The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

[Ryan]

Ok guys, seasons about to start. What are you worried about, what are you looking forward to, what are you hoping for, and what is your first team - and most importantly, where will we finish?

Worried About
+ Prop Rotation
+ Brooky Oval
+ Brett's knees
+ Rodney come back
+ Tony Williams
+ Sponsorship
+ Early form
+ Matai suspensions

Looking forward To
+ Brett Stewart
+ Wolman Williams
+ Starting with a much stronger line-up
+ Cherry-Evans / Foran combination
+ Jamie Lyon
+ Big packed Brooky crowds
+ Charging / Not limping into finals
+ Meeting a few of you guys, and going on one of Marks trips
+ Heck, just footy being played !!

Hoping For
+ Major Sponsorship Announcement
+ ONE major forward marquee signing for 2012
+ Ballin to another level - puts pressure on Cameron Smith SOO time
+ No off field issues with players
+ Cunningham making his debut
+ One of Hopoate, Oldfield or Whare cements a spot
+ Higgins gets a game or two, but NOT through injury
+ Brooky gets more funding somehow
+ Crusher CONTINUES (the man is a gun) at uncovering talent

First team
Ok, I'm going out there on this one (going for energy and speed):-
01. Brett Stewart
02. Michael Robertson
03. Dean Whare
04. Jamie Lyon
05. David Williams
06. Keiran Foran
07. Daly Cherry-Evans
08. Jason King
09. Matt Ballin
10. Brent Kite
11. Anthony Watmough
12. Steve Matai
13. Glenn Stewart

14. Liam Foran
15. George Rose
16. Tony Williams
17. Shane Rodney

James Cunningham / William Hopoate / Michael Oldfield / Liam Higgins / Terrence Seu Seu / Matt Cross / Joe Galuvao / Darcy Lussick the players called up when required. That is the top 25.

Where will we finish?
2008, I suggested 1st, and I was wrong by 1.
2009, I suggested 9th, and I was wrong by 1.
2010, I'm predicting 3rd.

Go you good things.

 

[Rex]

Or you could give up the worries and just savour it all.

 

[Ryan]

Or you could give up the worries and just savour it all.

Nah, boring then. I like the highs and lows.

 

[mickqld]

Matai not playing for first 5 rounds, Rodney will be in the backrow if fit, Galavao will be on the bench.

This will be the Round 1 team if all fit.
1. Stewart
2. Robertson
3. Lyon
4. T Rex
5. Wolf
6. K Foran
7. DCE
8. King
9. Ballin
10. Kite
11. Watmough
12. Rodney
13. G. Stewart

14. Galuvao
15. Rose
16 Cross
17 Seu Seu or L Foran

 

[Mac Man]

Matai not playing for first 5 rounds, Rodney will be in the backrow if fit, Galavao will be on the bench.

This will be the Round 1 team if all fit.
1. Stewart
2. Robertson
3. Lyon
4. T Rex
5. Wolf
6. K Foran
7. DCE
8. King
9. Ballin
10. Kite
11. Watmough
12. Rodney
13. G. Stewart

14. Galuvao
15. Rose
16 Cross
17 Seu Seu or L Foran

Ewwww dont like the look of the bench based on last years form.... George had a massive first few rounds lets hope he can continue that this year.

Reckon Mick has hit Des's team on the head. Trex in the centres worries the heck out of me too slow and can be stood up one on one with room.

 

[ayjay007]

Brett Stewart,Billy Slater and David Gallop! (the good,the bad,and the ugly)

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

I love the amount of time you put into your posts Ryan, and enjoy them all but I have a question.

Where do you find the time to be rooting all weekend?

 

[eagles2win]

Nice looking team Ryan, my only concern is this we're looking a bit thin with the prop's in it. So either Cross or Galuvao gets a spot on the bench.

My team

1 - 7 same as Ryan
8 - 10 same as Ryan
11 Watmough
12 Rodney
13 Stewart

14 Foran
15 Galuvao or Cross
16 Rose
17. Matai (when we get him back) / but would this spot would be taken by T.Williams until then.


The plan is Matai or Williams rotates with Choc. You keep Rodney and Stewart on the field for 80 as they are the workers, Choc the impact.

 

[Duff]

Matai will only be in the centres. No backrow, no bench.

It's a pity that Whare is injured as that pretty much guarentees we'll have to put up with T-Rex in the backs for a few more weeks.

