Opinion Which individual will have the biggest impact on our season?

[D0GMATIC]

No way
When have two great centres
Xerri and crighton

for the teams sake he needs to be our 5/8

If Xerri is ready round 1 and Crichton isn't playing Fullback, then he should play 6. But it's yet to be determined those 2 will play centre to start the year

 

[up_theDogs]

we have the greatest centre combination in the league [burton, chrighton] yet both are set to play out of position

 

[1967]

i know that the whole Elliott story has been done to death, but I'm going to throw in my opinion anyway.

Firstly, I think Elliott is a solid NRL player, not international standard, but a good player nonetheless. I enjoyed watching him playing for the Dogs.

Secondly, he did make a number of mistakes, but he was also nominated for the Ken Stephens Medal in 2018, 2019 & 2020 for his contribution to the local community. So he is obviously a good person who has fallen a few times. But, as with Xerri, he deserves another chance (Ok, maybe another two or three chances).

But my main point is this: I know a number of posters are not happy with Gus and they have a right to that opinion. But I think he has a care for his players. I have a view, which of course might be off track, that he didn't sack Elliott. I have a feeling that he suggested to him that to get away from the bad publicity and get a fresh start, he should change clubs, preferably away from Sydney, and then orchestrated a move with his mate, Ricky Stuart. This wasn't far away in time from Stuart lending the Dogs two forwards, so I'm sure that Gus and Stuart were working out a number of things together.

It has worked, Elliott appears to have got his life together. He isn't playing bad football and this might be because he knew this was his last chance.

I agree, that’s a fair assessment … as I’ve said, he’s a solid footy player, not great like some make out, but he does a solid job.

I like the theory on how he might have been advised to move on, that’s believable .. also after that last misdemeanour, trust & respect from his team mates might have been hard to come across ..

 

[Phalangist]

If Xerri is ready round 1 and Crichton isn't playing Fullback, then he should play 6. But it's yet to be determined those 2 will play centre to start the year

even if xerri isn’t ready round 1 im
Sure the plan would be to have him ready by round 7 or 8. Then what move burton back to 6? It doesn’t make sense

 

[flamebouyant]

Im not saying he is nothing but a centre, but his kicking game was poor last year, he has a limited passing game and not much creativity. I'm sure these were the areas CC intimated needed improvement for him to retain the 6 jersey. He may well start the year there, but for the balance of the team I think he is better suited at centre

If he has none of these qualities why would he make a good centre? He has all of these qualities you say he lacks, he just didn't put them all together last year. He was poor like every singlenplayer in our team. Preston was pretty much the only decent player in our team last year. The Rest either spent large portions of the season injured, or struggled in a losing team that was regularly getting pumped.
Clean slate this year, and every year for that matter. Every year brings more experience, more time training together, more time under the same coach, and more quality players. Burton is our best option at 6. If you don't see this, that's your opinion. I will leave it there.

 

[D0GMATIC]

If he has none of these qualities why would he make a good centre? He has all of these qualities you say he lacks, he just didn't put them all together last year. He was poor like every singlenplayer in our team. Preston was pretty much the only decent player in our team last year. The Rest either spent large portions of the season injured, or struggled in a losing team that was regularly getting pumped.
Clean slate this year, and every year for that matter. Every year brings more experience, more time training together, more time under the same coach, and more quality players. Burton is our best option at 6. If you don't see this, that's your opinion. I will leave it there.

His best footy has been at centre.

 

[D0GMATIC]

even if xerri isn’t ready round 1 im
Sure the plan would be to have him ready by round 7 or 8. Then what move burton back to 6? It doesn’t make sense

Well the idea is to have as many of our good players on the ground as possible, if that means playing Burton at centre for a few rounds until Xerri is right, then so be it.

 

[GoTheDoggies]

Ciraldo!

He has to nail his selections from round 1. He has to pick players who will not let him down.

 

[Phalangist]

Well the idea is to have as many of our good players on the ground as possible, if that means playing Burton at centre for a few rounds until Xerri is right, then so be it.

sorry man that sounds silly to me because you want Burton firing at the end of the season. Playing him
At 3 to start the te year then moving him to 6 sounds crazy

 

[Nate DAWG]

@Flanagun it was me

 

[The Faz]

Crighton is the obvious choice, but I think Curran will have the biggest positive impact on our team overall can’t wait to see him play in blue and white.

I agree with this. Curran has the potential to be a real leader in our forward pack but was silenced somewhat behind AFB and Harris at the Wahs. With us he has the opportunity to step up and make an impact.

 

[The Faz]

Spelling: Crichton.

Crighton plays for Rorters

Actually, Angus spells it Crichton too #wendog33

 

[GoTheDoggies]

If Xerri is ready round 1 and Crichton isn't playing Fullback, then he should play 6. But it's yet to be determined those 2 will play centre to start the year

The reality is Crichton will be FB and Burton 5/8. Anything else is a load of nonsense.

 

[Bulldogsteve]

The reality is Crichton will be FB and Burton 5/8. Anything else is a load of nonsense.

Reading todays article , which was very good, cc basically said critter will play centre

 

[D0GMATIC]

The reality is Crichton will be FB and Burton 5/8. Anything else is a load of nonsense.

Your reality maybe, why would they play the world's best centre,arguably best defensive centre too,who is untried, at Fullback at Fullback. When improving defense has publicly been stated as our priority . . . That would be nonsensical

 

[Phalangist]

Jason Taylor!

he was excellent today communicating with boys and running the attack..

I did overhear him
Say to Curran a locks job is to think & run like a middle before ball playing.

 

[D0GMATIC]

Reading todays article , which was very good, cc basically said critter will play centre

Where was the article mate ?

 

[Bulldogsteve]

Where was the article mate ?

In DT today

 

[DinkumDog]

@Flanagun we signed Xerri, we wanted to sign AFB and we are about to chase the May brothers. All standing up for morals out the window.

An issue we have is we let go 2 of our 3 best players from 2023. In a team that came 15th and had both the worst defence & points difference we needed to retain Averillo and Waddell. Of all our signings only 1 player commanded a top 13 spot at their previous club. All the signings bar Critta were showed the door by their former clubs some even freely released early.

Of our wins last year we nearly blew it against Wests Tigers letting in 3 tries in 3 sets an easy win made a cliff hanger for the last 10.

The win against Dragons was all Waddell and Averillo. Sloan had one of his usual shockers a bit suss was his performance.

Cowboys and Titans wins were kicks at the end of the game dropped by the opposition giving us extra sets on the line any other time they catch the kicks for breakfast. We scored off their errors from kicks. Our win over Dolphins was on the back off of Isaako missing a late kick he was otherwise the NRL's and the recent Test series top scorer. Storm was impressive win. Souths we did let in 3 late tries we had the game sealed we should have finished them off though. So we won 2 games off last minute kicks, got saved by a missed kick, Sloan gifted us a win that only Waddell & Averillo took advantage of, we nearly threw 2 games away when in control and Storm sticks out. Some of our wins were streaky, all our losses bar 2 (Roosters & Warriors) were brutal. Some of those losses looked closer with late tries or two at the very end.

Ah, Polly .
The same narrative on repeat.

You don’t know we ‘wanted AFB’ because there was one meeting. If Danny Weidler is to be believed (and he allegedly gets his mail from Gus) it was the Bulldogs who declined to make AFB an offer. You also don’t know we are ‘pursuing the May brothers’ - nothing more than media speculation.

And you keep pushing the line of the Dogs signing ‘unwanted players’ - which is exactly what Waddell et al were too. He and Alamoti were able to secure amazing ONE YEAR contracts at their new clubs - hardly a vote of confidence if such amazing players.

As for the 2023 commentary - a lacklustre year and hence why so many were let go. Not difficult to join the dots yet according to you that’s all on the club and not the players released. OK .

 

[DinkumDog]

That individual should have got more than a weeks ban.

A bit like your pal @04 Dreaming?
The one who claimed to ‘play by the rules’ only to be in the bucket 5 minutes later?? Sure, Polly .