James Hooper starts the shitstorm early this year

[Cockadoodledoo]

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That's the first thing that should be copied.

Their attack can start from all parts of the field.. The fullback, the frontrower, backrowers, 5/8.. They have gamebreakers all over the field.. They are bringing in another one in Tony Williams.. People can bag him for being lazy etc but he is a matchwinner.. These are the types of players clubs need to win premierships.. the players who can make a difference.. We have too few of these players.

[bondi-boy]

Their attack can start from all parts of the field.. The fullback, the frontrower, backrowers, 5/8.. They have gamebreakers all over the field.. They are bringing in another one in Tony Williams.. People can bag him for being lazy etc but he is a matchwinner.. These are the types of players clubs need to win premierships.. the players who can make a difference.. We have too few of these players.

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'Half' of our team is straight out of under 20s.
Not good for winning FG matches.

[Cockadoodledoo]

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'Half' of our team is straight out of under 20s.
Not good for winning FG matches.

Bulldogs signed proven match winners at the right stages of their careers... When you do this the youngsters have more chance to thrive as they have;

a: Less pressure on them to be the match winners
b: players at their peak to learn from

Our club thought we could just throw a bunch of kids together and thought as long as you had a couple of veterans no matter how useless they were on the field, it could all come together. Total insanity...

[stsae]

Bulldogs signed proven match winners at the right stages of their careers... When you do this the youngsters have more chance to thrive as they have;

a: Less pressure on them to be the match winners
b: players at their peak to learn from

Our club thought we could just throw a bunch of kids together and thought as long as you had a couple of veterans no matter how useless they were on the field, it could all come together. Total insanity...

I agree with your points Cockers, but IMO the club knows what it's doing, they were prepared to take the hit. It was the fans who were unprepared. You used The Boggs as examples, they went thru the pain for the last couple of years.

IMO it ties in with the letting them do their business their way, the closed shop being discussed. Fans are reactionary in general, look how this site swings on opinions when we don't know all the facts.

IMO it would be a feeding frenzy, letting us all loose with our crazy reactionary opinions. I say let them do their jobs running the joint, and we do ours abusing them for not doing it the way we all want. The different ways we all want done.

Not a go at you either mate, I agree with what you're basically saying. I just disagree with the insanity part. I believe we are the insane ones, me included, the club has a plan.

[Guest]

You know how many members the club has? 200.. and they are there by invite alone.. I believe the communist party of China voted in their closed shop as well.

You can believe what you want.It certainly doesnt make you right...

[Guest]

I agree with your points Cockers, but IMO the club knows what it's doing, they were prepared to take the hit. It was the fans who were unprepared. You used The Boggs as examples, they went thru the pain for the last couple of years.

IMO it ties in with the letting them do their business their way, the closed shop being discussed. Fans are reactionary in general, look how this site swings on opinions when we don't know all the facts.

IMO it would be a feeding frenzy, letting us all loose with our crazy reactionary opinions. I say let them do their jobs running the joint, and we do ours abusing them for not doing it the way we all want. The different ways we all want done.

Not a go at you either mate, I agree with what you're basically saying. I just disagree with the insanity part. I believe we are the insane ones, me included, the club has a plan.

Post of the week!

[Headless Chook]

Stsae is pretty well on the money. The club said a few years back they were changing their strategy from signing every big name on the market to trying to develop their own players. This will take time to bear fruit but if from our current crop of young up and comers we can develop 2 or 3 players of the Slater/Smith/Cronk ilk, then we are on our way to long-term sustainable success. The Bulldogs have had a great year and may even win the Premiership, but it will be interesting to see what happens with their squad over the next 2-3 years as its going to be very hard to keep them all together.

[Guest]

I agree with your points Cockers, but IMO the club knows what it's doing, they were prepared to take the hit. It was the fans who were unprepared. You used The Boggs as examples, they went thru the pain for the last couple of years.

IMO it ties in with the letting them do their business their way, the closed shop being discussed. Fans are reactionary in general, look how this site swings on opinions when we don't know all the facts.

IMO it would be a feeding frenzy, letting us all loose with our crazy reactionary opinions. I say let them do their jobs running the joint, and we do ours abusing them for not doing it the way we all want. The different ways we all want done.

