What or who do we need to get to the next level and be a Premiership contender?

[Magic Burton]

Keep the current roster we have let our current roster grow and avoid signing spoiled brats from other clubs. It's taken Gus a few attempts to get the roster right, to get the correct players and this group play for each other let them grow as a team let them finish their careers with us.

 

[Alan79]

Fair run with the refs must be addressed. Sure we do some dumb stuff but it's all one sided. Other team does it and there's no reciprocal penalty.

Gus and Sir Cam need to get this looked at. We aren't a dirty team or deliberate transgressors like Storm and Rorters.

Do we need to get proactive with the refs at training etc to find out the whys and wherefores. It's becoming so lop-sided.

For what it's worth, we had Parras ref throw a lot more at us than they did at the sharts last week and still won despite having to leave a couple of walking wounded on field. The Sharts in my opinion had the ref against them too. But not so fucking blatantly unashamed to be one sided as we copped this week. And I'd still guess that most of the "experts" would predict the Sharts and Eels are more likely to feature in the finals than us.

If we'd executed a touch better we'd have possibly scored a handful more tries as well.

 

[wendog33]

Its all about junior pathways for me...look at the dogs bench in 2004...look at the panthers over the last 5 years. Pathways are about identifying, nurturing & retaining elite talent. Our past decade was wasted on terrible buys for overs & really poor choices of who in the juniors was actually going to be a career nrl player. That is Gould's real gift to us as a club. Having followed the dogs for 60 years our DNA is that, even if we lose, we had a red hot crack & opposition teams hated playing us because they were left bruised and battered. We are becoming a version of that in this year's team so we are in a good place. Final issue for me is us continually losing penalty counts. I am all good with a ref penalizing us 6 to 8 times a game but what I don't understand is how the other team is always only 1 to 3 penalties. That is something our club has to take the NRL to task on because it will come back to bite us in the finals.

Lop-sided penalty count must be addressed. In Finals games you can't be at such a disadvantage.

 

[Brendan7]

I was trying to see if any team during the NRL era had won a GF without any of their 1, 7 or 9 already being an Origin player & it only happened once. The 2004 Bulldogs...

yep, you need quality in the spine otherwise you just aren’t winning

 

[CrittaMagic69]

I'll admit I have my doubts BUT kid is 19 bruz... If he has a growth spurt soon, HTFO. He has everything else rather needs to work on temperament.

Not writing him off, just think he will end up elsewhere position wise. Already spent time playing various positions in the lower grades.

 

[KLil]

Not writing him off, just think he will end up elsewhere position wise. Already spent time playing various positions in the lower grades.

Maybe.. He is quiet versatile and can plug any hole.

Next couple of years are massive for him... Keen to keep an eye on his progress.

 

[Wiggs]

Big front rower
Experienced 7, of one comes up
Hopefilly we are looking to sign a few current players to longer teems deals, ie Xerri, Curran, Haywood, probably Sexton

 

[Kelpie03]

Some comments on here make me wonder… did we just lose or win? We played against a massive forward pack 2 weeks in a row. Against all odds in both games and came out winners. We just need to trust the process and build our junior base. Simple as that…

At the start of the year, I thought we needed, 2 Alpha props, a top 1/2, and the rock star FB to win a comp, now I not sure we need anything.
Just develope from within.

 

[alwaysthesun]

Keep the current roster we have let our current roster grow and avoid signing spoiled brats from other clubs. It's taken Gus a few attempts to get the roster right, to get the correct players and this group play for each other let them grow as a team let them finish their careers with us.

That's the best thing about having Gus at the club, his big emphasis is on personality/work ethic.

 

[ddt192]

Whatever it is my friends.. I can guarantee you Gus is working on it, taking the patient approach. Recruiting fringies and turning them into diamonds.

2022 King
2023 Presto
2024 Hughes? Hayward?

 

[The Dog House]

Not sure either Tracey, Sexton or Taafe are it. Gut feeling says and most premiership sides have an elite spine. I’d be looking at improving at least one, we do need 1-2 middles though agree there

why do we need to change half our spine and make a bigger forward pack? We’re winning. We’re playing a style of footy teams can’t get a hang of, and we’re winning. Havnt conceded more tries than the opponent since round 2 vs Cronulla, and we’ve improved heaps since then. If Burton can lace up the goal kicking boots, we’re on

 

[Bob dog]

Need more than one goal kicker, need every player fit, need better kick and chase, need that robot clinical discipline.
Can be done.

 

[bradtalo]

You leaving out Kurt man ?

He could be 14

 

[Kenya]

Agree with Novdoggie.
Grand finals are won by Big Willies and Ogres.

And in this injury era depth is King.
We need at least two scary forwards.
That might be all we need.

 

[SexBomb]

Remember he's playing with the Tigers. Our players all looked below average last year also

Yes, and which players did we keep?

 

[Lost Dog]

Since 2017 I have been hoping for a big forward pack. Cameron Ciraldo has changed my view on this. Lighter fitter forwards, we are dominating the ruck and are developing fast play the balls. Stats show teams with huge packs are not gaining meter advantage in their sets over us .Big forwards are great for the first 15 then they are slow to turn around, especially around the ruck area where good teams take advantage of this and run through the hole that's been created. In fact we are defeating bigger packs, Knights, Dragons, Eels are just an example in the first half they seem to dominate and when gassed we are coming home with a wet sail. Playing for the full 80 minutes has been incredible to watch. I am happy with the Toby and Tracey as we are winning against quality teams with great halves and fullbacks and in defeat still compete until the finale whistle.

 

[Bad Billy]

An impact forward. A Hunt, Uele and Leniu type.

I'm interested in giving Sexy time. People forget, dudes like, 23? I said on another thread, he could be an NRL top5 HB given time. He’s only ever played in beaten teams, low on confidence.
We have young HB’s coming through I say leave Sexy till they’re ready.

 

[Magic Burton]

An impact forward. A Hunt, Uele and Leniu type.

I'm interested in giving Sexy time. People forget, dudes like, 23? I said on another thread, he could be an NRL top5 HB given time. He’s only ever played in beaten teams, low on confidence.
We have young HB’s coming through I say leave Sexy till they’re ready.

Stability is now the key to success

 

[Powerslide]

I am not sure we need anyone else from outside our pathways... We have signed Amone for next year and he should give us some more punch through the middle. But add a few more juniors making grade this year and then a full Pre-season next year. This squad could do it.

I think Tracey and Sexton are enough at Half and FB until we have someone come through like Woods. Don't forget we have a very handy Lock in KO. I think he will do the Kurt Mann type role. Mann will be at the Club next year but if KO kicks on... if you added KO at his potential to our current line up... that would be just more game winning x-factor.

 

[Indiandog]

To win the premiership this year we need Forwards to match the opposition.