2024 Round 9 v Sea Eagles: Teams and Previews *Teams p1

[Rick]

Well I'm glad people are at least asking the question about Woolford.

One thing about our coach, he's stubborn with his pigheaded decisions, but he usually eventually gets to the right decisions, just usually a few months behind everyone else.

And then repeats them the next year.

It’s like we need to hire an assistant coach just to remind our senior coach of the outcomes of the previous season/s.


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[Regs Revolution]

"Who cares?"

You right mate?

I’ll be at the Caxton tomorrow night watching it if you wanna discuss!

I'm in Rocky, mate. I'll be down there Magic Round if you wanna catch up for a beer or ten?

Not sure if I’ll be up for magic round, 50/50 atm mate.

I have a feeling we’re gonna see a Woolford Smokey for tomorrow. Surely he gives Levi a rest after last week.

[Rick]

Nope only Simi and Hola remain in the extended squad.


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[The Nickman]

"Who cares?"

You right mate?

I’ll be at the Caxton tomorrow night watching it if you wanna discuss!

I'm in Rocky, mate. I'll be down there Magic Round if you wanna catch up for a beer or ten?

Not sure if I’ll be up for magic round, 50/50 atm mate.

I have a feeling we’re gonna see a Woolford Smokey for tomorrow. Surely he gives Levi a rest after last week.

I genuinely don’t think we will. Stuart doesn’t do smokescreens anymore, he went full the other direction a few years back after being regularly pasted for doing it every single week like he was some form of galaxy brain.

He’s all or nothing our boy.

[The Nickman]

Nope only Simi and Hola remain in the extended squad.


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Ah well, there you go. I didn’t need to type out that big response after all

[TongueFTW]

Nope only Simi and Hola remain in the extended squad.


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Woolford remains in the 19.

[greeneyed]

Nope only Simi and Hola remain in the extended squad.


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The initial report from NRL.com was they were 1-19. But the squad list wasn’t reduced to 19 at 6:00pm. Now it is, Woolford is there, with Sasagi.


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[President Clinton]

Nope only Simi and Hola remain in the extended squad.


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Ah well, there you go. I didn’t need to type out that big response after all

He’s wrong you know.

[LimeGreenMachine]

Canberra originally posted 1-22 . Didn't list who was the 19

[Finchy]

Nope only Simi and Hola remain in the extended squad.


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Ah well, there you go. I didn’t need to type out that big response after all

He’s wrong you know.

About only Simi and Hola remaining in the squad?

[Azza]

About everything dammit!

[Botman]

I thought it would take Stuart about 10-12 weeks to come to his senses and accept he erred in putting his faith in this hooker combination, and i think we're on track for that. I dont think there is a smokescreen coming this week, but i do think its a message being sent.
Of course i'd be thrilled to be wrong. Nothing would please me more than a classic smooooooookescreen and have Woolford put into this game and either Levi or Starling reduced to a 15 minute bench cameo

Wouldnt fix all our problems but it would improve us imo

[LimeGreenMachine]

Yeah don't think it'll happen the week before the bye but its 8 weeks over due

[Raider47]

There's not much sense in having Woolf in the extended squad. Either there is a smokescreen or, and way more likely, Ricky is trying to send a message to the other two ploders as Bot said.

This call should have been made a couple weeks ago but no doubt we're building up to it.

[Rick]

Nope only Simi and Hola remain in the extended squad.


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The initial report from NRL.com was they were 1-19. But the squad list wasn’t reduced to 19 at 6:00pm. Now it is, Woolford is there, with Sasagi.


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Once again the NRL has let me down. However on this occasion I am very happy they got it wrong!

*even if it does mean I have zero credibility in Azza’s eyes now.

[InFernos_Raiders]

Well I'm glad people are at least asking the question about Woolford.

One thing about our coach, he's stubborn with his pigheaded decisions, but he usually eventually gets to the right decisions, just usually a few months behind everyone else.

And then repeats them the next year.

It’s like we need to hire an assistant coach just to remind our senior coach of the outcomes of the previous season/s.


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What is Stuart’s obsession with Levi?

[Ultima]

Well I'm glad people are at least asking the question about Woolford.

One thing about our coach, he's stubborn with his pigheaded decisions, but he usually eventually gets to the right decisions, just usually a few months behind everyone else.

And then repeats them the next year.

It’s like we need to hire an assistant coach just to remind our senior coach of the outcomes of the previous season/s.


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What is Stuart’s obsession with Levi?

