The I told you so thread

[Ron E. Gibbs]

Spot on with those thoughts @Pablo. The likely suspension of Marty and AFB put a big dent in our chances for the upcoming rounds though which are hugely crucial. As a newly put together team, building momentum and confidence through early season wins is extremely important.

Seems like we've planned the whole season around early wins and a "good start". Barrett and the players have spoken about it all pre-season. But, given that this is essentially a new team, why? To my mind it only puts even more pressure on the coaches and the players and feels more like wishful thinking (even desperation) than a solid plan. What happens if we don't get a good start? Confidence plummets and the downward spiral continues.
I hope wins will come, but it's going to be a long process. Whatever this team achieves they're going to have to build it as the season progresses. It pains me to say it, but right now they're just too fragile a group to expect much more. We're counting on a largely unproven pack of forwards to give our unproven halves combination something to work with. And if injuries/suspensions hit, we're pretty much stuffed.

 

[ricardo]

Parra game was just the wake up we needed. Now 23 straight wins

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Mark, please........it's 25 games mate, not one game. Seriously, this is how it has been since round 1, 2016. I simply don't understand this harping on about it being just one game. For 25 games now we have endured the spectre of Myles, Api & Brown amongst others.

You know my thoughts on all three of the players mentioned , but sadly we have them and due to the other cap issue ( yes the 1.5 million for nothing one) we are stuck with them ( unless Nate " I was **** last year and still am" Myles decides to retire a year early) so we largely need to get over that.

And , we need to forget last year, it was a " perfect storm" of events.

So yes we are 1 game in, with many new players and any number of new combinations.

So, comparing this year ( the 1 game ) to last year is, so far, lame.

If after say 8 weeks we have won 1 game ( quite possible ) then bring on the negativity, but until then I for one ( at least ) are going to give the new blokes a bit of latitude.

Rome wasn't built in a day was it?

 

[globaleagle]

Did you know boobytrap spelled backwards is partyboob?

 

[globaleagle]

I just thought now's the time that needed to be posted.

 

[yokahontas]

Did you know boobytrap spelled backwards is partyboob?

Oh god, let's not start talking about Foran again!

 

[Ralphie]

You know my thoughts on all three of the players mentioned , but sadly we have them and due to the other cap issue ( yes the 1.5 million for nothing one) we are stuck with them ( unless Nate " I was **** last year and still am" Myles decides to retire a year early) so we largely need to get over that.

And , we need to forget last year, it was a " perfect storm" of events.

So yes we are 1 game in, with many new players and any number of new combinations.

So, comparing this year ( the 1 game ) to last year is, so far, lame.

If after say 8 weeks we have won 1 game ( quite possible ) then bring on the negativity, but until then I for one ( at least ) are going to give the new blokes a bit of latitude.

Rome wasn't built in a day was it?

We can at least agree to disagree. My counter argument is that for 25 games now we have had no discernible game plan and we have had the same merry go round of rubbish selections. That has been my criticism since I saw the team list for round 1, 2016 and nothing has changed.

I desperately wish it wasn't so, but no matter how I try I can't see anything improving until we have a competent coaching regime in place.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

We can at least agree to disagree. My counter argument is that for 25 games now we have had no discernible game plan and we have had the same merry go round of rubbish selections. That has been my criticism since I saw the team list for round 1, 2016 and nothing has changed.

I desperately wish it wasn't so, but no matter how I try I can't see anything improving until we have a competent coaching regime in place.

Of course, I'll disagree and so will you, nothing much changes does it!

Sadly with two lost to suspensions we will never know, but would have been interesting to see if Plod was chosen again this week.

That would have been the true test of the coaching,

 

[Supreme Leader]

Hey, we'll make the 8 based on weekend, other teams are worse than ours! We can improve, we had our crap season with injuries last year. The other 15 team's turn and I have a feeling that if you can keep your players on the field you'll be there.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Hey, we'll make the 8 based on weekend, other teams are worse than ours! We can improve, we had our crap season with injuries last year. The other 15 team's turn and I have a feeling that if you can keep your players on the field you'll be there.

I agree with some of what you say but it's optimism personified to think we will make the 8.

I'm sticking to 12th, but might get a few spots higher or lower!

