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Sign Up Now!We did a lot wrong for most of that 21 years.21 years without a premiership suggests our formula has been wrong (or we have been tremendously unfortunate).
I don't think we have been unfortunate. We deserved to make (and win) in 2012 but i thought we were lucky to make the GF in 2014.
We have flip-flopped since.
Yes we are on a more steady path now but we are still failing to acknowledge or act on the undisputed fact that you need a strong soine to win a comp.
Its great that we are signing young schoolboys on potential but they arent going to win you a premiership anytime soon.
If you miss your window having filled other positions with premiership-type players, but lacking in the key spine, what have you achieved?
There's no second prize.
Honestly. It’s just rinse and relate mate. You consistently whine that we don’t sign superstar fullbacks. But you don’t mention any players that we could sign.21 years without a premiership suggests our formula has been wrong (or we have been tremendously unfortunate).
I don't think we have been unfortunate. We deserved to make (and win) in 2012 but i thought we were lucky to make the GF in 2014.
We have flip-flopped since.
Yes we are on a more steady path now but we are still failing to acknowledge or act on the undisputed fact that you need a strong soine to win a comp.
Its great that we are signing young schoolboys on potential but they arent going to win you a premiership anytime soon.
If you miss your window having filled other positions with premiership-type players, but lacking in the key spine, what have you achieved?
There's no second prize.
What I find hilarious with Markis argument is exactly that.We did a lot wrong for most of that 21 years.
I have been on the right tack the last 2-3 years.
IMO our coaching, medical and conditioning is the best it has ever been.
Recruitment, retention and development up there with our usual standard 1975-1995, so back on track.
In 2012 we didn't have a great spine. Barba at fullback was great. But Des only had one attacking play and many of them would be called obstructions today.
We have spine players who might be good enough this season.
You are kidding yourself if you think the 2012 spine was not better than the 2025 spine.What I find hilarious with Markis argument is exactly that.
We had a similar spine in 2012.
Barba > Tracey
Burton > Reynolds
Sexton/Galvin > Keating
Ennis > Mahoney
Our forward pack in 2012 however was much better than our forward pack this year. Have A look at that yourselves. I don’t think I want to embarrass our current team. Kikau would have made our 2012 starting team. No other forward would.
You are completely wrong about JR / Burton.You are kidding yourself if you think the 2012 spine was not better than the 2025 spine.
Barba was miles ahead of Tracey in a generational performance only matched by Hayne in 2009 and some freaky shit done by Turbo. No surprise they are all Fullbacks, reinforcing my opinion that you need a great one to win a comp. Barba went on to prove it again in 2016 although the Sharks team was more balanced.
Reynolds was better at 5/8th than Burton will ever be and Keating was much like Sexton earlier this year and in finals.
Ennis vs Mahoney was fairly even.
So if you are comparing the two.... Barba/JR was waayyy better than Tracey/Burton.
Competition in the squad is great, but we still have too many players with similar attributes.I had a look at the 2012 squad list, there were 9 players who didn't end up playimg at lot of NRL, at the Dogs or elsewhere.
Steve Turner was the backup fullback and Hodkinson was the 3rd half.
The squad wasn't great and it went south from there.
Josh Morris and Inu in the centres were a big plus.
IMO winning a comp is a lot easier with depth in all positions.
Our depth is improving each season.
For 2026 the challenge may be players out injured at the start of the season.
But if young guys like Cocherane, Woods, Sua, Tia and Rauqe can step up in the halves and backs and guys like Jones, Latu, Underhill, Todd and Spinks can step up in the forwards then we can get the early season wins and the young guys get valuable experience.
When the more experinced players get back from injury, there is a good young guy competing for their position that they need to shift.
Guys like Tracey, Montoya, Salmon, Curran, Hughes and DFS who were reliable for us in 2025 might be squeezed out of the side. When we get injures, these guys can come in, and will be fightIng hard to keep their spot.
IMO there should be a lot of competition for spots in 2025.
Burton is ten times the player Reynolds dreams of being. Keating is way behind Galvin and definitely worse than Sexton. The argument I think most would agree is valid. Our spine wasn’t that much better last year but our forward pack was much worse. If our forwards were equal to our 2012 forwards we would have been a much greater chance of winning the comp.You are kidding yourself if you think the 2012 spine was not better than the 2025 spine.
Barba was miles ahead of Tracey in a generational performance only matched by Hayne in 2009 and some freaky shit done by Turbo. No surprise they are all Fullbacks, reinforcing my opinion that you need a great one to win a comp. Barba went on to prove it again in 2016 although the Sharks team was more balanced.
Reynolds was better at 5/8th than Burton will ever be and Keating was much like Sexton earlier this year and in finals.
Ennis vs Mahoney was fairly even.
So if you are comparing the two.... Barba/JR was waayyy better than Tracey/Burton.
I would argue that Hasler is a better coach than Cirro currently. He has won comps and made GF’s. Cirro potentially is a great. But not yet.You are completely wrong about JR / Burton.
Burton is a classy reilable player who can win games with individual plays, mostly running or kicking and Burton's long kicks can keep us in games.
JR was rocks and diamonds, a lot of rocks becuase he was a 14 attempting to play in the halves and mostly failing. Extremely poor coaching from Des and not tne only example E.g Lichaa
Granted Sexton and all of Burto's halves partners before Galvin simply were not good enough.
Cirro is a way better coach than Des, but more importantly all of the club management team is far more professionsl.
I also have a lot of confidence that Woods is the real deal. If Woods plays as a starting half Galvin or Buton has to play a different role.
We have 3 goods halves Burton, Woods and Galvin, all 3 are better than both JR and Keating. Hayward and Teaupa are also very good halves.
It is similar at fullback, we have 3-4 good options, Tracey is going to need to play very well to keep his spot.
At lock we now also have 3-4 good options and Thompson is a great addition at prop.
Agree with you that our ball players could improve. I think Hayward can improve our hooking role in attack.Competition in the squad is great, but we still have too many players with similar attributes.
Its fine when we are working together as a unit and winning games on defence. But by end of season, you need both your attack AND defence firing to win the 3 or 4 big games.
In the last 2 years, our Attack has not improved going into the finals. We haven't been able to put scoreboard pressure on the opposition and then close out the game.
Its something i hope can be addressed this season. Im hoping Galvin-Woods by seasons end can add a new dimension to our attack.
I think Hayward is a short term option. Might be in our premiership squad in two years but will move in three years. Like many of our older players. Tracey, Burton, King, etc.Long term my hunch is, Hayward and Young will share the hooking role with Young being the specalist hooker and Hayward also playing some lock or filling in as a half.
Hayward might start at hooker and move to lock when Young comes on, both could play long minutes ans make lots of tackles.
Some suggestions that Young is more of an attacking threat at hooker.
Hayward is a great utilty and has been at the club for a long time. IMO he is probably at better lock than a hooker.I think Hayward is a short term option. Might be in our premiership squad in two years but will move in three years. Like many of our older players. Tracey, Burton, King, etc.
If we continue to improve. All our players will get big money offers from other clubs. Especially with the addition of the Bears and PNG. It’s good for our clubHayward is a great utilty and has been at the club for a long time. IMO he is probably at better lock than a hooker.
IMO Jones and Hayward replacing Salmon abd Mann seema fairly likely.
I don't think Tracey will be FB much longer but similar to Hayward he can play many positions.
Burton depends partially on another club offering him big money. If that doesn't happwn, he probably stays.
I think King is likely to stay and might finish his career at the Dogs. Some of our players will not get big money offers from other clubs.