My Honest Assessment of this year and next

[The Axe]

We achieved what we did this year from our outstandingly skilled players. As Robbo said, rarely could we string it together for 80 mins. Yet, we won the Challenge Cup and the Minor Premiership and Toups earned his SOO honours.

We never had a real off season break and looked tired at the end of the season. Perhaps we had injuries; perhaps not.
Anyway, good luck to Souffs - although the refs played a role, Souffs deserved their victory and also they showed us humility in victory with their appreciation and respect for Mini.

Farewell Mini and SBW and thank you. You will forever be remembered by fans. Your legacy at the club will carry forward for many years to come.

Time to rest, reflect and possibly re-look at our playing roster. Players such as FPN need to be re-assessed. We need to seriously take a case of evidence to Greenberg and seek assurances to rorting by refs does not continue.

We need to look at Maubs' role for the future. He is wasted on the bench as a 20 minute rotation for Jake. He is not much of an impact player either. We need to find a home for him rather than have him play multiple positions when injuries and suspensions force reshuffles. We are not doing him justice. Anyway, perhaps we'll save this discussion for another time.

There is much to look forward to next year:
1. A new Fullback - may take a full off-season and season to bed down
2. New captain(s)
3. Enter Ferguson (to right centre?) and possibly SKD to right wing
4. The emergence of SoH, Meehan, Evans

I don't know if we can win it next year but we should be up there. Continue to Trust in Trent and rest up during the off season.

[TDK]

We achieved what we did this year from our outstandingly skilled players. As Robbo said, rarely could we string it together for 80 mins. Yet, we won the Challenge Cup and the Minor Premiership and Toups earned his SOO honours.

We never had a real off season break and looked tired at the end of the season. Perhaps we had injuries; perhaps not.
Anyway, good luck to Souffs - although the refs played a role, Souffs deserved their victory and also they showed us humility in victory with their appreciation and respect for Mini.

Farewell Mini and SBW and thank you. You will forever be remembered by fans. Your legacy at the club will carry forward for many years to come.

Time to rest, reflect and possibly re-look at our playing roster. Players such as FPN need to be re-assessed. We need to seriously take a case of evidence to Greenberg and seek assurances to rorting by refs does not continue.

We need to look at Maubs' role for the future. He is wasted on the bench as a 20 minute rotation for Jake. He is not much of an impact player either. We need to find a home for him rather than have him play multiple positions when injuries and suspensions force reshuffles. We are not doing him justice. Anyway, perhaps we'll save this discussion for another time.

There is much to look forward to next year:
1. A new Fullback - may take a full off-season and season to bed down
2. New captain(s)
3. Enter Ferguson (to right centre?) and possibly SKD to right wing
4. The emergence of SoH, Meehan, Evans

I don't know if we can win it next year but we should be up there. Continue to Trust in Trent and rest up during the off season.

Well said Axe. I really do believe we need another big bopper prop coming off the bench. Meehan is still very raw and will take another season to mature. As for Napa and Evans they just don't seem to have the metres or engines at this stage. The addition of Ferguson will be huge and RTS to fullback I'm still unsure. And yes, it was a great show of respect from Souths players to wait behind and form a guard of honor for Mini, especially after a historic win for them.

[The Brain]

More looking forward to seeing Fergerson playing...at center that can bust defence and pass a ball.FPN should enjoy the cold weather in England.

[Spirit of 66]

We achieved what we did this year from our outstandingly skilled players. As Robbo said, rarely could we string it together for 80 mins. Yet, we won the Challenge Cup and the Minor Premiership and Toups earned his SOO honours.

We never had a real off season break and looked tired at the end of the season. Perhaps we had injuries; perhaps not.
Anyway, good luck to Souffs - although the refs played a role, Souffs deserved their victory and also they showed us humility in victory with their appreciation and respect for Mini.

Farewell Mini and SBW and thank you. You will forever be remembered by fans. Your legacy at the club will carry forward for many years to come.

Time to rest, reflect and possibly re-look at our playing roster. Players such as FPN need to be re-assessed. We need to seriously take a case of evidence to Greenberg and seek assurances to rorting by refs does not continue.

