Is 2025 Robinson's biggest test?

[Billy Gunn]

With just over a hundred days until round one I cannot remember feeling so underwhelmed at our prospects for the upcoming season.
I am sure there will be some recruitment in the coming weeks or months but with the injuries to Smith and Walker added to the mass exodus of players it is easy to see why we will start the season at the longest price with the bookies since he started.

Is it acceptable to miss the 8?

Could Robinson be under pressure to keep his job or is another 2016 just one of those things that just happens?

Can we expect the record of losses against the Panthers and the Storm to grow?

I hope like all of us that the next generation stand up and surprise me, but my expectations are pretty low at the moment.

[bondi paul]

Robinson’s biggest test was in season 2021. 21 players injured.

[JAF]

If we can stay injury free, I believe we will surprise a lot of people and actually make the top 4

[Vasco]

Definitely his biggest test.

[roosterproud]

the stench of 2009 is still in my head

[Rooster_6]

2016 & 2021 definitely bigger tests.

6th - 10th is what I'm expecting. Anything less would be disappointing.

Excited to see some fresh blood in the team though, real changing of the guard season.

[Easts75]

2016 & 2021 definitely bigger tests.

6th - 10th is what I'm expecting. Anything less would be disappointing.

Excited to see some fresh blood in the team though, real changing of the guard season.

Regardless of injuries and players leaving, at no stage should 10th be acceptable for this club

Crap organisations can play finals football with barely a 50/50 record

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

Anyone know when the rest of the draw will be released?

[BTRD]

I think it will be a very challenging year. Especially for the coach.

[ChookMaster]

lol I did a similar thread a few months ago -

I think next year will be a little rough.. look it all depends on how we go with signings the next couple of months. Getting hunt is a start and would improve our chances a fair bit but if we miss out and have Townsend and Sandon ( If he isn’t suspended ) to start our season off it isn’t looking that nice.

Our young guns are knocking on the door and it will be exciting to watch but again, we have to expect the errors that will make these guys.. a rebuilding year that will set us up for the next few years. Rob Toia just needs game time and he’s there to be seen as the next wrecking ball.. B Smith god can he stay fit? One of my favourite moments these last few years was seeing him palm off “ the best defensive centre “ in the game and score a great try.

Can the NBA guru save us?

[ism22]

IMO every new year is his 'biggest test' as it brings him 1 year closer to his eventual demise.

The key features of this test are:

- He's without two key spine players for most of the season.

- Two highly rates outside backs have left (Manu and Sua'ali'i).

- Some good quality forwards are gone (JWH, May and Sitili).

- A premiership winning half is gone.

In short we have lost players all across the park. There's not one area of the field where we're not down on troops/experience and unless you count Mark N (IMO basically a like for like with Sua'ali'i) and rumours of Hunt as a stop-gap half/hooker (no guarantee there) then we haven't replaced much of this talent.

Is bottom-8 good enough? Fark no!!! Respectfully, some of the teams down the bottom are there because they've got nothing. We still have talent and if we sign Hunt there is absolutely no excuse because he's a rep half who offers a long kicking game (something we rarely have).

I'm expecting top-8 and right now our possible team looks pretty darn good compared to most of the bottom-8. Including:

1. Teddy
2. Toops
3. Billy Smith / Toia
4. Mark N
5. Young
6. Sandon
7. Hunt
8. Leniu
9. Watson
10. Collins
11. Crichton
12. Rads
13. Whyte

14. Dockar Clay
15. Va'a
16. Butcher
17. Steep

IMO our depth is where it gets tight. You wouldn't wanna have players out!!! That said, we are likely to have a serious amount of cash in our coffers right now (Hunt and a forward or two could seriously change our path).

2016 was a special kinda shyte. I hope we're not heading down that path.

[Billy Gunn]

2016 & 2021 definitely bigger tests.

6th - 10th is what I'm expecting. Anything less would be disappointing.

Excited to see some fresh blood in the team though, real changing of the guard season.

Going from a preliminary final to 6th - 10th is not acceptable imo.

Robinson has said on a number of times that he believes in our depth, but I am struggling to see us being competitive with such a major change to the starting 17.

With the majority of the players coming from the lower grades our depth will be challenged .

[ARD]

Up there… I think it’ll be a butt clencher to make the 8. Hopefully not, but I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if we miss out.

[Dr. Voodoo Man]

With just over a hundred days until round one I cannot remember feeling so underwhelmed at our prospects for the upcoming season.
I am sure there will be some recruitment in the coming weeks or months but with the injuries to Smith and Walker added to the mass exodus of players it is easy to see why we will start the season at the longest price with the bookies since he started.

Is it acceptable to miss the 8?

Could Robinson be under pressure to keep his job or is another 2016 just one of those things that just happens?

Can we expect the record of losses against the Panthers and the Storm to grow?

I hope like all of us that the next generation stand up and surprise me, but my expectations are pretty low at the moment.

I think so. Missing the 8 would have him under pressure, if not from Mr Politis then at least the media.

[Rooster_6]

Going from a preliminary final to 6th - 10th is not acceptable imo.

Robinson has said on a number of times that he believes in our depth, but I am struggling to see us being competitive with such a major change to the starting 17.

With the majority of the players coming from the lower grades our depth will be challenged .

Why is it not acceptable?