*Live Game Thread* Round 18 VS Penrith

I travelled down to the game today. Watching live gives a different perspective. A few things that stood out, watching players both on and off the ball:
- Joffa and AD were very good - AD was easily our most dangerous in attack
- Laurie, Hastings, Pole, Ken tried really hard and offer value
- the team are trying, but making some horrible mistakes e.g. not squaring up and moving laterally to meet Fisher Harris when he scored the match winning try
- Junior Tupo looks really slow for a winger - a couple of times he was put into a hole and I swear I could have run faster - and I'm sixty.
- Brooks....tries hard, does a lot of work in defence, including making covering tackles, but is way too predictable in attack
- there is a lot of commitment in tackles, but lateral movement and reading the play is lacking with too many of our players
- they were missing 7 stars, but still had Edwards, Taylan May, Kikau, Fisher Harris, Leota, Tago, Sorenson: would love to have these seven players in Tigers colours. Can't see any team beating Penrith in the GF.
 
Nowhere near the same intent from our pack that we had last week against Parra. Stefano was a big out, as he looked good last week off the bench. Impact was minimal from Tamou. I still liked the look of Pole. Just keep getting minutes and game time into him. Joffa always gives his all. As a few mentioned, we seemed to be 1 big man down with Hastings at 13.

Not going to hammer Matamua for his couple of mistakes these past 2 weeks. Yes they have been costly, but he possibly gets away with some of this stuff in the lower grades and keeps doing it. He now has areas to work on and the coaches will help him iron it out. Better him do it this year when yes we want to win, but we aren't really sacrificing 2 crucial competition points.
 
watersider said:
One thing I'd like to note, not sure if it's been said so far, but today we had a heap of players out as well:

Brett Naden
Shawn Blore
Luciano (released)
Stefano
Nofo
Tommy Talau
James Roberts
Alex Twal

eight players out.

Obviously not our 7 best players like Penrith's situation (although Edwards and Fisher-Harris are up there with their best), but I still think the disruption to our team is considerable, especially considering our lack of depth, so in losing I don't feel pain like our loss to the baby broncos all those years ago or the depleted warriors team last year. We're missing a huge part of our forward pack and some speed and size out wide today. It's not an excuse or anything, just the media didn't mention it at all and I do think it's a factor.
Click to expand...
You’re right. Just because they're not superstars doesn't mean they’re not as big a loss. This point alone highlights the inequality with our current method of trying to maintain a level playing field via a salary cap. Both clubs apparently have one.Only one club obtains value from theirs.
 
Craegus said:
Because nearly every time they are offside as Brooks doesn't move forward before kicking. Just look at the difference between when Brooks kicks and Doueihi (even Hastings) kicks.
Click to expand...
I think you’ll find Doueihi was playing centre and had more space. Chasers need to be more focussed.
 
hank37w said:
Got nothing to lose except a game, which we do anyway.

Would like to see Tumeth get at least a few minutes of game time before the season ends to give him a taste of the top grade.
Click to expand...
He should get a go before the end of the season, but a couple more runs in NSW Cup would be good.

He also hasn’t re-signed yet.
 
Very disappointing...embarrassing to be honest, given they had seven out AND they dropped tons of ball.

Same people again...nothing will change.

Brooks does not have the nous to play in the halves...just cannot get kicks right.

And that affects too many other areas of the team. Nothing will change until he goes.

Sheensy will think he can save him though, so we are 100% stuffed. If we had any brains we'd be offloading him to the Knights.

Pack needs leaders. Musgrove is a complete hoax of a prop. Gives you ONE good game every EIGHT weeks. But, hey, that seems to be enough to keep your spot with us.

Eisenhuth almost trebled Musgove's numbers today.

Things simply won't change until we get some real forwards and a smart half who can kick.
 
What ab absolutely appalling match. Terrible. Slow. Dumb. I'll disciplined.

Our halves were just rubbish, Panthers kicking game won them the match. This simply has to be Brooks last match. His confidence is non existent, his decision making appalling, kicking game terrible. Madden must play at halfback for the rest of the season.

Doueihi certainly ran the ball well but our kicks were just not NRL standard. We had no organisation, no one knew what their job was. Lazy, dumb, just bad. We were very lucky not too lose by 20+. And that's even with penrith having an appalling second half themselves.


Matamua needs another month in NSW Cup. He made 3 incredibly costly mistakes within a 10 min period. The pace of the game is too much for him just now, but he should have been brought on much earlier.

We need to find some speed and power. We need a fullback and a halfback, 2 wingers, 2 centres, and some second rowers.

And for the love of God stop passing the bloody ball 7m backwards from dummy half. Unless we're going for an occasional backline sweep you pass it flat or slightly backwards to an onrushing teammate. I simply cannot fathom how a team that has struggled Ake yardage for a decade still doesn't understand that passing the ball 6m backwards to a player who runs 8m results in a net gain of 2m. The hooker needs to be on top of things, as do the players around him.

And lastly failing to pack our own scrum is inexcusable. Have the half jump in at lock if it means you don't turn over possession. Symbolic of a chaotic club, with no one running the show.
 
coivtny said:
Didn't watch, didn't listen, didn't follow this thread. First heard the score an hour after full time. Rather than follow these pea hearts I took my grandson to the beach and had a ball with him. Had more enjoyment with him in five minutes than I've had in five years with these mugs.
These blokes are genuine losers.
Click to expand...
I wonder - is there a beach forum where you could post this information?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 368 (members: 9, guests: 359)
Back
Top