 

[NewwyEagle]

The problem is most games will have positives, but we still lose. We may have done some positive things out there but we lost at home yet again. There's no discipline in our side, we give away penalties and drop balls and Barrett just gives everyone a participation ribbon because he likes being their friend.
Brown, Api and Myles would barely get a run in other teams reserves.

 

[Supreme Leader]

I agree with some of what you say but it's optimism personified to think we will make the 8.

I'm sticking to 12th, but might get a few spots higher or lower!

Hi Mark, absolutely a half full glass type of guy versus half empty, problem is that during the game I have to keep topping it up

It's all about injuries this year

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

The problem is most games will have positives, but we still lose. We may have done some positive things out there but we lost at home yet again. There's no discipline in our side, we give away penalties and drop balls and Barrett just gives everyone a participation ribbon because he likes being their friend.
Brown, Api and Myles would barely get a run in other teams reserves.

But he can only work with the players he has, other teams weren't dumb and didn't sign aging legends to big money long contracts.

Agree with the dropped balls etc etc but I didn't see Trent drop one of those!!

I'm not just trying to defend him regardless, but I'm sure he had a good plan and prepared well.

It's about time everyone just conceded the Eels were far better than us yesterday, Norman & Gutherson were the stars off a great forwards effort.

They'll be up there at seasons end, basically because they are better than us.

They haven't been for about 30 years but are now!

 

[Wombat Legacy]

I don't want to get dragged into these bickering threads, but the real problem for me is our lack of game plan execution (whatever that may be)
Green will need to run the team, because DCE and API (the guys that get their hand on the ball most) cannot.
When we are in the grind, you just get that feeling that we are gonna come of second best. They are trying hard, but it is just not happening.
Maybe Hastings could add something. Give him the 7 and make DCE play hooker!

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Hi Mark, absolutely a half full glass type of guy versus half empty, problem is that during the game I have to keep topping it up

It's all about injuries this year

And suspensions!

Don't worry I have confidence that we will win a few but I fear not enough to get us to the finals.

 

[robbiea]

 

[robbiea]

I don't want to get dragged into these bickering threads, but the real problem for me is our lack of game plan execution (whatever that may be)
Green will need to run the team, because DCE and API (the guys that get their hand on the ball most) cannot.
When we are in the grind, you just get that feeling that we are gonna come of second best. They are trying hard, but it is just not happening.
Maybe Hastings could add something. Give him the 7 and make DCE play hooker!

With a hooker that expensive the crowd better be getting blowies...

 

[Andrew..]

If we use our top 25 correctly then I don't see why we can't improve on last years efforts. But in order to do that I think we need either Hastings or Cullen on the bench or (preferably starting). That split second loss of momentum is a game killer.

I'd like to cut Myles some slack but the truth is his game was already declining at the Titans so it's been longer than just last year. Great players have a knack for making you eat your words but time is running out. He was purchased on big dollars as a forward leader so I think he deserves the extra scrutiny. I hope for his sack he gets his mojo working again.

Hopefully the NRL are still considering giving us at least some partial dispensation for Matai or Stewart because even with Darcy and Lane yet to play I feel we're one quality forward short.
Overall I'm still optimistic about our season, we just need that little bit of luck and hopefully the coaching staff have the cajones to flick the goat photos and pick the best man for the job.

 

[sheridanstand78]

I look at the game yesterday and I saw enough to tell me we will be much better than last year. To make us a finals team, our halves have to step up, yesterday the whingers were much better in the halves. The team MUST respect the ball when in possession. Any chance of victory was destroyed after we scored for about a 30 minute period where we frittered away the ball and gave up dumb penalties which gave them their lead. We must beat the vermin this week. That is a harder task now with the suspensions we have with Taupau and AFB.

 

[Budgie]

I was positive before yesterday but my bubble has been burst.
A few things for me:

After all this time I still don't know what type of team we have under TBaz. For all the good coaches I can describe what a Bellyache, Bennett, Stuart, Des, even Brad Arthur team looks like. I cannot do so with our coach.

Home ground advantage is big for most teams and monstrous for us at Fortress Brookie. We lost a home game yesterday and there's no sense that this is a problem. Yep, Lottoland it is.

The continued faith in Api, Brown, Myles.

The lack of milliondollarness (you like?) in our half back - and I'm not convinced he's the right choice for Captain - ie inspiring leadership.

The seeming lack of understanding of how to nurture Tommy T.

Very, very, very happy to be wrong.