Sorry LLS but all I read are excuses.Life Long Saint wrote: ↑Sat 22 Oct 2022 1:08pm "The side played finals under Thomas - could t go further and had declined in his last year"
Grant Thomas' three years of finals were 2004, 2005, and 2006.
In 2004, we weren't really finals ready but had a huge crack all the same. Had we made the Grand Final, we might have been able to run a tired Lions outfit off their feet.
In 2005, we were cruelled by injuries and were cooked in the prelim.
In 2006, we lost two premiership points in the sirengate fiasco. If that game was called a draw, we finish 3rd on the ladder instead of 6th and get a double chance. The entire finals series is changed. Sydney finish fifth without a double chance and probably don't make the Grand Final.
We'd have played Adelaide away. Our only match up against them that season was a loss with us coming off mutliple 6-day breaks. We looked cooked on that night.
Fair to say, we'd have made a Preliminary final at least and probably lost to the Eagles in Perth in a prelim. I doubt whether RB could have sacked GT after losing a prelim in Perth.
The sacking of GT was a disgrace at the time (we had a 14-8 record that season and percentage off 4th).
Weren’t finals ready on 04?
Surely you are not going to perpetuate the myth we made a prelim with a team full of 19/20 YO or that our core was young and inexperienced.
The fact is we had the most talented and balanced list from an age and experience personal I have ever seen at the Saints but we couldn’t make a GF let alone win one.
IMO we were deficient in preparation and coaching, we had the cattle but we’re not professional in other areas.
We were. In decline in 2006 without doubt.
At the time I did not want GT sacked as I am pro stability, but the guy should never have been gifted the role in the first instance.
Got handed the keys to a Ferrari but couldn’t drive it.
