Finals hype thread

Billy said:
I think we are in bonus territory now.
Half way through the season, when every time we seemed to be making some progress, another injury knocked us down again, we would have all thought 7th place with a chance to progress further was a pipedream.
Before the season I was thinking top 8 with a chance at top 4, but half way through the season I was hoping we could avoid the wooden spoon.
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Yep - after losing Pearce and Ponga for a significant period and not having had our full spine on the field at all until the last quarter of the season - if you'd offer me finishing 7th at the end of the season and closing the season out with a series of wins coming into the finals and a relatively healthy squad, I would have said "Yes, I'll take that."

We aren't top 4 material at present but, had we not had even some of the impediments we've dealt with this year, it is not out of the realms that we would have had a season like Manly (who we were equal with around a 3rd of the way into the season) and likely been in the top 6.

I'm not expecting a miracle for us to win the 2021 premiership or make the GF. What we are though is in our best possible position to build on the platform we've established over the last quarter of the season now that we are in the finals series - with the luxury of resting players in the final round before the finals series and giving any potential reserves some valuable game time for depth.

Considering that, how we compete and how deep we go from here should be a huge pointer to our potential to be realistically in the mix in 2022. I agree we are in bonus territory but that's what I'm looking forward to now.
 
Have to disagree about bonus territory, team on paper should make the 8 easily.

With injuries yes thats always going to affect us, but we lost some games this year we should have won easily...

Impressed with this 5 game streak, but also beating teams we should beat...

Best thing is these games we usually lose so we have matured as a group, and finding ways to win ugly.

The attack needs to spark in the next 2 weeks, regardless of who is on the park.

Another touch up in week 1 of the finals is a dissapointing season if you ask me
 
I was extremely disappointed with how we were going mid-season, to me the season was looking like a total failure. But that doesn't change the fact that after last year, making the eight again was a bare-minimum.

I still think a pass rate for this season is winning a finals game.
 
At the moment I'd take a pass mark as being competitive next week and going the 80 without lapses.

I can't see how we beat Parra next week given they beat Melbourne and against Penrith, although soundly beaten on the score board I thought they competed well for the 80, and that was against a full strength Penrith with Parra resting their guns.

We are playing a team next week I rank equivalent to a top 4 team. They could easily make the GF this year.
 
Battler said:
If we beat Parra, I think we'll play the loser of Penrith v Souths in week two. If we beat Souths, I think we'd play Melbourne, as I believe those top teams swap sides of the draw after week one. Of course I could just be making stuff up.
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Still looks likely. Ooohh how keen are we?
 
I’m not worried about Parramatta. They are beatable.

They’ve got a good pack but so do we. Just need to send plenty of traffic at Moses and don’t give him space. They’ll be missing Mahoney and I’m not sold on their 5/8 either.
 
I think it’s usually:
Friday night - 1 v 4
Saturday arvo/evening - 5 v 8, then 2 v 3
Sunday arvo - 6 v 7
 
Actually just checked that and they alternate it a bit. The only consistent thing is that they always have a top four fixture on Friday night, and a 5-8 fixture Sunday arvo. They change the order a bit within that framework. So we’ll either be Sat or Sun.
 
mozza said:
I’m not worried about Parramatta. They are beatable.

They’ve got a good pack but so do we. Just need to send plenty of traffic at Moses and don’t give him space. They’ll be missing Mahoney and I’m not sold on their 5/8 either.
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Dylan Brown was awesome against Melbourne but he is young and that is the best game I think I have seen him play. I dont expect he will do that well every week.
 
For us to be a premiership force in the future, it starts by consistently making the finals.

We need to keep building and I agree with James, for a pass rate this season we need to win the game against Parra given we got knocked out first round last year. If we win any game after that, it will just be a bonus.
 
For some reason I hate Blake Ferguson when he was dropped came back had a blinder, he seems to have a good game against us, he will try and get into our younger blokes heads.…he’s always been a muppet…grind
 
Storm very strong, too bloody good for even Manly, think they will be grand final winners against Penrith, always thought tonights winner was a grand finalist.
 
Storm will be too good.

Interesting Slater made a comment post game about how Bellamy says you don’t just “click” in the finals, it is built throughout the season through learning and memory. And this is how they are able to produce performances like this in the finals.

so I guess we won’t be “clicking” 😅
 
Sammyyy said:
Storm will be too good.

Interesting Slater made a comment post game about how Bellamy says you don’t just “click” in the finals, it is built throughout the season through learning and memory. And this is how they are able to produce performances like this in the finals.

so I guess we won’t be “clicking” 😅
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100% true, I think you’re hoping for a miracle if you want the side to suddenly make a huge improvement after a year that’s been pretty mediocre.

Lesser teams that have made finals runs in the past have either come into the finals in good form, or are an experienced side that’s been successful in the finals in previous seasons. Unfortunately neither of those really fit us.
 
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