Yes, it was a great win over the Slimeys. Yes, there was resilience, and yes, the connectivity across the park was the best we’ve seen in a while. But if we’re being honest, we need to get past the euphoria pretty quickly – because that performance, taken as a whole, isn’t one we should be overly satisfied with.
We were the better side for long stretches. The middle owned the game, the edges created pressure, and the platform was there to put Parra away. But they didn’t. That’s the issue. Dominance without conversion doesn’t hold up against better sides, and if this team is serious about staying in the eight, that gap has to close.
It starts again with Api Koroisau, who was still the most influential player on the field. Even factoring in a few missed tackles – including the Mitchell Moses ankle tap – his control through the middle and his defensive organisation set the tone. He gave the side every opportunity to take control of the game properly. The platform was there because of him.
Out wide, Kai Pearce-Paul and Samuela Fainu were genuinely dominant. They won their matchups, bent the line, and forced Parra into constant adjustments. That edge performance should have translated into points. More of them. Instead, too often we reset rather than playing what was in front of us.
That’s where the bigger concern sits. The footy IQ just wasn’t quite there. There were repeated chances to capitalise on a retreating defensive line, particularly through the centre corridor, and the adjustment didn’t come. The halves didn't react as well as they should have to the flow of the game. That’s not a structural issue, that’s a decision-making one.
Jock and AD are right in the middle of that. There were positives with the ball, no doubt, but the execution in key moments let them both down. AD was a “handbrake” at times but he did contribute to moments where the attack lost its edge. His balance between control and instinct wasn’t right, and it fed into the broader issue of not adapting quickly enough when the game opened up.
Through the middle, Royce Hunt did exactly what was needed in terms of impact and physicality, and Luke Laulilii’s defensive error, while poor, was just that – a moment, not a defining feature. His ability to get us going early in sets is why he is good for the team; however, he will be pushing to retain his spot if he doesn't address the defensive brain farts.
We won beacuse we were connected, physically up for it, and controlled large parts of the game. That’s the positive. The concern is that we didn't turn that control into a result that reflected it.
Enjoy the win, absolutely. But don’t get carried away by it. The foundation – culture, fitness, connectivity – looks real. The next step is game awareness. Recognising when to break structure, when to press an advantage, and when to put a side away.
If we keep leaving points out there like that, they won’t just be tight games – we’ll start losing them. And that’s the difference between pretenders and a team that belongs there.
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