Team for round 1

[speedy2460]

The fullback position is probably the hardest position to learn. It can take years.
Thats why I would not consider Averillo as fullback. He will struggle and it may very well destroy his confidence.
He is a player who needs the ball in his hands. Him and Flanagan as halves is really the best option.

 

[COVENS]

The fullback position is probably the hardest position to learn. It can take years.
Thats why I would not consider Averillo as fullback. He will struggle and it may very well destroy his confidence.
He is a player who needs the ball in his hands. Him and Flanagan as halves is really the best option.

And then what happens in 2022?

 

[Morris1]

Hoppa
Dwz
Cotric
Schoupp
Meaney
Avo
Flanno
Ogden
Jmk
Napa
Elliot
Rfm
Jackson

Waddell
Atoni
Heterington
Katoa

 

[Suave]

Fitness is something that they can control and get sorted over the off season however getting the structures right could take longer. We only have Flanagan locked in for the spine and the rest could be filled by a variety of players. We might get lucky and it clicks early but that’s unlikely for mine with the amount of changes.

There’s still so many holes in the squad compared to other sides and it’s all going to come down to Tbaz catering a style of play to compliment the level of talent. The top 8 is a big ask and we need everything to go right and some luck to get close.

I agree we do have a lot of holes (hooker the big gaping one) but I'm a bit more optimistic about next year for a few reasons
- I honestly only see the Storm, Roosters, Rabbitohs and Panthers as 4 sides we can't compete with if they're playing at a high level given the talent they have. The rest are beatable on any given day.
- We traditionally do well in years where we bring a bunch of new signings vs a previous disappointing season. 2001 vs 2000 & 2009 vs 2008 come to mind although I obviously acknowledge those sides on paper were better than what we have now. But noone wouldve picked either our 2001 or 2009 sides to click that well off the back of horrid seasons.
- Good coaching and a happier club environment makes a world of difference. There's a tonne of talent who will need to prove themselves to Baz and that usually brings out the best in players.

The big variable of course is injuries and that's where luck comes in. We can't afford any long term injuries to Flanagan or our stock of props.

 

[a dogs life]

Napa's on 650k. If he's fit he'll get first opportunity (at least on the bench) round 1. It's also similar for Hopoate, but he's actually been one of our best/most consistent players over the last 2 years so I'm not sure why anyone would leave him out (I know he's slow), especially when we're light at centre.

Agree Hoppa and Napa. On Averillo, I know we need to win games next year but prefer him playing in his long term position (hopefully fullback) next season, so when Burton joins we don’t have two spine players getting used to the new structure.

 

[Spoonman84]

I agree we do have a lot of holes (hooker the big gaping one) but I'm a bit more optimistic about next year for a few reasons
- I honestly only see the Storm, Roosters, Rabbitohs and Panthers as 4 sides we can't compete with if they're playing at a high level given the talent they have. The rest are beatable on any given day.
- We traditionally do well in years where we bring a bunch of new signings vs a previous disappointing season. 2001 vs 2000 & 2009 vs 2008 come to mind although I obviously acknowledge those sides on paper were better than what we have now. But noone wouldve picked either our 2001 or 2009 sides to click that well off the back of horrid seasons.
- Good coaching and a happier club environment makes a world of difference. There's a tonne of talent who will need to prove themselves to Baz and that usually brings out the best in players.

The big variable of course is injuries and that's where luck comes in. We can't afford any long term injuries to Flanagan or our stock of props.

Our spine still has huge question marks over it with so many stop gap options being used and it’s probably the worst in the comp even with the addition of Flanagan. Tbaz isn’t a miracle worker and he hasn’t got a lot to work with there.

The thing is we just can’t be competitive to make the 8 we need to be win half our games at the very least. The start of the season looks very tough with the draw and loss of Thompson and I think being 2 from 5 would be a great result and probably the best we can hope for. If that does happen it puts a lot of pressure to win games to stay in touch.

The major difference between the off seasons in 2000 and 2008 is we aren’t coming off just one bad season it’s been 4 years now and two of our biggest recruits won’t be here until 2022.

I’d love to be proven wrong but from my perspective any talk of the 8 is really optimistic. This doesn’t mean we can’t have a good season and if we look back in 3-4 years at 2021 it will be a very important stepping stone to success.

 

[Jai81]

Meaney Fullback, Avo 5/8.
The rest pick themselves IMO

 

[Jai81]

I dont want Wakeham anywhere near the first grade side

 

[speedy2460]

And then what happens in 2022?

The best and really only option is to play JAC a fullback. Flanagan will hold the 1/2 spot and Burton will be 5/8.
Depends if we buy a centre or not, but Averillo might have to play as winger. That leaves Cotric and DWZ as centres.

 

[bradyk]

Our spine still has huge question marks over it with so many stop gap options being used and it’s probably the worst in the comp even with the addition of Flanagan. Tbaz isn’t a miracle worker and he hasn’t got a lot to work with there.

