Manly players have had a major improvement in attitude, the change is more about motivation. I rate on win over Manly last year aa one of our better wins under Cirro. Manly were down a few key firwards and Haumole was playing injured.. On current form, Dogs V Manly would be a great contest.

I recon the start of the match will be important, Thompson and Hughes starting together is worth trying. I expect the Eels to be determined and to try to start fast. If we can match or better that, they might fall away. The long turnaround also helps because we put a lot into the Panthers...

Very happy tne Thompson and Hughes have been named as starting props. I will be happier if they both start. Critter and Curran back in the extended squad. I doubt that Critter will play.

My expectation is that the boys will be buzzing after the win over Penrith and still disappointed about the Newcastle and Souths losses. The energy and defence is the same as last season, but the attack is better mainly becuase the right edge of Galvin-Preson-Tuala is more dangerous. Also...

The key to beating the Eels and setting up our season is to prepare as if we are playing the Panthers and to be ruthless. There are no easy games in tne NRL, but the right start in a game like this can turn it into an easy game. We need to start fast, play with plenty of energy and put in a...

Broncos / Cows game was an interesting contrast to our game. More intensity gang tackling in our game, more speed and skill in the Broncos / Cows game. Those games with low intensity and a lot of points are entertaining, but are a bit like drinking light beer. That style is unlikely to be a...

Next week we play the Eels on Sunday and reserve grade plays after the NRL. I don't mind playing reserve grade after NRL, becuase the 2 players on the 6 man bench that don't get a run can play reserve grade. My post about depth proved relevant, because Max King has a broken jaw. Hopoi is an...

I understand why fans are negative, the club was a shambles 1998-2018, and we haven't won a comp since 2004. So some fans have only seen 20 years of failure and drama. The exciting attacking players in the current side are Galvin, Burton, Preston, Kiks, Critter and Tuala. Those players are...

The most logical change to the side that beat Penrith is Thompson replacing Hughes. Hughes has been very good every game this season. IMO Hughes, Curran, Hopoi and AJ are all NRL standard but at this stage of the season are probably outside the top 17. Underhill, Todd, DSF, Spinks are capable...

We had a lot to do with Penrith not being at their best. We outplayed them early due to more energy and intent. Kick, chase, line speed, gang tackle. They did well to come back, We could have won by more. Critter, Thompson, Dykes, Woods, Rinkama and possibly a few more could come into oiur...

Great win, it will be good if we can play like this every week. Galvin should have silenced his critics.

Hayward only 21 tackles, we might be able to use Hopoi instead if Turpin. Posession in the first 20 after halftime will determine that. Stop doing silly ball strips.

Penalties including a few BS decisions got them back in the game. Apart from a few errors happy with the first hskf effort,

If we get an injury im the backs and need to shift Burto to centre, Turpin should come on at hooker and Hayward should shift to left edge half. Eventually we can try Preston or Hayes at left centre. SOS is too big a risk in defence and we need a solid defender inside Burton.

Dykes is playing left sided half in reserve grade. Probably the preferred option if Burto is unavailable. If we are going to move Burto to rhe centres, we need to do it by round 10 and stick to it. The good alternatve options to play 6 are - Dykes, Woods and Critter Teaupa is IMO the best...

This is what the Dogs team could look like in 2-3 years. 1. Bryenton 2. Rauqe 3. Critter 4. Fitzgibbon 5. Rinakama 6. Teaupa 7. Woods 8. Thompson 9. Young 10. Smith 11. Preston 12. Spinks 13. Galvin 14. Underhill 15. Hopoi 16. Latu 17. Haywood 18. Todd 19. Sua 20. Hayes 21.Readon - second row...

Panthers are the usual bunch of unknown noname hacks, we will put 50 on them :)

Happy with the team Cirro has named. Overall, i think our attack is better than last season, as a right centre Tuala is a good replacement for Critter. Aa a captain, Kiks is a but quiet, Hayward and Galvin are going to need to do most of talking. Backed by Burton, Salmon and Mann. For a young...

Mitch Moses 999,999,999,999 DallyM whinger of the year points 5 weeks in a row.

I would re-sign Tracey even though i hope that we have a better fullback option before the end of this season. Tracey has great utility value he can cover fullback, wing, centre and 5/8. With a bit of training he can also probably develop into a player who can play some minutes off the bench...

Dykes apparently pretty impresive playing fullback and 5/8 after a long injury layoff. Woods only a few weeks away. Woods and Dykes are likely to play some NRL this season. Sua a couple of unfortunate defensive misses in reserve grade, great attacking player and his defence is good enough for...

Having viewed some of the Panthers / Storm game, i am inclned to go even more defensive. The players I have in mind are Hayes, Turpin, Readon, Underhill and AJ. I would leave out O'Sullivian and Spinks. We probably need Hughesy starting so their pack doesn't overpower us at the start. How i...

