Sorry team, but thus far I am not impressed and I know many will disagree.
I stated after Ryles signed that we didn't need a complete roster change , but a coach who could modernise our game plan, get better performance out of our squad with a few squad changes.
What I have seen thus far is releasing a heap of tried and proven performers who were clearly restrained by BA's one trick pony approach.
Yes, some were arguably paid more than they should be in terms of squad, replaced by players with so called potential and unproven ability.
I agree some players needed to me moved on. Sivo was one of them, but only if we had a suitable replacement.
But this IMO is crazy and over the top.
If all true we have released RCG, Gutho ( both heart and soul effort players) and now Lane, Matto and Carty have been tapped. WTF is this guy doing?
Replace all these guys with nuffies. I am seriously concerned.
How about showing your alleged coaching skills and getting better out of players and proving yourself with game plans.
Sorry, I hope to be proven wrong but what I am seeing this far is not a five year rebuild, but a ten year rebuild.
A good coach gets the best out of players, rather than taking the easy cop out.
Our signings thus far are based on unproven potential and do not come even close to replacing the players released.
Replies
Team that hasn't made the 8 in 2 seasons one of the older squads in the comp. Players who we have hot there best footy and best years out off them
Ryles is creating cap space to try a d fix things quicker.
Let him cook...
It needed to be done.
We had about 3 NRL quality backs, no real NRL qualty hooker and next to no depth.
Add to that we had the slowest team in the comp, the slowest play the ball in the comp, the slowest fullback in the comp the game had quickly passed our style by.
Having said that the players we do have in key positions have kept us in good stead. We have international halves, a member of the Australian backline and an origin forward. We are miles off a rebuild but in my opinion all changes we've made to date were necessary.
Gutho was worth about 800k at his peak and hes 2 years removed from that now. He might be better than Tyrell Sloan but a 3 year deal for a guy with a history of leg injuries on the wrong side of 30 is crazy imo. I love how quickly JR has eroded everything BA. His inept kids are both no longer here and his 2 senior players who were well past their best have gone too. Great opportunity to get the new culture going and make this Mitch Moses team for the next 5 years. A team that is already younger , faster , has more depth and over a million in cap to spend. Exciting times.
Watching Gutho closely over the last 2 seasons he was significantly worse defensively than what he had built his name on. He was a step slower to get to problems, he was always a liability when he came up into the defensive line because he didn't have the speed to get back, his cover defence had almost gone completely and he wasn't the player he was in 2022. He was still a long way ahead of the next best fullback at the club showing how diabolical the depth was. This team had to get more mobile , more speed and more strike to assist our halves. We can really put some quality around them for the next few seasons now and not waste an entire era of having a top tier halves pairing. Very smart moves by Ryles, im impressed. No doubt some of these players would struggle in the more modern systems he has in mind for us. Im the exact opposite of you, encouraged Ryles has had the balls to be so assertive and not take the easy options something our bald mate did a lot.
ditto.
Wayyy too early to be talking like this. It's not even November 1. Give it a couple weeks and I'm sure you'll feel better when we make some signings. Make no mistake, I highly doubt the club are releasing these players without replacements lined-up. I personally think we are only 2 big signings away from a top 4 spot
Let me ask this. What moves would you have made?
I think you're over reacting to these moves. Who have we really lost? A prop and a winger.
We have freed up a shit load of cap space. Gutho isn't gone just yet, and if he is, that's even more cashola.
It isn't even Nov 1 yet.
100%
Gutherson, Sivo and RCG are 3 of my favourite eels players of all time yet even I'm prepared to accept the timing was just about right to release all of them.
I am of similar thoughts.
Who have we lost? Gutho, RCG, Sivo, Sanders, Talagi, ASI, Ogden, Makatoa, Matt Arthur, Lumelemu, Mulitalo. Now compare that to who we have signed? Lomax great signing, but had nothing to do with Ryles. Yes we have signed a couple of potentials. Pardon me for not trusting the Club based on years of recruitment and retention failures that many here seem to suddenly forget. I do agree some of these were signing failures and can easily be replaced. I sure as shit hope we have some decent signings to be announced soon. If so, I will be the first to applaud. Thus far however we have released better than what we have replaced. That is my concern along with the impact this is going to have on the teams morale. Club Captain and heart and soul performer gone.
I notice that you avoided answering the opening question I asked.
Sorry, but I would have kept RCG and Gutho. Moved Paulo and Sivo on. In Sivo case, only if I had a better winger to replace him. If not he stays.
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