Adam Doueihi #227

[weststigers]

Would you prefer to be averaging 0 points per game and why would the ONLY person providing and points be the problem?
Why do players who consistently provide nothing always escape criticism?

How are you so sure it will be 0?

I love how your brain works - you create a fantasy scenario (no Doueihi = 0 points a game) and present it as fact, then compare it to actual facts. Your planet must be beautiful...is there room on it for the rest of us?

 

[tonza]

I've tried hard to keep my bias about Adam Doueihi in check.

I've been one of his biggest critics. I've advocated for him to either become a ball-playing 13 or move on. At the start of the season, after stringing a few good games, I was starting to wonder if my assessment of AD was wrong.

It wasn't..

AD is a myth in his own lunchbox.

Since returning, he's done exactly what he's always done. He dominates the team but doesn't dominate the opposition.

AD is Hastings in a bigger body with a touch more skill. He overcalls the attack, overplays his hand and slows our shape. Every now and then he pulls off a play that has everyone saying, "See, that's why he's in the team." Meanwhile, the fifty ordinary involvements, and the arm grabbing defence, gets forgotten.

Last night was the tipping point. The arm-grabbing. kicking to himself, wrong option plays killed overlap after overlap and kept us out of the contest. He wanted to be the answer to every question, and he ended up being most of the problem.

Before anyone says I'm just an AD hater, this isn't about one game. It's the same pattern we've seen since forever. He gives plenty of effort, but effort isn't the issue. Decision-making is.

I've never believed he's an NRL halfback. I don't think he's a genuine five-eighth either. Yet Benji continues to build large parts of our attack around him.

Why?

What has Adam Doueihi shown in the No.6 or No.7 jersey that justifies making him one of the dominant voices in this team?

When AD becomes the focal point, our attack becomes slower, narrower and easier to defend. Sure he can pull it off occasionally, but does the emporer really have new clothes?

Call me biased if you like, but point to the football.

What am I missing?

Doueihi has had some great games this year, but nothing has changed. He is still a Hog. He only ever passes the ball that he does not want or the one he feels he can't do anything with. Sometimes by the time he has decided it is not for him the overlap has gone. As a halfback he gets to decide more often than not whether he will pass or Hog. A lot of us know what the decision will be.

 

[Vicious]

How are you so sure it will be 0?

I love how your brain works - you create a fantasy scenario (no Doueihi = 0 points a game) and present it as fact, then compare it to actual facts. Your planet must be beautiful...is there room on it for the rest of us?

It is quite sinpke, our other key players show zero willingness or abilities score points unless our team is well on top and rolling through the opposition.
In case you haven’t noticed, it has been a while since our team was well on top and rolling through the opposition.

 

[Tom Shines]

Would you prefer to be averaging 0 points per game and why would the ONLY person providing and points be the problem?
Why do players who consistently provide nothing always escape criticism?

Well .. he is our starting half … who else carries more responsibility to get our attack going ?

 

[Vicious]

Well .. he is our starting half … who else carries more responsibility to get our attack going ?

You watch other NRL games, you tell me do all other NRL teams only rely on their 7, or do plenty of others assist, particularly fullbacks who regularly come up with a big plays to try and turn the momentum when their team is struggling?

 

[Tom Shines]

You watch other NRL games, you tell me do all other NRL teams only rely on their 7,

, do you watch the best team in the comp, Penrith, at all?

 

[Vicious]

, do you watch the best team Penrith at all?

Absolutely and they are a great example of getting plenty of momentum changing plays from their fullback as well as having their edge 2nd rowers and centres constantly looking to steam onto the ball whether they receive the ball or not.

 

[Tom Shines]

Absolutely and they are a great example of getting plenty of momentum changing plays from their fullback as well as having their edge 2nd rowers and centres constantly looking to steam onto the ball whether they receive the ball or not.

Their 7 is the main driver of their attack …

 

[Vicious]

Their 7 is the main driver of their attack …

What about Souths?
They have a 1 and 7 both on very minimal contracts, Dufty was only on a NSW Cup contract to start the season, yet his output and attack far outweighs what we are getting from our fullback.
Do you think if we swap Adam Doueihi for Ward from Souths that all our troubles will be over?
Souths are getting maximum value from budget cost players and this is happening based on having explosive ball runners on their edges.

 

[Tom Shines]

What about Souths?
They have a 1 and 7 both on very minimal contracts, Dufty was only on a NSW Cup contract to start the season, yet his output and attack far outweighs what we are getting from our fullback.
Do you think if we swap Adam Doueihi for Ward from Souths that all our troubles will be over?
Souths are getting maximum value from budget cost players and this is happening based on having explosive ball runners on their edges.

I’d rather swap him for Katoa ,

 

[Vicious]

I’d rather swap him for Katoa ,

And Katoa would say sure providing you bring Hamiso-Fidow, Farnworth, Bostock and Cobbo with me.
Tom you could have a run at halfback and the team with those beasts in the outside backs would still score a few tries.

 

[Tom Shines]

And Katoa would say sure providing you bring Hamiso-Fidow, Farnworth, Bostock and Cobbo with me.

Sounds good … should we send Shaun an email ?

 

[Vicious]

Sounds good … should we send Shaun an email ?

Well they are all currently available for 2028 I think?
We would still have some supporters whinging that we let Bula and Turuva go even if we got Tabuai-Fidow and Cobbo to replace them.

 

[Speed2burn]

Absolutely and they are a great example of getting plenty of momentum changing plays from their fullback as well as having their edge 2nd rowers and centres constantly looking to steam onto the ball whether they receive the ball or not.

Do you think Doueihi provides the ball enough to get these guys “steaming onto the ball” ? I mean, that’s what mainly the argument is about. Doueihi is a great individual player who can make great individual plays, but he is a known hog.

When was the last time you seen him combine with any of our spine players? Even when he does rarely pass the ball to our outside men, it’s often with poor timing or accuracy. A great halfback makes the players around him better, and you definitely can’t say that about our team at present.

 

[Vicious]

Do you think Doueihi provides the ball enough to get these guys “steaming onto the ball” ? I mean, that’s what mainly the argument is about. Doueihi is a great individual player who can make great individual plays, but he is a known hog.

When was the last time you seen him combine with any of our spine players? Even when he does rarely pass the ball to our outside men, it’s often with poor timing or accuracy. A great halfback makes the players around him better, and you definitely can’t say that about our team at present.

He created space beautifully for Luai to put Makasini into the home against the Warriors.
A bit different to what you are talking about but he put Sukkar into a nice space to score his try a few weeks ago.
I don’t think any halve we have had has found a watch combine well with Bula and that is a far bigger problem than Doueihi at 7.
Bula has his strengths such as his height, speed and he always does his best, so I think he would make a good speedy winger with an aerial threat providing you had a few other outside backs that could carry the load with the yardage carries that he is not very good at due to his slight build.
But as a fullback he just has no instinct and deception to make him easy to combine with.
IF we could guarantee we could have tackle busting second rowers and centres for him to feed off each week he could get away with his lack of instant deception, but we only have 3 who have all had injury plagued seasons and there is no guarantee they will avoid any injuries moving forward.
When you think about it, Galvin probably combined with Bula better than any other halves have had, which is interesting when you think about it.

 

[Speed2burn]

He created space beautifully for Luai to put Makasini into the home against the Warriors.
A bit different to what you are talking about but he put Sukkar into a nice space to score his try a few weeks ago.
I don’t think any halve we have had has found a watch combine well with Bula and that is a far bigger problem than Doueihi at 7.
Bula has his strengths such as his height, speed and he always does his best, so I think he would make a good speedy winger with an aerial threat providing you had a few other outside backs that could carry the load with the yardage carries that he is not very good at due to his slight build.
But as a fullback he just has no instinct and deception to make him easy to combine with.
IF we could guarantee we could have tackle busting second rowers and centres for him to feed off each week he could get away with his lack of instant deception, but we only have 3 who have all had injury plagued seasons and there is no guarantee they will avoid any injuries moving forward.
When you think about it, Galvin probably combined with Bula better than any other halves have had, which is interesting when you think about it.

Yes those particular plays are what people are crying out for, I know we fluffed up the Makasini one but why can’t we do it more often?

I think the biggest disconnect has been our second rowers .. nobody fears a Tony Sukkar or Sione Finau on the edge, but when we were humming earlier in the year we had Samuela Fainu and KPP as a constant threat whether it be out the back or hitting them short. I honestly believe we trained all pre season to be heavily reliant on KPP and Fainu and now its showing with no particular plan B

 

[mtd#2]

Adel was giving it to AD and said he should be shown the door.. which seems harsh, unless there is more to the story we don’t know and Adel does ..

I didn’t like AD throwing either Luai, Maka or both under the bus in the PC …he made plenty of errors himself including my pet hate not finding touch from a penalty in the first two minutes ..which got them off on the wrong foot… not really coming across as Captain material with comments like that..

I heard Adel say that, now his words mean nothing to me. To suggest we get rid of a bloke who has been out heart and soul is insanity to me.

AD also didn't throw them under the bus, he spoke the truth that if maka caught that ball right it's a try.. that had the ability to change the momentum of the game

But yeah, there's a reason Adel coaches in Qld cup and not the NRL

 

[Tiger_Yoshi]

I heard Adel say that, now his words mean nothing to me. To suggest we get rid of a bloke who has been out heart and soul is insanity to me.

AD also didn't throw them under the bus, he spoke the truth that if maka caught that ball right it's a try.. that had the ability to change the momentum of the game

But yeah, there's a reason Adel coaches in Qld cup and not the NRL

He also has a chip on his shoulder with the WT as they showed him the door as NRLW coach....!

 

[Vicious]

Yes those particular plays are what people are crying out for, I know we fluffed up the Makasini one but why can’t we do it more often?

I think the biggest disconnect has been our second rowers .. nobody fears a Tony Sukkar or Sione Finau on the edge, but when we were humming earlier in the year we had Samuela Fainu and KPP as a constant threat whether it be out the back or hitting them short. I honestly believe we trained all pre season to be heavily reliant on KPP and Fainu and now its showing with no particular plan B

Sione does his best, but he is an out and out middle and although Sukkar has played most of his career as a 2nd rower and has good size and reasonable mobility, he is not a known hole runner or tackle buster and has no real step or jink to make him hard to tackle, therefore I think he is destined to be a prop also.
Lack of good hole running, tackle busting 2nd rowers and centres is a large part of our lack of attack, but Bula’s lack of involvement and creativity is also a big factor which keeps getting ignored.

 

[Vicious]

He also has a chip on his shoulder with the WT as they showed him the door as NRLW coach....!

If he thinks AD is our problem, thank god they got rid of him.