Diagonsis of early 2019's disease.

Delta

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It is no doubt that we are in a similar (although slightly better) boat then we were 12 months ago. Hence it is clear that Dean Pay's credentials are at stake if he cannot carry on this good form into the start of 2020. We saw what happened earlier in the season, and it was clear that we did not capitalize on our fast finish to the 2018 season. If Dean Pay is unable to get it right this time and gets off to another slow start, I believe there should be questions asked.

In my opinion, I believe the poor start to the year was mainly due to our team selections. Our team in round 1 is so much different to our team now. It is also understandable since Pay had to deal with a lot of personnel losses.

However, in 2020, we need to avoid this, and I believe that Dean Pay must chose his team correctly. With Harper's debut and a fully fit squad, featuring backline players including: DWZ, Hopoate, Holland, Smith, Okunbor, Meaney, Harper it is key that he chooses correctly and sticks with it.

Same thing with the halves and at hooker (if we did sign Billy Brittain). Hopefully Pay gets it all correct.

What would you put down to our poor start to the season and how would you ensure that it doesn't happy again in 2020?
 

SPEARTAKVIDREFS

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Elliot should be fed a strict diet of KFC smoothies, a blend of all the Kernels finest.

Poor start - not fit, not prepared, selection, players moved on, pressure etc.

I still don't know if Pay is the answer. He is making all the right noises right now. Was talking shit the last 2 off seasons. Only way we'll know is a couple of rounds into next year. His demeanor is different this time around. I think he has the experience now not of failure but what it takes to get ready. I hope so. I don't know why but I just have this belief that they're going to get it together this off season and we are going to come out fighting.
 

Scoooby

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The acquisition of try scoring machine Joe Stimson will only help our cause
I think he will be good for us yes.. more points in offer, however we should run in some great try’s in 2020.. nice to have you back Howard :-)
 

BulldogsNRL

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It is no doubt that we are in a similar (although slightly better) boat then we were 12 months ago. Hence it is clear that Dean Pay's credentials are at stake if he cannot carry on this good form into the start of 2020. We saw what happened earlier in the season, and it was clear that we did not capitalize on our fast finish to the 2018 season. If Dean Pay is unable to get it right this time and gets off to another slow start, I believe there should be questions asked.

In my opinion, I believe the poor start to the year was mainly due to our team selections. Our team in round 1 is so much different to our team now. It is also understandable since Pay had to deal with a lot of personnel losses.

However, in 2020, we need to avoid this, and I believe that Dean Pay must chose his team correctly. With Harper's debut and a fully fit squad, featuring backline players including: DWZ, Hopoate, Holland, Smith, Okunbor, Meaney, Harper it is key that he chooses correctly and sticks with it.

Same thing with the halves and at hooker (if we did sign Billy Brittain). Hopefully Pay gets it all correct.

What would you put down to our poor start to the season and how would you ensure that it doesn't happy again in 2020?
I think it’s we lost a lot of experience especially on the edge with the Morris twins and up front with Klem but we won’t
Lose much vital experience this year
 

Howard Moon

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I think he will be good for us yes.. more points in offer, however we should run in some great try’s in 2020.. nice to have you back Howard :-)

Throw him in the halves with his pin point kicking game haha.. cheers mate
 

Alan79

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I think a lot of our early losses can be summarised by the quicksand quote from the movie 'the replacements'. Quicksand in playing terms is when one thing goes wrong and afterwards, no matter what you try everything else goes wrong and you sink deeper and deeper. This analogy is particularly true of an inexperienced roster. Young people can easily get a negative mindset stuck in their heads. Even if what they're trying to do is a good idea, the execution of the idea can fail and it regularly did.

Every player that has developed a bit more confidence in their own abilities through overcoming the mental demons they experienced due to nerves during the game will hopefully be better prepared to forget about mistakes in the future and keep plugging away without compounding errors. Our depth is still not where I'd like it to be in a few positions. But the bulk of the top 17 will hopefully realise that good football comes from believing that they're good enough.
 

justdogs

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It is no doubt that we are in a similar (although slightly better) boat then we were 12 months ago. Hence it is clear that Dean Pay's credentials are at stake if he cannot carry on this good form into the start of 2020. We saw what happened earlier in the season, and it was clear that we did not capitalize on our fast finish to the 2018 season. If Dean Pay is unable to get it right this time and gets off to another slow start, I believe there should be questions asked.

