2017.... Strongest squad since 2002

[Gary Worthless]

It's a decent squad but it's still missing the X factor imo. Our 2013 X factor was obviously SBW. Even with an exceptional team that year it still took the brilliance of SBW to get over the line in the GF.

I just wonder who our X factor is. SBW, RTS, Jennings, Maloney all had X factor. Make something outa nothing.

Maybe Latrell.

Skidsy and Fergo have X factor....just not always the way we want.

[PeeGee]

Skidsy and Fergo have X factor....just not always the way we want.

When or if we can actually defend on both sides out wide then we may make the 8.
Until then, no chance.
Definitely our strongest squad since 2016 though.

Too many factors that can kill our season. As always, refs, bunker, injuries, quality depth.

[Monaco's Fan Club]

We are missing a creative fullback and second row. Plus a second premium Front rower. Otherwise, we are in good stead.

[milanja]

I would love to see them complete at above 75% consistently and improve the worst defensive team we have seen in a long while. Those 2 things would see us in the 8.

Our halves and hooker don't have the ability to win matches on their own like so many other teams have, so a team effort is key, and a dragons 2010 and sharks 2016 performance could be possible.

[roosterproud]

I would love to see them complete at above 75% consistently and improve the worst defensive team we have seen in a long while. Those 2 things would see us in the 8.

Our halves and hooker don't have the ability to win matches on their own like so many other teams have, so a team effort is key, and a dragons 2010 and sharks 2016 performance could be possible.

its all about ball control and disiplin.

[The Axe]

Improve D
Reduce errors (SKD, Fergo, Latrell)
Drop some players (Toupou, Guerra etc if form not right)

Clean slate time. Hit the reset button and form starts again in Round 1 but Robbo needs to be less patient with the same perpetrators

[Rooster_6]

I would love to see them complete at above 75% consistently and improve the worst defensive team we have seen in a long while. Those 2 things would see us in the 8.

its all about ball control and disiplin.

Is it though?

We made more errors than any other team in 2013 and we gave away more penalties than any other team in 2013. I think 'completion of sets' is a myth of a cliche.

It's about what you do with the ball when you have it not how long you have it for and it's about where you're turning the ball over not how many times you turn it over.

Sharks made the 2nd most errors last year and gave away more penalties than any other side.

[Tommy Smith]

It's not so much errors, but where you make them. I bet the Sharks didn't make many coming out of their own end with the powerful early runs from Holmes, Feki, Bird and co.

We on the other hand made loads of errors coming out of our own end. Literally the start of every set was 50/50 whether or not Skd or Toops would drop the ball in the ptb.

That's what watching Toops was like last year. Heart in mouth every time he touched the ball. Same for all of our back 5 really.

[milanja]

Is it though?

We made more errors than any other team in 2013 and we gave away more penalties than any other team in 2013. I think 'completion of sets' is a myth of a cliche.

It's about what you do with the ball when you have it not how long you have it for and it's about where you're turning the ball over not how many times you turn it over.

Sharks made the 2nd most errors last year and gave away more penalties than any other side.

So you agree that completing sets when you have the ball in attacking positions goes a long way to winning matches.

We also had the best defence in 2013, which means you can afford higher error rate. Not sure where our errors were made, but I would assume majority of them were when we were playing attacking football in the oppositions half.

When you don't get into the oppositions half and and make errors, you are putting your defence under pressure from the get go, and the bumbling display we saw last year will happen again.

Also nobody in our current backline could replicate MJ and to a little lesser extent RTS. Mitchell when he gets a bit more experience maybe, but the fergo X factor myth is definitely buried.

[Rooster_6]

So you agree that completing sets when you have the ball in attacking positions goes a long way to winning matches.

No I believe the opposite is true, completing sets when coming out of your own end is extremely important.

I believe trying to complete sets when you have the ball in attacking positions creates a defensive mind set, you still want to play the percentages but you've got to be willing to make an error in attack in an effort to create points. Although reading the rest of your post I'm pretty sure we agree on this, you've just worded it poorly.

Also nobody in our current backline could replicate MJ and to a little lesser extent RTS. Mitchell when he gets a bit more experience maybe, but the fergo X factor myth is definitely buried.

I think RTS in 2015 was huge as a creative outlet for us, MJ had his moments but just not with the same frequency of an RTS or SBW. I agree though there is no one in our team who has the ability to create points for us like SBW and RTS did. MJ is just a couple classes above any of our 3/4 options at the moment.

[Bigchook]

Interesting to note an article from the rugby league app suggesting Pearce's next contract will have him on around 1mil per season. I don't see how he can command that figure until he can own a game from start to finish. To take it from the opening whistle, create points, control the pace and close it out like Smith, Thurston, Johns etc could.

[Insider]

I imagine that's what his management will be aiming for. If he is getting 750 currently under a 7m cap, that's 10.7% so if the new cap is 9.5 or 10m as appears likely then his management will be chasing 1-1.1 you would think. I think we should offer 900, play the one club card and play on the guilt factor from last season a little. After all he keeps saying he feels like he let the club down last year.

[Rooster_6]

Yeh when you're talking a 10m cap a million isn't what it used to be.

The best forwards will be getting million dollar deals.

[Tommy Smith]

Hard to believe the cap was 3.25m in the early 2000s.

Star players really copped a raw deal then. What would Joey and Freddy be worth under a 10m cap, 1.75m?

[Bigchook]

Just because we have more to spend I wouldn't be putting it in his pockets. I wouldn't be putting him on more than 700. If Pearce and keary are our halves they will be very solid, but if we are to win premierships we will need star power elsewhere.