Trying to justify hiring him originally on likely big overs (compared to his value) and then renewing him.

I honestly wouldn't put it past Raiders management to have some stupid clause that we have to use a player for a certain number of games to justify the expenditure... It's like when you begged your parents to buy you something and then it turns out it was crap and you didn't play with it enough so they refused to allow you to buy something better....

[Finchy]

Yeah, Rocky doubles down on his recruitment or selection mistakes to “shove it in everyone’s faces”, but just ends up eventually conceding and thus proving the he should have done what the fans called for months (or years!) earlier.

[mick63]

I live on the Northern Beaches.

Was looking forward to the game at Brookie regardless of outcome.

Just found out my son's Under 15s Gold game is at Cherrybrook at the same time.

Ah well...

Great part of the world, enjoy Greenway oval ! I spent 20 years growing up playing touch footy there every Sunday morning. Soo many great memories.

Lived behind apple tree shopping centre for 15 odd years and spent my whole youth over there. The place has not changed since the 90s stuck in a time warp! A house that was missing balustrades back then was still missing them today. It’s like the world paused for that suburb.

Just like the traffic trying to get into the shopping ‘village’.

[Rick]

Well I'm glad people are at least asking the question about Woolford.

One thing about our coach, he's stubborn with his pigheaded decisions, but he usually eventually gets to the right decisions, just usually a few months behind everyone else.

And then repeats them the next year.

It’s like we need to hire an assistant coach just to remind our senior coach of the outcomes of the previous season/s.


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What is Stuart’s obsession with Levi?

Trying to justify hiring him originally on likely big overs (compared to his value) and then renewing him.

I honestly wouldn't put it past Raiders management to have some stupid clause that we have to use a player for a certain number of games to justify the expenditure... It's like when you begged your parents to buy you something and then it turns out it was crap and you didn't play with it enough so they refused to allow you to buy something better....

100% this is the Raiders way;

In 2023; Mum can we please get a new centre?

Mum; No we already have a centre at home.

*The centre at home was a busted 2009 model Croker.

[mick63]

Levi is percentage wise having his best year in the NRL.
8 games 4 wins 50%

He has ranged from ;

0 wins from 18 games 0%

To a previous high of
20 games for 7 wins 35%

The statistics show that when he plays you will lose significantly more than you will win.

Contrast that to Woolfords two years

2022 71%

2023 57%

It’s simple analytics.

[Finchy]

Levi is percentage wise having his best year in the NRL.
8 games 4 wins 50%

He has ranged from ;

0 wins from 18 games 0%

To a previous high of
20 games for 7 wins 35%

The statistics show that when he plays you will lose significantly more than you will win.

Contrast that to Woolfords two years

2022 71%

2023 57%

It’s simple analytics.

I could argue that team winning percentages can’t be blamed on an individual, but Billy would always spout Croker’s winning percentages (above 50% I might add) as some sort of fault against him personally.

So in this case, because it’s one of Billy’s favourites, I’ll allow it.

[Colk]

Levi is percentage wise having his best year in the NRL.
8 games 4 wins 50%

He has ranged from ;

0 wins from 18 games 0%

To a previous high of
20 games for 7 wins 35%

The statistics show that when he plays you will lose significantly more than you will win.

Contrast that to Woolfords two years

2022 71%

2023 57%

It’s simple analytics.

I could argue that team winning percentages can’t be blamed on an individual, but Billy would always spout Croker’s winning percentages (above 50% I might add) as some sort of fault against him personally.

So in this case, because it’s one of Billy’s favourites, I’ll allow it.

True there are always considerations about what is causation and what is correlation but two arguments against Levi

1. A dummy half is going to have more influence on the result of a game than a centre
2. Levi is generally playing for crap sides. You could put up a counter argument and say well that is not his fault per se but you would argue well good sides wouldn’t pick him. Heck he has played for the Sea Eagles and the Broncos and those clubs moved on from him pretty quickly for good reason.

[Finchy]

Levi is percentage wise having his best year in the NRL.
8 games 4 wins 50%

He has ranged from ;

0 wins from 18 games 0%

To a previous high of
20 games for 7 wins 35%

The statistics show that when he plays you will lose significantly more than you will win.

Contrast that to Woolfords two years

2022 71%

2023 57%

It’s simple analytics.

I could argue that team winning percentages can’t be blamed on an individual, but Billy would always spout Croker’s winning percentages (above 50% I might add) as some sort of fault against him personally.

So in this case, because it’s one of Billy’s favourites, I’ll allow it.

