Jack Bird Discussion

[Sproj]

I'd love to see our salary breakdown. The cap is going up by nearly $2 million next year, and so far we have one guy on $900k and another on $750k, and we're apparently out of money.

Compare that to the Storm who THIS year have 3 blokes on what has to be a million each, plus Bromwich, Munster etc.

Are we overpaying several players or what?

No, no, Melbourne just have that second book remember?

 

[Morkel]

We had the bulk of our players off-contract this season, nearly all of them due an upgrade. Bird is one of three of our players on elite contracts next year, alongside Milford and Boyd. It'd be no surprise if we have a full cap.

 

[Super Freak]

Our premiership window closes? Surely you are joking? If anything it's expanding. Milford is 22, the best talent under 25 and growing into a more rounded playmaker every year, bird is one of the best New South Wales players under 25, McGuire and Gillett are growing well in to senior roles, Boyd has lead us well this year and his main talents as a fullback (maximising on 2, 2 on 1 try scoring chances) don't decrease with age, Roberts is 24, Oates is 22, TPJ is one of the most exciting forward prospects in the nrl, ofa is growing into his role, Macca is dependable and a rock and hasn't hit a hookers prime years yet, knik is talented and 22, kahu is 26, Glenn is better now then he has been for years, lodge (if it gets signed off on) was regarded as a future Australian prop and is 23, haas is widely regarded as the best forward under 20 years old and he's only 18, Sua was the youngest forward debutant we have ever had, fai is highly regarded and is 20, sims is 25...

i know it was big loss on Thursday but calm down with the "world is ending" thoughts

I'm guessing you did not read what I said before.

I couldn't care about age. Age has nothing to do with my comment. However, I will point out that those young forwards you speak of aren't ready for the weekly grind of the NRL and it will take them some time to be able to get used to it and develop into better players.

I've been saying since 2016 that our premiership window closes this year. So, no even if Eels did lose, it would not change my mind one bit.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

I'm guessing you did not read what I said before.

I couldn't care about age. Age has nothing to do with my comment. However, I will point out that those young forwards you speak of aren't ready for the weekly grind of the NRL.

I've been saying since 2016 that our premiership window closes this year. So, no even if Eels did lose, it would not change my mind one bit.

Age has everything to do with a premiership window. A 20 year old proven talent has 10-15 years to win a premiership, a 35 year old has 1 chance left. Therefore, the window is opened wider... All except Sua, fai and haas are already proven weekly nrl performers. That's 15 other players I named...

I'll give you some examples of closing premiership windows:
The sharks: a lot of 30+ year olds who have 1-2 seasons left/to win it with a gun squad before a re build
The cowboys: Thurston and Scott retiring, performing admirably without them this year but won't win the trophy without reinventing themselves over a few seasons post thurstons retirement
The storm: losing the great coach ever seen on a footy field (smith) within 2 years as well as 2 stars of their generation. This is where your "not proven weekly grind performers" will come in to play (croft and Brendan smith will take a few years to develop in big games, just like ours have (Thurston and smith weren't kings of every single big game from 19-28, people forget this)

We are losing Adam Blair, hunt and Thaiday... with the progression of TPJ and (admittedly hopefully) Sua as players, and McGuire and gillett as leaders Thaiday won't be missed at all. We only need 2 of lodge-haas-fai-ofa-carrigan to kick on (all very well regarded talents) to be in a better position then we are currently in our forwards. Edit: moga, ese and arrow as well but they wont be the difference to a premiership

Hunt is a good halfback but he gets in the way of Milford and buckles under pressure, without him we remove these 2 obstacles from our title aspirations...

All in all, our premiership window seems to be expanding lol

 

[Allo]

I'd love to see our salary breakdown. The cap is going up by nearly $2 million next year, and so far we have one guy on $900k and another on $750k, and we're apparently out of money.

Compare that to the Storm who THIS year have 3 blokes on what has to be a million each, plus Bromwich, Munster etc.

Are we overpaying several players or what?

We had the bulk of our players off-contract this season, nearly all of them due an upgrade. Bird is one of three of our players on elite contracts next year, alongside Milford and Boyd. It'd be no surprise if we have a full cap.

Pretty much what Morkel said, and those contract upgrades pushed us to the limit of keeping everyone we could because we still needed to spread the money while going as high as possible to beat all the shit clubs throwing money at our better players.

On the Storm, Big 3 would be on big coin obviously, Bromwich, Chambers, Tofu and maybe Finucane would be the next level, but then the rest of their side is promoted young players in Kaufusi, Scott, Croft, Smith 2.0, NAS, Stimson etc and savvy pickups with big upside in Blair, Vuni, JAC, Hughes, Jacks. They just do what they do very well. The real test will be once Smith goes and if they can continue to Moneyball like that or if they have to actually spend some cash across the board instead of in just a few key positions

 

[Number6]

Boyd spends most his time defending in the line anyway. He's then too slow to get back to defuse a kick as well. Centres could be his position moving forward. Not like he enjoys returning kicks anyway.

