LIVE GAME Trial 2 vs. Dragons

Live Game Discussion
Kaito said:
Neither atm Bags. Just think we're playing conservative
by design. Building on some familiarity from last
season - allowing the team to gel & new halves to
get a look at options b4 we throw it around and we
reveal our set-plays/style of play. That's just my opinion.
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It’s a shame we have to wait so long to find out.
 
Vicious said:
As others have alluded to, I don’t think the poor defence is as much of a problem as surely competition for positions in our top 17 will ensure lack of defensive commitment and commitment will not be tolerated once the competition commences.
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Benji knows trials count 4 nothing. But he
would be disappointed with our application in
defence in that 1st half, gave Su'a & Suli way too much room. I will say though that the system looks good, how we're communicating & sliding. Don't think we got stripped 4 numbers out wide on my first & only watch
 
BlackWhiteGold said:
That's interesting @jrtiger as I wondered the same thing about parking our red zone attacking structure most of the trials. I so much hope that is the case.

Some of my viewpoints:

  • Yes our intensity especially in defence was down which led to so many ineffective tackles. It was really highlighted down our right with To'a, IP, Sullivan, Api & Seyfarth. This is 'mostly' an attitude thing.
  • I think Benji will keep the faith with his starting 13 for Round 2 except Bateman comes in for Kepaoa. My thinking is that Benji will want experience, connection & stability in his starting team (so the likes of Tupou, To'a, Seyfarth & Sullivan will be retained).
  • Twal, Pole & Samuela Fainu I reckon are locks for the bench. Now the decision for the utility bench spot will be between Simpkin, Galvin & Latu Fainu.
  • I think he'll go with Simpkin for reasons outlined above & give Galvin time in Flegg then Cup before a debut in a couple of months. Personally I'd give Latu a run in Flegg in 2 weeks when our NRL/Cup teams have the bye and debut him off the bench in Rd 2 (to cover hooker & halves).
  • I have faith that To'a, IP, Api, Sezer & Sullivan can turn it around against the Raiders.
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well said, BWG. I'd say that's how things will go and I have enough faith in that right edge + Sezer to improve their performances.
 
Jolls said:
If Benji is instructing Seyfarth to play like a prop we are in bigger trouble than the insipid performance on the weekend showed.

I took it from Benji's interview that what was dished up was not what the coaching staff prepared.

I'm sure Seyfarth puts in at training and you can see by his effort on the field that he is giving it his all, but at NRL level he is running hard but does not have the size and strength to play after the line. I've seen young A Reserve forward with no step play exactly the same way as Seyfarth and wonder why they can't get to A Gade. What is Seyfarth doing in the NRL if he hasn't masterd the basics?

At this level he should be capable of executing X and Ys to create gaps for breakfast. Seyfarth using that style of play could be useful. He has to commit the defence and play late if we are going to persist with him - that means he must have a support player to pull though the gap - and I'm not seeing it - where is Bula/Staines the Ferrrari?

I'm not sold on Galvin at 13, yet. Developmentally, I think it would be bad for him this early in his career. I would prefer him to have some time in Cup to get used to the grind and bring him on more slowly. Pole, Matamua, Faagutu and possibly Simpkin probably have the ball playing skill set to be successful at 13. Shame we didn't get to see much of them in that position duringthe trials/
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Left field-------but I think Sam Fainu would be our best option at lock.
More mobile than other options being tried, 109kg, takes a lot of stopping, 80 min player.
Down side; he is our best 2nd row backup.
 
Kaito said:
Benji knows trials count 4 nothing.
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No he doesn’t. If he did he wouldnt have played our best team and given them so many minutes.
Kaito said:
But he
would be disappointed with our application in
defence in that 1st half, gave Su'a & Suli way too much room. I will say though that the system looks good, how we're communicating & sliding. Don't think we got stripped 4 numbers out wide on my first & only watch
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They didn’t need to go wide. They just punched holes through the line all night long. Our defensive”systems and communication” were not first grade standard.
 
Tucker said:
No he doesn’t. If he did he wouldnt have played our best team and given them so many minutes.

They didn’t need to go wide. They just punched holes through the line all night long. Our defensive”systems and communication” were not first grade standard.
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I'm not here to change anyone's perceptions man..
I'll give it a month or 2 to reserve full judgement...
I've said that a few times too. You can sharpen the
sword all you like & announce how I was wrong later
but not now lol. I'm just cautiously optimistic atm
 
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Stats from the Dragons page
www.dragons.com.au

Round 2: Dragons v Wests Tigers | Dragons

Round 2: Dragons v Wests Tigers
www.dragons.com.au www.dragons.com.au
We had 54% possession and a 95% completion rate,
All runs 225, theirs was 190.
All run metres 1828, to their 1778,
PCM 653, theirs was 513.
Line breaks 3 to 8.
40 tackle breaks while they had 50.
Kick return metres 153, theirs 236.
Offloads 6 to 11.
465 receipts, to their 368.
We made 275 passes to their 199.
We kicked 22 times for 551 kick metres with 3 forced drop outs (Dragons 17 times for 480 kick metres 0 drops outs).
Kick defusals 67%, Dragons 80%.
309 tackles made (50 missed, 21 ineffective), Dragons 368.(40 missed, 12 ineffective).

