Fullback, Brooks, Nofaluma, Right edge D and goalkicking...

[Goldust]

I agree with a few other users .
Staines to play fullback
Bring in Junior Tupou
Kepoa to play right centre
Kautoga to bench

 

[yeti]

thats the problem...The kebab king thinks he is WTs,you know demand to play 5/8 expect to be captain,be goalkicker,kick in general play and miss tackles...please...let Brooks have a kick at goal.let HIM do his job and maybe the guy could start getting some confidence in his game and being who we thought he could be...

The problem is though, that if you are a 'top line' halfback, you need to demand the ball! His personality is his biggest weakness. I'll give him another couple of weeks - this was his first game this year - but man, that was not a good start.

 

[mikey]

As a long time defender of Brooks I can't defend today. I thought he was horrible.

Defended him for years but saw the light last year.
He's got to go.

 

[TheDaBoss]

another positive, when the hell did we last have 6 players get 150+ metres in a game plus have 10players overall with over 100m,

 

[sleeve]

Koriseo looked gone today, he was struggling with his fitness massively out there today, i actually thought Jake looked good at hooker when he was on today

I think he could be anything, he has improved his game, is young ; fast and tough, one of the first players picked in my eyes. He was our best player in the trials, and with more game time will be a star.

 

[Todd Packer]

It was a big mistake not starting with Api. That early dominance needed to be turned into points.
If we had Staines at fullback we win that game.

 

[Yossarian]

2 from 4. Concerning because the second miss was from the same place he missed the first one. And would have made it a 6 point game had he kicked it. It’s a big problem.

I believe it was 1 from 3. Sure, would have been nice but I don’t think the reason we didn’t score another try was because Adam Doueihi missed the second conversion nor was it the reason we conceded again.

He kicks at 73%. It’s not great but it’s not massively under Hodgson or Richards and better than Benji. My main concern with AD is his poor kicking options in general play. That 40/20 effort before halftime was also awful.

 

[earl]

My main concern with AD is his poor kicking options in general play.

I honestly think he is a worse decision maker than Brooks but he executes a lot better. I think he might be coachable enough to improve that part of his game.

He was our best spine player and he wasn't good.

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

I'm going to have to watch that uncontested catch again but I thought it actually hit another WT player standing in front of Laurie. If that's the case, Laurie can be expected to assume that other player would catch, or even attempt to catch the ball. I could be wrong, though.

Naden and Papa we’re closer to ball than Laurie and neither were even looking at the ball. I think blaming that uncontested bomb on him is tough when 2 others failed. Sure Laurie could’ve been in a different spot but wouldn’t have changed the others player watching rather than ball watching. Papa touched the ball after it bounced by accident - he wasn’t still looking at the ball.

Laurie I have said for a while don’t see him as a long term fullback. He definitely puts effort in but he has moments in games where he gets defensive for some reason and never fills me with confidence when a high ball goes up.

 

[Yossarian]

I honestly think he is a worse decision maker than Brooks but he executes a lot better. I think he might be coachable enough to improve that part of his game.

He was our best spine player and he wasn't good.

Laurie looked good in attack but he defends like someone who’s never played fullback before. We concede far too many tries from basic kicks.

 

[balmain boy]

Naden and Papa we’re closer to ball than Laurie and neither were even looking at the ball. I think blaming that uncontested bomb on him is tough when 2 others failed. Sure Laurie could’ve been in a different spot but wouldn’t have changed the others player watching rather than ball watching. Papa touched the ball after it bounced by accident - he wasn’t still looking at the ball.

Laurie I have said for a while don’t see him as a long term fullback. He definitely puts effort in but he has moments in games where he gets defensive for some reason and never fills me with confidence when a high ball goes up.

They were both waiting/shielding for the fullback to come up and catch the ball, and in those circumstances the fullback should be catching it 99% of the time.

 

[Halbrowne61]

If we start losing games on goal kicking I’ll take notice. He kicked 2 from 3 today? Not a pressing problem for me right now.

Well he missed after his own and Laurie’s try so I think you might find it was 1/3.
Just doesn’t kick with any confidence,

 

[Halbrowne61]

They were both waiting/shielding for the fullback to come up and catch the ball, and in those circumstances the fullback should be catching it 99% of the time.

DL just stood back and watched. And where was he when they kicked through and Sami scored. I like him but that’s not good enough so maybe swap him and Staines next week.

 

[Yossarian]

Well he missed after his own and Laurie’s try so I think you might find it was 1/3.
Just doesn’t kick with any confidence,

Which I corrected several pages ago.

 

[BAGNF05]

View attachment 4666another positive, when the hell did we last have 6 players get 150+ metres in a game plus have 10players overall with over 100m,

Not a surprise. Better forwards create more space. Need to find the icing sugar now.

 

[balmain boy]

Well he missed after his own and Laurie’s try so I think you might find it was 1/3.
Just doesn’t kick with any confidence,

I think he can kick goals well, but he can't kick goals and organise a team and play halfback. He crumbles when burdened with expectation.

Much like Brooks, he's the second fiddle and a, good one, but he's shown nothing throughout his career that he will suddenly become a top class halfback, like Hynes amazingly did

 

[Flippedy]

Fullback, Brooks, Nofaluma, Right edge D and goalkicking...

We have said this for years.

But nothing will change until those core issues are addressed.

Laurie's fundamentals are atrocious.

Nofaluma honestly is the dumbest player I have ever seen. Just no footy IQ at all...

Brooks simply cannot control a set in opp 20. He can play broken field footy, but he can't put anything on when camped down there. We all know this.

GK took away all momentum.

These issues have plagued us for years.

The kid in state cup will fix FB, but too late for this season.

Brooks and Nofaluma need to be cut. Nothing will change whilst they remain. They will give us 1 good week every 4 or 5 weeks, but cost you all the games in between.

The pack is massively improved, but those two need to go before real change occurs.

You just can't win with a 7 with no footy IQ and a winger who allows the opp two tries a week.

Post of the century my friend! If only the coaches could see this, actually it does my head in that they can’t! The goal kicking thing really gets me, they have a whole off season to practice yet every year it’s our Achilles heel (well at least one of them). Moses couldn’t kick for quids when he was here either, yet he goes to Parra and becomes a sharp shooter! 😔

 

[wet tiger coloured bird]

Post of the century my friend! If only the coaches could see this, actually it does my head in that they can’t! The goal kicking thing really gets me, they have a whole off season to practice yet every year it’s our Achilles heel (well at least one of them). Moses couldn’t kick for quids when he was here either, yet he goes to Parra and becomes a sharp shooter! 😔

wakeham can kick

 

[Telltails]

I thought it was the game plans last season! This is not the first game - before we were decimated with injuries - that we were in a position to win and couldn't get it done for the very same reasons.

 

[Suzie-Q]

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