just isn't doing what CC would like his halfback to do. So when it was clunky with Perham, he started getting agitated and it all boiled over when the pass to King was spilled. 

I like the fact that CC is trying to resolve issues and isn't just doing the same thing over and over again, looking for a change in result. 

I just think they need to give it abit of time and sometimes you just have to accept that you played a team that was switched on and played a great game. That doesn't mean your changes wont be successful, they may just not be successful immediately.

Having said that, I have seen enough of Perham to feel he is not our best option for fullback. We are in week 11 if the comp and he hasnt been able to chime into any backline movements with any fluidity. The fact he couldn't do it in the middle of the field last game tells me he isn't the person for the job.

I honestly think we are better served with Averillo at fullback or maybe Kiraz, but I feel we lack so much in the halves that we need the ball playing ability of Averillo who at least can pass a ball or make a good break.

Sorry what I meant to say is that it IS the latter.
I dont think it's the players. I think it's the structures, techniques and ruck training.

For some reason we are happy to allow players to run into our defensive line, punch through, while our players fall on top of them. We don't bend them backwards or twist them. 

It results in us not getting to marker, conceding PCM and allows quicker PTB to opposition. Recipe for disaster by losing the territorial advantage. 

I see it differently...
We are nearly halfway through the season and instead of locking in players in their respective positions for 90% of the first grade squad, we have question marks to more than 50% of the team.

We don't know who our forwards should be, we dont know who our halfback should be and there are question marks in who should be at fullback or centres...

All the good teams have just about every position locked in with exception of maybe 1 or 2 at most.

I dare say we had more positions locked in at the start of the season than we do now after 11 games. This suggests players have played themselves out of position rather than made it their own.

Apart from a handful  of players we have two second grade teams.

Halfback and the centres are more or less locked in.
Hooker and our first choice back row is locked in.
We may see a good fullback option this week.
Props/bench are the next problems to solve.

IMO Burton and Averillo will be playing their current positions for the rest of this season and all of next season.

I understand how Gus and CC think, becuase it is more or less common sense.

Exactly. We don’t have the forwards. Simple. 

There are also some good forwards who are/were out injured for a long stretch, Kicks in particular.

But IMO Thompson and Patolo also a factor.

Then we have guys like King a bit out of form after injury.

We do need a quality starting prop and an additional replacement for Tommo if he goes.

I think Edwards will be our first choice lock for the next 10 years.

When a team has injuries, young guys get an opportunity, that is the upside.

What I like about Edwards.

Mobile in defence, always moving, gets into position to make tackles, tackles and rarely misses, can play long minutes.

Has a ball playing passing game, but also a running game with some footwork, fully commits to the run, doesn't walk.  Mostly knows when to pass and when to run.

Has enough size to make yards.

If we were winning games more fans would be noticing.

Wilson also impressed me.

Was not impressed with Edwards last year, but this year very good, definitely a keeper.

I don’t think Hunt is that type but can we hope he seeks an immediate release and is in blue and white in Rd 14???…

Getting better each game.

If Hughes and Tanner show similar improvement, that is a lot of our forwards problems solved.

Tanner looks completely off the pace for NRL at this stage, but that might change.

Hughes looks likely to me. Gus mentioned him as playing well in reserve grade. He was a rep player as a junior, before injuries derailed his career.

There is a absolute gun prop in Harrold Matts, but he is a few years away from NRL. I will not be surprised if he plays the odd game in reserve grade next season.

Dr Marki has assimilated Dman?

Hunt is a good player and he would improve the team, able to play on all tracks.

Edwards is great. Has all the ability to be a modern day lock. We still need a few hard heads up front. I’m not sure if we have to pay big money for them or we can bring through juniors. But we desperately need more go forward. The backline looks set. The spine with Chrichton is new but hopefully clicks. It’s annoying talking about next year already.  

I agree with all of this.

It would be good to make some progress this season.

That hinges on signing another hard head before June 30th and/or a young guy like Hughes stepping up, also getting Patolo back and having Sutton and King injury free. Also TPJ working with his teammates, and starting to influence results.

Fullback they are playing Averillo at centre, becuase we have Chricton and Xeri coming next season. If someone like Connor Tracey was available before June 30th, I would sign him. Burns was impressive in a trial IMO, I would also try Papalii, but Wilson seems like the best option to me, I would definitely try him.

5/8 we need to give Karl an extended run, I don't think Rajab and Hayward are strongly pressing their claims. Flanno is making a good fist of converting to hooker. It is more important to give Karl game time and see if he looks like the answer, also perhaps BBO when he gets back.

If we are not sure any of the young halves will be ready for 2024, then we might need to sign someone.