The thing is we just can’t be competitive to make the 8 we need to be win half our games at the very least. The start of the season looks very tough with the draw and loss of Thompson and I think being 2 from 5 would be a great result and probably the best we can hope for. If that does happen it puts a lot of pressure to win games to stay in touch.

The major difference between the off seasons in 2000 and 2008 is we aren’t coming off just one bad season it’s been 4 years now and two of our biggest recruits won’t be here until 2022.

I’d love to be proven wrong but from my perspective any talk of the 8 is really optimistic. This doesn’t mean we can’t have a good season and if we look back in 3-4 years at 2021 it will be a very important stepping stone to success.

There are teams that always do better or worse than expected. When you're setting your expectations it isn't a good idea to base them on "anything is possible". The reality is we have a bottom 4 team with one of the worst spines in the competition. Our backs and forwards compared to other teams are in or around the eight at best (we also have key injuries and suspensions to start the season there, JAC also isn't with us until 2022 at this stage). We only really have 1/2 of the spine (Averillo and Flanagan) and those 2 players are on potential which means you can't expect the world from them next year. When we can start bringing Burton and JAC into the team as well as a top hooker and probably another prop that's when people can start setting higher expectations. When we asses the team next year it shouldn't all be about getting wins and where we're on the table. We're tipped to finish in the bottom 4 (and currently spoon favourites) so it most likely isn't going to be pretty again. There are some exciting signings in Cotric and Flanagan for next year (possibly could throw Hetherington in there) but it really isn't enough.

 

[Cujo]

Our spine still has huge question marks over it with so many stop gap options being used and it’s probably the worst in the comp even with the addition of Flanagan. Tbaz isn’t a miracle worker and he hasn’t got a lot to work with there.

The thing is we just can’t be competitive to make the 8 we need to be win half our games at the very least. The start of the season looks very tough with the draw and loss of Thompson and I think being 2 from 5 would be a great result and probably the best we can hope for. If that does happen it puts a lot of pressure to win games to stay in touch.

The major difference between the off seasons in 2000 and 2008 is we aren’t coming off just one bad season it’s been 4 years now and two of our biggest recruits won’t be here until 2022.

I’d love to be proven wrong but from my perspective any talk of the 8 is really optimistic. This doesn’t mean we can’t have a good season and if we look back in 3-4 years at 2021 it will be a very important stepping stone to success.

100% agree with this unfortunately!

 

[Shire Dog]

Fitness is something that they can control and get sorted over the off season however getting the structures right could take longer. We only have Flanagan locked in for the spine and the rest could be filled by a variety of players. We might get lucky and it clicks early but that’s unlikely for mine with the amount of changes.

There’s still so many holes in the squad compared to other sides and it’s all going to come down to Tbaz catering a style of play to compliment the level of talent. The top 8 is a big ask and we need everything to go right and some luck to get close.

The team would have looked stronger with Thommo & Okunbur
Our pommy friend was hitting some good form,
A couple of big losses in my opinion

 

[Howie B]

Our spine still has huge question marks over it with so many stop gap options being used and it’s probably the worst in the comp even with the addition of Flanagan. Tbaz isn’t a miracle worker and he hasn’t got a lot to work with there.

The thing is we just can’t be competitive to make the 8 we need to be win half our games at the very least. The start of the season looks very tough with the draw and loss of Thompson and I think being 2 from 5 would be a great result and probably the best we can hope for. If that does happen it puts a lot of pressure to win games to stay in touch.

The major difference between the off seasons in 2000 and 2008 is we aren’t coming off just one bad season it’s been 4 years now and two of our biggest recruits won’t be here until 2022.

I’d love to be proven wrong but from my perspective any talk of the 8 is really optimistic. This doesn’t mean we can’t have a good season and if we look back in 3-4 years at 2021 it will be a very important stepping stone to success.

Yep no one really knows, we can only just guess. I think the one certainty is that we will be better than last year.

The point about 4 poor years is really valid. Anyone can have one bad years with injuries, suspensions, etc. But we have been nowhere near the finals the past 4 years and at times during each of the past 3 seasons we looked destined for the spoon. I know we made a run in 2019 but for the half of the season we were favourites for the spoon and only got going when it was all too late. Before this year our recruitment, retention and player development has been horrible and even our existing players have regressed with the poor coaching they have received.

You are right, Baz is good but he aint a miracle worker. It will take time to turn us around given the state of the club over the past few years.

The thing in our favour though is that there are some pretty ordinary sides out there who were in and around the 8 last year. I dont think the Knights, Sharks or Titans are that much better than us and they filled the spots 7-9 last year.

