It is also worth the team reviewing the footage to see if it was possible to avoid some of the 6- agains and penalties.

If the team concludes that we were stiffed, that might give them extra motivation.

Sharks have one more win than us, but the game is big for both teams

The injury carnage continues, all of the players deserve more money.

I am now thinking this might be the team.
1. Tracey
2. Sua
3. Chricton
4. Tuala
5. Rinamaka
6. Burton.
7. Galvin
8. Hughes
9. Hayward
10. Thompson
11. Tupounia
12. Preston
13. Salmon
14. Mann
15. King
16. AJ
17. Hayes
18. O'Sullivian
19. Readon

Even though this doesn't seem like a big change, King and Mann off the bench will make a big difference.

Sua should be ok defending outside Tuala, Rinakama should be ok defending outside Critter.

I don't think Dykes is ready.

If we need to replace Tracey, 1. Tuala 4.Readon is the strongest defensive option.

If King and Mann both play I am fairly confident, the team will be working hard on fixing the issues. That is mainly 6-agains a penalties when we have the opponents pinned at their end.

We are due for a bit of luck in the refs calls.

Hopefully, we can use 1-17 and our forwarda can win the game.

Games are usually close until one team gets a run of posession and converts their opportunities. We have to tidy up execution.

Are we due for a win? Sharks looking vulnerable now but Suncorp not a happy hunting ground for us .
If King and Mann are back bench looking better . Burto back as well . Hopefully all are ready, fit and willing .

Zoz2025 said:

Are we due for a win? Sharks looking vulnerable now but Suncorp not a happy hunting ground for us .
If King and Mann are back bench looking better . Burto back as well . Hopefully all are ready, fit and willing .

Click to expand...

Yep, and hopefully we make a few small changes.

Hayward should pass to Galvin, Salmon should be playing outside Galvin.

Salmon's play the ball is fast, AJ has a fast play the ball, King can offload.

While Sua was very poor in defence sgainst the Phins, he is a talented young player, and Tuala gives his winger a lot of help.

With Critter organising the left side defence, we can posxibly shift Toups there reuniting Galvin and Preston.

Now I understand why we lost and the role the ref played, i think we can fix the problems.

I am far more confident if King plays.

While I hate Salmon at first receiver, i love Salmon at second receiver.

He runs hard and straight, is a 2 man tackle and often gets a fast play the ball.

Galvin doesn't need to give him the ball everytime and just rinning as a decoy will straighten our attack.

The players apparently are not impressed with the fans attitude.

They may not be playing for the fans, but they will be playing for the club, the team, their mates, and their family.

I'm on the side of the club and the players.

I hope we win, but the players know some fans are only on board until the next loss.

Whatever the team achieves this year it achieves inspite of some fans, not becuase of the fans.

I know posters here are not the fans i am talking about, the silent majority of Dogs fans are patient, respectful and supportive.

All News Limited journos seem to have a agenda against Gus, the media has established a lot of negative narratives about the club, which our fans have grasped with both hands.

No one claimed a 20 year old Galvin is the finished product.

What were Thurston, Cronk and Cleary like at 20?

Joey Johns is probably the exception, he would have been very good at 20.

IMO Young is the long term plan at hooker, Hayward is a hooker/lock/half utility.

I still think that the season is alive, but fans should lift their game and make a contribution.

The likely members of our next premiership side include many young players who may change their mind about playing here.

Playing NRL isn't easy, especially when the refs and the luck are running against the side. The players are having a dig, some are down on confidence.

Rushing in a guy who isn't ready might destroy that guy's confidence.

I don't know anything, but i wonder about some bug sweeping through tbe club. Sometimes players have seem unusally lethargic, against the Phins they looked good, posession was the issue.

There are multipe things that have been going wrong all can be improved.

• Player form and fitness.
• Injuries (and possibly illness)
• Team selection and players available for selection.
• Opposition team in the last 3 weeks were very good.
• Ref decisions and luck.
• Adapting to the new rules.
• Execution in attack - practice
• Style of attack
• Defence on the edges
• Player confidence

We aee more likely to see slow gradual improvement, except for confidence which can improve rapidly if we start winning.

What we really need is a few weaker opponents, more of the 50/50 calls and a bit of luck. We need to make some of thst happen and improved edge defence is the essential improvement.

Return of the King confirmed.

23 man squad is as expected.

Readon in the 23 man squad hints that there may be at least 1 backline change.

Probably Rinakama coming into the side for Sua or Xerri and Readon coming on to the bench.

I still think that a backline like this is possible.

1. Tuala
2. Sua (Tracey)
3,. Critter (left).
4. Readon
5. Rinakama

The Sharks wingers are tall and that is why Sua might have an edge on Tracey.

