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[Kempsey Dog]

missed the tackle on Anthony Tupou though that led to the Minichiello try in the GF

That's quite harsh to only blame him alone.
Do you recall that Grimaldi was right next to Hughes and left him posted making no contact at all.
Hughes made some great kicks / 40-20s from dummy half when needed.

 

[alchemist]

That's quite harsh to only blame him alone.
Do you recall that Grimaldi was right next to Hughes and left him posted making no contact at all.
Hughes made some great kicks / 40-20s from dummy half when needed.

I had time for Corey Hughes as a dummy half off the bench as he was a halfback (but not of FG standard) and so gave us another attacking option that Perry never did... but he could be suspect in defence although yes, Grimaldi was next to Hughes for the Tupou missed tackle

I would say though that Grimaldi was underrated and underappreciated... we were a better defensive team with him even though we had SBW and Maitua on the bench... he did a lot of the effort and ugly work

 

[Marki]

I had time for Corey Hughes as a dummy half off the bench as he was a halfback (but not of FG standard) and so gave us another attacking option that Perry never did... but he could be suspect in defence although yes, Grimaldi was next to Hughes for the Tupou missed tackle

I would say though that Grimaldi was underrated and underappreciated... we were a better defensive team with him even though we had SBW and Maitua on the bench... he did a lot of the effort and ugly work

Short memories.
Grimaldi was an attack killer in the Aiden Tolman mould. Ok maybe not that bad.

Grimaldi is the reason why we won games 24-20 and not 44-20

 

[alchemist]

Short memories.
Grimaldi was an attack killer in the Aiden Tolman mould. Ok maybe not that bad.

Grimaldi is the reason why we won games 24-20 and not 44-20

Grimaldi obviously did not offer the same as someone like Maitua in attack but we were a more solid defensive team with him... and from memory, we were a top 2 offensive team in 2004

 

[RookieDog]

missed the tackle on Anthony Tupou though that led to the Minichiello try in the GF

The GF which we won

 

[alchemist]

The GF which we won

true... I was a little squirmy though at halftime when we were 13-6 down

 

[Philistine]

Imagine if we could have kept Thurston too, we have had a few more trophies in the cabinet

I usually say "we" when I'm talking about the Dogs, but they didn't just allow him to leave, they pushed him out. I don't suppose the supporters will ever know the full truth about that stain on our history, as one of the main players (Folkes) is no longer around to tell his side of the story. J T's last game for us was the grand final, and he was close to the best player on the field. He wasn't quite the legendary figure he became almost overnight at the Cowboys but you had to be Tommy (deaf, dumb and blind) not to see he was going to become something special.

So..... was it Folkes who made the decision or was someone else pulling his strings?

 

[alchemist]

I usually say "we" when I'm talking about the Dogs, but they didn't just allow him to leave, they pushed him out. I don't suppose the supporters will ever know the full truth about that stain on our history, as one of the main players (Folkes) is no longer around to tell his side of the story. J T's last game for us was the grand final, and he was close to the best player on the field. He wasn't quite the legendary figure he became almost overnight at the Cowboys but you had to be Tommy (deaf, dumb and blind) not to see he was going to become something special.

So..... was it Folkes who made the decision or was someone else pulling his strings?

there were salary cap issues, Sherwin was locked in for 5 years, we had Anasta for another year, Thurston had not been brilliant for us in FG, there was a belief he was too small for FG and Folkes preferred a bigger body five-eighth in Anasta who left a year anyway

still, a colossal retention f*#% up... probably cost us 1-2 premierships

 

[Philistine]

Thurston had not been brilliant for us in FG, there was a belief he was too small for FG

Thurston was (presumably still is) 179 cm tall and weighed 89 kg (five foot ten and a half and fourteen stone in the old money) - hardly a midget! I can recall him absolutely mowing them down every week in reggies, although he was a bit tentative when he got a go in FG. This should not surprise anybody; he was a young kid in the halves telling grown men (some of them the biggest stars in the game) where to stand and where to run! He got more assertive the more he played, and he actually scored 10 tries in 29 games for the Dogs, apart from the other good stuff he did.

I realize hindsight is 20:20 vision, but my mates and I could see in 2004 that he already offered much more than Anasta for a fraction of the money. If a handful of casual supporters could see his talent, a first grade coach worthy of the title had no right to miss it.

 

[kmr07]

I usually say "we" when I'm talking about the Dogs, but they didn't just allow him to leave, they pushed him out. I don't suppose the supporters will ever know the full truth about that stain on our history, as one of the main players (Folkes) is no longer around to tell his side of the story. J T's last game for us was the grand final, and he was close to the best player on the field. He wasn't quite the legendary figure he became almost overnight at the Cowboys but you had to be Tommy (deaf, dumb and blind) not to see he was going to become something special.

