Lodge, you Monster

[frank stokes]

Gould has said that NAS is leaving Melbourne. I wonder where? Wouldn't mind him here

Yeah I like NAS as an option - although he has been a bit mistake prone in the (very) few drizzle games I have watched since he returned from injury...

 

[Rocky]

no to NAS for me - players don't generally improve when they leave the Melbourne Storm.

And he has seen better days.

 

[JenEagle]

Lodge played two good games in manly colours.

 

[Sheikheagle]

I had a similar discussion with another poster recently. I think that pack was outstanding and I recall many occasions where we rolled through opposition middles but had trouble scoring points. Other than the year we had Blake Green (2017), we really struggled during those seasons where we had a champion pack. DCE had a few pretty ordinary years himself and battled without a genuine foil in the halves. By the time we got Foran, Api and AFB had left and Taupau was a shadow of his former self. Our pack held us back in 2021 from competing against the likes of Souths and Melbourne. We could score points but couldn't go with the opposition packs.

The answer is probably the most obvious one - you need good forwards and good backs, not one or the other. The Eels have had a great pack in recent years and regularly win the middle but their outside backs have been atrocious in defence and have cost them many many games.

We've got a pretty slick backline but I am adamant our forwards are grossly ineffective. I'd call it one of the least effective packs in the NRL. I also think our outside backs are fast but not the best yardage carriers. They did a great job on the weekend but have not been consistent. I think our yardage sets are the single biggest problem with the team at the moment.

When you look at the Dogs, they have been very effective in the middle this season without marquee middles because they have lean forwards with leg speed. It's the way the game is going. They're particularly effective in defence this year because their mobility is allowing them to scramble and shut down scoring opportunities.

It was pretty damming last week. The cows were consistently making up to 60 metres a set. Whilst we did well to get 30metres on average. It’s been a huge problem for quite a while. I’m still shaking my head on how we managed to win last last week. Our forwards can do it but not on a regular basis.

 

[frank stokes]

no to NAS for me - players don't generally improve when they leave the Melbourne Storm.

And he has seen better days.

Agree his absolute best days are potentially behind him but he would be cheaper now then he was then and they can bring a lot to the club coming out of that system...

for example, Finns would have been a lot less succesful if not based around an ex-druzzle pack, JAC has been huge for the dogs resurgance and Cooper Cronk was flat out amazing for the Rorters...

 

[Rocky]

Agree his absolute best days are potentially behind him but he would be cheaper now then he was then and they can bring a lot to the club coming out of that system...

for example, Finns would have been a lot less succesful if not based around an ex-druzzle pack, JAC has been huge for the dogs resurgance and Cooper Cronk was flat out amazing for the Rorters...

Agree with all of that - i guess it comes down to price, as it usually does.

 

[eaglebuzz]

Lodge was huge for us before doing his ACL last year. Very nearly single-handedly saved our finals campaign. But I don't think we need both him and Brown, so I wouldn't be sad to see him go. If he stays it had better be on bargain basement prices.

 

[47MVEagle]

no to NAS for me - players don't generally improve when they leave the Melbourne Storm.

And he has seen better days.

Agree - they're getting rid of him for a reason.

 

[Phobia]

I had a similar discussion with another poster recently. I think that pack was outstanding and I recall many occasions where we rolled through opposition middles but had trouble scoring points. Other than the year we had Blake Green (2017), we really struggled during those seasons where we had a champion pack. DCE had a few pretty ordinary years himself and battled without a genuine foil in the halves. By the time we got Foran, Api and AFB had left and Taupau was a shadow of his former self. Our pack held us back in 2021 from competing against the likes of Souths and Melbourne. We could score points but couldn't go with the opposition packs.

The answer is probably the most obvious one - you need good forwards and good backs, not one or the other. The Eels have had a great pack in recent years and regularly win the middle but their outside backs have been atrocious in defence and have cost them many many games.

We've got a pretty slick backline but I am adamant our forwards are grossly ineffective. I'd call it one of the least effective packs in the NRL. I also think our outside backs are fast but not the best yardage carriers. They did a great job on the weekend but have not been consistent. I think our yardage sets are the single biggest problem with the team at the moment.

When you look at the Dogs, they have been very effective in the middle this season without marquee middles because they have lean forwards with leg speed. It's the way the game is going. They're particularly effective in defence this year because their mobility is allowing them to scramble and shut down scoring opportunities.

This is perfect. Despite us losing nearly our entire bench, when Paseka and Sipley went off for the Dragons game, our defence seemed to improve, with quicker middles in Bullemor, Brown, Lawton, etc doing the work. Much lighter on the offence, but the dividends of the occasional linebreak by Bullemor, and the swarming speedy defence largely paid off.

I think Navale and players in his category are the future for a balanced roster. Sure, you can have the absolute gods of the middle in AFB and Haas, but their price tag, that could be used for a lighter, quicker middle, and probably two wingers thrown in there too, probably has more worth to it. With those lighter forwards you can have greater depth and a roster that suits the direction of the game.

NAS money would be better spent on a Navale or someone in his mold, in my opinion. Or two of them. We need forwards depth at the moment, as there is literally no competition for spots in the forwards at the moment. Occasionally Bullemor is dropped and thats it.

 

[eaglebuzz]

This is perfect. Despite us losing nearly our entire bench, when Paseka and Sipley went off for the Dragons game, our defence seemed to improve, with quicker middles in Bullemor, Brown, Lawton, etc doing the work. Much lighter on the offence, but the dividends of the occasional linebreak by Bullemor, and the swarming speedy defence largely paid off.

I think Navale and players in his category are the future for a balanced roster. Sure, you can have the absolute gods of the middle in AFB and Haas, but their price tag, that could be used for a lighter, quicker middle, and probably two wingers thrown in there too, probably has more worth to it. With those lighter forwards you can have greater depth and a roster that suits the direction of the game.