In my opinion, I believe the poor start to the year was mainly due to our team selections. Our team in round 1 is so much different to our team now. It is also understandable since Pay had to deal with a lot of personnel losses.

However, in 2020, we need to avoid this, and I believe that Dean Pay must chose his team correctly. With Harper's debut and a fully fit squad, featuring backline players including: DWZ, Hopoate, Holland, Smith, Okunbor, Meaney, Harper it is key that he chooses correctly and sticks with it.

Same thing with the halves and at hooker (if we did sign Billy Brittain). Hopefully Pay gets it all correct.

What would you put down to our poor start to the season and how would you ensure that it doesn't happy again in 2020?
I agree, no excuses for Pay next year
 

albatross

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It is no doubt that we are in a similar (although slightly better) boat then we were 12 months ago. Hence it is clear that Dean Pay's credentials are at stake if he cannot carry on this good form into the start of 2020. We saw what happened earlier in the season, and it was clear that we did not capitalize on our fast finish to the 2018 season. If Dean Pay is unable to get it right this time and gets off to another slow start, I believe there should be questions asked.

In my opinion, I believe the poor start to the year was mainly due to our team selections. Our team in round 1 is so much different to our team now. It is also understandable since Pay had to deal with a lot of personnel losses.

However, in 2020, we need to avoid this, and I believe that Dean Pay must chose his team correctly. With Harper's debut and a fully fit squad, featuring backline players including: DWZ, Hopoate, Holland, Smith, Okunbor, Meaney, Harper it is key that he chooses correctly and sticks with it.

Same thing with the halves and at hooker (if we did sign Billy Brittain). Hopefully Pay gets it all correct.

What would you put down to our poor start to the season and how would you ensure that it doesn't happy again in 2020?
I reckon it's a fair point that selections and lack of continuity in the lineup might have contributed to the poor start. But I think some of the weird player droppings we saw was Pay giving players a sharp message about what he wanted. Some of that tough love might have contributed to the spirited defence and buy-in we saw in the last couple of months.

To stop the shit start happening again next year, thinking of the things we can control, I guess I can only state the obvious - we need to start with the same intensity in defence that we finished this year with, and we need to discover how to score points during the off season. I don't agree with some views that we weren't fit coming into the year, otherwise we couldn't have finished so strong, but our mental preparation needs to somehow improve. I'm definitely in the camp of wanting more trials. At least 2, with one being a pretty full strength run. Saints get one every year and start on fire every year.

Agree hard questions are needed for Pay if we start badly again. Not sure where to draw the line but we need to win at least half of our first 6 or 8 games before we start thinking about contracts.
 

Snake

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Simply didn’t have a good enough squad to compete consistently and score points. This is still the case. But with the signings of 2-3 quality players in the off season there is no reason why the team won’t hover around the top 8 next year
 

bradtalo

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Yes Pay when asked about what is different to the good finish last year to this year said last year we lost a lot of experience with the loss of players so it took the younger players a while to gel. Most of them have more experience now and they basically have the same squad for next year.

It kind of makes sense.

No excuses for Pay now if we start poorly next year. The team should have a lot of confidence we can more than match it with most top 8 teams. I just hope we don't gfo back to playing safe footy and not taking risks like we did when the pressure was off.
 

BulldogsNRL

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Yes Pay when asked about what is different to the good finish last year to this year said last year we lost a lot of experience with the loss of players so it took the younger players a while to gel. Most of them have more experience now and they basically have the same squad for next year.

It kind of makes sense.

No excuses for Pay now if we start poorly next year. The team should have a lot of confidence we can more than match it with most top 8 teams. I just hope we don't gfo back to playing safe footy and not taking risks like we did when the pressure was off.
But we did loose a strong edge plus Mbye woods Klemmer
 

Dingo

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They need to be fitter come round 1. Can't afford to be off the pace again like previous 2 years. Another trial would help.
 

Merimbula Man

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They need to be fitter come round 1. Can't afford to be off the pace again like previous 2 years. Another trial would help.
Agreed, they were underdone in the early rounds and we didn’t have the legs to halt and shift momentum when things were going against us. That consequently destroyed our confidence and then when we needed experience and leadership Napa and Foz were injured.
I recall Pay saying last preseason they did ball work a lot earlier than normal and focused on skills and footy, which we probably needed given how dull and robotic our brand had become.
My advice to Deano this for the 2020 preseason training. Flog their arses, run, run, run and when they’re completely fucked, run some more.
 
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