How many wins this year?

[desertsaint]

Well I and a few others have no idea. Hopefully even less idea by the end of the year.

and this is why i like plugger - always honest, whether knocking himself or others (except me - he's a bugger when he knocks me!).

[gringo]

I think we are probably bottom 3 but we could still win 6 to 8 games if the injuries hold off. There is always one or two against a team that disrespects you. The dees, dogs and probably a couple of others ready for crash landings. Could see us rolling Brisbane etc. the giants and suns should improve heaps but young teams usually go hard against good opposition and could take us lightly.

But we already have them, and we have weeks to go until the real stuff even starts. We won't have Gilbert by the sounds of it for much of the year, nor Ray, and one of the players we do have in that 23-27 age bracket, Arryn Siposs, is out for the year.

I think we need to believe that we will be in games for longer, but apart from the teams I have already mentioned - and for the reasons mentioned - very difficult to see where we will get many more wins from.

Bottom two - two wins likely, maximum of four. Hope to get the percentage up to at least 68%. If injury rates stabilise hopefully we can see no players gifted games, but when guys earn a game they stay in for three or four weeks.
It's going to be a long year.

I can't believe I look like I knew something. It looks a lot more likely now.


I'm pretty pumped. I'm not sure how many wins it will equate to but I can see plenty of guys stepping up. We still have a pretty small injury list. Sipposs, Gilbert and ross the injuries that will actually cost regular season games. Gilbert said his foot is good and should start full training soon. He said the foot isn't the same issue rather a hot spot that occurred elsewhere and they are ultraconservative now. Ross is a loss but shouldn't make any real difference to the output of the team. The players all mentioned the energy and training being better than most years and seemed genuinely pumped. Roberto said the guys all are on the same page and know the game plan inside out. I think we should be keeping an open mind with wins. Could get 2 or 8 wins if everything gets going. Eight would give us a good spring board for 2016.

[samuraisaint]

winnables and possibles-but-unlikelies after last Saturday's game include:
Eagles at Etihad
Lions at the Gabba (unlikely though)
Essendon at Etihad
Melbourne at Etihad
Melbourne at the G (unlikely)
Richmond at Etihad
Gold Coast at Etihad
Doggies at Etihad

Cannot and will not win 50% of those, but we would be considered chances in those games to varying degrees. Out form at the Gabba and the G is bad, but I would still expect us to put up a good showing in those matches.

[saintspremiers]

Lack of injuries helps a team like ours enormous remember.

[Old Mate]

At the start of the year I was thinking 2. Now I'm thinking anywhere between 4-6. It's hard to judge especially with us being a young an inconsistent side. Just remember this time last year we had three wins and ended up with four for the year. I reckon we are playing better footy tho. Long story short five wins for me.

[saint-stu]

We all know what we get from our senior players (roo, chips, joey, dempster), they are really consistent. But its the injection of quality youth this year that has lifted us off the bottom of the ladder. Guys like pins, lonie a dmac have been the difference, along with the improvement and consistency of dunstan, billings, bruce and longer. Still, I think we have to be playing our very best to beat pretty much any team and I'm not sure how often we will do that with such a young team.

[thejiggingsaint]

I still see no reason to believe that we can't get six wins for the season. The manner in which the boys answered the late challenge from Brisbane gives me great heart for the rest of the year. Well done Saints!

[samuraisaint]

After today, coming from 5 goals behind to win by 4, and kicking 16 goals again in Qld, I would like to revisit win/loss predictions for the year. Earlier this year I wrongly posted that we play the GCSuns in Melbourne later this year. We don't.
I thought we would only win 2 games this year and we already have won 3.
Should beat Melbourne at Etihad
Could beat Doggies at Etihad
Can beat Bombers at Etihad
50/50 against Melbourne at the G.
Obviously injuries and suspensions come into it, and towards the end of the year we may play a finals bound side resting sore and tired players. But it will be tempered by our own players getting exhausted in july and august. I think we can win 5 games this year now.

[stevie]

No reason why we can't beat the front runners Norf. And Port aren't the team the thought they were.

[stevie]

No reason why we can't beat the front runners Norf. And Port aren't the team the thought they were.

[spert]

I would hope more wins than last year. While we are showing plenty of fight to comeback from being whacked early in games, my big worry is the almost uncompetitive first quarters recently. The coach isn't doing something right in prepping the team tactically or motivationally, and as a result then needs to change his game plan on the run in order to be competitive. This wont work against strong teams. So we at least can expect possible wins against teams around us in the ladder and that's it.

[plugger66]

I would hope more wins than last year. While we are showing plenty of fight to comeback from being whacked early in games, my big worry is the almost uncompetitive first quarters recently. The coach isn't doing something right in prepping the team tactically or motivationally, and as a result then needs to change his game plan on the run in order to be competitive. This wont work against strong teams. So we at least can expect possible wins against teams around us in the ladder and that's it.

So lets this straight. he isn't doing something right at the start of the games but is in the second quarter. Common sense suggests that is crap and we have just started poorly for no logical reason. We started well against the pies and carlton and that ended up like crap. My other guess is you will get that with many young players in the side and has nothing to do with coaching. When you look at who has left from SW last year its amazing we are winning at all. Milne, Dal, CJ, Gwilt, Hayes, McEvoy and then no Ray, Gilbert and only half of Rooy and Joey. Its amazing actually if you just use common sense.