2025 Season

A mate of mine who worked for a sports analytics company put up a post in early 2019 where the text was basically “this guy’s manager put out feelers to a bunch of NRL clubs and no one would make a serious offer. Don’t underestimate how much of Melbourne’s success is just every other club being stupid” and attached to that post was a 10 minute video of Harry Grant highlights he’d stitched together.

Didn’t exactly expect them to become terrible when Cam Smith retired because they still had Munster and their various back up spine players had all looked pretty good in their chances, but seeing that Grant video I knew the Storm weren’t going anywhere.
 
And they still had to decide between them and guys like Brodie Croft, Brandon Smith and Nicho Hynes.

Crazy to think its been nearly 20 years since the Broncos won a premiership despite all their advantages having won 5 in a similar amount of time up until then...

I don't know how the others would have fared but yep Grant looked very very good and Munster was always going to be a star.
 
Grant has that season at the Tigers where he was amazing so yeah no reason to think it's just the "Storm system". Grant kind of IS the system.

Munster, yeah, I mean, what he has can't be taught.
 
The whole loan a player seems weird to me. Grant killed it for the Tigers and made them a better team. The club, fans loved him. He loved them. And then he left. Haha Poor Tigers
 
jamesgould said:
I remember when we all used to think after Smith, Cronk and Slater retired that Melbourne's dominance would end ... dammit lol.
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You have to hand it to the Melbourne system, the coaches and front office. While that is in operation the Storm will always be contenders.
The Knights this year were the exact opposite, poor systems, bone headed coaches and a diabolical front office, many of whom suffered from role confusion.
Like Joey says, there is a huge job at Newcastle, that could take up the next 4-5 years, even if they can get most of it right.
Newcastle Knights’ journey starts with the next steps…..
 
Defence wins games said:
You have to hand it to the Melbourne system, the coaches and front office. While that is in operation the Storm will always be contenders.
The Knights this year were the exact opposite, poor systems, bone headed coaches and a diabolical front office, many of whom suffered from role confusion.
Like Joey says, there is a huge job at Newcastle, that could take up the next 4-5 years, even if they can get most of it right.
Newcastle Knights’ journey starts with the next steps…..
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I agree with your sentiments. But I think/hope it doesn’t take 4-5 years. I really feel we have a squad that can compete for the 8 next year. We have a genuine star in Ponga in our side. With supporting roles of Brown, Sharpe, Best and Dom, and hopefully Sandon Smith. Forwards a bit of an unknown and my biggest concern.

This year was the clean out, rip the band aid off year with coaching staff and front office. I have faith in Parr and POS can do a good job in the front office.

Most importantly we have an upgraded coach. In hindsight the club got it wrong with AOB and doubled down by persisting with him. It’s good they showed loyalty but it got ugly in the end. I heard Holbrook went for the position years ago? I really feel that besides the very best coach’s, Holbrook is the best option, and quietly confident he will have this team humming in 1-2 years.
 
frankLauda said:
I agree with your sentiments. But I think/hope it doesn’t take 4-5 years. I really feel we have a squad that can compete for the 8 next year. We have a genuine star in Ponga in our side. With supporting roles of Brown, Sharpe, Best and Dom, and hopefully Sandon Smith. Forwards a bit of an unknown and my biggest concern.

This year was the clean out, rip the band aid off year with coaching staff and front office. I have faith in Parr and POS can do a good job in the front office.

Most importantly we have an upgraded coach. In hindsight the club got it wrong with AOB and doubled down by persisting with him. It’s good they showed loyalty but it got ugly in the end. I heard Holbrook went for the position years ago? I really feel that besides the very best coach’s, Holbrook is the best option, and quietly confident he will have this team humming in 1-2 years.
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That would be wonderful to come out the other end in 1-2 years.
There is an enormous job to do to clean Newcastle up so that our young guys want to stay and other quality players want to come here without costing an arm and a leg.
History is well and truly against us as we supporters have been waiting for over 2 decades to see real progress in results stripped away by a self interested and incompetent administration, very average coaching and a playing group who seem to have issues with consistent hard work.
I hope this time around can be different and Newcastle can get back to its early years style of play, rather than the empty mirage which has been the last 24 years.
Hope is all we have got atm.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
We can get into the top 8 because a team does not actually have to be genuinely good to get there. You know your team is actually good if they contend for the top four consistently over a fair period and they make prelims.
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And even then, it may not be enough to win the comp

Sharks are good but I don’t see them winning anything in the next 5 years
 
Winning comps is very very hard. I don’t “demand” it of my team. I’m not upset if I know my team is good and they just can’t beat a better team on the day. That’s life. Sharks fans should be proud of their team this year.

My disgust always comes when there just isn’t the effort at all, or when what the team is trying to do out there looks really misconceived to me.
 
Commentator in the State Chamionship final saying this will be the first piece of silverware the Warriors have won on grand final day must have forgotten the three under 20s grand finals they won.
 
They need to replace the state championship with something else, just such a damp squib every time. The QCup teams don’t care about it and get on the **** all week.
 
Turned tv on to watch some footy. Threw up a little in my mouth seeing Broncos Tamika and rorters prepping the game. The fact that these women don’t see in the slightest how much they’re derailing the game, shocks me. They’ll cry and whinge that people didn’t care about the game & no-one is celebrating them when they retire. “But we got to play with our bestest of friends” give me a break.
 
BTP said:
Turned tv on to watch some footy. Threw up a little in my mouth seeing Broncos Tamika and rorters prepping the game. The fact that these women don’t see in the slightest how much they’re derailing the game, shocks me. They’ll cry and whinge that people didn’t care about the game & no-one is celebrating them when they retire. “But we got to play with our bestest of friends” give me a break.
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For all their dominance and stars, both clubs have **** attendance. Brisbane in particular given they’ve got a whole Capital city to themselves
 
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Newygirl said:
For all their dominance and stars, both clubs have **** attendance. Brisbane in particular given they’ve got a whole Capital city to themselves
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I don’t think their fan bases really give two hoots if they do well. Which is disappointing, but when your team buys comps. Who cares right?
 
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