PRE-GAME Round 8 - Rabbitohs vs Broncos

[I bleed Maroon]

I've only watched 1 Souths game so far this season...Are they playing well? I know they are in 3rd spot so they can't be going too bad but are we in for a long night or are we a chance to go 1 up on Mr Eastwood?

In a word, they have been composed. Typical Bennettball with the occasional flair from dummy half from Cook. The Burgii still have feet for hands though so if we can complete at 90+% the door will open for us plenty.

 

[something]

I find the cap to be the weirdest thing.

How are we struggling with a cap when we are lucky to field one origin player this year, and no kangaroos.

How are the bulldogs struggling when they have a laughable roster.

Why can roosters have half of the Australian team and be okay ? (Don’t answer that lol)

 

[Battler]

I find the cap to be the weirdest thing.

How are we struggling with a cap when we are lucky to field one origin player this year, and no kangaroos.

How are the bulldogs struggling when they have a laughable roster.

Why can roosters have half of the Australian team and be okay ? (Don’t answer that lol)

We have several players who could easily be Origin/ Aus reps within the foreseeable future (Haas, Fifita, Lodge, Staggs, Carrigan, TPJ, Joffa, Flegler, Su'a) plus blokes who have been Origin reps and could be again form pending (Bird, Milf, Oates. I won't count Macca or Boyd in that). We've planned for this success and copped the hits over the past few years whereas parasites like the Roosters just buy established players whenever they want and seem to get away with. However, if we nail all the kids down long term before they're confirmed stars we could be heading towards a long period of success, especially if our young halves are as good as people think they are.

EDIT: And no doubt people will be crying that we're rorting the cap within 12 months when they all start to mature.

 

[Scorchie]

Can’t you bank $$ if under spend? If so, are they rolling some over for next year maybe...

 

[Morkel]

Can’t you bank $$ if under spend? If so, are they rolling some over for next year maybe...

You can't bank it, but you can front-end contracts, which is what they'll likely do if Nikorima and/or Roberts go. It's likely we already have some space this year with McGuire & Kahu going, so let's just say we have $1 million left free this year. What we do then is, instead of having to compete with the Roosters for a 2 year, $750k/yr deal for TPJ, we sign him for $600k a year but "upgrade" this year's contract with an extra $300k. TPJ gets the same amount in total, but it's less load on our future cap.

Apparently, this is what the Roosters are good at (if you believe they aren't blatantly cheating anyway). Being able to fire underperforming players because of convenient drug tests helps of course, but they use any breathing space to front-end contracts of their best performers, so when, say, a Cronk comes along, they have the room to sign him.

It also explains why they often fluctuate anywhere from the bottom of the ladder (15th in 2016) to the top (2nd in 2017, equal first in 2018). They're happy to cop a couple of shitty years in order to stack their roster for a short premiership window.

 

[Huge]

That come down from peptides can be a rough ride

Pathetic.

 

[Scorchie]

You can't bank it, but you can front-end contracts, which is what they'll likely do if Nikorima and/or Roberts go. It's likely we already have some space this year with McGuire & Kahu going, so let's just say we have $1 million left free this year. What we do then is, instead of having to compete with the Roosters for a 2 year, $750k/yr deal for TPJ, we sign him for $600k a year but "upgrade" this year's contract with an extra $300k. TPJ gets the same amount in total, but it's less load on our future cap.

Apparently, this is what the Roosters are good at (if you believe they aren't blatantly cheating anyway). Being able to fire underperforming players because of convenient drug tests helps of course, but they use any breathing space to front-end contracts of their best performers, so when, say, a Cronk comes along, they have the room to sign him.

It also explains why they often fluctuate anywhere from the bottom of the ladder (15th in 2016) to the top (2nd in 2017, equal first in 2018). They're happy to cop a couple of shitty years in order to stack their roster for a short premiership window.

Ah thank you!

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Pathetic.

Lol pull the birch out of your ass, Huge. JFC.

 

[theshed]

I find the cap to be the weirdest thing.

How are we struggling with a cap when we are lucky to field one origin player this year, and no kangaroos.

How are the bulldogs struggling when they have a laughable roster.

Why can roosters have half of the Australian team and be okay ? (Don’t answer that lol)

Theres already a good explanation about front loading contracts but I would also like to add we have some very large and questionable contracts on our books.

 

[scobie]

Did the NRL come out and say they were going to stop front and back ended contracts? I thought they did because of the mess some clubs were finding themselves in.

You can't bank it, but you can front-end contracts, which is what they'll likely do if Nikorima and/or Roberts go. It's likely we already have some space this year with McGuire & Kahu going, so let's just say we have $1 million left free this year. What we do then is, instead of having to compete with the Roosters for a 2 year, $750k/yr deal for TPJ, we sign him for $600k a year but "upgrade" this year's contract with an extra $300k. TPJ gets the same amount in total, but it's less load on our future cap.

Apparently, this is what the Roosters are good at (if you believe they aren't blatantly cheating anyway). Being able to fire underperforming players because of convenient drug tests helps of course, but they use any breathing space to front-end contracts of their best performers, so when, say, a Cronk comes along, they have the room to sign him.

It also explains why they often fluctuate anywhere from the bottom of the ladder (15th in 2016) to the top (2nd in 2017, equal first in 2018). They're happy to cop a couple of shitty years in order to stack their roster for a short premiership window.

 

[Dash]

Did the NRL come out and say they were going to stop front and back ended contracts? I thought they did because of the mess some clubs were finding themselves in.

I believe it was back-ending they were trying to stop. Not sure if anything ever happened with it though.

 

[tommy]

I believe it was back-ending they were trying to stop. Not sure if anything ever happened with it though.

It was like the tunnel ball stuff. They had a 3 week crackdown.

 

[Waynesaurus]

.... cody Walker has been dangerous.

Cody has been the difference for them IMO, he has scored quite a few crucial tries to to get them a few wins. I think if we can shut him down and get him doing a lot of work in defense we can go a long way to winning this match.

 

[Morkel]

Cody has been the difference for them IMO, he has scored quite a few crucial tries to to get them a few wins. I think if we can shut him down and get him doing a lot of work in defense we can go a long way to winning this match.

The danger then being that it gives Reynolds more time with his kicking game, which is what often earns them the field position & repeat sets for Walker to do his thing.

I guess the answer is to limit their pack as much as possible, to take away any momentum and breathing space for both of their halves.

 

[Waynesaurus]

I guess the answer is to limit their pack as much as possible, to take away any momentum and breathing space for both of their halves.

Yeah.......we are also going to need Isaako and Oates to catch everything at the back.

 

[Unbreakable]

**** I'm keen to give Dearden a crack, just name him at 7 please.

 

[Matheos]

**** I'm keen to give Dearden a crack, just name him at 7 please.

These big games are won and lost by the smallest of margins.
Dearden, whilst an unknown, would provide a point of difference and could give us a slight edge as Souths and Bennett would not be able to game plan for him.

I'm on board too!

 

[ChewThePhatt]

**** I'm keen to give Dearden a crack, just name him at 7 please.

I'm with you mate.

TLT:confundio: