Round 1 Gold Coast Suns

[saynta]

Roberton and Bruce don't look rusty to me. Both starring.

[Toy Saint]

Am concerned with our Rucks and Backline.

Last years rucks, Longer & Hickey were close to the worst in the competition, and now Hickey is gone and Longer is injured. And we have new rules. Lewis Pierce wasn't up to AFL standard last year, and dodn't show much in the VFL. We should be concerned.

Our key defenders, Brown & Carslile will probably be missing. We may need to rely on Josh Bruce, a forward, who's coming back from a horrible injury, and Josh Battle, another forward who struggled to get games last year to play the key roles. Let's hope Roberton gets back after almost a year off the scene.

[saynta]

Am concerned with our Rucks and Backline.

Last years rucks, Longer & Hickey were close to the worst in the competition, and now Hickey is gone and Longer is injured. And we have new rules. Lewis Pierce wasn't up to AFL standard last year, and dodn't show much in the VFL. We should be concerned.

Our key defenders, Brown & Carslile will probably be missing. We may need to rely on Josh Bruce, a forward, who's coming back from a horrible injury, and Josh Battle, another forward who struggled to get games last year to play the key roles. Let's hope Roberton gets back after almost a year off the scene.

You obviously didn't watch much of Pierce in the VFL. He actually won Frankston's best and fairest despite missing several games.

[The_Dud]

I thought Pierce showed certainly no less that Longer in his few games in the seniors at the end of last season.

[Ghost Like]

TBH I am not too concerned about round 1 against the GCS. It is effectively JLT#3 and an opportunity to trial a different backline, a ruck combination and a new forward set.
I hope Clavarino's injury is not too bad as round one would have been a perfect debut game.
It is also an opportunity for our mids to work on cohesive, quick ball movement to a forward line that should have some key targets, possibly a combination of Bruce, McCartin, Membrey with new faces of Kent and Parker. Perhaps even Marshall drifting in and out.
I look forward to Gresham, Billings and Clark moving the ball in there after receiving from a plethora of inside mids.
If we cannot account for GCS at Marvel without Lynch and May, god help us with the fall out & trying to look for positives in a team only missing Longer, Brown and possibly Carlisle and Hannerbury.
We should win but it will be the way we win that is most important.

[samuraisaint]

The way things are going with our playing stocks, I will take any win at this stage.
I hope we don't lose any more players before round 1, or we will start talking in terms of 'I hope they at least give it a go'.

[saintsRrising]

Well I was feeling confident about this game.


At the current attrition rate we may struggle to field a team! yikes ;(

[bigred]

Our backline is long term ROOOOOOOTED.

If we drop round one then the year is doomed to be just like 2018 exept this time we will be sacking a senior coach.

Losing the Snake is a big problem.

[Jacks Back]

Our backline is long term ROOOOOOOTED.

If we drop round one then the year is doomed to be just like 2018 exept this time we will be sacking a senior coach.

Losing the Snake is a big problem.

With all these injuries, et al, piling up then round 6 might be a bit optimistic!

[guitars4]

I'd penciled this one is as a definite win now I'm nervous. I think we still should win but who knows what will happen between now & then.

[Scollop]

......just like 2018

Let's hope a few heads roll if we stink it up in the early rounds and they don't use injuries as the excuse again

[stonecold]

......just like 2018

Let's hope a few heads roll if we stink it up in the early rounds and they don't use injuries as the excuse again

Injuries are never an excuse, there are a genuine reason!!!!!

[samuraisaint]

Well, now it appears we are less than two weeks out before the beginning of the season and we already have 14 players possibly unavailable for round 1. Not good. Unbelievable really.
And Sam McClure has tweeted that the Suns are likely to debut 7 players against us.
I have to say I had grave doubts about some of the players going into the season, and nothing has changed my mind since then. I just hope they can bounce back.
However, it does have to be said that the team composed themselves very well in the two practice matches and it's possible we'll find some players.
I think Richo and the committee need to have a really good look at the list before team selection because we wouldn't want to play too many guys under a cloud against the Suns. We'll get found out.

[desertsaint]

As golda said - Adversity is the best sparring partner.
Sheet. We’ve had 150 years of it. What’s one more?

[saintspremiers]

We could play like shyte and have heaps out of our best 22 and still beat the Suns. It’s a bit of a nothing game.

What’s of more interest is how we will fare against Essendrug the following week

[jays]

should smash this mob

[asiu]

What’s of more interest is how we will fare against Essendrug the following week

hmmmm.
agreed

the suns are a one way street to depressionsville
should we lose
(which i don’t think we will)

we need the win
and we need that win to be never in doubt ,
workmanlike , with an edge to set ourselves for game2

the momentum thing moving our way
would be a huge positive

[stkfc1]

Well I'm being bullish. I like what Ive seen so far and we'll easily account for the Suns and I reckon we'll knock off the Injectors as they'll be their usual arrogant selves and half turn up but useless as they usually are this time of year, then we'll head over to a Freo (who are rubbish) with a head full of steam. Parker will relish being back home and kick 4. Momentum is a wonderful thing. 3-0.

[WellardSaint]

From the 2 JLT games...
I can see a big difference in aggression,
and it's Slater and that MMA guy taking em wrestling on the beach.
They really want to rub a guy's face in the dirt, the lads
are nice and firey.
We might give away lots of frees, but we'll have the Suns worried they'll be crunched.
We're gonna do what the Swans are good at- going very hard and being fearsome.

Wait n see.

[CQ SAINT]

From the 2 JLT games...
I can see a big difference in aggression,
and it's Slater and that MMA guy taking em wrestling on the beach.
They really want to rub a guy's face in the dirt, the lads
are nice and firey.
We might give away lots of frees, but we'll have the Suns worried they'll be crunched.
We're gonna do what the Swans are good at- going very hard and being fearsome.

Wait n see.

I like this post. Every significant change starts with a change in attitude. We have been like deers in headlights since the Carlton incident.

[WellardSaint]

From the 2 JLT games...
I can see a big difference in aggression,
and it's Slater and that MMA guy taking em wrestling on the beach.
They really want to rub a guy's face in the dirt, the lads
are nice and firey.
We might give away lots of frees, but we'll have the Suns worried they'll be crunched.
We're gonna do what the Swans are good at- going very hard and being fearsome.

Wait n see.

I like this post. Every significant change starts with a change in attitude. We have been like deers in headlights since the Carlton incident.

There were rumours that the squad was filthy on the club for throwing them under the bus about that sook Murphy.

Murphy himself chucked his wife under the bus by going public, which gave oxygen to rumoured gossip about her.
A real man would never put his missus out there like he did, and I imagine he slept on the couch for a few months after.

Slater- rugby has a history of being...on the wrong side of PC, so.. I really welcome Slater as an essential balance to what I think is a stupid tendency for our club to try to be nice and fluffy, beige, vanilla, vegan, soy milk soft and wussy.

We NEED more hardness, we need more 'Spartan' type of 'take no prisoners'.

I want to wear my Saints colours in Perth and have folks go 'geez, they're thugs' instead of now when they say 'i feel sorry for you guys'

[CQ SAINT]

From the 2 JLT games...
I can see a big difference in aggression,
and it's Slater and that MMA guy taking em wrestling on the beach.
They really want to rub a guy's face in the dirt, the lads
are nice and firey.
We might give away lots of frees, but we'll have the Suns worried they'll be crunched.
We're gonna do what the Swans are good at- going very hard and being fearsome.

Wait n see.

I like this post. Every significant change starts with a change in attitude. We have been like deers in headlights since the Carlton incident.

There were rumours that the squad was filthy on the club for throwing them under the bus about that sook Murphy.

Murphy himself chucked his wife under the bus by going public, which gave oxygen to rumoured gossip about her.
A real man would never put his missus out there like he did, and I imagine he slept on the couch for a few months after.

Slater- rugby has a history of being...on the wrong side of PC, so.. I really welcome Slater as an essential balance to what I think is a stupid tendency for our club to try to be nice and fluffy, beige, vanilla, vegan, soy milk soft and wussy.

We NEED more hardness, we need more 'Spartan' type of 'take no prisoners'.

I want to wear my Saints colours in Perth and have folks go 'geez, they're thugs' instead of now when they say 'i feel sorry for you guys'

Couldnt agree more but lets couple it with attack at all costs, screamers and a bit of arrogance. Give our supporters something to entertain them. There was signs of this in both JLT games.
Experience and development are a longer process but we are stuck with a group of younger hopefuls with nothing to lose. 'Fear the pressure'. I hope we smash the Suns, literally.

[samuraisaint]

From the 2 JLT games...
I can see a big difference in aggression,
and it's Slater and that MMA guy taking em wrestling on the beach.
They really want to rub a guy's face in the dirt, the lads
are nice and firey.
We might give away lots of frees, but we'll have the Suns worried they'll be crunched.
We're gonna do what the Swans are good at- going very hard and being fearsome.

Wait n see.

I like this post. Every significant change starts with a change in attitude. We have been like deers in headlights since the Carlton incident.

There were rumours that the squad was filthy on the club for throwing them under the bus about that sook Murphy.

Murphy himself chucked his wife under the bus by going public, which gave oxygen to rumoured gossip about her.
A real man would never put his missus out there like he did, and I imagine he slept on the couch for a few months after.

Slater- rugby has a history of being...on the wrong side of PC, so.. I really welcome Slater as an essential balance to what I think is a stupid tendency for our club to try to be nice and fluffy, beige, vanilla, vegan, soy milk soft and wussy.

We NEED more hardness, we need more 'Spartan' type of 'take no prisoners'.

I want to wear my Saints colours in Perth and have folks go 'geez, they're thugs' instead of now when they say 'i feel sorry for you guys'

Couldnt agree more but lets couple it with attack at all costs, screamers and a bit of arrogance. Give our supporters something to entertain them. There was signs of this in both JLT games.
Experience and development are a longer process but we are stuck with a group of younger hopefuls with nothing to lose. 'Fear the pressure'. I hope we smash the Suns, literally.

Bit of this:


and a bit of that:


Just to let the other side know even if we're not world beaters at the moment, nobody gets an easy game against us.

[WellardSaint]

Captain Barbosa in The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, said

"They're not RULES, their more like GUIDELINES"

[Joffa Burns]

......just like 2018

Let's hope a few heads roll if we stink it up in the early rounds and they don't use injuries as the excuse again

Injuries are never an excuse, there are a genuine reason!!!!!

Only if you don’t have depth in your list.

WC without Nic Nat & Gaff 2 of their best 5 win a flag.
Plenty have done it, if they’re good enough.