Our season

[SeaEagleRock8]

First impressions - we overachieved.

I was very concerned early on about our lack of forward experience, with Fa'aoso gone before we even began.

But the players we used pleasantly surprised me. Despite missing Gifty nearly all year, we were leading the comp for the last 6 weeks of regular season.

Then, while the wheels weren't falling off there was definitely something a bit suss in the suspension. I don't think it was the 'player issues' so much as simply a long season taking a toll on players that aren't used to 1st grade week in week out.

Losing Ballin & Buhrer & Hodges (hurt in 1st 5 minutes against Souths) pretty much cruelled us, when we were a legitimate premiership hope only a few weeks ago.

Dogs are a very limited side, but it was still an outstanding effort for our patched up team to almost steal the win and make it to the GF qualifier.Our drastically re-modelled line-up just didn't have the defensive cohesion to keep the Dogs out in the 1st half.

I can understand fans being disappointed we didn't go on to be premiers this year. I certainly am. I am anytime we aren't premiers.

But looking back, we only missed the minor premiership by a whisker, and it was an enjoyable season because our team was a very serious contender the whole way through. Plus, players like Lui, JSL and Starling (and Hodges) will be improved for the experience.

As for the off-field, I don't really care, but I'm sure it will be done and dusted before next year kicks off.

 

[Clint]

Well said SER8. Agreed 100%. But man it hurts getting knocked out by the Dawgs..

 

[Ian Martin tragic]

With you SER8.
The late run of injuries, suspensions told more than anything. From what I've seen hodges did fantastically but you can't replace the workload and cohesion Ballin gives up the middle and not be diminished.

Overachieved yes; esp in the front row department. We really need to beef up here as many have noted, probably blind freddie included. The way JSL and Lui have come on is great, and Starling will get better, but a proven yard machine would be on top of my recruitment list.

However the feuding plays out it should be rebuilding phase 1 next season. Above all I hope we keep snake. The tries + try assists + defensive marshalling will be too hard to replace quickly.

 

[sheridanstand78]

The team punched above its weight for a lot of the season, shorn of our front row due to this dreadfully unfair salary cap, the battled on and in the end injuries and suspensions did not allow us to maintain the momentum when it counted.

I think an injection of youth was a big difference last night in that the team got its mojo back.

Next season is all about giving the younger players a go,

We need some oomph up front so hopefully if we have a couple of departures it will allow us to sort out the weakenesses we have.

 

[Captain Moondog]

Yeah, it's not the end of the world, only the footy season. Anybody want to bet we won't be in the finals next year?

 

[MPC75]

If you compare us to the other team that came first, I think we done great. The Roosters are at full strength and in my opinion lost against the cows. Doesn't show it on the scoreboard but they should have lost and would have been in the same boat as us. A couple of 50/50 calls could have gone our way last night and we would have been in another GF qualifier, which if you told me at the start of the year we would, I would have been rapt

 

[winnyason]

The issue is there is really only mason on the open market and rumours of kaisano.
I cannot see anyone else, maybe a kiwi or aussie wanting early return from superleague.
Jeff lima comes to mind maybe....

 

[RiverEagle]

I said too many times, from about June onwards, I felt only injuries would stop Us. (The off-field "issues" however great or small, or even accurate) did not affect the men on-the-field IMO. As the Dogs game proved to me.

Losing Ballin, Choc, Ferris, and Gift (virtually all year) and an out-of-sorts Taufua (AND not forgetting Wolfman either thanks very much) made a massive difference.

Add Choc, Ballin and Buhrer, at least to Saturday night...AND a fit Gift?

We would've won; perhaps comfortably. What do we do?

Too cruel for school, but that's footy, unfortunately.

2015 seems too far away. It will take longer to get over because it was De$ and the Dog$; and the game was so damn close at-the-death. (Even if Killer converts from out-wide,71st min, we go ahead 18-16 and MAY have won.

The field-goals and golden point are as much about luck as execution.
DCE slotted a beauty to level at 17all and go to GP (or was it before Hodkinson got theirs for the go-ahead??) *Whatevers. In Golden Point we had a chance or two for a FG (no luck). They got a chance or two and one stuck (Hodkinson is a pro at it to be begrudgingly fair.)

Season A- for me. Only injuries and Choc's suspension, stopped Us.

Go the Riff now and roll on 2015 PLEASE.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Fair summation by many.

Punched well above our weight and when the injuries and drama's hit we were never a hope.

I only saw them live 3 times this year, round 1, a disappointing 1 point loss, then at the Gold Coast, a "messy" win during the "dark days", and round 26 for the amazing comeback.

And sadly due to my travels missed most of the season on TV as well (going to fix that next year with a remote Sat TV set up), but overall a good but not great year.

The "slide" was always going to happen, but will admit at the start of the year that I did not think it would be this one......however I knew it was coming!!

A " 7 out of 10" year for me

 

[Simonmyers11]

I said too many times, from about June onwards, I felt only injuries would stop Us. (The off-field "issues" however great or small, or even accurate) did not affect the men on-the-field IMO. As the Dogs game proved to me.

Losing Ballin, Choc, Ferris, and Gift (virtually all year) and an out-of-sorts Taufua (AND not forgetting Wolfman either thanks very much) made a massive difference.

Add Choc, Ballin and Buhrer, at least to Saturday night...AND a fit Gift?

We would've won; perhaps comfortably. What do we do?

Too cruel for school, but that's footy, unfortunately.

2015 seems too far away. It will take longer to get over because it was De$ and the Dog$; and the game was so damn close at-the-death. (Even if Killer converts from out-wide,71st min, we go ahead 18-16 and MAY have won.

The field-goals and golden point are as much about luck as execution.
DCE slotted a beauty to level at 17all and go to GP (or was it before Hodkinson got theirs for the go-ahead??) *Whatevers. In Golden Point we had a chance or two for a FG (no luck). They got a chance or two and one stuck (Hodkinson is a pro at it to be begrudgingly fair.)

Season A- for me. Only injuries and Choc's suspension, stopped Us.

Go the Riff now and roll on 2015 PLEASE.

Well said.

 

[robbiea]

I don't know about punching above our weight.
Halfway into the season we were attacking the line better than I can ever remember.Some of the lines & cut outs we were running were insane.

 

[MadMarcus]

Yeah, I can't agree with the "punching above our weight" comments. I think we had the team to win it. Even without Gifty all year we were a shot, but losing Ballin and Buhrer killed us off in the end. You have to have your best team on the park (or at least close to it) to win in September.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

The reason I used those words were related to the fact that we don't have a plethora of big name forwards like (for example) the Bunnies or the Roosters do. They both have a set of forwards that have either played for their country or their state, whereas we have just one (or should I say "had").

Our forward pack consisting of Titans reject BJ, previous year NSW Cup Starlo, probably one year too many in his career King, Parramatta reject Horo, Broncos reject Lui are far from "superstars".

Only Ballin and Ferris have otherwise played SOO, and in each case one game each.

So I stand well and truly by my "punching above our weight" and especially considering the commentators at the start of the year gave us almost a zero chance of being there at the end.

 

[Slide]

The "slide" was always going to happen

Ease up on the finger pointing, Slide had nothing to do with it

Our season was assisted by the more even competition - 36 points won the minor premiership, middle of the table was log jammed - so winning a couple then losing one still looked good.

The best sign this year was a fit Snake carving it up, not at his old pace but his injuries weren't cramping his game anymore. Buhrer grew a leg in 2014 and some of our young forwards got great experience including in finals footy.

Overall, an up & down season but with enough positives to keep me coming back in hope.