We all know the roster is aging and lack of young talent coming through is a problem. Adding in the unbalanced salary cap sees us in the current situation we're in.
Question is - given the age and injury toll, does anyone see any players being let go/medically retired in the near future?
Given Gutho's ongoing knee issues, I wouldn't be too shocked if something like this was announced. But much like what the Rorters are doing, it potentially frees up cap space to chance new players - although that doesn't fix the issues of players actually wanting to play for Parra.
Replies
Blake was good in 2019 as he only joined mid season that year. From 2020 he was horrible. He did have a decent end to the season when we got knocked out my Penrith in the finals in a close game, but that's about it.
We are unbalanced due to upgrading 5 blokes on massive overs in a short period. One reason is due to The Dolphins joint the comp and adding a further option to the players ( who were mostly unwanted other than The Dolphins )
and secondly we had a complete and utter fuckwit doing the deals who's sole thought process it seems was to get the signatures at any cost to justify why he hadn't signed any other talent . It's litterally all he's done at our club. We've pumped these players tyres up so much begging for their signatures that they're still in this fantasy land that Oneills created at the negotiation table they thin'k their presence alone is the future of the club. That and get Lomax , which too his credit still baffles me why Lomax has been so hard for Parramatta for a couple of seasons now. Still doesn't negate the fact he's welded us to some ageing overpaid hacks for a season or two too long. Matterson hasn't been the same rampaging player since the ink dried on his deal.
If anything with us and Souths , Bennett is probably more itching to get these blokes and tell them some home truths and deflate the egos .
Recon our mobile squad of 2001 would have killed all in this competition.. if only we had a couple of PJ Mwrshes and Brad Drew's and how good was Luke Burt.
That 2001 squad was years ahead of its time. Seemed though they were up for so long it drained them out, especially the squad being so young.
Jason Taylor was the reason that squad thrived. Leadership . May not have been officially the captain , but he was a proper playmaker and an inspirational leader. Plenty of our young squad probably had JT posters on their walls growing up. He was someone they would've super respected and listend to.
If only he played another season we'd have been right. That Newcastle team were a team of superstars with the big game experience. When you look at that squad they were almost an international team. It's actually one of the best club teams ever assembled. And John's had a long running feud with Jason Taylor , so he was pumped.
Smith wanted him back but Taylor didn't want a bar of it, imagine a fully fit Dykes and Taylor in the halves with Hodgson at 1 and Drew at 9? Better than 2001.
Did you ever see Dykes play LB, totally overated, slower than anything in our backline today.
When fit he was a very capeable 5/8. In just over 200 games he scored over 60 tries. A far better stat than where your lovechild Boobs Brown currently is tracking. When you have the brains and vision you don't need to be Ben Johnston .
I didn't like the Dykes signing like anyone else. But how can you write him off as shit when he was fit and healthy ?
Get rid of Gutherson is the first point of call. Hes old , slow and for a team that's consistently being labeled as a team with a soft underbelly and shit attitude , you must look at your captain just as much as the coach. I know many have a romance with him, but if they look past their bias theylll realise he's a big part of the problem. Once they ripen on that paddock the attitude problem falls squarely on his shoulders. You only need to remember when Hayne was captain, if he was on the team was on, and quite the opposite when he was being a lazy " fatigued " plodder. It's as much Guthersons team as it is Arthur's. If Brads misplaced the dressing room then it's exactly the same for Gutherson losing his team. New coach - new captain must accompany the go with it. And " The King " doesn't seem like the type to step aside and be a mere Indian with a brand new Cheif. Moving him into the outside backs is just dumb, he'd be amongst the highest paid W/C's in the comp getting burnt by 20 year old rookies on half his salary. Offer him an under the table cushy coaching gig post footy to move along .
That is where Bennett was brilliant bringing in the Bromwich brothers and Kaufusi to the Dolphins. Jesse Bromwich is past his best but what he offers in leadership is invaluable. Gutho can offer that but i agree we need to look at someone else like Hopgood or bring in an older leader for the forwards. Paulo being captain is one of the biggest failures BA has done in his time as Paulo leads by example but he has no voice. If anything RCG made more sense in that role. I understand it could have been a carrot dangled in order to get him to stay when he flirted with the Dolphins in 2022.
-
3
-
4
-
5
-
6
-
7
of 7 Next