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D0GMATIC

D0GMATIC

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Berries said:
Last year The Phins had a whole new squad of combinations to build but we were fed the same line week in week out and it was eaten up by the blind on here
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They survived on the emotion of being a new team initially . . . As last year wore on, they were ground down and finished 2 wins above us. So even the most experienced and arguably the best coach in the game's history,couldn't do much with a new squad either. . How'd the dolphins go on the weekend btw ?
 
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dawso047

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Closed training session, hopefully that means there will be multiple changes. Taffe, Hutchinson, Salmon and Morrin out. Taffe is not the most natural fullback, Hutchinson is slow, Salmon is a second rower and Morrin barely gets used.
 
D0GMATIC

D0GMATIC

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dawso047 said:
Closed training session, hopefully that means there will be multiple changes. Taffe, Hutchinson, Salmon and Morrin out. Taffe is not the most natural fullback, Hutchinson is slow, Salmon is a second rower and Morrin barely gets used.
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I thought Salmon went well. The other 3 didn't offer much
 
Wearnze

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I agree that Salmon and Curran were both good. Both need to be starting almost…
 
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LordSidious66

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How about he uses his role as TV personality to call out the refs?? Surely it's not that hard Gussy?

Sent from my SM-A235F using Tapatalk
 
wendog33

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Bulldogs09 said:
So did I.

It’s our props (not king) that fucking suck and our spine. Mahoney is a good player but the rest either out of form or shit
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Do our current f/g props go to our new specialised prop academy. The one they instigated like the halfback academy?

They need to have some aggression and raw competitiveness installed into them. The ability is there but the mongrel isn't.
 
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wendog33 said:
First hand knowledge of the guys being happy with CC and Gus and happy campers is good news
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Indeed it is. No one wants an unhappy team.

But, we should remember that this time last year we also had a bunch of "happy campers" ("training hard", "buying into the system", "Ciraldo really cares - he's a friend first", etc), even after a deflating Rnd 1 loss to Manly and especially after a Rnd 2 bounce-back against an admittedly understrength Melbourne.

Turned out to be confidence founded on naivety, and by the time reality set in mid-season, the wheels fell off and the knives came out for the players (maybe he made them feel "too safe" at year's start).

Anyways, it is what happens next that counts.

My concern is there is (way) too much Deja Vu about the start of our 2024 (I really, REALLY hope it doesn't go on to pan out the same way); and that persistent nag that Ciraldo isn't learning quickly enough, and in some areas, apparently not at all.

Just one (of many examples). It appears that Taffe is Ciraldo's Perham2.0 - geez I hope I am wrong (wrong, wrong, wrong). Only two trials and one round, but all of the evidence so far is not looking good at all.

Rookie coach, fixated on [insert current favourite player here] for the fullback slot (Last year Perham | This year Taffe).
Trains him there ALL pre-season, with little legitimate alternative (Last year Averillo | This year. Take your pick of Crichton, Wilson, or Burton - it would be unfair to include Tracey & Kiraz, both being mostly injured).
Yeah, they might have had a run or two, but nothing significant enough to force the spot, because any of Crichton, Wilson, or Burton without the benefit of a decent pre-season there, becomes a huge gamble for an early season switch. We'd be essentially 6 weeks behind.

But worse, if it does go that way, steadfastly refusing to confront the error and correct it until the season has totally slipped past.

Probably not absolute panic stations yet, but if we're still here in round 3-4, nothing has improved, and Ciraldo makes no corrective decisions, we will be not just talking about writing off 2024, but starting to talk about which round will be his last, because doing something rounds10-16, or later, will be just too late.

Just like Barrett, he's had two full pre-seasons, he's got the players he wants. No one's asking him to win the comp with this roster (would be nice though ;) ) but we do want to see good man-management, good selections, playing to the team's strengths using tactics that amplify those strengths, minimising the weaknesses, and properly competing each week.

It's a decent roster. Yes, understrength in a few key areas, but decent enough that a good coach can do something with them.

Regardless, he won't be sacked this year. But if he repeats last year's mistakes, there's nothing to suggest he won't do exactly the same thing in the next pre-season. New players can only mask that kind of deficiency for so long.

C'mon Cameron. Challenge yourself. Grow. Show us what you've got.
 
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wendog33 said:
Do our current f/g props go to our new specialised prop academy. The one they instigated like the halfback academy?

They need to have some aggression and raw competitiveness installed into them. The ability is there but the mongrel isn't.
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A few of the young'uns are training with O'Meley, I think.
 
maroondog72

maroondog72

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wendog33 said:
Do our current f/g props go to our new specialised prop academy. The one they instigated like the halfback academy?

They need to have some aggression and raw competitiveness installed into them. The ability is there but the mongrel isn't.
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lol you can't "install" competitiveness and aggression into players they are either born with those qualities or they aren't, and the sad fact is any kid that is born with those traits these days has them manipulated out of them by society the minute they hit the ground. Better to tame the beast than have no beast to tame.
 
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