Not a go at you either mate, I agree with what you're basically saying. I just disagree with the insanity part. I believe we are the insane ones, me included, the club has a plan.

I dunno about all that mate. As a club we've been pretty reactionary in the coaching department as well as player recruitment. We've jumped at bad headlines and re-signed players we shouldn't have, Anasta's a prime example and Mini is the latest. Everyone and their dog kept asking when were we going to re-sign him...so we re-sign him and he quickly becomes an embarrassment.

No one has ever been held accountable for the Bennett debarcle. The coaching coup of the decade and the one thing that can blow the deal is it's leaked and what happens...it gets leaked.

And as far as the club having a plan ? Kudos. But what the fark is it, they never tell us anything meaningful? I get emails about player interviews, fan days, special events where I can come and spend money. We have a youth policy,which is nothing but a buzz word used to describe a concept rather than something that doesn't actually exists.

I'm just rambling now...

Fark off cat...kunt of an animal.

Chook.

[Guest]

Stsae is pretty well on the money. The club said a few years back they were changing their strategy from signing every big name on the market to trying to develop their own players. This will take time to bear fruit but if from our current crop of young up and comers we can develop 2 or 3 players of the Slater/Smith/Cronk ilk, then we are on our way to long-term sustainable success. The Bulldogs have had a great year and may even win the Premiership, but it will be interesting to see what happens with their squad over the next 2-3 years as its going to be very hard to keep them all together.

These pricks just got the minor premiereship in all 3 grades. They are fielding a team that are capable of winning a premireship this year and next year too...while at the same time building a nursery of possible first graders to replace future losses to their roster. They have a smart CEO that has supporters and sponsors lining up ready to convert to Judaism...they will be set for a while as long as they avoid going to Coffs Harbour for bonding sessions.

[Headless Chook]

These pricks just got the minor premiereship in all 3 grades. They are fielding a team that are capable of winning a premireship this year and next year too...while at the same time building a nursery of possible first graders to replace future losses to their roster. They have a smart CEO that has supporters and sponsors lining up ready to convert to Judaism...they will be set for a while as long as they avoid going to Coffs Harbour for bonding sessions.

Yep true....as I said....will be interesting watching them trying to keep them all under the cap in the next few years

[Cockadoodledoo]

I agree with your points Cockers, but IMO the club knows what it's doing, they were prepared to take the hit. It was the fans who were unprepared. You used The Boggs as examples, they went thru the pain for the last couple of years.

IMO it ties in with the letting them do their business their way, the closed shop being discussed. Fans are reactionary in general, look how this site swings on opinions when we don't know all the facts.

IMO it would be a feeding frenzy, letting us all loose with our crazy reactionary opinions. I say let them do their jobs running the joint, and we do ours abusing them for not doing it the way we all want. The different ways we all want done.

Not a go at you either mate, I agree with what you're basically saying. I just disagree with the insanity part. I believe we are the insane ones, me included, the club has a plan.

Maybe but the hit to the bottom line could be severe.. This is a business and currently they would be bleeding money. Sponsorship dollars and memberships are not going to increase for a losing club.. Gone are the days when the Roosters playing on a Friday night giving sponsors valuable exposure. The longer the club goes through this down cycle, the harder it is to attract quality players, even the best youngsters. I am not sure the plan would have been for a lack of development or improvement in a lot of our players.. It could be argued that many are getting worse, eg; FPN, SKD, Friend, Masoe. It also looks like the club will appoint Mini as Captain for 2013.. I don't see how 3 Captains in 3 years can be good for continuity.

The major beneficiaries of the recruitment policy are those whose jobs are dependent on the results on the field, when the expectation of success is removed then failure can be accepted. As far as fans being reactionary, can you say the same for our board and our management? When you have a closed shop you shut out ideas.. I don't see how that is a good thing. It seems more like the closed shop set up is designed for one reason, to protect ones own backside. It seems to me this culture has rubbed off from top to bottom at our club.

[stsae]

I dunno about all that mate. As a club we've been pretty reactionary in the coaching department as well as player recruitment. We've jumped at bad headlines and re-signed players we shouldn't have, Anasta's a prime example and Mini is the latest. Everyone and their dog kept asking when were we going to re-sign him...so we re-sign him and he quickly becomes an embarrassment.

