Opinion 2022 Could Surprise us all. A case of déjà Vu

[w00t]

A lot depends on the coach and his selections.

You also need to get lucky and have a player absolutely fire up to the level Barba did in 2012. That's rare for any team.

Also Hasler for all his faults is still to this day a much better coach than Barrett. We just gave him way too much control and once that happened there was no bringing it back

I don't mind a rebuilding year next year as long as we aim to be a more complete team than we were in 2012 or 2014. Relying on grit or being a one man team generally doesn't win you a GF

 

[Bulldogz82]

I think we will win alot more games then this year and score alot more points but the defence is what worries me especially with the set restart rubbish, with so many new faces, building combinations in defence is just as important as combinations in attack

 

[dogwhisperer]

Can’t really say much about 2022 but we’re not finishing bottom 4 that’s for sure. And if we do it will mean the coach has failed and not the players

 

[Psycho Doggie]

If we aren't going to finish bottom 4, which teams are?

If we aren't going to finish bottom 8, which teams are?

Yes we undoubtedly have a better squad next season, however, to make progress up the ladder we have to better than 4 or 8 other teams, depending on how far you expect us to go in 2022.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

If we aren't going to finish bottom 4, which teams are?

If we aren't going to finish bottom 8, which teams are?

Yes we undoubtedly have a better squad next season, however, to make progress up the ladder we have to better than 4 or 8 other teams, depending on how far you expect us to go in 2022.

Tigers, Cowboys, Raiders and Dragons will finish below us.

 

[2144superman]

If we aren't going to finish bottom 4, which teams are?

If we aren't going to finish bottom 8, which teams are?

Yes we undoubtedly have a better squad next season, however, to make progress up the ladder we have to better than 4 or 8 other teams, depending on how far you expect us to go in 2022.

We’ll finish on top of;
Warriors
Tigers
Cowboys
Broncos
Dragons
Raiders

 

[chisdog]

The NRL don't listen to the fans. So it'd have to be powerbrokers from the clubs that headed the push. Would also help if broadcasters got on board and said they're not willing to pay as much for the rights if the NRL admin keep marginalising fans with rules they hate and reducing the number of supporters watching games.

I'm pretty sure that based on the supposed poll results saying that 65% of fans think the rules are fine that the NRL has no intention of changing them. However polls can be rigged, results can be skewed naturally by the fact that people who've become pissed off and no longer follow the game under the new rules wouldn't likely have seen the poll anyway.

As it is I'm among those who adhere to the idea that the rules have been changed to support the gambling partner in rorting the results for maximising their profit. Plenty of people will tell you that Vlandys was parachuted into both racing and the NRL as a puppet for gambling sponsors.

Those polls are as rubbery as the US election.

 

[chisdog]

The Chooks have 11 spots of their 30 for 2022 unfilled as at now, the only new player they have signed is Connor Watson. How they fill the vacancies will determine their position next year.

I think it will be difficult for the Eels, Knoghts and to a lesser extent the Titans to make the finals next year. The Donkeys, might improve but with Walters as coach who knows. Plus they have 9 empty spots for next year and are about to get a lot of competition for players from the new SE Qld team (my tip = Redcliffe Dolphins). Cronulla have another new coach and 10 vacant spots for next year, lots of unknowns there. The Warriors are, well, the Warriors and the ultimate in rocks (mostly) and diamonds (occasionally) you never know what you will get from them.

Always a Bulldog

What about their marquee signing Renouf Atoni?

 

[chisdog]

kicking it with the sheila lad. you know they still call me the fastest player in the world?

Sorry Greg, it was the FATTEST!

 

[chisdog]

I'm HOPING it's like when we turned into 1983 or 2009 after a raft of changes, both ended up in Preliminary Finals after poor previous years. I know it's a long shot, but you've gotta be hopeful. Realistically we will miss the 8 but we are on track for our 2024 Premiership. Start engraving the cup, boys!

 

[battered sav]

Optimism, that’s all we need☝

Yeah, so if I positively believe I'm shit then I positively will be.

Good luck in life children.

 

[Dogtime]

Optimism, that’s all we need️

Yeah, so if I positively believe I'm shit then I positively will be.

Good luck in life children.

Sad pessimist. It's more than head in the sand unsubstantiated optimism. It's optimism based on a recurrence of circumstances. Maybe read the entire post and realise yeh...2022 has parallels to 2011/2012. Instead of Des...we have Barrett and Gould. Instead of Barba...we have Dufty and Burton....instead of Graham, Eastwood, Kasiano and Pritchard...we have Asiata, TPJ, Vaughan, Thomo and Hetho. 2022 is shaping up nicely...the key to which is familiarity, trust, combinations, fitness, attitude and game plans.

 

[Kelpie03]

Optimism is free, i'm hopeful we could rise up to the finals but not really expecting same.