I now think that Tuala is currently or best fullback option.

Dkyes seems to be working on match fitness in reserve grade and seems to be a long way away from being ready for NRL.

Kiraz may be back next week and the right winger will need a good game to keep their spot

If this was the team, I am confident about Rinakama, Tuala and Readon doing their assigned job.

If Tracey, Sua or Xerri has been dopped, they would already know. All 3 surviving the axe would surprise me.

Reserve grade has a bye, that fits well with Rinakana and Readon playing and players being dropped.

We often give players who are dropped a week off.

Montoya hasn't played any footy for a couple of weeks, probably getting his body right. I expect him to turn up in reserve grade at some stage.

Some speculation about Metcalf coming to the Dogs. A sequence where Xerri leaves the club and Metcalf comes this season wouldn't totally surprise me.

Seems like in both cases the players and the club might be happy with a change of scene. I'm not 100% sure about Xerri, but if he is dropped again, he will not like it.

Some Warriors fans are saying Metcalf is lazy, has a poor attitude and is injury prone.

They are right about injury prone, if he is lazy and he has a poor attitude, i can't see him coming to the Dogs.

He was brilliant for the Warriors for a lot of last season.

IMO Xerri is trying and has a good attitude, but it just doesn't seem to be happening for him at present. I don't know anything, just picking up the vibe.

Tracey was brilliant before he got injured last season, in particular in the game where he got injured.

If he comes, the version of Metcalf that comes to the Dogs might not be the 2025 highlights version, but we know that 2035 highlights version exists.

Hound Dog, what has happened to the BDP? Everyone has deserted the thread, there is only a handful of us left.

BTW, I don't know too much about this Metcalf from the Wahs but don't you think juniors over imports would better suit us?

OldDogFan said:

Hound Dog, what has happened to the BDP? Everyone has deserted the thread, there is only a handful of us left.

Click to expand...

Yeah I know at timea it feels like the site is just me blogging.

I'm not going to bother posting on or reading any other site. I watch a few YouTube videos, that is where i get most of the info.

The forum has moved a few times and I guess some guys now post elsewhere.

If no one responds to one of my posts for couple of weeks in season i'lll quit posting

OldDogFan said:

BTW, I don't know too much about this Metcalf from the Wahs but don't you think juniors over imports would better suit us?

Click to expand...

I think it is more to do wiih Woods being injured, Woods was plan A.

He has had 3 hamstring injuries and hasn't played a game in any grade.

IMO Woods amd Metcalf could both play half and fullback, Dykes can play 5/8 and fullback.

Dykes is also progressing slowly.

Watch the Warriors try scoring highlights from 2025, Metcalf was leading the DallyMs at the time. He is expactly what we need, speed and X-factor in attack.

I believe Gus may be talking to him and his manager, but talking is short of signing, and I reckon the Dragons will give him the leagues club.

We don't lose too many games with a Readon in the side, i know the line up I am hoping too see Friday night

Other rumour doing the rounds is, that Ivan Cleary might move to the Warriors as head of football. And Nathan might move there to partner his brother in the halves.

This rumour is coming from sources related to the Warriors.

Regardless of whether or not this rumour is true, Metcalf might have heard it.

I found the job offer from the Panthers to Cleary a bit vague and unconvincing,

Footy rarely goes a week without drama, rumours and conspiracies.

I would not be surpised if we ended up with Woods and Metcalf in the halves and Galvin at lock. 3 high energy players who love having the ball in their hands and love to run the ball. It might be far too much, but it would be hard to defend.

Curran and Hughes ruled out with injury, might have been carrying those injuries for a while.

Underhill added to the bench, Underhill and Readon making a debut would be surpising.

If Hughes has been playing injured, he has certainly been playing well.

I watched the first half of Sharks / Souths. The Sharks game will not be easy.

The game started with 6-7,penalties to Souths, no idea what most if them were for.

Sharks conceded 2 soft trys to AJ from poor right edge defence, we will be playing against a different right edge.

Apart from that tne Sharks were the better team in the first half, but a lot of Souths attack was ordinary, especially in yardage.

The 2 teams are evenly matched our possible edge is work rate in the middle starting and off the bench. King, Thompson, Salmon, Mann, Hayes, AJ, Underhill.

I expect Readon and Underhill to come into the 19 and Xerri and Tracey to drop out. I sure hope that happens.

The teams are evenly matched, Cirro has little margin for error in team selection and bench rotation.

This ian't a game where we can afford to give a player a 3rd or 4th chance.

And we need to ring Roosters HQ and find out how to get the ref and bunker on our side.

I don't want the refs "on our side" I just want them to do their job and fairly officiate the game. I want V'Landys to fuck off and take his antiproductive 6 again rule the betting agencies with him.