LIVE GAME Round 16 v Raiders

[mtd#2]

Sorry mate this narrative is getting tedious and quite worn out by round 14
Yes yiure are correct but we were garbage in the first half...woulda shoulda coulda aint cuttin it any more.
Id prefer ugly wins playing crap than losses playing well

Depends on expectations..

My expectations for the rest of this season
- Compete in every game
- Develop a style of play
- Lock down the spine
- Recruit a few more players for 26

I have Canberra as favourites for the comp.. storm aren't the same this year and we know the bulldogs will crumble..

5 in a row isn't a great stat, but it doesn't paint the full picture.

It doesnt factor in how big a problem the Galvin situation was within the playing group or the fact our first choice halves combination changed mid season..

We played <40 minutes tonight with our #1 halves combination and it was one of the best halves of of footy we played all year (including when we had Galvin).

Ive been saying it for a while Latu needs to be 7 and Luai 6... And they played that way tonight.. Latu straightened the attack and Luai was getting the ball wider - where he can do more damage... Samuela showed glimpses of his best self again tonight too..

I actually see why Galvin left..there was no way he was going to keep playing in the halves when we had Latu.. and he's grown up playing with him, so he knows how good he is .

ENd of rant
But I am happy with the progress

 

[Vicious]

Yes and I said it a few months ago.
Galvin, TDS and likely others live outside the brash “look at me” big chain, diamond earring loud hip hop or rap type culture that many in the team embrace. You can see it in Mays vlogs.. Most of the team talk like illiterate street trash yet quite a few shun the spotlight.
It’s all good, but if you are going to create a culture, it has to be inclusive.

That’s how it looks, but I don’t think that’s the problem.
To give an example Terrell went out of his way to have a good chat with Talyn while he was off the field tonight and you could see they were getting along just fine.
I’m convinced it’s Benji’s arrogance that is the problem, I don’t think his ego allows him to have proper conversations with any players that are unhappy or disillusioned with his decisions and anyone who’s coached teams in any sport at any level or managed teams or people in a workplace would know this is a big problem.

 

[Alex Seyfarth's #1 Fan]

Only so many times I can leave a game and think we didn’t win but we’re improving… starting to become deflating

First halves are an issue. We are starting games terribly. Then whatever is being said at halftime seems to work because they look like an actual functional team.

 

[Tucker]

What you describe reminds me of a young Benji.

Yes, well he is driving it.
The confidence that goes along with it is infectious. It can also be grating. If I’m a quieter type, I may want to sit back and have a relaxing beer whilst enjoying a win. Instead I get music turned up full bore, people screaming, others filming me, players jumping round, going crazy hugging me constantly and calling me bra every third word…lol it’s a very in your face cultural shift.

 

[Tom Shines]

First halves are an issue. We are starting games terribly. Then whatever is being said at halftime seems to work because they look like an actual functional team.

Shackles seem to get released in the second half… but they seem to always be behind and come up short..

 

[Tucker]

Shackles seem to get released in the second half… but they seem to always be behind and come up short..

So do we take that to mean that first halves are heavily game plan influenced and second halves are plan B, throw everything at the wall and see what sticks?

 

[Demps]

Yes, well he is driving it.
The confidence that goes along with it is infectious. It can also be grating. If I’m a quieter type, I may want to sit back and have a relaxing beer whilst enjoying a win. Instead I get music turned up full bore, people screaming, others filming me, players jumping round, going crazy hugging me constantly and calling me bra every third word…lol it’s a very in your face cultural shift.

I think it'll be the norm, moving forward.

We're giving young men good money to play footy and they're going to turn it up like this.

TDS seems like a good kid, not sure this is his steez.

Thinking under Benji our team is going to have a very Polynesian style representing the greater West.

They've linked up with a Claymore rap group for promo stuff in the pre season. There is a clear culture shift. I like it.

 

[Droppy05]

First halves are an issue. We are starting games terribly. Then whatever is being said at halftime seems to work because they look like an actual functional team.

Needs to say whatever he says at half time, before kick off.

 

[Telltails]

If Talyn is in talks with another club with possible immediate switch before June 30 they may not have wanted to risk him getting injured and only play him if it was absolutely necessary. My understanding is that coaches generally want to support players decisions and fans read from the outside is usually way off.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

If Talyn is in talks with another club with possible immediate switch before June 30 they may not have wanted to risk him getting injured and only play him if it was absolutely necessary. My understanding is that coaches generally want to support players decisions and fans read from the outside is usually way off.

That might be true, but we already had Latu there to cover injuries. It was the worst use of the bench this year, and that’s covering a lot of ground.

 

[TSP]

It is just stupid from Skelton.
Why do it?
Bloody moron.

His inner bulldog came out?

Nah, I hear you, it’s not funny, it was pathetic and he should be dropped over it.