True there are always considerations about what is causation and what is correlation but two arguments against Levi

1. A dummy half is going to have more influence on the result of a game than a centre
2. Levi is generally playing for crap sides. You could put up a counter argument and say well that is not his fault per se but you would argue well good sides wouldn’t pick him. Heck he has played for the Sea Eagles and the Broncos and those clubs moved on from him pretty quickly for good reason.

Oh don't worry, you're preaching to the converted. Levi sucks. Always has. I'd personally just use his personal stats against him rather than team performances in general. But I concede that the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.

[Colk]

Levi is percentage wise having his best year in the NRL.
8 games 4 wins 50%

He has ranged from ;

0 wins from 18 games 0%

To a previous high of
20 games for 7 wins 35%

The statistics show that when he plays you will lose significantly more than you will win.

Contrast that to Woolfords two years

2022 71%

2023 57%

It’s simple analytics.

I could argue that team winning percentages can’t be blamed on an individual, but Billy would always spout Croker’s winning percentages (above 50% I might add) as some sort of fault against him personally.

So in this case, because it’s one of Billy’s favourites, I’ll allow it.

True there are always considerations about what is causation and what is correlation but two arguments against Levi

1. A dummy half is going to have more influence on the result of a game than a centre
2. Levi is generally playing for crap sides. You could put up a counter argument and say well that is not his fault per se but you would argue well good sides wouldn’t pick him. Heck he has played for the Sea Eagles and the Broncos and those clubs moved on from him pretty quickly for good reason.

Oh don't worry, you're preaching to the converted. Levi sucks. Always has. I'd personally just use his personal stats against him rather than team performances in general. But I concede that the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.

Not to pile on too much he is just a reserve grader/ second string hooker. He might be a good trainer/good bloke to have around for morale but hooker is arguably the most important position in the game. Having a bloke making the wrong decisions from the first pass just spoils everything onwards. Woolf mightn’t be great (he isn’t) but he at least wouldn’t be the worst hooker in the NRL

[Rickmando]

Can’t see us getting within 20 points of the Sea Eagles tonight.

And even if we do - we all know it’ll be down to another one of these classic Rick rah-rah ambush response performances rather than anything sustainable.

It shouldn’t take getting a 40-blot shellacking at home to elicit some effort and/or a result - but we see this every single year.

“Backs against the wall”

“No one rates us”

“Get in the grind”

“Bleed green”

[President Clinton]

Can’t see us getting within 20 points of the Sea Eagles tonight.

And even if we do - we all know it’ll be down to another one of these classic Rick rah-rah ambush response performances rather than anything sustainable.

It shouldn’t take getting a 40-blot shellacking at home to elicit some effort and/or a result - but we see this every single year.

“Backs against the wall”

“No one rates us”

“Get in the grind”

“Bleed green”

So what you are saying is you’ll be fuming if we win, and fuming if we lose. Haha.

[Rickmando]

Can’t see us getting within 20 points of the Sea Eagles tonight.

And even if we do - we all know it’ll be down to another one of these classic Rick rah-rah ambush response performances rather than anything sustainable.

It shouldn’t take getting a 40-blot shellacking at home to elicit some effort and/or a result - but we see this every single year.

“Backs against the wall”

“No one rates us”

“Get in the grind”

“Bleed green”

So what you are saying is you’ll be fuming if we win, and fuming if we lose. Haha.

Not at all.

But there’s a depressing certainty that any type of win (or even a respectable, competitive performance) will only be based on effort, guts, and the desire to prove all the doubters wrong - rather than any type of skill or execution.

Not only is that a horrible product to watch, but we’ve seen time and time again that it isn’t repeatable. Why is it that we always have to fall into the same hole before heroically digging ourselves out? Wouldn’t it be easier to avoid some of these holes in the first place?

[Finchy]

Can’t see us getting within 20 points of the Sea Eagles tonight.

And even if we do - we all know it’ll be down to another one of these classic Rick rah-rah ambush response performances rather than anything sustainable.

It shouldn’t take getting a 40-blot shellacking at home to elicit some effort and/or a result - but we see this every single year.

“Backs against the wall”

“No one rates us”

“Get in the grind”

“Bleed green”

You'd think if no one rates us year after year, they might have a good reason? Maybe Ricky should try to get a team that does get rated (ie: top 4 material).

[RedRaider]

I have always been of the opinion that the best player in each position at the Club should be picked in that position. Woolford have been the 9 which took the Raiders to the finals in the last two seasons.

