Can we trust this team and coach going forward?

[Knuckles]

When we lost in a heartbreaking field goal to the Storm earlier in the year, we lost our next match to the Raiders by 50 points. This time, we lost to the Titans last week in a heartbreaker and subsequently got thumped by the Panthers.
I question the mental toughness of our team.
I agree we have improved somewhat this season but in no way do I believe this is a top eight side ….. We need another centre and two big strong forwards.

 

[wmlmaster]

The fact that the team needs to make 3 positional changes to ensure Farah is not in the team is bemusing. I couldn't care less if Farah was not in the team.. if the person replacing him was actually a hooker.

The fact that when Dene goes off… Rankin goes to hooker, and then Simona moves out to wing and Lawrence to centre (Where his best days are past) and then a new second rower in is absolutely ridiculous. We got away with it against Parra and the Dragons, but I feel we were really found out by that fact tonight and against GC. This comes back to the feud and the loggerheads at which Farah and Taylor are. Taylor, a former FG player and now coach... should well and truly know, making significant positional changes during a game, ruins cohesiveness and balance in the side. This is his decision pure and simple. Worked for a week or two but has really come back to bite him squarely on the ass the past couple of weeks. This ego driven move has cost the tigers massively IMO. No other coach would do something so drastic to ensure that specific players are not in the team. If you wanna hook him, fine no worries, but do replace him with a Hooker... not bit part players and shuffle 4 blokes to ensure it "works". Therefore I believe, that we cannot continue with Taylor... yeah boys are behind him, but his decision making and team selections are poor and quite juvenile.

Spot on

 

[vlad]

So Taylor sacked & Farah starting would've changed the result tonight ? Geez this NRL comp is easy if that's all you need to do . What are we waiting for ? Lock it in !!

The loss of Teddy was massive . Rankin dropping bombs or being pushed back in goal put us under enormous & sustained pressure on our goal line . We simply aren't good enough to handle a lopsided possession against us . The teams at the top of the ladder know how to slow down the play the ball or concede cynical penalties to slow momentum & reset their line when things aren't going their way . The WTs unfortunately don't .

 

[innsaneink]

When we lost in a heartbreaking field goal to the Storm earlier in the year, we lost our next match to the Raiders by 50 points. This time, we lost to the Titans last week in a heartbreaker and subsequently got thumped by the Panthers.
I question the mental toughness of our team.
I agree we have improved somewhat this season but in no way do I believe this is a top eight side ….. We need another centre and two big strong forwards.

Good call… I saw you mentioned that before.
It was a mental thing.... The 2nd half was a truer reflection of us but going into the game Taylor r missed something... Wether it's evident, and Wether it's a factor or coincidence who knows. You'd think as professional they could forget the past and focus on what's ahead?

 

[Guest]

You don't think my question is fair ink?? How about debate what is in my post rather then do your usual and play the man?

Fair post eddie. As per usual we choked under pressure. We have improved this year but still not where we need to be as far as competing with the top teams on a consistent basis.

 

[Tim Sheens]

We started okay and there was plenty of talk to begin with, so we did turn up for the match, just not at the really high level of the opposition, who were at their best. It happens, just like bad ones under the high ball, which Rankin had last night. He did well to come back from a shocking early part of the game, just as most of our forwards that got owned in the first half did.

Our first long chase was not good and Penrith exploited stragglers in a somewhat incomplete line. Subsequent penalties and very poor edge had us in deep trouble as they got momentum and took control with two thirds of possession. Pretty sure the panthers would see last night as up with their best this year.

Disappointing, yeah, but after having time to regain our composure at the break, we came out and had a dig against a team that were hot to trot with their A game well and truly on.

 

[stevetiger]

With Farah and Tedesco out our 2 best as i said last night we won't win another gamer this year.

Farah definitely isn't one of our 2 best players now. We've hardly missed him when he has been out. Woods and Moses are definitely better than Robbie.

I'd still play Robbie but whoever signed him to such a massive contract is an idiot.

 

[stevetiger]

Anyone who thinks this is solely on the coach, and that we have a good roster, is kidding themselves.

Anyone who says we have a dud roster is kidding themselves. We have talent all over the park.

We have quality players in Tedesco, Woods and Robbie. We have some great workers in ET, Grant, Ava, Sue etc. We have Moses who is looking more and more like he will be at the level of Tedesco and Woods. Brooks is another up and coming player. We have speed and skill to burn out wide in Simona, Nofo and Naiqama.

Rankin is the only player I can think of who really struggles as a first grader.

It's also definitely not solely the coach but the coach has been a big problem. I do think that JT could actually be a good coach if he would just play Robbie and left the crazy contract that Robbie got paid for someone else to handle. I also think JT has learnt from his stupid Taylorball game plans that didn't work. So the coach isn't really that big a problem to me at this point in time.

I think if we get lucky with the injury gods and we recruit smartly for next season we can have a really good year next year.

 

[stevetiger]

JT's whole mantra coming in to the club was defence, defence, defence.

You can't go off those comments anymore. Yes he said stupid stuff. Yes he was a complete and utter moron.

He isn't doing that anymore though and I think we should drop talking about it. Taylorball didn't work. The coaching staff recognised that and have made the necessary adjustments.