Or let the most natural fullback in Milf play fullback and move bird to 5/8.

Going to need a lot of kicking coaches in offseason. AFL great for long. We have Alf and Lockie on staff. If Cronk retires offer him a part time gig a couple of days a week fly in, fly out if he wants it. Even Johns if keeps in line (forgive the pun]. Something has to sink through.

With this new football dept cap nonsense (far worse restriction of trade then players cap) just make sure they are all giving primary 'jobs' in marketing or admin.

Btw next step home ground attendance cap. Can't give so some teams an advantage or hurt players feelings by permitting more support than certain other clubs and their 6 fans.

 

[broncos4life]

I'm guessing you did not read what I said before.

I couldn't care about age. Age has nothing to do with my comment. However, I will point out that those young forwards you speak of aren't ready for the weekly grind of the NRL and it will take them some time to be able to get used to it and develop into better players.

I've been saying since 2016 that our premiership window closes this year. So, no even if Eels did lose, it would not change my mind one bit.

Well done for saying something Nostradamus, any justification to go along with that prophecy?

 

[lynx000]

I seem to have passed my negative nancy persona on to Super Freak, are you okay dude? Have faith brother, the window is not closing.

 

[1910]

Mickey Mouse could coach that Canberra side and still win a premiership.

They were all Meninga.

The guy is the luckiest coach of all time.

Bennett couldn't get it done with that side.

Nine wins in a row up to Grand Final.
First team outside Sydney.
First team outside top three.
Elimination every week during finals and all games away.
Down 12-2 at half time
First team to win in extra time.
Huge underdogs.

Yeah anyone could do it.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Bennett couldn't get it done with that side.

Nine wins in a row up to Grand Final.
First team outside Sydney.
First team outside top three.
Elimination every week during finals and all games away.
Down 12-2 at half time
First team to win in extra time.
Huge underdogs.

Yeah anyone could do it.

I actually think Tim sheens is a good coach but... are you implying the sides were pretty much the same in 1987 vs 1989, ....except of course lazaraus, Ricky Stuart, Bradley Clyde, John ferguson and Laurie Daley of course.. and they had gf experience...

 

[1910]

I actually think Tim sheens is a good coach but... are you implying the sides were pretty much the same in 1987 vs 1989, ....except of course lazaraus, Ricky Stuart, Bradley Clyde, John ferguson and Laurie Daley of course.. and they had gf experience...

Fergurson was at the Raiders in 87 he was injured.
Lazo was in the 87 Grand Final squad he didn't get on the field and made his debut the year.
Daley made his debut in '87.

Bennett had all three.

So Clyde and Stuart- one a school boy and one a Wallaby.

So eight did actually play both games, add in five that were at the club. That's 13.

Wood, Stuart and Clyde were the only ones not there in '87.

 

[Super Freak]

Fergurson was at the Raiders in 87 he was injured.
Lazo was in the 87 Grand Final squad he didn't get on the field and made his debut the year.
Daley made his debut in '87.

Bennett had all three.

So Clyde and Stuart- one a school boy and one a Wallaby.

So eight did actually play both games, add in five that were at the club. That's 13.

Wood, Stuart and Clyde were the only ones not there in '87.

So Bennett didn't have that exact side in 87?

Funny that...

 

[1910]

So Bennett didn't have that exact side in 87?

Funny that...

ha ha nice scramble. 13/16 can't say they're the same sides!

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Fergurson was at the Raiders in 87 he was injured.
Lazo was in the 87 Grand Final squad he didn't get on the field and made his debut the year.
Daley made his debut in '87.

Bennett had all three.

So Clyde and Stuart- one a school boy and one a Wallaby.

So eight did actually play both games, add in five that were at the club. That's 13.

Wood, Stuart and Clyde were the only ones not there in '87.

So Bennett debuted lazaraus and Daley in to first grade, and he didn't have ferguson due to injury? Im not sure if you're trying to prove me right or wrong

 

[1910]

So Bennett debuted lazaraus and Daley in to first grade, and he didn't have ferguson due to injury? Im not sure if you're trying to prove me right or wrong

Your claim that Bennett didn't have those guys is wrong. They were at the Raiders in 1987. I told you the three he didn't have.

Of the 1989 side 13/16 coached by Bennett in '87.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Your claim that Bennett didn't have those guys is wrong. They were at the Raiders in 1987.

So in 10 years will someone say we had Payne haas in our 2017 squad or ash Taylor in our 2015 team?

 

[Super Freak]

ha ha nice scramble. 13/16 can't say they're the same sides!

Do I really need to explain to you the difference between those sides?

Come on, I expected better from you...

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

Your claim that Bennett didn't have those guys is wrong. They were at the Raiders in 1987. I told you the three he didn't have.

Of the 1989 side 13/16 coached by Bennett in '87.

Great confirmation bias there... the 5 players that weren't in the side in the 1987 gf but were in the 1989 side (due to being too young, injured or not in the squad) were all internationals and 4 of them were easily among the top 10-20 players of their generation..... but yep, same side