- Aug 17, 2014
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I like watching both teams play as well as Port, but who will finish higher, who knows, I know ratts is a good coach though.
Bulldogs v Saints 2021
- Thread starter RandB
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They played each other in the first final and it was a 3 point win to StKilda. The following week the Saints lined up against Richmond in the first semi-final at a neutral ground ..., the winner of that match finished up winning the Premiership 2 weeks later. That puts StKilda pretty close to the prize.
StKilda are even better with Higgins added to their list but I think the Dogs gaining Treloar is a bigger win. Both will play finals, Dogs will finish higher imo possibly top 4.
StKilda are even better with Higgins added to their list but I think the Dogs gaining Treloar is a bigger win. Both will play finals, Dogs will finish higher imo possibly top 4.
CarnTheScray
Norm Smith Medallist
I think should be Dogs Saints 2022 and beyond not just 2021.
saints have picked up the likes of Hill, Ryder, with Ryder being a massive key for them making finals after having a great season, but what happens when he’s gone?
Dogs on the other hand, sure, they’ve dropped out of finals for a couple years but they’ve invested in more and imo higher quality kids.
I think the Saints will be up there for a couple years but the Dogs will be up higher and for way longer.
When the Saints eventually drop from finals, the Dogs will be at their peak.
saints have picked up the likes of Hill, Ryder, with Ryder being a massive key for them making finals after having a great season, but what happens when he’s gone?
Dogs on the other hand, sure, they’ve dropped out of finals for a couple years but they’ve invested in more and imo higher quality kids.
I think the Saints will be up there for a couple years but the Dogs will be up higher and for way longer.
When the Saints eventually drop from finals, the Dogs will be at their peak.
We fielded on average the 3rd youngest teams in the comp last year though, and every single one of the top 7 in the B&F (of the team who finished 5th) were 25yo or younger, plus we have a 204cm guy who looks like he has what it takes to dominate the comp for the next decade+, so I think there are some very big holes in your argument there.
17 of our best 22 are 26yo (by the end of this year), or younger, and 15 are 25yo or younger, so that's a core group who could be together for 5+ years.
As for who replaces Ryder, well perhaps either another type like him, who's on the cheap, like he was, or we simply move Marshall back into the ruck, where he came 2nd in the B&F in 2019, and have say Battle play permanently forward.
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Something else of significant note with us is that Hannebery, Roberton, Dunstan and Webster are all contracted for one or two more years, and between them they would be taking up a whopping $2mil+ of our salary cap (based on estimates of their average salary, across the course of their contract- before any league-wide reductions), yet between the 4 of them they played just 10 of a possible 76 games for us last season!
So either those guys are going to be moved on or take a pay cut, after this year (Roberton and Dunstan), or next (Hanners and Webster), which will free up a BIG chunk of cap space for us to play with.
So either those guys are going to be moved on or take a pay cut, after this year (Roberton and Dunstan), or next (Hanners and Webster), which will free up a BIG chunk of cap space for us to play with.
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- Banned
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Did you consider bruce isn't much good?
I wouldn’t judge him off last year on what was going on from the pictures the club have put up looks like he has lost abit of weight so hopefully he has a great 2021 season
If he returns to his best and Naughton does too you guys could be a legit premiership chance. It was mystifying how badly Bruce went last year. Especially off the back of how well he was going in the 2nd half of the previous year.
Yeah I imagine we're going very hard at both Merrett and Kelly. Both the types we could really do with to compliment the guys we already have and both came from out our way before drafted.
Carlisle wouldn't be on as much now, as his contract expired late last year and he's just signed a one year deal, with triggers for a 2nd.
Roberton and Dunstan would be on a mil PA between them, so it will be good to lose those contracts this year.
Another who is OOC (eligible for FA) is Seb Ross. If we happen to land a Merrett or Kelly they'd be a clear upgrade on Seb and also potentially push him out of the midfield, in which case we may be happy to let him leave, and take his presumably $600k+ PA contract with him.
I imagine it will largely depend on whether he gets back to his AA squad best again this year or not.
He said he has lost 5kgs and he looks good so hopefully he has a great 2021 season.
Yeah some guys just don't go well with extra bulk. Ryder for us was much better last year than in his last year or two at Port and that was off the back of losing something like 7kg between seasons. Can be a game-changer for them.
My mate is a saints fan he said to me that Josh Bruce isn’t well like with rest of st.kilda playing group. At first I didn’t believe him because he seems like a very likeable guy
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He's an interesting rooster, Brucey.
There was a really interesting comment made at our B&F last year by one of our trainers or something in a speech, where he said something about how most guys when it comes to getting a drink at the end of a session wait to let another guy have one first, but that then there are the odd few who just barge straight in to get one themselves, and then pour the rest of the bottle over their heads, "not wanting to name any names...cough, cough, Josh Bruce" and the whole room burst into laughter, so there could easily enough be something in that.
Then there's the way he seemed to be repeatedly disparaging about our club last offseason after he arrived at WB, which pretty much no-one else who's just been traded to another club is. Especially if it wasn't a Treloar-type situation, where there was clear bad blood between the parties.
Yea I remember some of the interviews he did last offseason
I'm still genuinely high on the Bulldogs in 2021.
Reckon they're an absolute top 4 smokey.
Not so much the Saints for mine, 6th-10th and wouldn't surprise if it's a letdown year after a good one.
Reckon they're an absolute top 4 smokey.
Not so much the Saints for mine, 6th-10th and wouldn't surprise if it's a letdown year after a good one.
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- #43
Not sure why you'd play bruce when you have JUM , naughton and tons of gun mid you have to fit in
Mofra
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JUH is still learning, and Naughton needs a second KPF so we can split the defenders. If he gets double-teamed he can't run and jump at the ball which is his forte. Schache is a flanker in a KPF body.
On talent we should be there. It's inconsistencies in performance that really plague us. Shouldn't be any excuses anymore this year, we are still a young team that should have it's best years ahead of it, but the nucleus is well established at this point and it realistically should be enough to place us in a very good position this year, however my expectations are tempered due to the last two years.
If the midfield delivers on its names and Naughton steps up again, its going to be a great year for the Dogs. Consistency week to week is key for sure
Like I said, there realistically shouldn't be any excuses for a non-top 4 finish, barring Armeggedon on the injury front.
Let's hope they deliver
Stan_Darsh72
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For the dogs to play well they need Martin to be serviceable in the ruck and English to continue to develop.
Midfield is probably the deepest in the league and Naughton and Bruce should be able to be strong targets in 2021
Midfield is probably the deepest in the league and Naughton and Bruce should be able to be strong targets in 2021
Yeah carrying far too much weight ought to explain it.
Was it too much muscle/bulk, or just out of shape?
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