It was a bad loss last night but sometimes your team simply isn't going to get up. We also replaced our best player who plays a critical position with a guy who tries hard and is a great utility player but isn't really a first grade player at this point and that made a pretty significant difference to the team.

 

[hybrid_tiger]

Another piss weak performance when the season is on the line? Colour me shocked.

Just like 2012, 2007 and countless other years.

No matter the coaching staff or players, this club is just built on a losing culture. A culture of mediocrity.

 

[stevetiger]

Swap Cleary and Brooks tonight and the result wouldn't change an iota. We got smashed through the middle in the first half, and gave up embarrassingly soft tries. It wasn't even as if they wore us down with field position - just poor errors from us and shocking defence.
Cleary was fine, but really didn't have a huge influence on the game at all.

100% correct. We just got rolled. It wasn't just up the middle as well. It was their outside backs who played like forwards.

 

[stevetiger]

That's a key point right there. Taylor's continued arrogance of excluding Farah means we play without a specialist hooker and have to shuffle three around when Halatau comes off. All because of Taylor's lack of player management skills. A personal "win" for him at the cost of team success. Some coach, eh? Some management too who witness it and allow it to happen. Disgraceful.

This is fair criticism of Taylor. Halatau is a great player and I reckon we will miss him. He really put on some great hits out there last night. The thing is Halatau isn't a great hooker. He is a great interchange hooker who can give you some quality minutes there but he isn't a great hooker.

Robbie should be one of the first picked every week. It's dumb the way this has played out.

 

[stevetiger]

So Taylor sacked & Farah starting would've changed the result tonight ? Geez this NRL comp is easy if that's all you need to do . What are we waiting for ? Lock it in !!

The loss of Teddy was massive . Rankin dropping bombs or being pushed back in goal put us under enormous & sustained pressure on our goal line . We simply aren't good enough to handle a lopsided possession against us . The teams at the top of the ladder know how to slow down the play the ball or concede cynical penalties to slow momentum & reset their line when things aren't going their way . The WTs unfortunately don't .

I agree. Robbie coming in doesn't change the result. Maybe we still lose if Teddy is there but we didn't have a chance with the possession against us due to predominantly Rankin dropping the footy.

 

[goldcoast_tiger]

With the Roosters almost gauranteed to be back in contention, and Souths to throw whatever money needed to get higher up again. And Parra not losing 12 points again I can see us being back to our more realistic position . Between 12th to 14th.
Unless we can buy players that can play under pressure, and a Coach that can coach , and play the best players that we have on hand.
We are in trouble without Tedesco, and that's one of our big problems, but our biggest is that when it comes to the crunch, we are still as soft as ever, going on what we've seen against The raiders and last night. We've wasted 2 seasons on much trumpeted ( but non existent )defence improvement. especially out right side.
Unfortunately next year we won't be able to have some of the under performing teams, that we had this year

 

[rex2ce]

We lacked "cohesion"

 

[philgood]

How can you trust a coach who dropped the NSW hooker to reserve grade and fields a team with no genuine hooker?

 

[GNR4LIFE]

With the Roosters almost gauranteed to be back in contention, and Souths to throw whatever money needed to get higher up again. And Parra not losing 12 points again I can see us being back to our more realistic position . Between 12th to 14th.
Unless we can buy players that can play under pressure, and a Coach that can coach , and play the best players that we have on hand.
We are in trouble without Tedesco, and that's one of our big problems, but our biggest is that when it comes to the crunch, we are still as soft as ever, going on what we've seen against The raiders and last night. We've wasted 2 seasons on much trumpeted ( but non existent )defence improvement. especially out right side.
Unfortunately next year we won't be able to have some of the under performing teams, that we had this year

Guaranteed? Lol. Nothing is guaranteed in this competition. Also you seem to have more confidence in Souths than most of their supporters. There's no indication they'll be back up the ladder next yr. You're not talking them up because that's where Robbie will be is it?

 

[TYGA]

The reality is we are a light weight club without the same board level strength as the bigger clubs. We don't have the financial support and can't attract to flight talent both players and coaching. We are doing all we really can and that is build from within. Our only chance is to hold onto Brooks, Moses, Teddy and emulate the Storm.
I don't rate the coach I feel we need better if we are going to be a finals team as even with this squad team selections have been poor and we have way too many games we don't turn up. He seems to have favourites that just don't cut it Rankin, Lovett etc

 

[Club_Sandwich]

I wrote this on another thread but perhaps the only positive to come out of this abysmal performance is that JT might be sacked at years end. Wasn't his contract for next year dependent on us making the 8?
Kidwell is gone for 2017 too. A new defensive coach that has a clue may make a world of difference.
Farah will also hopefully be gone which may improve locker room morale.
I'm hoping these things make a massive difference. We have to hope.

 

[Guest]

I wrote this on another thread but perhaps the only positive to come out of this abysmal performance is that JT might be sacked at years end. Wasn't his contract for next year dependent on us making the 8?
Kidwell is gone for 2017 too. A new defensive coach that has a clue may make a world of difference.
Farah will also hopefully be gone which may improve locker room morale.
I'm hoping these things make a massive difference. We have to hope.

Taylor will be here next season. People need to stop goin around in circles about this.