2021 NRL Season

Discussion in 'The Cesspit: Rugby League Discussion' started by Maroon_Faithful, Feb 5, 2021.

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  1. Sultan Pepper HG Emm

    They're definitely looking really long term. Tough decisions but I think they've probably made the right call and will be looking to Yeo, Korisau, JFH and Cleary to step up more. All are established players now with over 100 top grade games, rep honours for all but Korisau etc. So there is a bit there, even a lot of the young guys are heading in to their 4th+ season now (thinking Luai, May etc). Definitely still young but been around the block a few times.

    There seems to be a pretty special bond between a lot of them and I think its brave to back it, it does leave a lot of pressure on Ivan Cleary to stand up and lead them though, will be a ton of man management which a father-son duo could complicate. I think they've made a terrific call in making Yeo skipper though.
     
    Sultan Pepper, Feb 9, 2021
    #21

  2. jazman84 JM Eightyfour

    jazman84, Feb 9, 2021
    #22

  3. Maroon_Faithful M Faithful

    Arrow is better than Murray anyway. This is entirely different to when they moved Murray for Knight. That decision weakened two positions. This does not afaic. I'm not a fan of Murray on an edge either but it's not remotely as bad as you blokes are making out. Far from it. Anyhoo I don't think that's what Bennett will be running with but we'll see. Arrow into this forward pack is a huge plus imo.

    And actually Magic their season doesn't require significant improvement to be grand finalists. It requires one more try or one fewer tries conceded. They lost to Melbourne and Penrith by a single score and went 9 from their last 12. They flipped a switch after the Dogs game and that's all it takes from a Bennett coached side. You add Arrow, Mitchell and Mansour to that end of year side and yeah I can see them getting there.
     
    Maroon_Faithful, Feb 10, 2021
    #23

  4. Boobidy BJ Gemmell

    Arrow is very similar to Murray. My point is Souths going out and signing Arrow on 800K when they already have Murray. It's a waste of a signing and poor cap management when you're now needing to waste Murray on an edge or move Arrow to prop.
     
    Boobidy, Feb 11, 2021
    #24

  5. Magic AJ Parker

    Murray > Arrow every day of the year
    *inclusive of leap years
     
    Magic, Feb 11, 2021
    #25

  6. Julian BJ Taylor

    Agree with morgie about Canberra’s backline. I still think Simonsson is potentially a very good winger. What they desperately need to do though is get one of Smith-Shields/Timoko into centre. Younger, more powerful and faster (and better ) than Scott.

    Rapana is an interesting one. He’s really dropped off the last 2 years. And Stuart using him at centre really fucked them last year. But I have a feeling with an actual preseason and reverting to the right wing might see him have one last really great season.
     
    Julian, Feb 12, 2021
    #26

  7. Boobidy BJ Gemmell

    Rapana should never be used in the centres. Not even in reserve grade.
     
    Boobidy, Feb 12, 2021
    #27
    Cribbage likes this.

  8. Cribbage RG Cribb

    He should play fullback in reserve grade tbf.
     
    Cribbage, Feb 12, 2021
    #28

  9. Paddy P Orr

    Pumped for the season but not because I expect NQ to make the 8 or even be close to it but I just want to see something different from them. More second phase play would be a start.
     
    Paddy, Feb 13, 2021
    #29

  10. Boobidy BJ Gemmell

    Cows are in for a very long season, IMO.
     
    Boobidy, Feb 13, 2021
    #30

  11. Cribbage RG Cribb

    DWTA, reckon it'll end on September 4. Relatively short compared to most other teams.
     
    Cribbage, Feb 13, 2021
    #31
    Paddy, Boobidy and Tartmaster like this.

  12. Paddy P Orr

    Not wrong. I have no expectations of a top 8 finish as that'd be deluded.

    I hope Payten does better with Taumalolo than Green. I don't feel like Taumalolo should continue being used as a battering ram up the middle. I think he's more of a weapon when allowed to run the edges.
     
    Paddy, Feb 14, 2021
    #32

  13. Boobidy BJ Gemmell

    How long you been waiting to use that one, cunt.
     
    Boobidy, Feb 14, 2021
    #33

  14. Magic AJ Parker

    I wonder if signing Josh McGuire hasn't hindered Taumalolo's game. Don't get me wrong it's no blight on McGuire I think he's performed extremely well for the Cows but he still plays very much like a lock with plenty of late set carries/wider carries off the ruck.

    McGuire's never been a great play 1 and 2 carry type of prop where as Taumalolo is undeniably the best in the game but like you said you don't want him wasting all his energy on becoming a battering ram because there's so much more value in him.

    I don't think it's so much a case of him needing to run wider but rather getting a greater share of those late set carries against a retreating line and some loose marker defence.

    To exacerbate that your prop rotation has been pretty poor for a while now. Maclean really needs to step up this regard but there's not a whole lot coming off the bench so you kinda also force Taumalolo to become that guy if Maclean isn't performing and they don't find or develop anyone else to pick up some of that slack.

    It's why players like Scott Bolton are just so underrated.
     
    Magic, Feb 16, 2021
    #34
    Paddy and Cribbage like this.

  15. Boobidy BJ Gemmell

    Taumalolo needs to take a bit from Haas, that cunt pretty much exclusively runs on 4th tackle.
     
    Boobidy, Feb 17, 2021
    #35
    Paddy likes this.

  16. Julian BJ Taylor

    I wouldn't be so quick in writing the Cowboys off. They have issues at second row and the centres, yes. But if their core of good players remain fit it's a good side and they've pinched one of the best coaches around.

    Holmes, Drinkwater, Morgan, Feldt, Robson, McGuire, Taumololo and McLean is a better group of big players than at least half the competition hold IMO.
     
    Julian, Feb 17, 2021
    #36
    Paddy likes this.

  17. Paddy P Orr

    Definitely true that our rotation has been an issue for years, I'd argue even around the years we were still making the finals that our prop rotations were a weakness during games.
     
    Paddy, Feb 18, 2021
    #37

  18. Maroon_Faithful M Faithful

    Thats redonkulous from Mitchell. 2 try assists, the second was filthy.
     
    Maroon_Faithful, Feb 27, 2021
    #38

  19. Maroon_Faithful M Faithful

    Walker with 3 in 22 minutes. Long, long season for St George coming.
     
    Maroon_Faithful, Feb 27, 2021
    #39

  20. morgieb MC Burridge

    It's been a long time since I've seen a side look clearly the worst side in the competition going into the season as St Merge are.
     
    morgieb, Feb 27, 2021
    #40
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