Opinion If our roster is so bad...

[doggieaaron]

Thing is, two seasons in a row the team has missed the pre-sesson badly.
Which has ensured the season has gone up in smoke before getting half way through the season.

Remember before the 2018 season how the squad was "training the house down" that was the quote direct from the club! Only to find out the complete opposite was true.

Our roster has some quality players in it. If you look at the last two seasons it is a perfect example of poor player management & poor coaching.

Now Pay may get better, as we all learn from mistakes. Question is how long do you give him.

Youd think they are giving him till next year trying to get some good players to give him the best chance I really hope he comes good because he does love the club but if no good next year then we may look at flanno

 

[GDR]

Has pay done a good job? My fair assessment is no.. a fair job at best..

Was this side ever a finals contender? Hell no.. I myself had high hopes preseason of finishing 8-10.. but I now realize with this squad that was a ludicrous thought..

DWZ has done a lot for this team since joining.. never underestimate what a quality player can do in a vital position. He has definitely influenced our run home.

 

[Sandra's Bollocks]

If we make a late surge like we did last year, I'll be more pissed off than if we had won the spoon.

If they have nothing to lose now, then why the fukk didnt they have something to gain for in the earlier parts of the season?

 

[DinkumDog]

And again that's all just a roster excuse. I understand how recruitment works, but I'm more interested in what is happening here and now with the players we currently have. Pay still has a team to coach and build with what we currently have...yet this has been basically non existent.

Where's the so called heads up footy he talked about almost two years ago? Where are all the other things he mentioned? Hasn't delivered shit. Player development should've been better, there should be a clearer understanding of the type off footy we're playing, there shouldn't be so much chopping and changing, etc. These are the things I'm interested in.

If Pay had got these type of end season results much earlier through the season then my opinion in him would've changed, but he simply hasn't. This constant spewing of rebuild is just an excuse and distraction to lower expectations so we as fans accept mediocre performances and results.

Constant spewing of rebuild?
I was in the room when the CEO and then recently elected board told us in May 2018 that it was a long road back and we would not be competitive in the player market ‘until 2020 at the earliest, but more likely 2021’. Last I checked it was still 2019.

Things appear to be playing out as or close to what they said per above. So for me, benefit of the doubt to all involved until maybe 8 games into 2020 and that will be a better measure of where we’re at.

As for Pay’s influence on 2021 recruitment come this November, well if we didn’t learn from giving Hasler too much power then we’ll get what we deserve. The current Chair implemented committees where agreements have to be reached on recruitment, retention and salary - so Pay will get some but limited input assuming he remains coach for at least the start of 2020.

As for winning at the back end of the year, it seems last year we found some confidence and go forward in Lewis and this year I think DWZ has had major impact in organising defence and some attacking structure which seemed almost non existent earlier in the year.

How much of that comes from the coach?
That question remains open, but in addressing your point of chopping and changing - why make a move until we’re actually ready?

 

[Sandra's Bollocks]

Has pay done a good job? My fair assessment is no.. a fair job at best..

Was this side ever a finals contender? Hell no.. I myself had high hopes preseason of finishing 8-10.. but I now realize with this squad that was a ludicrous thought..

DWZ has done a lot for this team since joining.. never underestimate what a quality player can do in a vital position. He has definitely influenced our run home.

Already above and beyond our current players (bar CHN) in terms of ability and influence, and he's only played how many games for us? Lol

 

[GA45]

Although I do think if Pay had Nathan Browns roster Pay would have had the Knights on more wins than their current 8 wins.

I wouldn’t be so sure. It would require getting your players fit and having a game plan other then giving it to tolman in the attacking 20.

 

[Aristidiz]

We have been playing alot more adlib in recent games, less of the completions game. And its paid off

 

[CrittaMagic69]

I have like 50 notifications...the fuck is wrong with all of us

 

[DinkumDog]

We are still playing like shit. Fkn pathetic attack, no intensity in defense. Ofcourse goal line defense will improve if thats all youve been doing all year.
If anyone thinks we are playing remotely well got no clue. We have no chance of beating the top teams. We are just a team with nothing to lose beating teams who are just making up the numbers.

