Hypothetical if we’d kept Asotasi and O’Meley instead....

Moey

Kennel Enthusiast
Premium Member
Tipping Champion
Joined
Jul 27, 2008
Messages
2,716
Reaction score
3,652
Preseason, Asotasi was dying to sign a contract to stay at dogs and was willing to sign for peanuts. Dogs management knew this but were too focused on resigning Nate Myles.

Then Asotasi had an awesome year and Souths offered him crazy money and he did the right thing and took it. Then we lost Myles anyway. Management screwed it up big time.
 

bulldogsmyte

Kennel Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 14, 2009
Messages
1,541
Reaction score
2,472
That year JT killed it in Reserves. When Anasta was injured for an extended period, JT replaced & performed great for a player so young. The team performed even better with a young JT at 5/8. Yes he did not want to leave & was willing to take a pay cut. It was obvious that JT was special, eventhough at the time noone realised how special. A sad day I'm Dogs history.

The club should ensure that no other potential great players leave the club wherever possible. In JT case he came to the club not wanted by QLD clubs & developed through the lower grades. This is how you maximise your salary cap. Identify raw talent & having the pathways for development & patience to enjoy the rewards in the future.
JT said it himself that he became the player he was because of coach Murray at Nth Qld. Murray built the team around JT. Folkes would not have done that. You are exaggerating the affect JT had on our 2004 GF side which was stacked with superstars. JT only played in the GF because Price was injured and Jamie Feeney often played off the bench that year and was noted as a super sub by many impartial commentators such as Bob Fulton. If you think JT outperformed Anasta in 2004 you are kidding yourself.
 

Berries

Kennel Immortal
Joined
Nov 13, 2006
Messages
16,575
Reaction score
8,499
JT said it himself that he became the player he was because of coach Murray at Nth Qld. Murray built the team around JT. Folkes would not have done that. You are exaggerating the affect JT had on our 2004 GF side which was stacked with superstars. JT only played in the GF because Price was injured and Jamie Feeney often played off the bench that year and was noted as a super sub by many impartial commentators such as Bob Fulton. If you think JT outperformed Anasta in 2004 you are kidding yourself.
I tend to agree here, people over rated Thurstons years with us because of what he did later in his career. Bloke only played due to injuries
 

Magic Arrow

Kennel Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
1,362
Reaction score
846
I'm pretty sure Souths made Asotasi the highest paid forward in the game. He was paid more than SBW by a fair bit. I don't think anyone rates Asotasi over SBW. We couldn't retain O'meley because we retained Maitua.
 

Freakzilla

Kennel Immortal
2 x Gilded
Premium Member
SC H2H Champion
Tipping Champion
Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Messages
24,659
Reaction score
18,960
We punted Folkes after one horrible season 08 we should have persevere with him instead of sacking him folkes had a great record with us 08 injury’s and several players leaving did not help.
But like it or not he was out most successful coach in. The nrl period
We should've won more than 1 comp with the roster we had. He underachieved. Also made the terrible decision to let JT go.
 

alchemist

Kennel Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
Messages
4,579
Reaction score
6,393
I'm pretty sure Souths made Asotasi the highest paid forward in the game. He was paid more than SBW by a fair bit. I don't think anyone rates Asotasi over SBW. We couldn't retain O'meley because we retained Maitua.
O'Meley would have re-signed with us in 2007 for less than what the Roosters were offering but Folkes had a word with him and told him to look after his family first and so Ogre left
 

alchemist

Kennel Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
Messages
4,579
Reaction score
6,393
We should've won more than 1 comp with the roster we had. He underachieved. Also made the terrible decision to let JT go.
the two seasons that stick out as missed opportunities for us were 2003 and 2006... I think a big issue in 2003 was Folkes' team selection for the Preliminary final and in particular, picking Glen Hughes ahead of the likes of Asotasi and Grimaldi

in 2006, we were 20-6 at half time against the Broncos and then proceeded to miss 48 tackles in the second half and lose 37-20... now, you can say that he could or should have done more to change the momentum but that loss is on the players

we got kicked out of the finals in 2002, had a horrific injury run in 2005 and by 2007 were done and bounced out of the finals in the first week by the Eels
 

Wahesh

The Forefather of The Kennel
Joined
Dec 6, 2007
Messages
24,798
Reaction score
12,077
It all started in 2002 when we were stripped 37 competition points and fined $500,000, we haven't recovered. lol
A premiership in 2004 suggests otherwise.

I reckon our 2004 squad was better than 2002 - just my 2 cents. Players like Asotasi, SBW, Tonga and Sherwin were regulars.
 

wendog33

Kennel Immortal
Premium Member
Ladder Champion
Joined
Aug 6, 2016
Messages
24,741
Reaction score
27,950
Asotasi is in the same category as Finucane.