We need to look at Maubs' role for the future. He is wasted on the bench as a 20 minute rotation for Jake. He is not much of an impact player either. We need to find a home for him rather than have him play multiple positions when injuries and suspensions force reshuffles. We are not doing him justice. Anyway, perhaps we'll save this discussion for another time.

There is much to look forward to next year:
1. A new Fullback - may take a full off-season and season to bed down
2. New captain(s)
3. Enter Ferguson (to right centre?) and possibly SKD to right wing
4. The emergence of SoH, Meehan, Evans

I don't know if we can win it next year but we should be up there. Continue to Trust in Trent and rest up during the off season.

Good post. Captures our disappointment, pays respect, but finds cause for optimism.

[Guest]

The problem with this year was that last year set our expectations too high. Last year was a beautiful thing. Everything fell into place and watching footy was all fun and good. Too much to expect another year that perfect, still they had a good crack at it but ultimately the planets didn't align with injuries and suspensions which cost us the panthers game and from then beating both the cows and souths was always going to be a big call. A week off and only having to beat one if those teams, things might have worked out differently but not to be.
Still a minor premiership makes it a far better year than most. Inevitably we'll be also rans again eventually and will look back on this as one of the good years.
Next year we should still be top 4. Fergo is an exciting addition if he can stay off the cruisers.

[shagger]

who is soH

[theGman]

who is soH

Son of Horry (Kev Hastings)

[rwbfl]

It's no doubt disappointing that we weren't able to go all the way this year, but we have to take this event as a positive for he future. Not too many players who are in their young 20s have won a premiership, world club challenge and then spent an entire season in the NRL playing as the team which everyone targets and goes after each week.

You could tell many of them, who have had rep honours, little rest in the last 24 months and have faced injuries of all severities, were greatly fatigued. We must remember that these young men are just that, and considering what they have faced in the last two years, we should all be proud of there efforts and look forward to the future which is no doubt bright. Let's just hope it is in our colours for the rest of their careers.

The players I am referring too include RTS, Toups, Cordner, Friend, Liu and Napa. Even Pearce, despite his first grade experience, has no doubt learnt a wealth or knowledge for years to come.

[Andrew Walker]

I worry where any penalties will come form next season the two players who seemed to win us penalties SBW and Mini as the referees seemed to have some sort of respect for them will not be their The others in our colours are shown no respect by them

[Guest]

I've been thinking all year that we probably have a better chance at winning next year than this year.

[Geohood]

I'm glad to see the general positive outlook from our fans and humility in defeat. Life will move on. Time to embrace whoever wins this year, congratulate them and look forward to our future.

[Tommy Smith]

Great thread.

We have a sensational future ahead of us. We're set up for the next 5 years when you look at the team.

1) The spine - RTS, Pearce and Friend are in their early and mid 20s. Maloney still has two good years in him and then there's SoH behind him who from all accounts is a star of the future. Latrell Mitchell will also be a star in a few years.

2) Outside backs - Fergo and Jennings can form the most devastating centre pairing in the game over the next 3-4 years. And in Toops, SKD and Macdonald we have quality and youth on the wings.

3) Forwards - Cordner and Guerra can be mainstays of our backrow for the next 5 years. Both are two of the best forwards in the comp. Young Vincent Leuluai also has the look of a future star.

Up front, Moa still has 3 or 4 years in him. I'm confident JWH will rediscover his best form next season. And then we have four excellent young bulls in Liu, Napa, Evans and Meehan.

Even if we lose one or two players due to cap pressure, on top of Mini and SBWs departures this year, you still couldn't ask for a better and more balanced roster going forward.

And of course we have the best young coach in the game.

We're in for a great, sustained era of success. And I won't make the mistake of not enjoying every moment like I did this season.

[Johnny Tobin]

This year was a wasted opportunity and a major disappointment. We will go ok next year - maybe even win it. But after that we will be strangled by the cap.

[Geohood]

You can go through most years and see a team that had gave up a massive chance of winning. Disappointing of course but it'll continue to happen.

[The Axe]

You can go through most years and see a team that had gave up a massive chance of winning. Disappointing of course but it'll continue to happen.

Agreed mate. You only have to look at Easts in the early Naughties for squandering premierships.

Much needs to go right to win a GF. People easily forget that only one team wins.