A few thoughts here:
Webby never would've said it publicly - "I don't look at the table etc. etc." - but my guess is top 8 would've been the goal at the beginning of the year. A bunch of guys have been locked in to the end of '24 or '25, and there would've been a 3-year plan to make top 8 three years running. Show faith in most of this group, with a top 4 finish the ultimate goal by the end of '25. Then a re-assessment of players to see who to retain and who to move on with an eye to making/winning the final in the next 3-year plan. In this regard, making top four in the first season puts them well ahead, but there a few things to sort:
1. Are we a dominant forward short on the top sides, meaning we end up too reliant on AFB and Harris when we come up against Penrith/Brisbane/Melbourne? Niukore and
Barnett are great, but not yet Flegler/Carrigan-level dominant.
2. We seem short a dynamic game-breaker. RTS might be that guy next year, though he'll be 31. Walsh and Cobbo are freakish, so we can't expect someone like them to just pop up on the cheap, but someone with Young / Isaako-level speed would be handy in the centres.. or left edge?
3. We'll probably get Brisbane and Penrith twice next year, right? (I keep having this dream that we might get Melbourne at home, but then I wake up.) Rabbitohs and Roosters twice as well? I don't really understand the NRL draw formula, but we had the rub of the green with the draw this year. You'd think if we're going to have 8 games v these teams, we'll need to take 4 of them to be in with a shout.
4. Goalkicker? If
SJ ends up having to be time-managed next year, is Pomps the only other option, or are they thinking Volkman might be ready (78% success in NSW). CHT can kick, but does that spell sideline work only for TMM?