For what its worth I think anywhere from 8th to 13th next year and then 5th to 8th the following year assuming we sign a decent number 9 in 2022

 

[James zac]

Id prefer hoppa and cotric as our centers meaney at fb dwz one one wing take your pick for the other

 

[Kelpie03]

Id prefer hoppa and cotric as our centers meaney at fb dwz one one wing take your pick for the other

I'm much more confident than most for 2021, the past 3 season have been very depressing right from the start. However for this coming season it appears that everything and almost everyone around the club at least appear to be oozing with confidence, and that alone IMHO is worth 10 points a game.
I rate T B as our most valuable signing for us in at least 10 years, I'm also very confident that most of the players we had last season will improve out of site, and I'm putting money on us making the 8.
BTW I totally agree with your selection of Hoppa @ Cotric as centers Meany FB and DMZ on one wing OK when available on the other.

 

[Spoonman84]

Does anyone else think the jury is still out on Tbaz as a head coach? His stint at Manly ended in a pretty embarrassing fashion and he has won his creditability back at Penrith in a assistant role. I really hope he isn’t just a really good assistant coach and can bring everything he did at Penrith and more to the head coach job here.

He has impressed with his roster building and what he has said so far but he does have a massive job in front of him turning this thing around. He’s not going to be able to improve every player in the roster and still has some very big holes to fill. I just fear some on here are placing massive expectations on him with what he has to work with.

 

[Bulldogsteve]

Does anyone else think the jury is still out on Tbaz as a head coach? His stint at Manly ended in a pretty embarrassing fashion and he has won his creditability back at Penrith in a assistant role. I really hope he isn’t just a really good assistant coach and can bring everything he did at Penrith and more to the head coach job here.

He has impressed with his roster building and what he has said so far but he does have a massive job in front of him turning this thing around. He’s not going to be able to improve every player in the roster and still has some very big holes to fill. I just fear some on here are placing massive expectations on him with what he has to work with.

it is , but like a horse trainer, you need to have the best horses. The players want to play for him, so that is a start.

 

[TwinTurbo]

And then what happens in 2022?

He will have had another year of development if he pays 5/8, how to play week in week out at a sustained NRL level and what it takes physically and mentally. Then he might have half a chance of succeeding at fullback in 2022, throw him in next year when, although he may well have the skills, he's plainly not ready for the unrelenting NRL level of demands and he may well get hurt, mentally and/or physically.

Go Dogs

 

[Apex Cedar]

He will have had another year of development if he pays 5/8, how to play week in week out at a sustained NRL level and what it takes physically and mentally. Then he might have half a chance of succeeding at fullback in 2022, throw him in next year when, although he may well have the skills, he's plainly not ready for the unrelenting NRL level of demands and he may well get hurt, mentally and/or physically.

Go Dogs

He will have had another year of development if he pays 5/8, how to play week in week out at a sustained NRL level and what it takes physically and mentally. Then he might have half a chance of succeeding at fullback in 2022, throw him in next year when, although he may well have the skills, he's plainly not ready for the unrelenting NRL level of demands and he may well get hurt, mentally and/or physically.

Go Dogs

Yep 2020 was the year to do that but we all know what happened...

 

[Bazildog]

Does anyone else think the jury is still out on Tbaz as a head coach? His stint at Manly ended in a pretty embarrassing fashion and he has won his creditability back at Penrith in a assistant role. I really hope he isn’t just a really good assistant coach and can bring everything he did at Penrith and more to the head coach job here.

He has impressed with his roster building and what he has said so far but he does have a massive job in front of him turning this thing around. He’s not going to be able to improve every player in the roster and still has some very big holes to fill. I just fear some on here are placing massive expectations on him with what he has to work with.

Im probably not the go to character witness that the TBaz team would reach for...

But, he should only be judged on what he has done, and nothing else.

I thought he looked as out of place at Manly as Malcom Turnball at a Liberal party function. And yet he did have good relationships with players to the point where some followed him to Penrith, also I have not heard any Manly players come out and rubbish him. The end results were not there but it was a tough 1st gig as a coach walking in after Dezstruction, just like we discovered after he left us.

At Penrith he was part of a pretty good set up with some quality home grown players and the Clearys that had been fairly pedestrian in attack before he arrived. By the time he left their attack was up with the best.

Since lobbing at Belmore he has built a team of coaches that appear to have specific skill sets and thier own ideas, hired a mentor that just happens to be a record breaking All Blacks coach, moved on several club players that most thought had to go and signed the likes of Flanagan, Burton, Hetherington and JAC.

He speaks well, appears intelligent and has genuine heart for the club as a supporter in his younger days.

There has been some over rejoicing on here like we are specials to win multiple comps and some even climaxing with comparisons to Bellamy..But I suppose considering the tough time fans have endured the last 5 years and 16 since we won our last comp, who cares about a little over excitement.

So far so good and there is plenty to look forward to the next year or 2.

But.....God help him if it all turns to mush cause the mob celebrating his every move at the moment will be fighting each other for the right to jab him with their pitch fork if it does.