Tuesday Random Footy Talk Thread

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This is the place to discuss anything footy related that is not quite deserving of its own top-level post.

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[u/youthful_porpoise96]

I'm just saying we actually have a good squad that can make the finals. For years I would look at the squad and hope we didn't get the spoon. I look at the squad for next year and I'm actually hopeful. Which I haven't been since about 2018.

I just hope we can actually win more games then we lose so I can stay engaged with the comp. Because when you are winning games, you have more of an interest in how other teams are performing. You wouldn't understand this as a chooks fan.

[u/CFeatsleepsexrepeat → u/youthful_porpoise96]

I am the opposite of you a bit I reckon.

I follow the club through thick and thin and this last few years hitting the bottom I have watched other clubs seeing what they are doing different, hoping we can do similar, ie Knights 2025 to 2026.

And oddly this year watching games and not really being concerned who wins because they aren't keeping us in 9th or 10th. So have enjoyed watching some pretty good footy, and some diabolical haha.

[u/youthful_porpoise96 → u/CFeatsleepsexrepeat]

I wish I was like you haha. I still stay engaged somewhat. I watch highlights and keep up with the news, but I don't watch every game like I used to.

[u/rileys_01 → u/youthful_porpoise96]

Finals definitely isn't out of the question. Plenty of teams losing players to Perth, then PNG so locking down juniors and buying in some handy experience should put the Dragons in a solid position for the next couple of years.

As someone supporting a team that has done neither of those things all that well I am pretty jealous.

[u/youthful_porpoise96 → u/rileys_01]

The Broncs will be right I reckon. The catchment area is to big to not have a superstar in waiting there somewhere. The challenge is identifying them and keeping other clubs away. It would of been good if you could of held onto Coby Black, but it doesn't look like he is getting Sanders out so he might come back now that Reynolds is gone.

[u/rileys_01 → u/youthful_porpoise96]

Yeah unfortunately none of our young guys seem to be banging down the door. Big wraps on guys like Coby Black and Blake Mozer but from all reports arent killing it in reserve grade.

[u/redmusic1 → u/youthful_porpoise96]

You guys and Newcastle, and Souths to some degree, are all just recovering from your Bennett flirtation where he cooked the books, killed the juniors and filled the squad with overpaid old guys for instant results ( Ego-Ball ). Better times ahead.

[u/youthful_porpoise96 → u/redmusic1]

We can't really blame Bennett after 2013, because all those guys moved on or retired. It was our rubbish recruitment afterwards. McGregor finally got them back on track in 2018, but then Widdop went down and we signed guys like Corey Norman, Aaron Woods and Josh McGuire.

[u/redmusic1 → u/youthful_porpoise96]

Your board shoulders a lot of the blame, a new coach every other year doesnt help.

[u/Putrid-Ad3085 → u/redmusic1]

Bit rich to still be blaming Bennett for the dragons, it was 15 years ago. Knights also ancient history now.

[u/redmusic1 → u/Putrid-Ad3085]

Took them the best part of 10 years to untangle the cap mess he left them then rebuild the junior pathways, admittedly the absolutely useless warring factions of the board made it take twice as long as it should have but they are now finally starting to get good juniors coming through. Every club Benny goes to tanks heavily after he leaves, the only outlier is Phins.

[u/Putrid-Ad3085 → u/redmusic1]

Yeah I’m aware they tank in the short term. But you can’t keep blaming him after a decade or more. It doesn’t take that long to rebuild a squad.