All entitled to an opinion Alan but i find that theory 99.99% impossible to believe much like ghosts ufo's and the lord jesus christ(their all BS).
Such things would involve massive payoffs to certain parties no? happy to eat humble pie when evidence of same is produced and or the conspirators fess up to this "manipulation"

Sorry mate, but your living in dream land, you obviously have'nt experienced Crime or even Corruption at first hand.
White colour crime has replaced the old "stick em up"bank robbers. A senior and very successfull politicians told me that fraud crimes are nowdays ignored because the police are either not trained well enough or smart enough to deal with them.
My own Lawyer told me if I want to pursue a fraud case, I would have to do all the investigating myself and if the evedence is clear enough and simple enough the police "might" then take up the case for hearing but only at court level.
I believe that Coporate crime Corruption and Fraud, are rampant nowdays, and I doubt if more than 1% are ever brought to book.
BTW gambling has always attracted the shady, and has often turned honest people into devious ones, particularily those who want to make a living out of punting, I feel very sorry for the poor silly punter, who is most likely a wage earner, either paying rent or with a big morgage.

 

[Kelpie03]

I won't push anyone towards my opinion. I'm happy to talk about it without needing the validation of anyone else believing it. There are those that agree with the idea that there is corruption on this large scale, others that don't.

I really hope that with a voice in the media we actually get a fair go from refs really. But it still annoys me to no end when I see refs constantly favour a side. The few games I've seen with unbiased eyes in recent years tells me that often the desperation and errors follow on from the refs caning one team over the other.

I won't push anyone towards my opinion. I'm happy to talk about it without needing the validation of anyone else believing it. There are those that agree with the idea that there is corruption on this large scale, others that don't.

I really hope that with a voice in the media we actually get a fair go from refs really. But it still annoys me to no end when I see refs constantly favour a side. The few games I've seen with unbiased eyes in recent years tells me that often the desperation and errors follow on from the refs caning one team over the other.

Your 100% correct I saw so many obvious mistakes at the weekend in both those 2 games, to make me turn away from the game.
Perhaps the NRL should try to introduce rules to make the game easier for the refeeries, also it's obvious that the constant rule changes has made it harder for the refs.

 

[racin jason]

I am hopeful but not setting my expectations too high. Looking at our rpster, I do believe that we are short of a game manager. Flanagan coould fill that role but once again, I don't have huge expectations. Fighting for a spot in the bottom half of the 8 is about where we will be I think.

 

[chisdog]

Optimism is free, i'm hopeful we could rise up to the finals but not really expecting same.

All entitled to an opinion Alan but i find that theory 99.99% impossible to believe much like ghosts ufo's and the lord jesus christ(their all BS).
Such things would involve massive payoffs to certain parties no? happy to eat humble pie when evidence of same is produced and or the conspirators fess up to this "manipulation"

I can confirm that ghosts are 100% real. I have seen one in my house! My nephew & niece have also seen one & my nephew cannot lie, it's not in him.

 

[chisdog]

There is a spiralling effect from penalties (inc set restarts) especially early in a game and even the teams with a number of talented players can get trapped in that spiral. The teams with their strike players can get off the slippery slope with one stroke of genius. Strike players can turn games around in one play and we haven't had anyone close to that for 5 years at least.

NRL Premiership Teams Statistics | FOX SPORTS Lab

Teams Statistics Table for NRL Premiership

www.foxsports.com.au

According to the stats we made less errors per game than any other team and no team completed sets any better than we did. Yes, I know when and where the errors are made is a factor, but still. There are number of other stats where we are competitive, such as our kick metres per game which ranked 3rd. The obvious issues were penalties conceded = worst, and penalties awarded = least. We can argue what percentage of that is due to the refs preconceived bias (eg; they are coming last, so they obviously have to commit illegal plays to try and stay in the game) and what is related to fatigue due to the previous factor. After those 2 factors what is left is our own self inflicted poor discipline, which is not anywhere near as bad as would first appear.

Then comes the killer stats, those based on attack, which is what truly shows up our lack of strike players. Next year we have added a number of players, such as JAC, Burton, Dufty, TPJ, that add substantially to our strike power. Is it enough, only time will tell.


Always a Bulldog

Stats can be what you make of them. I noticed that we more often than not make more metres on our kicks but that is because we only make about 30m on our sets & we are kicking to get ourselves out of trouble whilst other teams may be putting on more attacking kicks to get drop outs or for tries.

Also by having high completions means we are taking less risks. There needs to be a balance. You have to take some risks in order to make line breaks.

 

[chisdog]

Im looking at our new recruits and 2022 from a diff angle and that's personality and change of culture

We have been shit, losers, underachievers, you name it we have stuffed it...

But...

Ado carr brings with him premierships, a winning culture, cockiness, the kind of bloke that livens the place up and is a freak of a player
Add Burton who is a future star, Naden a good yoing centre and both coming through Panthers ranks and a culture of winning
Vaughan is an old head who has played for Nsw Australia etc etc
Tpj is a young monster who doesn't give a fuck type enforcer who will thrive with our delirous fans.
Asiata im sure was part of the squad that won 2015 premiership with Cowboys
Dufty is quick as fuck and has a lot to prove.

Point is add these players who have achieved a lot and still in their prime to the current sqaud and you will see guys like Schoup Topine Patolo Dooley Averillo etc reach new levels and learn how to win, how to take that next step. Something they havnt had before.

Getting rid of perennial loser deadwoods like Elliot Lewis etc etc also helps getting rid of that losing culture.

We should make semjs next year at least but I can see the culture Finally changing next year in a major positive way.

winning is a habit & so is losing, so hopefully these new guys will bring a more positive attitude.