We might finish this week in the top 8 or just outside it. We are still close enough if we are good enough. A slow start to the season might mean fewer players playing SOO. The business end of the season starts after SOO. I'm not going to write the club off after 4 games in a 24 game season...

Our defense was unusally poor againsts the Knights. Against Souths, they are a quailty attacking side with 52% possesion overall and a mountain of possesion in the second half. They scored 5 tries to 4. One try was an intercept off a poorly executed pass. One try was a freak pickup by Latrel...

Speaking of quailty middles, I am hoping that Jayden Smith in Flegg is Oliva Smith with a name change. That kid is top prospect, an elite rep level middle forward. I can see Smith being the first prop picked for the QLD SOO side in a few years time. Jope Rauqe is a monster winger playing...

I think Cirro is well aware or what we are missing. When he started we didn't have quality middle forwards and he couldn't get them. Like NFL games of NRL are mostly won in the middle and/or with speed on the edges. I takes high quailty coaching to win when you don't have either of those things.

Our identity is being a good defensive side. The attack against Souths was good enough. Apart from a few sloppy head high tackles, the intercepted pass thrown by Tracey waa the major disappintment. We don't have the speed and skill in the back 3 to win games based on attack. We don't have the...

IMO our left edge defence is weakness, if Kiks can stay in position and stsy in the line that helps, but his natural instincts are to attack in defence and sometimes when tries are scored against our left, i can't see him in the frame. Overall i still maintain the we played well against Souths...

If we don't want to start Hayes, Salmon can do the left edge role. If Kiks wants a rest, he can defend on the left edge, but he must stay in postition, and he shouldn't rush up out of the line.

If O'Sullivan comes on Burton shifts to left centre, Xerri to right center, Tuala to fullback amd Tracey to lovk or hooker. If we train for them, these types of poistional shifts can make us less predictzble in attack and harder to defend. And I would like to see how Tuala gioes at fullbavk...

The changes are, Hayes starting instead of Hughes. Xerri replacing Critter. Sua replacing Montoya. First 3 changes - Mann, Toups, Hopoi Other changes = O"Sullivan - when we need tonscore points Hughes - when the gane is close. Spinks - if / when we have the game won.

If Harry Hayes defends at left backrow there is no gap between O'Sullivian and Burton the crucial try scored by Duncan doesn"t happen. If Tuala plays fullback in attack, he probably throws better passes than Tracey. So Kiks can defend in the middle and sometimes attack on the left. If Kiks...

Experts calling for Burton to lest centre and O'Sullivan to half back last week are criticising the move this week. The issue is defencem and if we are going to persist with that move Presto to the left side, and play Kiks at prop or lock. Start Hayes or Hopoi at left back row with Spinks...

Overall I expected a bumpy ride at some stage this season, and early in the season was a likely time. Galvin will improve, this isn't our strongest side. If anyone saw reserve grade, how did Dykes go at fullback?

Critter might be out for a while, bring Xerri in. Kurt Mann was much better this game, back to his old self, very happy with Hopoi and Hughes and Kiraz is starting to look at bit better. I am happy with Tracey but i think that we need to shuffle him to the centres at the opponents end, 2...

We tried Burton and O'Sullivian which many fans wanted to try. IMO what went wrong is pretty simple, we were well on top at the star of tbe second half, the boys got excited and tried to hit too hard in the tackles. We conceeded penalties, Critter went off, Souths got a mountain of posession...

Well we saw what Burton in the centres and a specalist half looks like. Too many erriors and penalties. We didn't play that badly, 2 errors from Tracey were worth 12 points for them. Montoya makes yards and scored a good try, but he is slow and his positional play is bad.

Happy with the first half effort.

Dykes, Rinakama, Latu and DFS returned in reserve grade. We lost the match, but we are getting back some squad depth. Our forwards look a bit light on against Souths, especially without Hayes. IMO Hopoi and/or Spinks plays.

What is the vibe for Friday arvo? Souths are quality, but the teams seem pretty even, Cody Walker perhaps nudges then in front and their starting pack is better. But I am expecting more energy and effort from us, probably a close game. I'll be happy with a close loss as long as we play well...

I also haven't seen O'Sullivan throw any great passes. From what i have seen I rate the passing in this order. 1. Teaupa 2. Critter 3. Galvin 4. Woods 5.Hayward 6. Tuala 7. Kiraz 8. Burton 9. Tracey 10. Xerri Not sure were to rate O'Sullivan proably somewhere between 5 and 3. Burton and...

People say that, but we have never seen it. i doubt that we will be seeing it his week. Against the Knights, we lost in the forwards and on the wings. Woods might be back soon and hopefully we will get to see him. But Joey Johns and Wally Lewis would not have won that game. And Kiraz and...