News Bulldogs to build NRL team on good defense

TwinTurbo

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We are limited in terms of playmakers no doubt but we've seen how much better the team plays when the pressure if off and Pay allows them some freedom.
Let’s start of with “when the pressure is of”. The pressure was never off, we had players playing for contract renewals. The ones that proved their worth were rewarded and the ones that didn’t were let go. That’s a lot of pressure especially when in several cases those players still don’t have a gig. Obviously the coaching staff were also pushing themselves to earn contract extensions.

We should also not overlook the external pressure applied to us by teams that were trying to get into the finals and/or earn a home final.

Go Dogs
 

GDR

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Let’s start of with “when the pressure is of”. The pressure was never off, we had players playing for contract renewals. The ones that proved their worth were rewarded and the ones that didn’t were let go. That’s a lot of pressure especially when in several cases those players still don’t have a gig. Obviously the coaching staff were also pushing themselves to earn contract extensions.

We should also not overlook the external pressure applied to us by teams that were trying to get into the finals and/or earn a home final.

Go Dogs
can you honestly say that our attack is the best it can be, considering the crop of players we have ? I know they arent the greatest , but surely they have a lot more in them than what they are showing currently..
 

speedy2460

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The defence in the first game was awesome. Sadly the backs did not have the ability to build on the platform the forwards set.
DWZ is very good. Meany is developing nicely and will be a real asset in time.
Hopoate is too ponderous to be of any great value.
Smith is a good winger, but will never make a good centre.
Crichton was solid in game one, but is not the long term answer.
Unless the club recruits two strike centres, we will always be on the back foot.
 

Nexus

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Personally I don't care about receiving the disagrees or agrees etc. I don't think I've hit disagree more than a handful of times so far even if i don't agree with something. To give a disagree to a tonne of posts but then not express your own opinion is passive aggressive and counter productive to the purpose of the forum.
Exactly... cant stand those passive aggressive pussies.

I have given a total of 0 disagree's...
 

Spoonman84

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We are limited in terms of playmakers no doubt but we've seen how much better the team plays when the pressure if off and Pay allows them some freedom.

If offloads were encouraged more often, more players would push up in support and you'd see more enthusiasm and confidence in attack.

By leaving the training wheels on and limiting them to very basic, predictable and outdated structures that defences read all too easily then we'll never see the team improve in attack. If we change the mentality, then players will start playing with more self belief and will go closer to realising their potential. That can't happen when all we focus on is completions.
Missing CHN hurts us massively he’s one of our most creative players and one of the few that can pull something out of nothing. I really think the basic game plan is there because that’s about the level of our spine and I don’t think they can execute anything above that.

We only have two genuine ball players in Wakeham and Hoppa we need them on the ball so much more then we did against the Eels. Even moving Hoppa to fullback until Foran returns if we have to.

I really fear what will happen if we don’t get some early points tonight because it won’t take long for the confidence to drop and get frustrated.
 

Horse

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Anyways back on topic ... our defense is great our attack is rubbish .. discuss ..
Patience my friend. To dismiss the attack as rubbish after 1 fixture is a bit premature.

It was one of those games last Thursday. Both teams naturally a bit rusty with ball in hand. Errors and penalties galore meant it was very difficult for either team to get any sort of fluency happening in attack. It was intense through the middle third, both teams showed great line speed and the ball didnt find its way out wide very often at all. The Eels with all their attacking firepower couldn’t land a punch. One of those games.

The attack will improve starting tonight.
 

Nexus

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Patience my friend. To dismiss the attack as rubbish after 1 fixture is a bit premature.
Only its not 1 fixture is it... its been for the past 3 + years.

You are acting like this problem is something new lol
 

GDR

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Patience my friend. To dismiss the attack as rubbish after 1 fixture is a bit premature.

It was one of those games last Thursday. Both teams naturally a bit rusty with ball in hand. Errors and penalties galore meant it was very difficult for either team to get any sort of fluency happening in attack. It was intense through the middle third, both teams showed great line speed and the ball didnt find its way out wide very often at all. The Eels with all their attacking firepower couldn’t land a punch. One of those games.

The attack will improve starting tonight.
how is it only one game ?? its like you lot only read parts of the discussion ..

we have not evolved from desball.. you may argue about the cattle, but that is just B.S ..even with the current cattle, more should be done with the ball ...
 
A

Alexander the Great

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Last time we had a attacking team was when Ben Barber was around.
Patience my friend. To dismiss the attack as rubbish after 1 fixture is a bit premature.

It was one of those games last Thursday. Both teams naturally a bit rusty with ball in hand. Errors and penalties galore meant it was very difficult for either team to get any sort of fluency happening in attack. It was intense through the middle third, both teams showed great line speed and the ball didnt find its way out wide very often at all. The Eels with all their attacking firepower couldn’t land a punch. One of those games.

The attack will improve starting tonight.
 

Horse

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Last time we had a attacking team was when Ben Barber was around.
Hence the cattle argument.

Ben Barba was an absolute freak for a couple of years there. We’ve had no one remotely close to his attacking capabilities since.

Des in his wisdom thought that Mbye could be our new Barba, and went ahead and paid him bigger dollars then Barba ever saw.

How to cripple a roster and ambitions for a prolonged period 101: sign Mbye, Foran and Woods on mega money.
 
A

Alexander the Great

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I agree with you on those mistakes made at the time but signing medicore players and wasting cap space on the following is not the answer in my view. It's not going to help with our future.

* Sione Katoan
* Dean Britt
* Christian Crighton
* Joe Stimson ( a bit better than the rest mentioned

I'm sure there is others thst I have missed.


