Our Depth Size and Forwards

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Games like today with our "current squad and forward depth" are the ones that worry me most this season. To me in the size stakes we are a generation behind the leading sides and if those same types of squads play with discipline combined with enough flair and half decent clinical attack we tend to struggle big time.

Have not seen all teams play this year but Souths,Roosters,Canberra have size, mobility,explosiveness and footwork that we have been in big arm wrestles with and not been able to bash into submission.

It's the same problems Melb have had to deal with for many years but are just more clinical and disciplined than most to overcome this issue but that era and it's effectiveness is nearing an end.

There have been holes opening up through the middle of the park for some time now that have not been overly exploited and partly due to a mobile back row. Obviously with Ritchie and Joe out not much punch and explosive power in our go forward and we really need to unearth some replacements this year or we are going to struggle.

Tooves has always wanted us to play faster and more direct than Hasler combined with some open play but the ball handling and discipline is not up to par at the moment.

You don't want to challenge the Warriors up the middle unless you can play fast but you need to also take the softer metres with a little open play on the edges like we have done in the past really well.

Not sure what the weather is like but the first half is the key, if we can do more than just "hang in" and have reserves in the tank we can come over the top.

If we can score easy points in the first half with some clinical precise play(that really has not been evident this year) all the better as it will make the Warriors even more indecisive with their defensive patterns and weak self belief under pressure.
 
Kevinward777 said:
This guy is a Bulldogs supporter...has his tongue planted up Hasler's Arse.

Huh, in many respects and style of play i'm a bigger fan of Tooves than Hasler, i do feel way too much PR and being open with the media needs to be addressed though.
 
Have to agree TC. We havent been able to out muscle the Rabbits, Roosters, Raiders or Storm. However we have been missing 3 big forwards during all this. King,Joe and Richie. We are going through a transitional phase. Guys like Ligi, Chee Kam and Jake T are the next generation but they aren't ready yet. I expect we will try to pick another Brenton Lawrence type for next year to add to these youngsters and with our halves we will be fine. My worry is the speed in our backline. Lyon,Matai,Snake,Wolf are all slowing down and will have to be replaced over the next few years and i don't see a lot except Gutherson coming through.
 
Brenton Lawrence and Darcy Lussick up front would have been ideal, he was a bad loss Darcy. Fa'aoso,Chee Kam, Jake T, Tommy S, Horo, Choc and Gift give us plenty in the back row. We need to find a couple more props in the Lawrence Lussick mould.
 
If we go into today without King, Joe G, Richie and Choc then that's a lot of quality middle 3rd players we have to cover for. That would test any sides depth. Look how much the Dogs and your friend Dessie struggled without Graham, Kasiano, and Pritchard at the start of the season.
 
Shoe1 said:
I disagree, we actually outmuscled the roosters and souths, comfortably. Made lots odometers up the middle. We lost because of ineptitude in attack from 10 meters out. Not from lack of muscle.

Our attack has always been an issue that i have mentioned a 1000 times but combine that with a lack of punch and explosiveness and the problems in attack will increase.

Trying to finesse our tries all the time and not being able to combine that with simple strong barging over tries or getting one on one and being too strong needs to be looked at.


Chip and Chase said:
If we go into today without King, Joe G, Richie and Choc then that's a lot of quality middle 3rd players we have to cover for. That would test any sides depth. Look how much the Dogs and your friend Dessie struggled without Graham, Kasiano, and Pritchard at the start of the season.

Hasler my friend lol.

I agree with you why is everyone thinking my first post is in favour of Hasler over Tooves i've stated many times i have actually agreed with the areas Tooves is working on.

The issues we have are not really his doing and he is trying to address these issues with his purchases in the forwards.

Injuries, age and a lack of depth plus needing to unearth our own supply of youthful go forward are working against him not really his fault at all being that Tooves has only been in the job for 1.5yrs.
 
Our style of play is what it is and it's good enough to win us the competition this year. We just need to play ourselves into form at the right time of the year and we will be an even chance.

I think we are the toughest team in the competition and that compensates for any lack of size. Watmough is one of the lighter backrowers going around and Queensland can never contain him. It's all on the back of his toughness and aggression.
 
I think we have actually done extremely well to get where we are. Last year's squad was a week short of the grand final. From that team we lost regular forwards Lussick and T Rex, and now have lost King and Joe on top of that. That is a big hole in our forward power, size, and depth.

Toovey has done well with Lawrence and Horo, and has been blooding Gower and Hasson, but you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

Which reminds me, Sao will get a shot soon, too. Meanwhile we are still in the mix for this comp, and I'll be surprised if we aren't still challenging strongly in September.
 
Hard for Tooves as he has lost 3 props in King, Joe and Richie. King is literally finished and couldn't play another full season.
 
Simple solution, just have 25 props in your squad, then we will never get out muscled and win every game ever.

Thanks for making it so clear TC
 
Darren said:
Hard for Tooves as he has lost 3 props in King, Joe and Richie. King is literally finished and couldn't play another full season.
For those who aren't schoolteachers like @Darren, 'literally' means 'oohh, I hope, I wish, I hope', lol


Fluffy said:
Simple solution, just have 25 props in your squad, then we will never get out muscled and win every game ever.

Thanks for making it so clear TC

Not far off the mark for the modern game. A hooker, 2 halves, a full back, and 20 props would do it, actually.
 
He's had a load of injuries the past few years and it was mentioned this current one is serious. Hard to see him back up in 2014 and play full season.
 
Fluffy said:
Simple solution, just have 25 props in your squad, then we will never get out muscled and win every game ever.

Thanks for making it so clear TC

Nope that is not what i'm saying, also no such thing as "Props" in the modern game.
 
Darren said:
He's had a load of injuries the past few years and it was mentioned this current one is serious. Hard to see him back up in 2014 and play full season.
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Dr as well as teacher?
 
Kingy has been a great clubman for the club. However, a big freshen up in the pack with a new signing or two will help.
 
Manly To Win! said:
Quit ragging on Darren, King needs to be told to retire and we need to use his salary cap space to sign a prop who can actually stay on the field.

Luckily the people calling the shots would have more respect than to treat the guy like that, and it is part of the reason we have such a good culture that attracts and retains players

Reduced deal etc, yes, but being told to retire is disrespectful to a bloke who has put a ****load into this club and that all the other guys respect. People on here bag Crowe constantly for giving Galuvao that sort of treatment
 

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