If we can win 4 out of our first 8 and 5 out of our first 10 than a top 8 finish will be very likely. So many tough away games up front if we can win half we’ll be in a really strong position with a bunch home games in a row.
I think everyone is aiming for 10th so we are not entirely disappointed if we finish below. Will be stoked if we finish higher though. We can't expect clinical straight away but it will come if we can keep the same team on the park.
With an ounce of luck and a little more experience we could have very easily won another 6 games last year which would have put us 10th. Anyone who don't expect us to finish higher than 10th and challenge for the 8 are not being fair dinkum. Go and ask the owners what they a) expect and b) what they'll accept.
None are a sure thing until they prove it. Hell Brett Firman was once touted as a future Australian player coming through the grades. Karl Filiga on massive money before FG similar to Ponga now. He was mean't to be the next SBW. Easy to step a few players when that's a strength of yours. Stuart Mills got man of the match on debut and had Gus Gould say it was the best debut he had seen before. Where is he now?.. Sione again. Youngest ever Kangaroo. Now struggling to cement a position in FG. Still getting moved around from one position to the other 3 years on. Can't bank on any potential yet until it's proven talent over a period of time in the top grade. Sure I believe Ponga is the real deal but he has to prove he belongs in FG now let alone help get a side to the definite top 8 like you seem to think.
Lets be real, Karl Filiga and Stuart Mills have absolutely nothing on Ponga. Lets be real here. And they never were signed onto the largest teen contracts of all time, neither were they as highly regarded by the games top judges as Ponga is Re Sione, I said from the very start that he didnt have the skillset to be a great player. He couldn't blow people away like Ponga can. He couldn't ball play like Ponga can. He was just an effective consumate professional from a young age. I remember posting that the most we could hope from Sione was that he became a Steve Matai type player and I took an absolute beating on here for that Honestly, there's a reason you cant name a legit example of a player who should have made it but didnt (barring injury). And its because players like Ponga very rarely fail Now, im not saying its impossible. Im just saying that on the evidence available and discussed, it is exceptionally unlikely
Not saying they were at his level but they were both very highly rated juniors who amounted to nothing. If memory serves me right at the time Filiga was one of the highest signed by a teen with his experience. There are to many to name of young guns who ripped apart the juniors that amount to nothing that's a fact. Just can't go banking that Ponga is going to be the second coming. He needs time to prove it first. There are glaring weaknesses in his overall game that he needs to fix in which I believe he will given time and experience.
Mate teams last year turned up expecting a training run if we are honest. This year we'll be taken seriously.
Re Sione to small to be a forward, to slow, short, unathletic and slow to be a pack. Also lacking modern ball skills of either. Throw in cant adapt his game. But I forgot Bennett ear marked him as captain and said he has potential so my bad.
All these opposed sessions in pretty much game conditions means we'll start better than a lot of sides. It is a good strategy because we have so many guys who need to learn about each other's games, and it will mean our main team will have had what amounts to 5 games together before round 1 kicks off, but the down side is that it will be a long season for our group.
Has so far worked in our favour but could have also bitten us like Kostjason injury last year. I know I spelt his name wrong lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Its very innovative Bill and love how it will push everyone. Imagine how filthy pearce or Watson would be to be 1 upped by cogger and lamb ect. Can only bring out their killer instinct each session
Lot's of people thought Cogger and Hodko had a points victory over Pearce and Lamb in the first half of the Maitland trial, and Jack Johns looked OK against them too in the second half.