I think we should have just let our young guys play this year for the experience and declared the season a rebuild.
The money saved on those 4+ players would have be massive when looking to secure a marque player.

We should have followed Newcastle's approach when they went to shit.
Save all their money for when they came into the negotiation stages they had money to burn and sign one of the most exciting players in the game.


I hope I eat my words and we smash the cowboys tonight and we go all the way. Il be the first to put my hand up and say I was wrong
Hence the cattle argument.

Ben Barba was an absolute freak for a couple of years there. We’ve had no one remotely close to his attacking capabilities since.

Des in his wisdom thought that Mbye could be our new Barba, and went ahead and paid him bigger dollars then Barba ever saw.

How to cripple a roster and ambitions for a prolonged period 101: sign Mbye, Foran and Woods on mega money.
 

CrittaMagic69

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Why are so many of you guys talking to yourselves?
 

Natboy

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No but he has bogan Vibes.

Thank you for making it clear that this is Australia. Unsure the point your trying to make. Doesn't make sense to me. I'm just a simpleton moron as you suggested in other threads.

You don't come across defensive when people put shit on other player's only Lewis. Bit odd.

View attachment 13789
Hilarious that the other person who calls anyone white a bogan liked your post. I’m not defensive of Lewis and have actually been quite critical but there’s whole country out there when you leave the area and I’m not sure if you understand what a bogan is
 
A

Alexander the Great

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My understanding of a bogan is different to yours. Did we not already cover this last week?
Living around the Manly area Lewis ticks the boxes for what we call bogans here. The bogan your taking about may have a different look and feel In your area.

If your trying to place the race card on me it won't work. I don't hate anyone. Everyone is open to my bullshit and name calling.

I don't see you getting worked up when I give it to the other races on here. Constantly having a laugh at other races and cultural issues i observe. Are you the racist since you are only vocal regarding bogans?

I can't see who likes my posts or who agrees with me and don't really care.
I'm not in anyone's camp in the froum. I run my own banter/agenda and will call and day what I like as long as its not breachimgthe rules of the forum.

Instead of looking for my posts to question and pick apart there is a block user button you have the right to use.
Hilarious that the other person who calls anyone white a bogan liked your post. I’m not defensive of Lewis and have actually been quite critical but there’s whole country out there when you leave the area and I’m not sure if you understand what a bogan is
 

Horse

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I agree with you on those mistakes made at the time but signing medicore players and wasting cap space on the following is not the answer in my view. It's not going to help with our future.

* Sione Katoan
* Dean Britt
* Christian Crighton
* Joe Stimson ( a bit better than the rest mentioned

I'm sure there is others thst I have missed.


I think we should have just let our young guys play this year for the experience and declared the season a rebuild.
The money saved on those 4+ players would have be massive when looking to secure a marque player.

We should have followed Newcastle's approach when they went to shit.
Save all their money for when they came into the negotiation stages they had money to burn and sign one of the most exciting players in the game.


I hope I eat my words and we smash the cowboys tonight and we go all the way. Il be the first to put my hand up and say I was wrong
Those players you’ve listed aren’t on the sort of money where you could say we’ve pissed money away. I’d say they’re all good value for money signings who will keep us very competitive.

Personally I’d rather we at least remain competitive which the squad we currently have will be, rather than promote a whole bunch of kids and get slaughtered week in week out.

There’s been transparency from the get-go that 2018-2020 would inevitably be a lean period results-wise.

Tbh it’s not far from the Newcastle scenario you referred to. We’ve managed our cap so that we are positioned to be a force in the market from season 2021 onwards.
 

bradyk

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I agree with you on those mistakes made at the time but signing medicore players and wasting cap space on the following is not the answer in my view. It's not going to help with our future.

* Sione Katoan
* Dean Britt
* Christian Crighton
* Joe Stimson ( a bit better than the rest mentioned

I'm sure there is others thst I have missed.


I think we should have just let our young guys play this year for the experience and declared the season a rebuild.
The money saved on those 4+ players would have be massive when looking to secure a marque player.

We should have followed Newcastle's approach when they went to shit.
Save all their money for when they came into the negotiation stages they had money to burn and sign one of the most exciting players in the game.


I hope I eat my words and we smash the cowboys tonight and we go all the way. Il be the first to put my hand up and say I was wrong
Stimson hasn't looked good at all, I'll give him more time. I personally don't want Crichton anywhere near the starting 13. Katoa's from a club that had hooker issues similar to us and he's still behind JMK, we need better. Britt's been the best buy out of the lot tbh. We're missing proven X Factor which is expensive to buy (which is probably why we haven't and have signed opportunists instead. That has to change for next year).

I'm also a fan of the Knights approach recruitment wise (we also have a better base to work with than what they did). I know they had a disappointing season last year but on paper they should of finished better and probably in the eight. By all reports they have a very good coach in O'Brian now too (and they've strengthen again, in one of the most important roles, hooker). I wouldn't be surprised if they finish in the eight this year.
 
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2ndphase

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Cool. I love having a coach that thinks it's 1986 and you can win every game 4-2.

We had to endure years of boring and predictable play of Desball and now three years of Pay's coaching is more of the same.

I can't wait for the day that our club steps in to the modern era and we score 20 points plus (it's a crazy concept I know) with regularity.
This!!
Exactly right! Pay still thinks we're in the 80s and grind out games thinking oops HOPING that we will win!
The game has moved on so much since then with the interchanges and other rules.
Us members pay good money to watch our team we want excitement not just wins.
Not boring ass game style that Dean Pay wants to play.
The club needs memberships to survive so play like a team that us supporters are proud to watch.
Thats my rant over!
 
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