When Levy left the Knights in 2021 he blamed the Knights coach Nathan Brown. “It was hard, it was a bit of a rollercoaster. I thought there were things that were unfair, You hear a lot of stories where coaches that just don’t like you, no matter what you do. You could be in his bad books and that’s it. I think I might have been in a situation like that. I'm just happy to be out of it." Nothing at all to do with the way he was playing.

2020 - One season with Manly and they flicked him
2021 - One season with the Broncos and they flicked him
2022 - One season in ESL and some personal matters meant he had to return home and Ricky signed him.
2023 - Injury distrupted season
2024 - Easy to see why Manly and the Broncos flicked him. Only Stubborn Sticky will stick with a player after his performance this year.

Over more than the last decade only the Top 5 defensive teams win the competition. We have a defensive liability in the middle of the park and until he is gone there will be easy meters for opposition teams.

[-PJ-]

I have always been of the opinion that the best player in each position at the Club should be picked in that position. Woolford have been the 9 which took the Raiders to the finals in the last two seasons.

When Levy left the Knights in 2021 he blamed the Knights coach Nathan Brown. “It was hard, it was a bit of a rollercoaster. I thought there were things that were unfair, You hear a lot of stories where coaches that just don’t like you, no matter what you do. You could be in his bad books and that’s it. I think I might have been in a situation like that. I'm just happy to be out of it." Nothing at all to do with the way he was playing.

2020 - One season with Manly and they flicked him
2021 - One season with the Broncos and they flicked him
2022 - One season in ESL and some personal matters meant he had to return home and Ricky signed him.
2023 - Injury distrupted season
2024 - Easy to see why Manly and the Broncos flicked him. Only Stubborn Sticky will stick with a player after his performance this year.

Over more than the last decade only the Top 5 defensive teams win the competition. We have a defensive liability in the middle of the park and until he is gone there will be easy meters for opposition teams.

Waiting for our man Daniel the carve the Seagles to shreds tonight..

[Canberra Milk]

I have always been of the opinion that the best player in each position at the Club should be picked in that position. Woolford have been the 9 which took the Raiders to the finals in the last two seasons.

When Levy left the Knights in 2021 he blamed the Knights coach Nathan Brown. “It was hard, it was a bit of a rollercoaster. I thought there were things that were unfair, You hear a lot of stories where coaches that just don’t like you, no matter what you do. You could be in his bad books and that’s it. I think I might have been in a situation like that. I'm just happy to be out of it." Nothing at all to do with the way he was playing.

2020 - One season with Manly and they flicked him
2021 - One season with the Broncos and they flicked him
2022 - One season in ESL and some personal matters meant he had to return home and Ricky signed him.
2023 - Injury distrupted season
2024 - Easy to see why Manly and the Broncos flicked him. Only Stubborn Sticky will stick with a player after his performance this year.

Over more than the last decade only the Top 5 defensive teams win the competition. We have a defensive liability in the middle of the park and until he is gone there will be easy meters for opposition teams.

Lol you're getting more fire in your views these days RR, I like it

[Finchy]

Red dropping truth bombs

[LimeGreenMachine]

I have always been of the opinion that the best player in each position at the Club should be picked in that position. Woolford have been the 9 which took the Raiders to the finals in the last two seasons.

When Levy left the Knights in 2021 he blamed the Knights coach Nathan Brown. “It was hard, it was a bit of a rollercoaster. I thought there were things that were unfair, You hear a lot of stories where coaches that just don’t like you, no matter what you do. You could be in his bad books and that’s it. I think I might have been in a situation like that. I'm just happy to be out of it." Nothing at all to do with the way he was playing.

2020 - One season with Manly and they flicked him
2021 - One season with the Broncos and they flicked him
2022 - One season in ESL and some personal matters meant he had to return home and Ricky signed him.
2023 - Injury distrupted season
2024 - Easy to see why Manly and the Broncos flicked him. Only Stubborn Sticky will stick with a player after his performance this year.

Over more than the last decade only the Top 5 defensive teams win the competition. We have a defensive liability in the middle of the park and until he is gone there will be easy meters for opposition teams.

And the stats back up why he was flicked.
This goes down as our worst recruitment along with Orford .

[Rickmando]

RR steaming in off the back fence! Love it.

Your conundrum is found in your opening line Red.

The policy isn’t that we pick the best player in the position - we pick the best bloke in each position!

We received tangible proof last season that the club doesn’t put value on results and performance (and with it, not valuing their money-paying fans) with the Jarrod Croker 300th game debacle…