Coach Benji 👑

[Demps]

Hopefully that shit lazy basketballer larping as a fullback. Contracts havent meant anything in the NRL for 20 years. Tigers then can waste Jerry and Bulas money on further useless players and finish bottom 2. Rinse, repeat

Ain't happening.

Bulas our most well liked player by team mates and coaching staff.

He's playing injured so we ain't seeing anything close to first grade standard.

 

[Vicious]

He just extended a month or two ago.

He is small, not very fast or elusive and for some reason not capable of contesting any attacking high balls.
The only thing he has going for him is his fearless hit ups from backfield, which is not enough when our 1-5 as a whole lacks attacking flair.

 

[EllisFan]

He is small, not very fast or elusive and for some reason not capable of contesting any attacking high balls.
The only thing he has going for him is his fearless hit ups from backfield, which is not enough when our 1-5 as a whole lacks attacking flair.

If everyone played with his heart we’d be in contention.

 

[Vicious]

19 carries for 160m and 4 tackle breaks. Was taking two hit ups some sets. Thought he was our best.

Probably the best of a bad bunch, but we need to surround him with size, speed and attacking flair.
Why he never contests attacking high balls is strange to put it nicely?

 

[Demps]

He is small, not very fast or elusive and for some reason not capable of contesting any attacking high balls.
The only thing he has going for him is his fearless hit ups from backfield, which is not enough when our 1-5 as a whole lacks attacking flair.

Agree.

It's very lacking and has been for a long time.
Without Taylan May, it's incredibly weak.

Next year hopefully better.

1. Bula
2. Turuva
3. Taylan
4. Averillo
5. Makasini

Depth needing some improvement
Patrick Herbert
Tino Tavana

 

[EllisFan]

Probably the best of a bad bunch, but we need to surround him with size, speed and attacking flair.
Why he never contests attacking high balls is strange to put it nicely?

We didn’t start the season with a halfback for starters.

 

[Tiger-ferret]

When Api made breaks from dummy half there was no one backing him up at, we react so poorly in defense and attack. When the dogs were kicking last night they had 4-5 players chasing hard on them consistently.

Early in the season this was actually happening for us. A big reason we were successful. They are now coasting along for mad Monday with no belief.

 

[Vicious]

Agree.

It's very lacking and has been for a long time.
Without Taylan May, it's incredibly weak.

Next year hopefully better.

1. Bula
2. Turuva
3. Taylan
4. Averillo
5. Makasini

Depth needing some improvement
Patrick Herbert
Tino Tavana

That starting 1-5 looks ok when all are playing close to their best.
The back up you have noted is not even close to being good enough to still allow us to be competitive when we have any of the starting back 5 out of form or injured.
IF we had a couple of genuine stars amongst our 1-5 we could get away with those back up players you have noted, but because we do not have any genuine stars amongst them, we cannot afford to have lesser players as our immediate backup.

 

[Demps]

That starting 1-5 looks ok when all are playing close tj their best.
The back up you have noted is not even close to being good enough to still allow us to be competitive when we have any of the starting back 5 out of form or injured.
IF we had a couple of genuine stars amongst our 1-5 we could get away with those back up players you have noted, but because we do not have any genuine stars amongst them, we cannot afford to have lesser players as our immediate backup.

Also agree

We don't have the cattle.
Depth wise we have nothing.
We need to make some moves.

 

[innsaneink]

Its so frustrating. The small things really get to me. Like last night, AD and Toa chased a kick and made the tackle, then both stood at marker and switched off, Curran caught them out and scooted down the short side for 10 metres starting the roll on for that set. How do you bloody switch off at marker when playing NRL?
Another one is our inability to adjust when chasing a high kick. When our chasers cant get into a contest for the ball, the dont prop and balance themselves to make the tackle, they continue to run through allowing an easy 10, 20 or even 30 metres for the fullback. These little things have huge effects on mementun and are so simple to get right.

We never ever identify who offloads from the opposition and try and stop it. We made Max King look like a Arthur Beetson last night.

Very well described KS ...i see this a lot and comparing to other teams i see our deficiencies here, was hard for me to put into words but ... you nailed it...
Many other situations are similar where cartoon question marks.should be superimposed over players heads on the screen when they look at each other with blank "wth" expressions

 

[EllisFan]

That starting 1-5 looks ok when all are playing close tj their best.
The back up you have noted is not even close to being good enough to still allow us to be competitive when we have any of the starting back 5 out of form or injured.
IF we had a couple of genuine stars amongst our 1-5 we could get away with those back up players you have noted, but because we do not have any genuine stars amongst them, we cannot afford to have lesser players as our immediate backup.