 

[Tucker]

If Talyn is in talks with another club with possible immediate switch before June 30 they may not have wanted to risk him getting injured and only play him if it was absolutely necessary. My understanding is that coaches generally want to support players decisions and fans read from the outside is usually way off.

lol.
His job is to win first and foremost.
If he is looking after the player, that’s nice, but he could have used said player to win tonight and that’s more important,

 

[Demps]

We didn't get smashed by any means.

Discipline let us down and a few bad calls, or things overlooked like the 40/20 where Jed took the ball outside the line.

We're building something here...
Few more things to fall into place and we'll be looking more likely.

- Like to see Taylan May in the team, sooner rather than later, probably pushing AD out.
- KPP into our pack next year, likely pushing Seyfarth to bench... can't wait for this.
- Top 30 continually overhauled.

 

[TIGERS]

None of them have, bar maybe To’a. People are naming Turuva, who won premierships, May who was already a beast and rookies who have played less then 20 games, with nothing to gauge improvement on. You know the player I’m talking about. A dude who was a plodder, didn’t do much, then suddenly looks like a different player. You cannot measure rookies on that scale because they are virtually unknown quantities.

I'm not being snotty but can you give an example of where this has happened before at the scale that you're looking for from Benji? Either at our club or another. Plodders always look better when the star players are actually getting the job done. That's why Shannon Hegarty somehow had a rep career.

Tim Sheens took in Anthony Laffranchi from a bush footy team in Murwillumbah 15kg overweight and turned him into a rep quality forward. That'd be my pick, but that took at least 3 seasons.

I think its a bit too early trying to measure what you're describing. I think my answer would be "lets see". A lot of the coaches people here want to replace Benji, were given more time to establish their teams than people remember. Ricky Stuart and Brad Arthur each needed 4 full seasons to get the Raiders and the Eels to the finals.

 

[Tucker]

I think it'll be the norm, moving forward.

We're giving young men good money to play footy and they're going to turn it up like this.

TDS seems like a good kid, not sure this is his steez.

Thinking under Benji our team is going to have a very Polynesian style representing the greater West.

They've linked up with a Claymore rap group for promo stuff in the pre season. There is a clear culture shift. I like it.

I like it if it helps us win.
So far it isn’t and if it’s now possibly pushing young guys out then it should be reigned in a tad.

 

[Demps]

I like it if it helps us win.
So far it isn’t and if it’s now possibly pushing young guys out then it should be reigned in a tad.

Could, or could lean into it....

Penrith were known for it & carved up, massive try celebration, carry on.

I think we're very close to becoming a winning outfit, probably see it clearer next year or the year after.

 

[Tucker]

We didn't get smashed by any means.

Discipline let us down and a few bad calls, or things overlooked like the 40/20 where Jed took the ball outside the line.

We're building something here...
Few more things to fall into place and we'll be looking more likely.

- Like to see Taylan May in the team, sooner rather than later, probably pushing AD out.
- KPP into our pack next year, likely pushing Seyfarth to bench... can't wait for this.
- Top 30 continually overhauled.

I don’t like the shift to full Polynesian.
You need variety, you need different experiences, backgrounds and world views. You then build a culture based on shared values and goals. I suspect the new cultural shift is being forced on some of the guys rather than embracing something from them as well.
Might be way out of line on this but it’s how I see it currently. They aren’t a cohesive unit all facing the same way.

 

[TSP]

That’s how it looks, but I don’t think that’s the problem.
To give an example Terrell went out of his way to have a good chat with Talyn while he was off the field tonight and you could see they were getting along just fine.
I’m convinced it’s Benji’s arrogance that is the problem, I don’t think his ego allows him to have proper conversations with any players that are unhappy or disillusioned with his decisions and anyone who’s coached teams in any sport at any level or managed teams or people in a workplace would know this is a big problem.

I’m not sure he’s arrogant, I just think he’s unable to complete the coaching jigsaw puzzle.

He really needed a proper and longer apprenticeship before taking the reins.

It’s our fault we didn’t insist on it and perhaps his own error of judgment for downgrading its importance to his long term goals.

Like any job, it’s an advantage to know the ropes before you take command of the people who are supposed to be doing it.

He’s not across his brief.

Even JL raised our preparation as a potential issue when he was interviewed tonight. He didn’t elaborate unfortunately.

 

[Telltails]

lol.
His job is to win first and foremost.
If he is looking after the player, that’s nice, but he could have used said player to win tonight and that’s more important,

All ready made one change to the spine that was effective. Taking off Api for another rookie in a tight match - not too hard to understand why he didn't go down that path.
We are all the wiser with no guarantees of being right or wrong once the game is lost.

 

[Tucker]

Could, or could lean into it....

Penrith were known for it & carved up, massive try celebration, carry on.

I think we're very close to becoming a winning outfit, probably see it clearer next year or the year after.

Penriths was special because a lot of them came through together. It was more authentic. It annoyed me as it did you as I remember…but there’s no denying it worked for them.
I see them becoming a winning outfit to a degree. They need a few more starting players though. Losing Galvin and probably TDS will hurt though as both will end up being great players.