NAS money would be better spent on a Navale or someone in his mold, in my opinion. Or two of them. We need forwards depth at the moment, as there is literally no competition for spots in the forwards at the moment. Occasionally Bullemor is dropped and thats it.

Navale needs to get fitter. He was very promising but ran like he had lead boots on after about 15 mins.

 

[LeonardCohen]

Our forwards can do it but not on a regular basis.

This is an interesting point I have made on a couple of occasions.

We need the opposition pack to turn up flat for our forwards to do a job. These are the occasions when we 'can do it'. The reason it doesn't happen consistently is because often the opposition pack will turn up and go toe for toe, with Manly coming off second best.

 

[LeonardCohen]

This is perfect. Despite us losing nearly our entire bench, when Paseka and Sipley went off for the Dragons game, our defence seemed to improve, with quicker middles in Bullemor, Brown, Lawton, etc doing the work. Much lighter on the offence, but the dividends of the occasional linebreak by Bullemor, and the swarming speedy defence largely paid off.

I think Navale and players in his category are the future for a balanced roster. Sure, you can have the absolute gods of the middle in AFB and Haas, but their price tag, that could be used for a lighter, quicker middle, and probably two wingers thrown in there too, probably has more worth to it. With those lighter forwards you can have greater depth and a roster that suits the direction of the game.

NAS money would be better spent on a Navale or someone in his mold, in my opinion. Or two of them. We need forwards depth at the moment, as there is literally no competition for spots in the forwards at the moment. Occasionally Bullemor is dropped and thats it.

Yep, you're bang on regarding Nevale. He looked a class above in NSW Cup on Sunday. He kept going like an Energizer bunny and his carries were over the ad line at speed. This is the direction we should be going in. I think Lawton is looking like a loss now too. He has been very good since moving away from 9. If he'd stayed, he could have been the quick, lean, ball playing 13 we lack. Jake could have gone into the middle rotation and played less minutes. Sure, we need his effort plays but the time is coming where his lack of speed is starting to outweigh the other benefits. It's a shame because everything else in his game is top class. If only you could coach speed (I am aware that we lose last week without his effort on Townsend's field goal so very much torn on this notion).

 

[eagleron]

Agree - they're getting rid of him for a reason.

For some time I've thought that NAS and Bellamy don't get on, I'm not surprised to see him moving on, at the right price he'd be a reasonable pick up I reckon

 

[lsz]

Considering how smaller packs are starting to come more and more into vogue I can not see how we could have NAS and Taniela in the team together - maybe pre 6 again days but it does not seem the way the world is going

 

[Ryan]

I think we need young, bustling, agile, diverse, mobile forwards like Leniu, Leota, Martin, Fainu types. We have way too many of the same type of forward. That's why I think we actually look much better when Lawton slips into that backrow spot.

Woods, Lodge, Sipley, James, Condon, B Trbojevic, J Trbojevic, Aloiai, Paseka, Brown are all the lumbering power types of forward. Some of them look like they are running in quicksand (which absolutely is NOT the way the 2024 NRL game is played). Some are probably a tad long in the tooth, or have been injured so much, they are consistently trying to get back to full match fitness.

Come on Recruitment and Retention. Let both Woods / Lodge go. Add James, Condon. With that money get one MODERN today type of forward. I have NO idea why we re-signed Brown either - for TWO years no less !

Anyways - let Dragons pay to rehab Lodge. We are already paying Tom Trbojevic, and now Schuster for the next three years for permanently sitting on the sidelines (or attempting to come back).

 

[Ohgeez]

Navale needs to get fitter. He was very promising but ran like he had lead boots on after about 15 mins.

I’m not sure what his fitness has been like in Reggie’s this year but Tbf this could have been because of the adrenaline dump/nerves he had making his debut

 

[Nordburg]

Gould has said that NAS is leaving Melbourne. I wonder where? Wouldn't mind him here

I wonder how Gould knows NAS is leaving Melbourne? NAS has said he wants to stay in Melbourne but if Gould has said he is leaving,I’d suggest Gould knows exactly where he’s going.There maybe a leaked photo from the Leagues club appearing soon

 

[frank stokes]

I think we need young, bustling, agile, diverse, mobile forwards like... Leota

I would love our recruitment to find us one of these... but it may take another 20 years for one to come along....

Generally agree that (unless you can find a unixorn like Leota or Haas) you need a mix of big boppers and mobility in your pack...

thinking about it now, NAS probs is one too many big boppers when we already have Jake, Tent and Sips in the side plus Guac (who is high impact but not exactly quick)...

 

[frank stokes]

I wonder how Gould knows NAS is leaving Melbourne? NAS has said he wants to stay in Melbourne but if Gould has said he is leaving,I’d suggest Gould Gould knows exactly where he’s going.There maybe a leaked photo from the Leagues club appearing soon

Nah, Gus only leaks other club's info... he does not like it when bulldogs recruitment makes the media...

 

[EagleGT]

It was pretty damming last week. The cows were consistently making up to 60 metres a set. Whilst we did well to get 30metres on average. It’s been a huge problem for quite a while. I’m still shaking my head on how we managed to win last last week. Our forwards can do it but not on a regular basis.

I thought the same thing so I decided to check the figures. They tell a different story:

Cowboys ran for 2,277m from 46 sets = 49.5m per set
Manly ran for 2,016m from 43 sets = 46.88m per set
Not much difference.

If you base the calculation on completed sets:
Cowboys ran for 2,277m from 35 sets = 65.05m per set
Manly ran for 2,016m from 31 sets = 65.03m per set

Quite surprising.