This re-building thing.

[eddie]

The time has come the walrus said.........
We as fans don't wanna be following a team that takes too long to bounce back, and this losing business kinda sucks.

I think , at least for next year the plan is taking shape.
The outside backs won't be 2013esque exactly, but it's looking more than solid.
Our forward pack is above average still, despite the odd disappointment and we haven't finished off loading the rubbish yet.
We have some very promising junior burgers coming through , and while we can't keep 'em all, it's makes for some challenging gambles for some one.

The real questions are the halves.
Can't just keep writing in thread after thread how dumb it was to let Jimmy go, best goalkicker we've ever had IMO and I've seen a few.
Lot of pressure on Pearce to make amends if he stays on board, and he is part of the furniture now. I don't have a lot of faith in his ability to handle pressure however.
Don't know much about Keary, but we need him to be way above average.

Friend rediscovering some kind of useful attacking game is also crucial, as is who can sub for him if need be.

Talk of one or two marquee signings sounds fantastic, but I'm buggered if I can see where they'd come from.
Robbo has a lot on his plate.

I keep trying to remind myself that the capital of Italy wasn't constructed in 24 hours.

[Guest]

mate I think Keary and Gordon are the marquee signings

[eddie]

mate I think Keary and Gordon are the marquee signings

It could be worse, both signings could prove to be very astute.

But more importantly, I glad you responded because this was a very difficult thread to create. After emptying all the crap outta my head through the keyboard (very time consuming for me) I couldn't save the content.
The website was telling me I lacked human verification????, or some such. I felt kinda like I did the first time someone with actual appropriate qualifications told me I was a sandwich short of a picnic.
Anyway there was two ways to go.
The Tupou way where you say "oh well", and go read a book.
But I took the JWH route and tried again.

Pity the thread isn't great, but at least it's condensing a lot of different conundrums into one.

[Mad_Rooster_in_GraceLand]

It's a good post Eddie actually.

Will respond appropriately when I get the time.

I got the missing human verification error yesterday when composing a longish sort of post. Maybe the site doesn't like deep thought.

Quite a few sub discussions you have raised there too.

I think next year will be a rebuilding year but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Chooks make the finals. Rebuilding as we are not just building for a finals finish but a fair dinkum push at a Premiership in 2018 or 2019 depending on how things progress and become apparent in 2017. A lot of quality is off contract in 2018 due to new rights deal.

[Arties Pie]

If the club keeps Pearce I would like to see Hastings next year if we can keep him that is go back to the bench as cover for Friend with the view of possibly of being Friends replacement if he doesn't get his best game back as Hastings can play the role as well as that would hate to lose the goal kicker as he's pretty damned good at it.

[Thirteen]

Good post Eddie. I don't want friend as captain. It's too much of a burden for him. He just needs to concentrate on his own game.

[Johnny.]

The real questions are the halves.
Can't just keep writing in thread after thread how dumb it was to let Jimmy go, best goalkicker we've ever had IMO and I've seen a few.
Lot of pressure on Pearce to make amends if he stays on board, and he is part of the furniture now. I don't have a lot of faith in his ability to handle pressure however.
Don't know much about Keary, but we need him to be way above average.

Seriously, this 'Pearce must make amends' line is the kind of shit Rosie Batty used to say about her husband.

I'm not saying Hastings is the messiah but he's got seven years on Pearce, who, can we please be honest, has only excelled when someone else carries the load for him.

I don't give a damn if even half the rumors about a person's personal life are true if they contribute to the endeavor they are involved in. I do not believe that Mitchell Pearce has been able to do that without a lot of help from players around him.

We're not the Titanic, we don't need passengers.

[Mad_Rooster_in_GraceLand]

This is bit out of left field.

Perhaps Hastings starting no 9. That will get the team really divided I guess.

He could be a very good no 9. Just needs some sprint training. Friend to bench utility. He needs a rest after 40000 tackles made in past 6 seasons lol.

[Guest]

Connor Watson.. freak of a footballer!!

[One Eyed Willy]

I like the signing of Keary and Gordon

Gordon can play wing,centre or fullback which gives us plenty of options. He's a good footballer and from all accounts an even better bloke and teammate off the field. Is this not something we seem to lack this year?
Keary is a running half, not as good as Maloney but still young. When he comes on for Souffs there whole dynamic changes, he's a smart footballer not a game manager. I really like the look of Watson and if he can be patient and fill that 14 jersey for 2 more years then the club can choose between him or Keary. Surely we learnt after this year that releasing established first graders and hoping our 20's can walk into fg and excell just doesn't work.
JT, Cronk, Cam Smith,Ben Hunt all played at least 1-2 yrs as utility bench players before taking over in fg. Let the kids ease into play making roles by playing that utility spot for a season or two.
I'm not a Hastings fan, I don't see what all the hype was about, he would have benefitted more from staying on the bench and learning off Pearce and Maloney for another year or two IMO. As for Nikko, I think the first 8 weeks really broke him mentally. Being so young and moving away from his family then struggling to cope with the role he was given was too much for him. I hope he gets his mojo back because we saw in the wcc that he has the talent to play fg.

[dice]

This is bit out of left field.

Perhaps Hastings starting no 9. That will get the team really divided I guess.

He could be a very good no 9. Just needs some sprint training. Friend to bench utility. He needs a rest after 40000 tackles made in past 6 seasons lol.

A slow hooker will be an even bigger disaster than a slow half.

[stephenj]

hastings is not as quick as pearce but he wouldnt be a slow hooker

[Mad_Rooster_in_GraceLand]

A slow hooker will be an even bigger disaster than a slow half.

That's right Friend has speed to burn.

I suggested Hastings needs sprint training too.

[dice]

That's right Friend has speed to burn.

I suggested Hastings needs sprint training too.

I agree that Friend is slow. Hastings even slower. He won't be able to threaten the markers which will put more pressure on first receiver.

[Guest]

Braith Anasta's Wallet thought that Jackson Hastings performed very well at dummy half in his early matches in first grade and provided the team with an attacking spark that Jake Friend does not have.