I like the dolphins and how they go about things. I will say they have had a pretty good run with injuries this year, that does help a lot.
2026 Season
- Thread starter Celticman98
- Start date
At least we are miles off what we were last year. We are growing !
slotmachine
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Yeah, just need to find that defensive commitment now.
Newygirl
Sean Rudder
Would love that, would make such a nice change and to have two teams that have never won
If we played tonight's roosters I think we towel them up....we only lost to their full strength team because teddy decided to have a blinder
Never got the Roosters hype a few weeks ago when they beat Penrith. The riff were coming off a brutal night in NZ where they got smoked and lost a few key players. And even then I thought they hardly outplayed them and only won due to the riff still getting their bearings right on attack post-Yeoh injury. Take that game out and the cowboys game and the sort of performance they dished up yesterday isn't entirely abnormal.
Their attack has been clunky for months and all they really have is the kick to their wingers. There's a reason why their p/d is so much weaker than the actual top 2 sides, both of whom have a p/d closer to 300 than 200. I'd back us to beat them if we meet them in the playoffs, even if it is at Allianz.
Their attack has been clunky for months and all they really have is the kick to their wingers. There's a reason why their p/d is so much weaker than the actual top 2 sides, both of whom have a p/d closer to 300 than 200. I'd back us to beat them if we meet them in the playoffs, even if it is at Allianz.
they've got to address their starts. If they came up against a full strength penrith or wahs, it's probably 18-0 after the first quarter and they get suffocated out of the game. I just don't think their style (which is similar to our style) holds up in finals, especially against sides that can out grind them.
Seems pretty likely we will play Souths, whether it be at home or away. They don't seem to be the fittest team, they play amazing for 30-40mins then fall off in many games. Would much rather play the Cows, the Trell factor just scares me, and Murray is elite in the middle.
we are guilty of that too. If we play them, it'll be another 42-38 affair whether it is at MacJones or Accor.
bremsstrahlung
Mick Jenkins
The more I read about it, the more I think he’s gone.
Reynolds thanked a lot of people in his speech, former coaches, except Madge. (Just going off what other reports say, I didn’t watch it).
Alleged Reynolds was tapped to retract his comments and take responsibility for ruling himself out - which he conveniently forgot to mention originally when he said he was able to play. Reports he had to do that to keep his post footy gig there next year.
Ben Hunts comments.
Walsh “liking” things on “accident”. (What a world we live in now).
If the rumours are true that Reynolds was forced to retract to keep his position next year - I don’t see how there’s a tenable relationship with Madge. How is he expected to work in a collaborative manner with a coach that denied him a Suncorp farewell.
Contrary - if they plan to sack him, they could have got a lot of good PR / or at least avoided the bad PR any twisting Madge’s arm to allow Reynolds to play some part. Unless Madge blindsided them by ruling him out and too late before they knew.
All speculation I guess. But I do think how clubs treat their long serving players, or veterans of the game is important and says a lot about the club.
bremsstrahlung
Mick Jenkins
Wouldn't surprise me if there’s some Matty Johns influence there. Lots of references to YNWA (Liverpool FC anthem) in his podcasts.
My first question was if that is a new pre-game thing they’ve brought in, or if they’ve always had it (“this town is our town” type rev up) or if it was for purely for Jai.
Either way, perfect sentiment.
YNWA is made special when the music is turned off for the last rendition and you’re left with the crowd belting it out.
Lefty
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
They have been impressive, but we still beat them 13 - 12 when we played them in Round 18.
Last edited:
frankLauda
Matthew Johns
bremsstrahlung
Mick Jenkins
I still think at our best we can get a result against most of the teams, just relies on them being a little sub par or getting some luck.
Without Brown and Lucas, we are relying a bit more on some really top shelf games from Ponga, Smith and Sharpe and we need McEwen and Manu firing. But they have proven they can do it. Just about stringing 4 good games together.
I listened to something the other day, and basically said Sharks are in a decent position, probably better than if they finished top 4.
You hope the top 4 bash eachother week 1, Sharks win their game vs 8th, and come up against a team on the back of a loss. The problem there is most top 4 teams don’t lose 2 in a row. They make changes and adapt.
The optimist in me says, if we get through week 1, I reckon we would back ourselves to take on whoever we play. The toughest ask would be week 3. That’s the one I have trouble seeing us get through.
Penrith, Roosters are capable of some shockers where nothing works for them.
Warriors have been very consistent. And Dolphins look like they may be starting to peak again.
Without Brown and Lucas, we are relying a bit more on some really top shelf games from Ponga, Smith and Sharpe and we need McEwen and Manu firing. But they have proven they can do it. Just about stringing 4 good games together.
I listened to something the other day, and basically said Sharks are in a decent position, probably better than if they finished top 4.
You hope the top 4 bash eachother week 1, Sharks win their game vs 8th, and come up against a team on the back of a loss. The problem there is most top 4 teams don’t lose 2 in a row. They make changes and adapt.
The optimist in me says, if we get through week 1, I reckon we would back ourselves to take on whoever we play. The toughest ask would be week 3. That’s the one I have trouble seeing us get through.
Penrith, Roosters are capable of some shockers where nothing works for them.
Warriors have been very consistent. And Dolphins look like they may be starting to peak again.
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
If the Dolphins have a great finals series I would take encouragement from that rather than think “gee, we’re so far off this” and get disheartened. They were way worse than us defensively last year and have a similar team model of a good enough pack + great attacking players.
Their pack has been pretty good this year but still not elite, eg let’s look at average run metre differentials per game:
Roosters: +235
Warriors: +190
Panthers: +186
Dolphins: +115
Sharks: +162
Rabbitohs: +35
Knights: -69 (nice)
The Phins were horrible at containing the other team in yardage & controlling the ruck last year, this year they’re only okay at it, their positive yardage differential is mostly explained by being really good at getting downfield and breaking the line (they’re middle of the pack in stuff like tackles in the oppo 20 - they don’t control territory that well, they just convert their chances in attack and scramble well in D).
For me it’s not “gee, how do we ever catch them”. It’s “imagine how good we’ll be once our young forwards develop into a mid tier pack”.
Their pack has been pretty good this year but still not elite, eg let’s look at average run metre differentials per game:
Roosters: +235
Warriors: +190
Panthers: +186
Dolphins: +115
Sharks: +162
Rabbitohs: +35
Knights: -69 (nice)
The Phins were horrible at containing the other team in yardage & controlling the ruck last year, this year they’re only okay at it, their positive yardage differential is mostly explained by being really good at getting downfield and breaking the line (they’re middle of the pack in stuff like tackles in the oppo 20 - they don’t control territory that well, they just convert their chances in attack and scramble well in D).
For me it’s not “gee, how do we ever catch them”. It’s “imagine how good we’ll be once our young forwards develop into a mid tier pack”.
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
I don’t think there’ll be that much pressure on them unless they apply it to themselves tbh. That’s very much a Broncos town still.