So..... was it Folkes who made the decision or was someone else pulling his strings?

Thurston was probably the 10th best player that night, nowhere near close to the best. Utai & Sherwin and Mason were the standouts

 

[D0GMATIC]

I usually say "we" when I'm talking about the Dogs, but they didn't just allow him to leave, they pushed him out. I don't suppose the supporters will ever know the full truth about that stain on our history, as one of the main players (Folkes) is no longer around to tell his side of the story. J T's last game for us was the grand final, and he was close to the best player on the field. He wasn't quite the legendary figure he became almost overnight at the Cowboys but you had to be Tommy (deaf, dumb and blind) not to see he was going to become something special.

So..... was it Folkes who made the decision or was someone else pulling his strings?

Money, the salary cap. We couldn't afford to pay him what he was worth and what he would be worth because we had signed Shifty Sherwin

 

[D.O.W.]

I watched a replay of the 2004 grand final on Kayo a few weeks ago (for therapeutic purposes), and I was reminded that Johnathon Thurston, Sonny Bill and Roy Asotasi all started on the bench. Was this the greatest bench in history?

In hindsight, it was incredible bench and that team in general was one of a kind, a golden era for us, huge amount of local juniors too so it was very special.

 

[D.O.W.]

Thurston was probably the 10th best player that night, nowhere near close to the best. Utai & Sherwin and Mason were the standouts

And Bobcat doing Bobcat things… his tackle on Crocker was unheralded but potentially saved us the match.

 

[GrogDog]

Thurston was (presumably still is) 179 cm tall and weighed 89 kg (five foot ten and a half and fourteen stone in the old money) - hardly a midget! I can recall him absolutely mowing them down every week in reggies, although he was a bit tentative when he got a go in FG. This should not surprise anybody; he was a young kid in the halves telling grown men (some of them the biggest stars in the game) where to stand and where to run! He got more assertive the more he played, and he actually scored 10 tries in 29 games for the Dogs, apart from the other good stuff he did.

I realize hindsight is 20:20 vision, but my mates and I could see in 2004 that he already offered much more than Anasta for a fraction of the money. If a handful of casual supporters could see his talent, a first grade coach worthy of the title had no right to miss it.

Yep it was obvious he would be the goods back then. I remember thinking the same thing, same as Lockyer in his first match.

 

[Marki]

Yep it was obvious he would be the goods back then. I remember thinking the same thing, same as Lockyer in his first match.

It's the same situation as Penrith with Cleary-Luai-Burton.

You have to put your faith in 2 players only and be resigned to lose the 3rd.

If we hadn't signed Burton when we did, Penrith would have realised they could keep him at centre and as back up half. Would have been more difficult to lure him away.

If we had a chance to play Thurston elsewhere in the team it may have been an option, but with SC pressures and Thurston desire to want a full time halves spot, you can see the predicament.

 

[Philistine]

If we had a chance to play Thurston elsewhere in the team it may have been an option, but with SC pressures and Thurston desire to want a full time halves spot, you can see the predicament.

At the time of the GF JT was our bench utility, our 14. They could have left him there for a while to see what developed. Or they could have played him at hooker.

Regarding salary cap pressure, he was probably the lowest paid of our grand final 17. He got a pay rise for moving to the Cowboys, but he is on record as saying he was prepared to stay with us for less.

 

[Moedogg]

missed the tackle on Anthony Tupou though that led to the Minichiello try in the GF

I think he came on in the preliminary against the Panthers and made that break which got us back into the match. Otherwise we wouldn't have made the GF.

 

[billy beane]

I usually say "we" when I'm talking about the Dogs, but they didn't just allow him to leave, they pushed him out. I don't suppose the supporters will ever know the full truth about that stain on our history, as one of the main players (Folkes) is no longer around to tell his side of the story. J T's last game for us was the grand final, and he was close to the best player on the field. He wasn't quite the legendary figure he became almost overnight at the Cowboys but you had to be Tommy (deaf, dumb and blind) not to see he was going to become something special.

So..... was it Folkes who made the decision or was someone else pulling his strings?

The worst decision made by the club in my 50 plus years of support.

He was always going to be a great player.

To think we had SBW as well.

Two generational talents at the same time.

Still hurts to think about it.

 

[alchemist]

And Bobcat doing Bobcat things… his tackle on Crocker was unheralded but potentially saved us the match.

Ryan also threw a good pass for the first try

 

[alchemist]

The worst decision made by the club in my 50 plus years of support.

He was always going to be a great player.

To think we had SBW as well.

Two generational talents at the same time.

Still hurts to think about it.

the majority of the 2004 team was 25 or under and we should have been on the cusp of another dynasty but we f+*#ed it all up