we need to win...

[OMR]

...the game against the vermins, otherwise the pain will quadruple.

I can't believe a worse season with such a roster and such expectations.

[melon....]

Old Man....ist over mate. Spend the weekends playing with the Grand kids. Forget this bullshit 2011 is over.

[Guest]

Although the extended absences of Linnett, Perrett, Conn, Aubusson and Kennedy (along with briefer ones with Ryles and Carney) have admittedly affected the season, the fact still remains that this line-up is simply too good to be doing so poorly.

This isn't like 2009, when we had a team full of reserve-graders.

Graham should have been on the wing all year instead of Leilua. Leilua was a stop-gap option at the end of last year to cover for the injury to Phil. Graham is not a superstar, but he was consistent and could score tries from out wide regularly. Leilua should have been the bench utility instead of Riddell, with Friend playing 80.

Nuuausala might be an international player, but he is similar to Tupou IMO. Best used as an impact player, off the bench, in short explosive stints. In longer stints he tends to 'preserve' himself in his runs, which stunts his performance.

Minichiello
Perrett
Kenny-Dowall
Linnett
Graham
Carney
Pearce
Ryles
Friend
Hargreaves
Anasta
Aubusson
Myles

Leilua
Nuuausala
Kennedy
Masoe

Shoe-horning Riddell into the side cost the team valuable balance to begin with. The Todd Carney stuff also threw the team out of balance as well, as was very obvious, with all that Watts business not really helping the cause either. The form of the 'canoe' forwards, as so strangely put by some of the Chookpenners here, in particular Masoe and Nuuausala, hasn't been great.

The positives from this year so far:

- Justin Carney has emerged as a viable back-up centre to SKD and Linnett
- Lama Tasi looks the real deal
- Kennedy and Hargreaves have continued to develop well
- Aiden Guerra has come into his own since Aubusson went down injured
- Boyd Cordner looks like something special

[melon....]

Sorry makc that aint no first grade side. Graham, FPN, HArgraves, Anasta, Ryles, they are all useless tits.

[Gary Worthless]

I thought JWH was our best forward today...even better than Jake!

[Guest]

I thought JWH was our best forward today...even better than Jake!

Especially when he let that try in.

[Roostarz]

that try was FPN's fault IMO

[elo]

I hope Souffs flog us, we are the bigger joke of the league atm.

[Guest]

Although the extended absences of Linnett, Perrett, Conn, Aubusson and Kennedy (along with briefer ones with Ryles and Carney) have admittedly affected the season, the fact still remains that this line-up is simply too good to be doing so poorly.
This isn't like 2009, when we had a team full of reserve-graders.

Graham should have been on the wing all year instead of Leilua. Leilua was a stop-gap option at the end of last year to cover for the injury to Phil. Graham is not a superstar, but he was consistent and could score tries from out wide regularly. Leilua should have been the bench utility instead of Riddell, with Friend playing 80.

Nuuausala might be an international player, but he is similar to Tupou IMO. Best used as an impact player, off the bench, in short explosive stints. In longer stints he tends to 'preserve' himself in his runs, which stunts his performance.

Minichiello
Perrett
Kenny-Dowall
Linnett
Graham
Carney
Pearce
Ryles
Friend
Hargreaves
Anasta
Aubusson
Myles

Leilua
Nuuausala
Kennedy
Masoe

Shoe-horning Riddell into the side cost the team valuable balance to begin with. The Todd Carney stuff also threw the team out of balance as well, as was very obvious, with all that Watts business not really helping the cause either. The form of the 'canoe' forwards, as so strangely put by some of the Chookpenners here, in particular Masoe and Nuuausala, hasn't been great.

The positives from this year so far:

- Justin Carney has emerged as a viable back-up centre to SKD and Linnett
- Lama Tasi looks the real deal
- Kennedy and Hargreaves have continued to develop well
- Aiden Guerra has come into his own since Aubusson went down injured
- Boyd Cordner looks like something special

I'm not buying that anymore

This is a terrible side

[Guest]

...the game against the vermins, otherwise the pain will quadruple.

I can't believe a worse season with such a roster and such expectations.

On current form we are no show but stranger things have happened. We can be happy most of their top forwards are injured long term

[Guest]

Sorry makc that aint no first grade side. Graham, FPN, HArgraves, Anasta, Ryles, they are all useless tits.

It is obviously not a reserve grade team because they made the grand final last year.

It is a case of good players not playing well. We have:

- three NSW/Australia representative players in Ryles, Anasta and Minichiello who are past their prime but who SHOULD still be contributing a lot to the side
- the New Zealand international right hand flank consisting of 2010 Dally M Centre of the Year Kenny-Dowall, and the ever-reliable Sam Perrett
- two of New Zealand's best young forwards in FP Nuuausala and Hargreaves
- current QLD Origin backrower Nate Myles
- current NSW Origin halfback Mitchell Pearce
- 2011 City Origin forward Tom Symonds
- 2011 QLD Origin squad member Martin Kennedy
- 2010 Dally M winner Todd Carney

That is 11 members of our full strength team. Take all of them out, and you are left with Mitchell Aubusson and Jake Friend, who have been two of our most consistent performers over the past 3 seasons and have also been whispered in regards to representative honors, and youngsters Leilua, Linnett and Masoe, who along with Martin Kennedy were the best finds of last season.

Most teams can criticize us for our performances this year, and rightly so, but to say that our team is a 'reserve grade' team is wrong. Any other team in the NRL would kill for some of the players we have in our line-up based on the quality of what they CAN deliver. It is that painful inconsistency that has really reared its ugly head again this year.