Adam O'Brien replacement?

Meaney was offered a minimum wage one year deal to stay at the dogs. The storm offered him the same and he was smart enough to take it. I'm guessing he will stay there on s slightly upgraded two year deal and play like a genius, at the end of which some desperate club will offer a long term, massively upgraded deal, and, while proving an adequate fullback, that clubs supporters will be underwhelmed with what he produces there compared to his performances at the storm.
 
Billy said:
Meaney was just good enough to play a bit of firstgrade when he was here.
He has improved steadily ever since and is now very good, but if we hadn't bought Ponga we'd have probably bought another fullback, because Meaney was still pretty ordinary.
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And if he'd stayed he'd still be a fringe first grader. He's played one exceptional game. Real talent produces like that week in week out at the Storm. Had Ponga found himself at the Storm he'd likely be a Dally M favourite every season.

Meaney isn't a loss. He's an example of what is wrong with the club.
 
I've been a bit of a fan of King and didn't want him to leave , i've said on here numerous times that there was a bloody good forward there he just had to be given a proper go and look what happens when given that shot .
 
Joshhh said:
Mate, if Meaney stayed he would have gone down the route of the Lambs, Coggers and countless other juniors that disappeared off the face of the planet. Who knows how many potential NRL player's careers we have ruined in the last two decades.
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Exactly, I was just going to say he’d be turning out for Maitland by now.
 
Ethan said:
I've been a bit of a fan of King and didn't want him to leave , i've said on here numerous times that there was a bloody good forward there he just had to be given a proper go and look what happens when given that shot .
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He’s average
 
slotmachine said:
Comparing players in the best system to players in one of the worst definitely makes sense.
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I don’t understand how people don’t get this hey.

Putting on lots of tries in a side with clueless or uncreative halves, behind a forward pack which doesn’t make metres, with coaches who can’t cook up effective attacking structures, and with teammates who don’t create chances for you to back up - so, the Ponga experience, Teddy at the Tigers, Shaun Johnson for most of his career, etc - is way, way harder than just chiming into big backline movements where you’re presented with a 2 on 1 and plenty of space, or being there in support for let’s say 4-5 out of the 8 line breaks your side makes through the middle third in a game - so, anyone who plays fullback or In the halves for Melbourne or Easts in their prime years.

Not having a go at Papenhyuzen or Meaney, they’re good players doing their role in a good team, but if you think swapping Ponga for either of them has Melbourne worse off and Newcastle better off? No offence, but you’re a moron.

Likewise, Josh King has been doing his job, but he is the absolute definition of a role player in a good team. The bloke averages about 60 minutes per game at lock forward but averages about 9 hit ups and 30 tackles in those minutes, this is including games where he’s played over 65 minutes and made about 20-25 tackles. There’s only two ways you record a work rate this low: you’re shirking, OR your team is insanely dominant and has the ball way more than the other side and you really don’t have to do much.

I’m frustrated with the Saifitis this year too but the performances of a lot of our forwards have to be understood in the context that often they’ll come on and have to make over 20 tackles in 15 minutes without ever touching the ball. If they’re lucky.

Playing in this side atm is like trying to tread water while attached to an anchor.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
I don’t understand how people don’t get this hey.

Putting on lots of tries in a side with clueless or uncreative halves, behind a forward pack which doesn’t make metres, with coaches who can’t cook up effective attacking structures, and with teammates who don’t create chances for you to back up - so, the Ponga experience, Teddy at the Tigers, Shaun Johnson for most of his career, etc - is way, way harder than just chiming into big backline movements where you’re presented with a 2 on 1 and plenty of space, or being there in support for let’s say 4-5 out of the 8 line breaks your side makes through the middle third in a game - so, anyone who plays fullback or In the halves for Melbourne or Easts in their prime years.

Not having a go at Papenhyuzen or Meaney, they’re good players doing their role in a good team, but if you think swapping Ponga for either of them has Melbourne worse off and Newcastle better off? No offence, but you’re a moron.

Likewise, Josh King has been doing his job, but he is the absolute definition of a role player in a good team. The bloke averages about 60 minutes per game at lock forward but averages about 9 hit ups and 30 tackles in those minutes, this is including games where he’s played over 65 minutes and made about 20-25 tackles. There’s only two ways you record a work rate this low: you’re shirking, OR your team is insanely dominant and has the ball way more than the other side and you really don’t have to do much.

I’m frustrated with the Saifitis this year too but the performances of a lot of our forwards have to be understood in the context that often they’ll come on and have to make over 20 tackles in 15 minutes without ever touching the ball. If they’re lucky.

Playing in this side atm is like trying to tread water while attached to an anchor.
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I agree with this on Ponga, but forwards like the Saifitis are the ones who should be giving the likes of Ponga and our halves room with strong carries and quick play the balls. There's really nothing preventing them from doing that.

Additionally, with King I've heard what an amazing trainer he was and how even Bellamy was blown away by what he did in the pre-season at the Storm. I wonder if the absence of him driving standards has anything to do with the Saifitis giving up this year.
 
jamesgould said:
I agree with this on Ponga, but forwards like the Saifitis are the ones who should be giving the likes of Ponga and our halves room with strong carries and quick play the balls. There's really nothing preventing them from doing that.

Additionally, with King I've heard what an amazing trainer he was and how even Bellamy was blown away by what he did in the pre-season at the Storm. I wonder if the absence of him driving standards has anything to do with the Saifitis giving up this year.
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We are missing a quality senior playmaker driving the standards. I know Pearce was slowing over his final 12 months here, however his game management and will to win got us over the line in many close games over the past 2 seasons when we made the finals.

If you take a look at the teams that are struggling this year and they mostly don’t have an experienced playmaker. Titans lost Fogarty, Canberra struggled whilst Fogarty was injured, Souths are no where near the same team without Reynolds and the impact he has had at the Broncos

I don’t believe our situation changes until we sign a quality playmaker, who will set the standards and provide game management. Ponga will be the main beneficiary of this addition.
 
AOB needs to go, he is clueless and the team look worse than ever. If Gardner doesn't want to get rid of him because of a pay out then he needs to lose his job also.

This team is a rabble, an absolute embarrassment.
 
Joel said:
I’d say you’re right on the money. He’s vanilla but a bloody hard worker, the Safs right now are looking like the opposite of that.
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Jayden Brailey and Mitch Pearce were the 2 blokes in our team last year that would’ve driven standards not Josh King. I 100% agree that we lack leadership of the field this year but pretty hopeful Brailey coming back will turn that around.
 
waynesworld said:
Jayden Brailey and Mitch Pearce were the 2 blokes in our team last year that would’ve driven standards not Josh King. I 100% agree that we lack leadership of the field this year but pretty hopeful Brailey coming back will turn that around.
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Couldn't agree more, when our ACTUAL Captain gets back from injury we can final have someone put a boot up the playing groups *** on the feild.

Ponga strikes me more as a happy go lucky type of guy who wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feeling lest a player holds It against him.

He also comes off as guy who can't really rally 12 other blokes on the feild either, don't understand why they made him captain.
 
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