Definitely not suggesting he's a speed merchant. He's the best finisher/winger in the league however he is also the fastest player in the league. Hopefully he doesn't lose that burst of pace off the mark.

Not at all, you can't blame conditioning for ACL injuries or the whole squad would have them.  Thomas did his ACL thanks to a tackle, his ACL didn't just go. 
Currie last did his ACL 7 years ago.
Philbins was 3 years ago etc
I get your thinking but i think it's just a spate of injuries at the minute, and Ashton was clearly risked by the club hence Lindop was on the bench, so they knew there was a problem anyway

I wince when I see such a fast, athletic, thoroughbred winger like Ashton have to smash into 'middles' first carry from his own line. I know it's the modern game, I just don't like it. He will be fortunate to retain his pace. 

"I wince when I see such a fast, athletic, thoroughbred winger like Ashton have to smash into 'middles' first carry from his own line. I know it's the modern game, I just don't like it. He will be fortunate to retain his pace."




Totally agree. You shouldn't have your best attacking players (like Dufty) smacking the ball up and getting crunched. There are plenty of others (the foot soldiers) to do that. The opposition must love it. 

McNamara has left Catalan.  

Now there's a thing. Wonder if there is anything to do with Sam leaving to Perth Bears (as reported not confirmed). 

Told this is to be announced next week. Burgess to Perth in 2027 is done. 

Yes, I heard that he was going as an assistant to Wayne Bennett, with Burgess taking over after2 years.

It was inevitable that Burgess would return to the NRL after his Warrington contract expired.


The situation makes it awkward for us to appoint a new 1st team coach to replace him though, with one and a half seasons to go.  It may be better for us if he leaves at the end of this season

Good luck to the lad i hope he does well! He has been honest, his long term goal was to get back over there. I personally don't think he is a huge loss when we first brought him in my initial thoughts surely he can pull a player in... That's hardly gone well IMO so maybe we lose someone who can pull a group together and that's what we have seen more of, we do look tighter as a team from academy to first team. I do think we will lose any momentum in the transfer market as it'll all be up in the air, who wants to come to a club with what will be by then a head coach leaving not sure if the first team coaching staff with be sticking about with a few players departing, just sounds like a total rebuild again. Having said all that i don't know any of this I'm just speculating on a hot day in work and tired.. and feeling glum about our performances in recent weeks. 

I've never known the like of a club with a coach with half of his 3 year contract remaining disclosing details about his next role like this. Wire need to start recruitment now and exit Burgess at the end of this season on our timeline - not his, rather than having a year treading water, or in our case, getting worse. There is no medium or long term future with Sam and he's hardly pulling up any trees like a coaching guru. He is getting that new job on his legend status alone. 

No more gimmicks, no more knee jerks, no more jobs for the boys, no more experiments - we need a head coach with some sort of track record of being one. 

It is another re-build. We are always at the start of a 3 year plan. 


Yes Sam has been honest, and I wish him well, but I didn't expect that for 18 months we would be on the wind down to suit his career timeframe.  But I don't expect any action from the club, they will just ride it out - each week "learning lessons" and "doing it hard" with "bad days at the office", then a hero's goodbye and we are back at square one.