Les Misérables
Josh Perry
Honestly utter madness for Pezet to re-sign with the Storm. But, anything is possible and I wouldn't be surprised if it happened - simply because we want/need him (obviously that impacts reality)
Round 1 2025 Team
- Thread starter Tom Hill
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mozza
Game on broheim
Yeah all this talk about the Storm re-signing him has to be Anasta trying to inflate his value. Even if Munster or Hughes get hurt Wishart is still ahead of him in the pecking order. He’d be stupid to waste 2 or 3 years playing Q Cup on the off chance he’ll get a game or 2 of FG.
Good Times
David Mullane
I don't think Storm re-signing him can be underestimated though, if it's us as the alternative.
He's already settled in Melbourne. He's learning from one of the best coaches the game has known, under the tutelage of Munster, Hughes, Paps and Grant, one of the best spines in the league.
Compare that to us currently:
He knows Newcastle but needs to relocate.
O'Brien is the Wish version of Bellyache.
Our spine is quite weak outside of Ponga.
We have cycled through so, so many halves in recent years. As a half, I'd question whether our system is the right one to flourish in.
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Okay, to that I’d counter:
- Mitchell Pearce was a walk up start every week while he was here.
- Jackson Hastings also would be a walk up start but for off field drama/horrific injury affected form.
- Tyson Gamble has bordered on being an automatic selection once Lachie Miller got dropped and KP went back to fullback. Tyson Gamble!
- The coaching staff were very happy with ANTHONY MILFORD and had a three year deal on the table for him.
So, literally just have a ****ing dig in defence and make sure your kicks go about where they should and the coach will keep picking you.
With all the spine issues we’ve had though, Pearce had a winning record with us, and we scored the most tries in the comp in 2023 with a one legged Jacko/Adam Clune and the most park footballer five-eighth in the comp. We then took a very dangerous North Queensland side to the brink with Jack Cogger and our back up hooker in the halves.
A lot of this is testament to how good Ponga is and how good a bunch of the non-spine players are, but this sort of reinforces the point I am about to make: If you back yourself as a guy who can make it as even a slightly above average long term first grade halfback, it’s actually rare to find a club where it’s easier to do that than it should be at Newcastle. We’re way closer to Cronulla than we are to Wests in terms of degree of difficulty on that front.
He’s coming off a torn ACL and watching Tyran Wishart jump ahead of him in the pecking order while he was injured so he’s also just gotten a reminder of how quickly everything can be taken away from you.
I really don’t think it’s just me wearing my red and blue glasses when I say playing halfback for this team is a really good opportunity and it doesn’t make sense that we should be so far down the pecking order that this signing shouldn’t be achievable.
People forget how good Gamble was in 2023. Was one of our most consistent players all season. I'm still giving him the 6 jersey to start next season now that he's healthy.
alexwilliams
Anthony Quinn
100%
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Hey I never said he didn’t play well. He just has park footballer vibes. I don’t think there’s any denying that he wouldn’t have set the pulses of talent scouts racing as a teenager.
He’s a bit of a lesson to young players though - plenty of guys with more natural ability than him have failed to be successful in the NRL because they didn’t bring Tyson’s toughness, competitiveness, unselfishness and, honestly, intelligence. He knows what he brings to a footy team and knows what he’s not so good at and he maximises the stuff he’s good at. In some ways he’s one of the strangest players I’ve seen - a classic “pest” but also a guy who plays a very controlled and composed style of game. That’s a very unusual combination - contrast with Reed Mahoney who gives away idiotic penalties like he’s secretly placing bets on it.
I honestly didn’t mean “park footballer” vibes as a slight - I would actually put Nicho Hynes in that basket too, and he’s become one of the better attacking halves in the comp. Again, through tenacity, commitment, mastering what he’s good at, unselfishness, and a bit of humility if the rumours that he’s switching to five-eighth next year to accomodate Trindall taking over as the main playmaker are true (prediction: big bounce back season after a pre-season preparing to play at second receiver a lot more and pick his moments better, rather than constantly being on the ball).
In both cases you won’t find pictures of their technique in any textbook, but it works for them.
