I hate to say it but are looking at a wooden spoon?

[Snake]

Despite the poor results I'm much happier this year seeing some changes and experimentation. I'm not expecting instant success, but hopeful later in the year we see some improvement and string a few wins together.

 

[Bulldog_NJ]

I think we need to give Cleeland a go in the halves, and let Lewis have a crack at centre with Floppa on the wing. JMK to the bench. Dean’s use of the bench has been shocking, and our bench in general is probably the worst in the comp. We lack speed, we lack impact, and I can’t believe how piss poor the Klemmer/Woods starting front row has been.

 

[Aristidiz]

Bulldognj - I don't think Cleveland is any better than what we have in JMK, and he is without the upside. Lewis is worth a shot at some point this year and will likely get it through an injury in the backs. Holland is however first choice backup winger and centre at the moment due to the simple fact he is getting paid the coin to be.

I couldn't agree more about the bench, lacks fitness, impact and experience at the best of times. We won't have a decent bench unless some kids from the lower grades come through, our salary cap is a mess and this has been well documented.

 

[Boxer]

Look at the bright side if we get the spoon the only way is up.

 

[The DoggFather]

We aren't the worst roster, they are heartless and have no balls or brains. Fucking lazy embarrassing pricks

 

[chisdog]

I hate to say it but are we looking like a wooden spoon in 2018?

When parra get their act together there is temendous upside in that team.

Tigers and newcastle have proven they are more than a nuisance in 2018 and will gove the top 8 a good shake.

Titans even shown they can do a bit on their day.

I dont see much upside with us. We are generally competitive but dont have fierce defence. Keiran foran seems to be going sideways also and the morris boys are just too old these days. We lose out on all the little 1% factors in a game, hasler had that part of our game right.

I hate to say it but i think a wooden spoon is evident.

At least hasler would devise a plan to make us a top 8 team, competitive with our defense at least even if we cant score points.

We are tanking for draft picks LOL

 

[chisdog]

Easily the shittest team in the comp atm. What happened to this once great club

Des, Dib & Raels!

 

[chisdog]

This is a great post and sums up where we are at. Hasler eroded our squad to the point of no return. Basically under
Haslers model Mybe has another horrid season and leaves to be a fullback at another Club. If Pay does nothing else he has at least sorted a top line fullback for years to come.

Hasler would have also continued to back end players and neglect our junior systems.

Yes we are going to suck this year and possibly get the spoon. Yes we are also more than likely to suck the year after that.

The silver lining is Warren McDonnell, the alliance with Keebra. Look over West Tigers junior results while he was recruitment manager. We now have one of the smartest and best recruitment guys in the business. Results will come from this.

Looking at who we have coming off contract this year, I reckon we have about $2M to spend next year. Graham & Kasiano no longer get paid by us + either the Morris boys & Eastwood don't get renewed or will be re-signed on far less money. We SHOULD be able to get a couple of great players or 3 really good ones.

 

[chisdog]

Bulldognj - I don't think Cleveland is any better than what we have in JMK, and he is without the upside. Lewis is worth a shot at some point this year and will likely get it through an injury in the backs. Holland is however first choice backup winger and centre at the moment due to the simple fact he is getting paid the coin to be.

I couldn't agree more about the bench, lacks fitness, impact and experience at the best of times. We won't have a decent bench unless some kids from the lower grades come through, our salary cap is a mess and this has been well documented.

I think you are getting mixed up. Cleveland is black & a cartoon character whilst Cleeland is white & plays 5/8 in the NSW Cup.

 

[Dawgfather]

Yes spot on.

Question for you, looking at our squad to you think the team has started the season playing to the best of their ability?

Playing to the best of your ability is tough when you are learning both a new system of attack as well as defence.

It's not just us - look at the Storm. They simply lost one player (Cronk) and already the cracks are starting to appear for them.

So to answer the question, no I don't think we are playing to potential, but I also don't think it's possible given we have a new coach, new structures and new players (particularly the halfback).

We've been unlucky the last two weeks losing our fullback at the start of the bunnies match and our winger at the start of the raiders match. The bunnies match was ours to win (and we should have), while the Raiders simply out enthused us.

In the absence of a slick back line, I'd just like to see the players turn up for each other in numbers in defence - like the Raiders did against us.

 

[Calibra]

100% worst squad, besides Mbye no X factor and very little speed, in fact, the Montoya-Hopoate side has to be the smallest, slowest and nonthreatening side in the NRL...

To top it off we have no real 6 and our forwards are powder puffs for yet another season...

We got nothing but a wooden spoon, and we will prob see the same team in North Queensland, and for the next 10 rounds... never thought i'd see the day we become the Western Suburbs/Gold Coast Seagulls of the NRL.

Need a 2002 like overhaul where we bought beasts, skill, ability and speed into the ranks but we have somehow even gotten the books wrong and have salary cap issues with this squad... our club's lost competence in almost every department you can think of, even the guys running our social media pages on FB & Twitter put embarrassing things up! Bloody Hell!

 

[Rodzilla]

parramatta is looking at the spoon

 

[KiwiDog7]

Parra have more upside to their roster than us

I’d take guys like Jennings, Norman and Gutherson in a heart beat even Brown, Taikarangi, French and Ma’u

 

[Bulldog_NJ]

I think you are getting mixed up. Cleveland is black & a cartoon character whilst Cleeland is white & plays 5/8 in the NSW Cup.

iPhone auto correct

 

[Calibra]

Parra have more upside to their roster than us

I’d take guys like Jennings, Norman and Gutherson in a heart beat even Brown, Taikarangi, French and Ma’u

Exactly, they can come good or get a few wins, we look very very bleak

 

[Bulldogz82]

In 2015 knights won there first 3 games and cowboys lost there first 3. Knights finished wooden spooners and cowboys finished premiers.
It's way too early to tell who will finish where, there will still be alot of fading teams yet to come and alot of teams to start improving.
Plenty of footy left this year

 

[Qld-Dog]

Because Des does not like dynamic hookers, he thinks all they should do is tackle and pass.

Irrespective, I am still not convinced on Lichaa TBH.....the player we lost who I thought would have solved the Hooker position better than anyone else was Cooky IMO. I could not believe Des let him go!!

 

[D.O.W.]

First and foremost, to all the Pay haters, your judging a bloke based on his attempt to coach another mans (Hasler’s) roster.

On top of all that, the two blokes who actually bled blue and white were passed on by the former administration. That didn’t help Pay’s vision to reignite “Dogs of War”.

The only criticism is his bench choice, it’s been diabolical for the first few rounds.

 

[Deathspell]

Oh yeah just like he did last year.........wait a minute!

I think what the OP is saying is,Des planned not to lose rather then to win.
Problem with that plan is that after a few seasons you will see a negative slope line trending downwards.
Des's plan would in time have hit lowest point (wooden spoon) cause the season's position rise to run ratio is a negative value (we were going backward slowly but nonetheless still backwards).
I'd rather be taken out of my misery and try to reverse the trend.

 

[Yanni Gogolak]

I tipped the Tigers to get the spoon, fmd.

It is still way too early to tell what will happen this season, but based on current form we are definitely the worst team in the comp.

At the start of the Season I had us in the Bottom 8 which is bad enough... but alas I agree and now I think we are obviously a Spoon contender... mainly due to lack of depth. I had us ahead of thr Tigers, Warriors and just ahead of Newcastle & Gold Coast.

Wow I got that wrong... but I guess I am in good company