Hard to judge the 1-5 when you come out with that sort of energy and application. Bula, not getting to that 40/20 is symptomatic of the mindset of the group. When morale is down it’s left up to individual efforts and the team are not working as one. Skelton looked asleep leading to two tries. Morale even further shot.

Judge our backs when our forwards and halves do their job.

 

[Demps]

Taylan May, KPP & Royce Hunt.
Amongst our best performers this year - currently injured.

Jahream, Starford, Apisai, AD, Samuela - all seem to be playing through injury.

And then Luai decides to de-reail the season with his look @ me approach.

This is what happens.

 

[Vicious]

We didn’t start the season with a halfback for starters.

I’m convinced that quality depth to challenge the likes of Turuva, Makasini, Bula and Averillo for their starting positions if they are not switched on and playing close to the best of their ability is required.
As it stands they could be playing at 50% of their abilities in 2027 and still be better than the back up options currently on our roster, so what is going to keep them on their toes?

 

[EllisFan]

I’m convinced that quality depth to challenge the likes of Turuva, Makasini, Bula and Averillo for their starting positions if they are not switched on and playing close to the best of their ability is required.
As it stands they could be playing at 50% of their abilities in 2027 and still be better than the back up options currently on our roster, so what is going to keep them on their toes?

See my post above. We got bashed in the forwards and our halves were outplayed comprehensively. Not a day to judge the backline, although Skelton had a Barry.

 

[Telltails]

Samuela would be on every clubs radar. It doesn't matter who he decides to sign with if it's not us - it's the same old same old question why we can't quietly retain players we want and have to pay overs with lengthy negotiations that result in player distractions and poor form.

Is it any wonder that coaches fail at this club - it doesn't go unnoticed that the last two coaches both premiership winners at the next clubs that they went to.

 

[Demps]

Samuela would be on every clubs radar. It doesn't matter who he decides to sign with if it's not us - it's the same old same old question why we can't quietly retain players we want and have to pay overs with lengthy negotiations that result in player distractions and poor form.

Is it any wonder that coaches fail at this club - it doesn't go unnoticed that the last two coaches both premiership winners at the next clubs that they went to.

Saw what we were capable of @ full strength... without Luai.

Need to get the players back on the park.
Add a few more.

And really strengthen our cup team to provide ready made replacement, depth wise, when these issues occur.

Latu, is the one.

 

[Gazman]

I love the guy to death. I really do. And he should have a job for life with the club in some form. It just can’t be doing what he’s doing because he doesn’t have it. At least not this point in time. I love my mother, but if the day ever comes and God forbid I get a brain tumour, I don’t want her to be the one to do the surgery. If he can’t be objective enough to jump, the club have to push him. Somethings going to give in the next 12 months. It has to.

Well said and I am a big fan but I always had my doubts whether this ever made him likely to become a good coach.

 

[Demps]

Fainus asked Benji to give Josh Schuuster a chance.

Think about that....

 

[Vicious]

Hard to judge the 1-5 when you come out with that sort of energy and application. Bula, not getting to that 40/20 is symptomatic of the mindset of the group. When morale is down it’s left up to individual efforts and the team are not working as one. Skelton looked asleep leading to two tries. Morale even further shot.

Judge our backs when our forwards and halves do their job.

I have been disgusted in how soft Terrell has been, particularly in the opening 20mins for the past 2 weeks.
Benji starting young Haywood in a game he knew there was going to be plenty of heat in the middle in the early stages was plain dumb.
The fact opposing teams have correctly identified we have virtually no attacking threat on our edges or out wide other than Samuela, means they can confidently compress their defence making it extremely hard to penetrate with one out running through the middle. Why we are constantly running one out is yet another issue.
This will not change anytime soon or in 2027 until we learn how to play expansive with some genuine attacking threat when opposing teams choose to compress their defence against us.
As poor as our forwards were in the opening exchanges and as poor as our general yardage has been in the opening exchanges, this is a big reason why it is happening and I am not sure how we fix it with the current calibre of outside backs we have?

 

[Bellend]

Taylan May, KPP & Royce Hunt.
Amongst our best performers this year - currently injured.

Jahream, Starford, Apisai, AD, Samuela - all seem to be playing through injury.

And then Luai decides to de-reail the season with his look @ me approach.

This is what happens.

Notice Starford when he ran out last night you could see he was not right.

Why can't Solo get a run in this team??