He’s a bit of a lesson to young players though - plenty of guys with more natural ability than him have failed to be successful in the NRL because they didn’t bring Tyson’s toughness, competitiveness, unselfishness and, honestly, intelligence. He knows what he brings to a footy team and knows what he’s not so good at and he maximises the stuff he’s good at. In some ways he’s one of the strangest players I’ve seen - a classic “pest” but also a guy who plays a very controlled and composed style of game. That’s a very unusual combination - contrast with Reed Mahoney who gives away idiotic penalties like he’s secretly placing bets on it.
I honestly didn’t mean “park footballer” vibes as a slight - I would actually put Nicho Hynes in that basket too, and he’s become one of the better attacking halves in the comp. Again, through tenacity, commitment, mastering what he’s good at, unselfishness, and a bit of humility if the rumours that he’s switching to five-eighth next year to accomodate Trindall taking over as the main playmaker are true (prediction: big bounce back season after a pre-season preparing to play at second receiver a lot more and pick his moments better, rather than constantly being on the ball).
In both cases you won’t find pictures of their technique in any textbook, but it works for them.
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
As good as Cogger played at the back end of the year, I still want Tyson to be the guy out there at 6 in first grade supporting whichever halfback we get next year.
HarVeeGee13
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Listening now. I know that the halves did get changed in a way which wasn’t forced a few times, but they appear to not know that Gamble getting dropped for Cogger in the middle of the year and in round 25 was due to injury.
Celticman98
Trent Estatheo
Guru has gone off us big time since his mate got dropped the 2nd time.
Just watched and that guy with the beard certainly seems to have a seething hate for AOB lol.
"They just threw in Cogger out of nowhere when playing for a finals spot" - Guy who did no research
There were quite a few bad statements in our review tbh and the overall tone of our review was just negative compared to the other teams.
mozza
Game on broheim
These guys are insufferable. Rate themselves so highly and their ‘analysis’ is generic and bare bones as it gets. ‘RL Guru’ what a wank.
They definitely went in hard against us, particularly Guru. Were far more complementary of just about every other team other than probably Broncos. According to almighty Guru we got lucky with our draw, and there's alot of issues at this club. We all know we need a quality halfback, it's glaringly obvious. Sorry Guru, but your best friend Hastings doesn't fall into that category.
waynesworld
Steve Linnane
Denan Kemp’s takes on Newcastle halves situation never considered that they all were playing really poorly when they got dropped. Think it’s most media to be fair because they rarely come out and smash lower profile players, but Cogger and Hastings were in bad enough form their position in the side became untenable. The only bloke that got dropped harshly was Gamble early in the year.
Hastings discipline flew out the window this season, he was literally trying to fight players in every game before he was dropped. Bad form aside, he had to be dropped. Can't say that is an us problem either, with Hastings' track record.
frankLauda
Todd Bates
Did you guys watch the whole 3 hours or what ever it was? Haha Yeah Kempy gave us a pass mark which I think is fair. I did watch a bit of the knighted boys review also. Shaun gave a scathing review of AOB. And I think he had some valid points. Knighted Boys if you’re in this forum keep up the good work.
It’s good to be optimistic but we also need to be realistic. AOB has stuffed up two years in a row with the Ponga six experiment, and not being sure on who is halves were going to be for 24. You need to be sorting that **** out in the off-season and training.
I’m really unsure about AOB. But I guess we have to hope because we have four another 4 seasons! Behind closed doors the whole organisation around him from player to coaches and upper management must rate him highly.
It’s good to be optimistic but we also need to be realistic. AOB has stuffed up two years in a row with the Ponga six experiment, and not being sure on who is halves were going to be for 24. You need to be sorting that **** out in the off-season and training.
I’m really unsure about AOB. But I guess we have to hope because we have four another 4 seasons! Behind closed doors the whole organisation around him from player to coaches and upper management must rate him highly.
Yeah I don't think I really disagreed with any of the calls at the time (except as you say, Gamble). It's all well and good to say pick a halves pairing and stick with it, but when nobody is going out there and owning those roles, are you just meant to keep them in there? If AOB did that they'd just be criticising him for sticking with something that wasn't working.
I think he made the best of a bad situation. Aside from another Joey, Kimmorley or Mullen appearing in our juniors, recruitment is the answer to the problem. And we know what an on-going struggle that has been.