Prediction: Bulldogs to Make the 8 in 2021

[Trafford10]

if we get out of bottom 4 that is a start.
if there are more positive signing in particular a halfback and hooker it couldbe better than that.
But as soon as I see the phrase "they're training the house down" over the off season I know we are fucked.

 

[Berries]

Could as easily finish 12th as finishing 6th to be honest.

 

[James zac]

I was excited when wok signed on hasler didn't really rock my boat although his first year was impressive I'm extremely optimistic with Barret coming but keeping it in check

 

[albatross]

Just knowing Tolman (and probably Lewis), won't be on the team sheet is giving me a lift. Flanagan and JAC would be great and would give me slim finals hopes going into next season, but it's still a long shot unless we get a decent dummy half. We also need forward dominance and Hetherington could be the player to lead that, if only he gets the rubbish out of his game (unfortunately also probably a long shot).

Sorry if I'm not 100% with the positivity of your thread Alzz, but it's great to hear you sounding so up beat.

 

[_G-Dog_]

Yes we will make the 8.. Its a question of whether its the top 8 or bottom 8..

 

[Dogtime]

Just get us

either * B Smith or D Clarke (C Smith WILL retire and Grant WILL stay)
* Flanagan
* JAC
* Burton for 2022
* and maybe a surprise or 2 we haven’t been expecting

we WILL be back.

the big question, can Barrett extract any of the magic he got out of J Trobjevic or Yeo with Elliot???

You think it's possible to get this entire wish list? So no other teams want good players?
This is the reason Lynn Anderson recognised that a competitive team must be developed from within. In this salary cap world it's impossible now to buy success. At best each season you add 1 good important piece from outside. Eg Roosters added Tedesco then the next year Cronk. Penrith added Korisau. 1 player per year. That's it. The rest have to be developed....due to cap constraints.
But of course the agitators expect instant success. Fuck development. It takes too long.

 

[Turvey Chip and Chase]

Tedesco and Cronk where both 1 mil players. These players are not 1 mil players. We “apparantly “ have a lot of cap space so hence we really should be able to afford at the very least 2 of these players (hence I mentioned Burton 2022 if you read my post). I dont think it’s unreasonable to want more than 1 player considering none of them are a Cronk or Tedesco.....

Do we need to develop?? Of course we bloody do. It’s the key. We do t have a good record there recently though do we..

Anderson regime was killing us.

 

[BondiBulldog]

You think it's possible to get this entire wish list? So no other teams want good players?
This is the reason Lynn Anderson recognised that a competitive team must be developed from within. In this salary cap world it's impossible now to buy success. At best each season you add 1 good important piece from outside. Eg Roosters added Tedesco then the next year Cronk. Penrith added Korisau. 1 player per year. That's it. The rest have to be developed....due to cap constraints.
But of course the agitators expect instant success. Fuck development. It takes too long.

Disagree to a degree. Once the rock stars are developed and turn into your Munsters, Smith, Slater etc teams are still able to resign and keep them in a competitive marketplace.

Like Taumaloa, Munster, cam Smith, Michael Morgan, turbo, cherry evans, whiton etc would all be near the rockstar million dollar mark

 

[Alan79]

You think it's possible to get this entire wish list? So no other teams want good players?
This is the reason Lynn Anderson recognised that a competitive team must be developed from within. In this salary cap world it's impossible now to buy success. At best each season you add 1 good important piece from outside. Eg Roosters added Tedesco then the next year Cronk. Penrith added Korisau. 1 player per year. That's it. The rest have to be developed....due to cap constraints.
But of course the agitators expect instant success. Fuck development. It takes too long.

Using the roosters to make that point is a poor choice. I agree with the point you.are making about needing to develop players to ensure success. But the Roosters are the spanner in the works of that idea. Quite frequently when a struggling club produces a player that's a ray of light, the Roosters will scalp them with a too good to refuse offer of "well under what any other club is offering"

The NRL salary cap model needs some tweaking. I think if a player spends their first two years in a certain system, the development club should have the ability to permanently have a percentage of their wage exempt from the cap. And if they're willing to offer more than a powerhouse team, said powerhouse team should have to match it on the books to get the player rather than supposedly paying significantly less.