I also can't see Liam getting a bench spot over Seu Seu. Regardless of that, it should go to T-Rex on Matai's return.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Where will we finish?
2008, I suggested 1st, and I was wrong by 1.
2009, I suggested 9th, and I was wrong by 1.
2010, I'm predicting 3rd.

Newsflash....season 2010 has been completed. Finishing 3rd for this year is a tad optimistic in my book.

 

[Berkeley_Eagle]

ill be happy with 6th

 

[Chip and Chase]

What I'm worried about

* Being soft up front again. We don't have a good prop roster and I fear a distinct lack of metres this season and us being dominated by bigger more aggressive packs. Our props are looking old, tired, unfit or are just plain journeymen.

* No impact at dummy half. Ballin doesn't offer enough variation. He threatens to take it to the next level but can't consistently string together quality performances. No variation off the bench in this position either. Don't rate Seu Seu so I'm hoping the Liam Foran or Higgins can offer something in this department. 9 is a crucial spot in the "spine" especially when your 6 and 7 are inexperienced, need something special this year if we are to threaten.

* DCE to be underwhelming like Hodkinson. Plenty of hype so I'm hoping he lives up to some of it. We need some creativity this year, the second man play to the fullback chiming in is past it's use by date. Foran is solid but not overly creative as a ball player so we need a 7 with spark.

* Poor use of the bench again. I see he didn't make Ryans top 25, but I fear another Buhrer debacle where we just play with 16 men in the toughest RL comp in the world. WTF ??

 

[eagles2win]

Brett Stewart,Billy Slater and David Gallop! (the good,the bad,and the ugly)

Jamie Lyon (The Good),
Kurt Gidley (The Bad)
and
Sam Backo at half time the other night (the Ugly)

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

I fear the lack of big men going forward, we sadly lacked that (at times) in 2010 and when we did the young halves looked all at sea.

I'd agree with C & W, whilst Matt is a good player I'm not sure he's an 80 minute good player.....we were so much better when Stranger Danger came on about the 60th Minute..and certainly SeeUlater isn't the answer (yet). As for Higgins / Foran....unkown quantity at this stage.

And to be 100% honest does anyone expect DCE to become an instant hit???.....It's doubtful.....oh he'll go ok but it is a big step up into the NRL and the top teams will test him out so I'd expect he'll go "ok" but will need this season and even another to be a real force.

And the big question mark is this!!

The other top coaches have moved on in recent times and changed game plans and the ways things are done....will our coach do this or will it be the same old same old of the past??

 

[Ryan]

I fear the lack of big men going forward, we sadly lacked that (at times) in 2010 and when we did the young halves looked all at sea.

I'd agree with C & W, whilst Matt is a good player I'm not sure he's an 80 minute good player.....we were so much better when Stranger Danger came on about the 60th Minute..and certainly SeeUlater isn't the answer (yet). As for Higgins / Foran....unkown quantity at this stage.

And to be 100% honest does anyone expect DCE to become an instant hit???.....It's doubtful.....oh he'll go ok but it is a big step up into the NRL and the top teams will test him out so I'd expect he'll go \"ok\" but will need this season and even another to be a real force.

And the big question mark is this!!

The other top coaches have moved on in recent times and changed game plans and the ways things are done....will our coach do this or will it be the same old same old of the past??

I reckon DCE will kill it straight away. He tends to lift in clutch times (SOO for example)

 

[The Eagle]

Lol Matai isnt a forward,his an outside back.....more likely to replace Robbo on his wing than replace a back row forward

 

[Ryan]

Joe Galuvao started out as a fullback or something as well.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Good

Footy starting again might make this forum a bit more readible without the same stuff being gone over and over and over !!

 

[eagles2win]

Lol Matai isnt a forward,his an outside back.....more likely to replace Robbo on his wing than replace a back row forward

Wiki was a centre before going onto play prop

 

[The Eagle]

We have bigger problems than our props for the future

2 current international Centres a former and possible return international fullback,a former SOO winger and the other wing plays city/country

We have about the slickest backline in the NRLs history and these 3 kids cannot and will not remove any of our outside backs

3 future superstar outside backs

We will lose one of our 3 kids
With prices and salary cap as it is id pick Hopoate to lose
out,his got a infamous family name coupled with pure talent
but the other 2 could be just as good,for a lower price
due to a lack of pedigree

If we keep them all till our current backline leaves/retires then Lowe
will be touted as an absolute genius,major sponsor or no major sponsor