So doesn’t that speak to the strength of the competition as a whole rather than just the Dogs? Apart from Melbourne, where there’s daylight between them and everyone else I don’t see consistent high quality anywhere. Can 16 teams survive, 9 of them in Sydney? Increasingly doubtful...

 

[KLil]

Youd think they are giving him till next year trying to get some good players to give him the best chance I really hope he comes good because he does love the club but if no good next year then we may look at flanno

People will whinge until the day there is change... Right now it seems Pay has locked in the first 5-10 rounds of next season. Its make or break for Pay and the most logical outlook for the club.

 

[top-dog]

Because the NRL is a shit competition

 

[CBDoggies]

I see the teams we play and beat the following week kill it against better sides. I think the teams attitude has changed when we signed dwz. He is the reason we are defending the line so well. It’s no coincidence we have been playing 100% better with him in the side and it also helps pay has stuck with the side and only made changes due to injury.

The start of the year pay was chopping and changing the team and it just didn’t work with players not knowing if they are gona be in the squad the following week

 

[fooch]

Bookies had us favorites for the spoon because of our roster not who was coaching us. Not that i rate pay but players are having a go so he hasn't lost them yet

 

[Novdoggie]

Yes our roster is bad. We are here to win competitions not only be competitive and win a few games. The past two years we have been fighting for wooden spoons not silverware. So winning a few games as good as it has been in the past month does not take away the fact we are not anywhere near a top four team

 

[coach]

I wouldn’t be so sure. It would require getting your players fit and having a game plan other then giving it to tolman in the attacking 20.

Mate we’re one win of knights
They have origin fullback, origin half, 2 origin props
I know which coach needs the boot first

 

[coach]

@nabsolutly fabulous
Which players would you keep and which players wouldn’t you care if we let em go?

 

[obje]

Man the geniuses in this thread talking about our great roster.

Use your big brain and create a table comparing our roster against the rest of the teams, or any team, you could pick the Titans if you want.

Compare stats. That's all you need to do.

But you won't because you're talking shit that isn't based in reality.

 

[kaluah8123]

And again that's all just a roster excuse. I understand how recruitment works, but I'm more interested in what is happening here and now with the players we currently have. Pay still has a team to coach and build with what we currently have...yet this has been basically non existent.

Where's the so called heads up footy he talked about almost two years ago? Where are all the other things he mentioned? Hasn't delivered shit. Player development should've been better, there should be a clearer understanding of the type off footy we're playing, there shouldn't be so much chopping and changing, etc. These are the things I'm interested in.

If Pay had got these type of end season results much earlier through the season then my opinion in him would've changed, but he simply hasn't. This constant spewing of rebuild is just an excuse and distraction to lower expectations so we as fans accept mediocre performances and results.

I agree with your sentiments on Pay. I don’t think he is the man for the job.
He has in a way crucified himself with comments such as “dogs of war” and “heads up footy”. He promised an expansive style of game and we are anything but.
This is a FIRST for me but in his defence we don’t deserve to be playing heads up footy as we don’t dominate the ruck. There have been a few occasions this year when we have thrown the ball around but we were dominating the middle. Our defence this second half of the year so far Pay is delivering his promise.
My biggest concern with him was whether he could attract talent. He got DWZ somehow and it sounds like there is more to come.

 

[Dogna88]

The reality is. Regardless of the emotions of a win or loss.

Pay isnt as bad or good as people make out

Our roster isnt as good or bad as people make out

We are not a great club anymore. We have failed to keep up with the other clubs in all departments.... maybe bar titans

 

[dogwhisperer]

Mate we’re one win of knights
They have origin fullback, origin half, 2 origin props
I know which coach needs the boot first

Well said. No one can ignore these facts. There’s 7 teams ahead of us with only 1 or 2 extra wins than us and all have better squads.