 

[Vlasnik]

Using the roosters to make that point is a poor choice. I agree with the point you.are making about needing to develop players to ensure success. But the Roosters are the spanner in the works of that idea. Quite frequently when a struggling club produces a player that's a ray of light, the Roosters will scalp them with a too good to refuse offer of "well under what any other club is offering"

The NRL salary cap model needs some tweaking. I think if a player spends their first two years in a certain system, the development club should have the ability to permanently have a percentage of their wage exempt from the cap. And if they're willing to offer more than a powerhouse team, said powerhouse team should have to match it on the books to get the player rather than supposedly paying significantly less.

I second this!!!

 

[Dogtime]

Tedesco and Cronk where both 1 mil players. These players are not 1 mil players. We “apparantly “ have a lot of cap space so hence we really should be able to afford at the very least 2 of these players (hence I mentioned Burton 2022 if you read my post). I dont think it’s unreasonable to want more than 1 player considering none of them are a Cronk or Tedesco.....

Do we need to develop?? Of course we bloody do. It’s the key. We do t have a good record there recently though do we..

Anderson regime was killing us.

Anderson realised early talent spotting and internal development was the key as did Bullfrog. The Mortimers and Brentnall were spot early, the Hughes's, Folkes, Peponis, Cutler developed. Pity she never got to finish her work.
What many here seem to ignore is the cap disaster and lack of depth Anderson and and co inherited. They also ignore the feeling of having all our points stripped for cheating in 2002....our darkest days. Never again will we do that SO staying under the cap means it's impossible to have BOTH a 30 man roster that's competitive PLUS B Smith or Grant PLUS Flanagan PLUS Burton PLUS JAC...as well as our recent acquisitions of Thompson Cotric Waddell and Hetherington. Do you see.....you can't lose 8 players of average FG standard and replace them with 8 players of higher value. It's impossible. Do the math before creating unrealistic expectations on the newly configured board.

 

[AlzzBulldog]

I’m telling ya Top 8 next year

 

[Cujo]

Too early to tell until the roster is finished unless there’s a couple of spine players purchased I can’t see us getting near the 8.

I feel the same..hope I'm wrong.
I just think 2021 will be starting the rebuild with Baz laying the foundations for his systems.
2022 with the extra players in place I see potential for 6th-8th. Hope it comes sooner. Unfortunately I think we still have lots of dead wood to clear & important positions to fill, develop & build connections between.....all that aside... 2021 will be the first time in years i will be excited to see how we go at the start of a new season with some hope.....

 

[Ewan McGrady]

After today’s news, forget making the 8. We’ll be top 4! Every kiwi or pacific island player in the comp will want to come our way now!

 

[halfcast]

You heard it here first, Trent Barrett will surprise everyone... hes a big reason for penriths rise this season, Penrith last season finished 12th and he comes in this season and they are minor premiers and grand finalists. He spent last year in All blacks camp, learning from one of the best organisations, I’m sure that would’ve helped him a lot.

Got 20 riding on it

 

[Spoonman84]

I feel the same..hope I'm wrong.
I just think 2021 will be starting the rebuild with Baz laying the foundations for his systems.
2022 with the extra players in place I see potential for 6th-8th. Hope it comes sooner. Unfortunately I think we still have lots of dead wood to clear & important positions to fill, develop & build connections between.....all that aside... 2021 will be the first time in years i will be excited to see how we go at the start of a new season with some hope.....

I agree 2022 is more realistic for the 8 but 2021 will be a very important step in the right direction.

Even if we get Burton we still have a very inexperienced halves pairing and I can't see us getting a new hooker before next season. Until we get the spine sorted we will struggle to make the finals.

 

[Moedogg]

F**k the top 8! .... We're winning the comp!!

 

[Moedogg]

F**k the top 8! .... We're winning the comp!!

Actually... F**k that too.... We're going back to back then 3 peat in 2023!