So aside from the glaring issues (defence, lack of intensity and game plan), they weren't exactly bigger than us (?) but just have more strike power and did a lot more with the ball.
Agree with everyone's concerns about points and @Jolls comments that our halves never really took control/charge of the game, though acknowledge Sullivan came good in the end.
I know people have said we looked sluggish (suggesting possibly from warm-up) but I also thought we looked very unfit. Thought Api overplayed his hand and Lachlan Galvin was the only player that really stood out for me.
 
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Kaito said:
I'm not here to change anyone's perceptions man..
I'll give it a month or 2 to reserve full judgement...
I've said that a few times too. You can sharpen the
sword all you like & announce how I was wrong later
but not now lol. I'm just cautiously optimistic atm
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I don’t need to say told you so.
Your subconscience will do that for me 😎
 
Todd Packer said:
Saints have a very good coach who will coach to their strength. They'll go ok if they are lucky with injury.
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No they are just fit and wanted to have a crack. Wothout Hunt there nothing. Still bottom 4..


Just goes to show.bad this team is when the spoon favourite bashed us.
 
Lauren said:
Stats from the Dragons page
www.dragons.com.au

Round 2: Dragons v Wests Tigers | Dragons

Round 2: Dragons v Wests Tigers
www.dragons.com.au www.dragons.com.au
We had 54% possession and a 95% completion rate,
All runs 225, theirs was 190.
All run metres 1828, to their 1778,
PCM 653, theirs was 513.
Line breaks 3 to 8.
40 tackle breaks while they had 50.
Kick return metres 153, theirs 236.
Offloads 6 to 11.
465 receipts, to their 368.
We made 275 passes to their 199.
We kicked 22 times for 551 kick metres with 3 forced drop outs (Dragons 17 times for 480 kick metres 0 drops outs).
Kick defusals 67%, Dragons 80%.
309 tackles made (50 missed, 21 ineffective), Dragons 368.(40 missed, 12 ineffective).

So they weren't exactly bigger than us (?) but just have more strike and did more with the ball.
Agree with everyone's concerns about points and @Jolls comments that our halves never really took control/charge of the game, though acknowledge Sullivan came good in the end.
I know people have said we looked sluggish but I also thought we looked very unfit. Thought Api overplayed his hand and Lachlan Galvin was the only player that really stood out for me.
We
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Yeah Api did overplay his hand. Farah as the attacking coCh ia no good because he overplayed his hand all the time.

Api just needs to give early ball deep and up to the halves tp soight it out.
 
The Chad said:
I feel like this got blown out of proportion. He was told he was being moved to 5/8, from memory. And for whatever reason (can't remember the exact details) was then being shifted to centre by Noddy.

Doueihi said he'd rather win his way back playing 5/8 in reserves.

I think this was less about not wanting to be a centre & more about trying to cement one role.

The fact that the coaches didn't seem to have any issue with him & still don't, suggests we might be getting PART of the story.

I'm betting if you say that his future at the club is at centre, and he's signed accordingly, he doesn't have an issue.
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Hes not a 5/8th. If he wants to try for that spot then go to England.
 
TYGA said:
Dragons won’t be the only team to kill us on the edges. Richo stated we need better quality outside backs. Probably first time I’ve heard someone in official capacity call out the dead obvious. Words don’t mean much he has to fix it.
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Who is potentially available that would improve our outside backs and which current players could be offloaded without us having to contribute some of their wages for them ti play at a rival club ?
I’ve previously mentioned that I believe Bailey Simondson and Semi Valemai would both improve us in the outside backs. Many on this forum don’t rate either of them either.
 
Kaito said:
I will say though that the system looks good, how we're communicating & sliding. Don't think we got stripped 4 numbers out wide on my first & only watch
Click to expand...
I agree. Our defence on the right has been rubbish for many years. But usually we are stripped for numbers and the opposition gets a one two man overlap.

The other night, however, we had bodies in front of them. They just ran over the top of us.

Our defence was so passive it was depressing.

I was wondering if, as a number of our colleagues have suggested above, that Benji told the guys that this trial was to reinforce certain processes, and that they should not play an expansive attacking game in Saints' red zone. (I must confess this thought occurred to me also.)

If that is true, what message does send to the players? Probably that the result is not particularly important.

We all know that defence is a function of attitude. If the guys went into the game with one attacking hand tied behind their back, perhaps this flowed into their defensive mind-set.

I'm clutching at straws here, but it is plausible.
 
Tucker said:
His time as a winger and centre were awful, no doubt. He wasn’t great in either position in most metrics.
As a second rower, he is ineffective at best.
Look at his stats for Saturday:
  1. 4 runs for 19 meters gained
  2. 3 post contact meters
  3. 18 tackles @ 86%
  4. 1 offload
  5. 1 tackle break
  6. 1 error
Not a performance I’d be crowing about.
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You collate the stats, I'll watch the game. You neglect to mention just about all WT attack went to the right with few opportunities in broken play and no set play whatsoever to the left. Still managed 1 offload and 1 tackle break in 4 runs. Also left out the steal and big hit on Sua.
 
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