No one has ever been held accountable for the Bennett debarcle. The coaching coup of the decade and the one thing that can blow the deal is it's leaked and what happens...it gets leaked.

And as far as the club having a plan ? Kudos. But what the fark is it, they never tell us anything meaningful? I get emails about player interviews, fan days, special events where I can come and spend money. We have a youth policy,which is nothing but a buzz word used to describe a concept rather than something that doesn't actually exists.

I'm just rambling now...

Fark off cat...kunt of an animal.

Chook.

Mate I agree with our past but I believe what we are seeing now with Bwaiff and Pezz moving on is a prime example of what our intentions are/aren't now. After all we could've offered them contracts as good as they were offered to leave, I gather they weren't future priorities, especially considering our signings in Baloney and Oldfield.

Mini was very lucky IMO. At the time he was going well and we weren't going to throw a rookie in at the back a few months into his RL carrer, RTS. Still who knows things may change in the off season.

As for the coaching that's why we hired Smiff and gave him 4 years, stability. If we were truly still as reactionary as the past Smiff wouldn't have seen out this season IMO. Many coaches have seen less latitude than Smiff.

That's why I come to the opinion the club has a plan. Thats why I don't think they are worried about the current results, this season and last, I believe they expected as much with our personel and youth.

IMO it's good we don't know what's going on now. It means hopefully the leak we had at the club for years isn't getting the juice anymore. Cos as you said someone cost us Waynekerr and for years blabbed to the media.

The way I look at it no one truly knows what's going on. Everyone has their opinions and they're entitled.

And if we all had any real input it would be chaos. Funny but dead set it would be loco.

[Cockadoodledoo]

Yep true....as I said....will be interesting watching them trying to keep them all under the cap in the next few years

At least they have the benefit that they will be able to replace players with some top draw youngsters.. Whilst we have focused recruitment on signing youngsters, it could be argued even though the Dogs went out and signed established talent, they have still managed to recruit better youngsters than we have.. Look at the junior rep teams and they have more representatives than we do, yet we hang our hat on going for youth over experience.

[stsae]

Maybe but the hit to the bottom line could be severe.. This is a business and currently they would be bleeding money. Sponsorship dollars and memberships are not going to increase for a losing club.. Gone are the days when the Roosters playing on a Friday night giving sponsors valuable exposure. The longer the club goes through this down cycle, the harder it is to attract quality players, even the best youngsters. I am not sure the plan would have been for a lack of development or improvement in a lot of our players.. It could be argued that many are getting worse, eg; FPN, SKD, Friend, Masoe. It also looks like the club will appoint Mini as Captain for 2013.. I don't see how 3 Captains in 3 years can be good for continuity.

The major beneficiaries of the recruitment policy are those whose jobs are dependent on the results on the field, when the expectation of success is removed then failure can be accepted. As far as fans being reactionary, can you say the same for our board our management? When you have a closed shop you shut out ideas.. I don't see how that is a good thing. It seems more like the closed shop set up is designed for one reason, the protect ones own backside. It seems to me this culture has rubbed off from top to bottom at our club.

One headline who we have signed for next season will guarantee we regain our rightful place on top of the $$$ side of the equation again. Everyone wants a piece of MoneyBill. It will be a monster movie.

Yes in the past I've been very vocal about our reactionary club, from top to bottom. But if we were still reactionary why has Smiff been given this much latitude??? It's shocked me that he's lasted this long. IF he starts as coach next season well that's a true transformation for our board IMO.

Fans are all reactionary mostly. We feel. It's not business to us it's personal. IMO if we ever got near any real say in the running of things it would be mental. And I include myself in that mate.

The main thing I am enjoying is I hated the transit lounge days, that image of my club kills me personally. Nowadays I have people who support other teams jealous cos of all the good kids coming thru our club. I like that. Hopefully now we start to see the benefits of changing the clubs policy of poach to one of produce.

[Kingbilly]

I want to add something important to what people are saying about the Bulldogs.
Its not all about recruiting the best. Its about getting the best out of your recruits.

Put nearly any graded player in a positive environment with good structure and good game plans and they will play good first grade.

This is the important thing that the Bulldogs have - a good structure and a coach that elicts respect and has created a positive environment.

We have neither, our squad could just as easily be in the top 4 if they were operating in a positive, "learning" environment. But Smith has created a negative where the put down is the king