Above Dale for forward power and talent but an integral team player who inspires and gives 100% and a club, and team mates, can absolutely rely on to give their all.

They'll always be there for the tough carry or make a desperate tackle.

We lack that and it was a shame we lost both of them as they are the glue you build a tough pack around.

Pritchard in that mould as well who inspired admiration.

But $hit happens and they join the long list of influential players we let go or lost who were worth their weight in gold for not just the obvious.
 

Dannyboi88

Kennel Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
1,726
Reaction score
1,206
We should've won more than 1 comp with the roster we had. He underachieved. Also made the terrible decision to let JT go.
Yeah true but at the time of jt he had anasta and sherwin who I think on form was one of the best halfs on his day in that 02-06 time and anasta was a rep player too. But folkes knew it was time to go too
 

Magic Arrow

Kennel Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
1,362
Reaction score
846
O'Meley would have re-signed with us in 2007 for less than what the Roosters were offering but Folkes had a word with him and told him to look after his family first and so Ogre left
I remember this too. It was on the backpage of the telegraph.
 

simmmo

Kennel Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 8, 2008
Messages
2,262
Reaction score
85
there is also the need of a couple of glue guys up the middle to soak up all the defense, it wasn't all just firepower when we had the dominant forward pack, we also had the Tony Grimaldi and he was sorely missed when Brisbane sliced us up and ran over the top of us 37-20 in 2006
I'm calling BS on this. Firepower and fear in defense is sorely missing and is needed for the dogs to get back to where they should be. Furthermore, Grimaldi was the only undersized plugger in the 2004 GF side. The rest were absolute weapons. You can't have a pack full of Grimaldis, which is what Dean Pay tried to implement. Right now, we don't need any Grimaldi-type players. We need some out and out weapons who can drive us up the field and smash a few blokes in defense.
 

Freakzilla

Kennel Immortal
2 x Gilded
Premium Member
SC H2H Champion
Tipping Champion
Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Messages
24,659
Reaction score
18,960
Yeah true but at the time of jt he had anasta and sherwin who I think on form was one of the best halfs on his day in that 02-06 time and anasta was a rep player too. But folkes knew it was time to go too
It was clear to me during that time that JT was better than Anasta. Folkes should've seen that too. Also he could've played Anasta at lock.
 

Disposable Hero

Kennel Enthusiast
Joined
May 13, 2006
Messages
3,418
Reaction score
4,477
Hypothetically. It changes squat.
We still end up with Hasler,Dib and Castle.
These 3 fucked up the management structures that were previously in place.
It was the destruction of these that put us were we are now.
The hypothetical situation your talking about happened 15 years ago.
 

Dannyboi88

Kennel Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
1,726
Reaction score
1,206
It was clear to me during that time that JT was better than Anasta. Folkes should've seen that too. Also he could've played Anasta at lock.
Yeah if we kept Thurston he probley be Cronk with 6 rings at the end of the day we would have won at least 4 or 5 premierships we had the forwards too
 

Gene Krupa

Kennel Legend
Joined
Jul 8, 2020
Messages
8,477
Reaction score
10,656
A premiership in 2004 suggests otherwise.

I reckon our 2004 squad was better than 2002 - just my 2 cents. Players like Asotasi, SBW, Tonga and Sherwin were regulars.
WOW, 1 Premiership in 16 years. Somebody stop us.
 

Olddawg

Banned
Joined
Jan 12, 2021
Messages
46
Reaction score
49
Can’t believe u gronks are stilllll salty about Sonny “walking out” looking after himself and his own. Wow mindblowing, that 04 premiership might not be without him, you are probably the same supporters that were praising him. Smfh also the bashing of willlie mason and other club legends, NRL IS A BUSINESS YA MUPPETS
 

Wahesh

The Forefather of The Kennel
Joined
Dec 6, 2007
Messages
24,798
Reaction score
12,077
Can’t believe u gronks are stilllll salty about Sonny “walking out” looking after himself and his own. Wow mindblowing, that 04 premiership might not be without him, you are probably the same supporters that were praising him. Smfh also the bashing of willlie mason and other club legends, NRL IS A BUSINESS YA MUPPETS
Are you seriously that deluded???
  • He dogged the club, then insulted us when he walked out, it wasn't simply about looking after himself
  • He then apologised, knowing what he did was wrong
  • He wasn't looking after himself considering he was on the same amount of money with us as Toulon offered him, he wanted to leave
  • The club bent over backwards giving him the deal he wanted, and that still wasn't good enough for him
  • Then he comes back to the NRL and signs with our most hated rival.
It's not rocket science, do the maths.

The fans respect Willie a lot more because the club released him, and he loves the club (even played with our legends team), but what SBW did was absolutely disgusting.

As for you comment about us not winning the Premiership without him... LOL... he was injured for 7 rounds in 2004 and we faired just fine without him!
 
Top