Death of the "Possibility"

[MGB]

Great post, summed it up for me.
I've always felt we are like a sports car, great on a long stretch of highway but take us off road and we break down.

The problem I have and it comes back to Sheens is we never seem to get the complete performance. One week our attack is great and ball control good while our defence is shaky or our first half is poor with a great second half to get us home or we just come out like yesterday looking flat and uninterested. We seem to be dropping the ball, making basic errors and then trying to pull out the miracle play to make amends. Our better performances have been built on the back of ball control, intensity in defence and a sense of timing that seems to have been lost to our playmakers in recent weeks.

I agree the side has to change it's approach but it isn't likely to happen all the same, we don't play a style similar to St George or Melbourne because we have creative playmakers such as Farah and Benji and we have to build an attacking structure around their strengths. We have invested most of our cap on it working.

I'm not sure what the answer is but getting back to basics and trying to do control the game through ball control and discipline might be a good place to start, maybe then our playmakers can learn to control the game better.

 

[supercoach]

Like everything in life football is continually changing and the smart teams change with the times, The very very smart teams invent the change for the other teams to follow. The not so good teams continue to do what they do be best even if its out dated. Iam afraid we seem to be in the last category. The Craig Underbelly style of football gets the job done at present, its now up to Sheens to invent a style of football that can break that style down, easier said than done.

Iam sure like most years, we the fans will get our usual rollcoaster ride for the rest of 2010,some highs and plenty of lows, but the brains trust at Concord must start making some very hard calls and maybe scarifying 2010 in order to get the ship pointing in the right direction for the years to come. We are a club crying out for change

 

[TigersFan4Life]

I used to jokingly say to my workmates during the last four years that the slowing down of the ruck was an NRL conspiracy to stop us from winning again.

 

[angeman]

fantastic post. and spot on. a sad ending to our style of footy…

 

[Tigerdave]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I've been wrestling with this feeling for a while and it wasn't until the loss on Sunday that it dawned on me that we weren't witnessing the loss of a game, we were witnessing the death of a strategy, a belief, "The Possibilities" - and that is far more serious. I've followed my Tigers through thick and thin - and the last time I felt like this was after losing to Manly in the 1990 semi-final. I knew after that game, that we had peaked and the "Possibility" for success was dead. What followed was years in the wilderness. I hope I'm wrong. Please Tigers, prove me wrong.

Bloody hell PO, i know Precisely the game you mean and how i felt after it. 20 - 0 wasn't it? It was the end of an era, never managed to get a band of players like that again.

I need a drink.

16-0 I believe Icon. We battled hard but we were clearly out of our depth. Garry jack looked old. Junior Pearce retired. End of an era. Truth be told, the cracks appeared earlier that year when we had the GF rematch with Canberra. We were couldn't compete - they'd taken it to another level. Ironic that Sheens put the end to the Big Forwards era back then and now we are witnessing Sheens grapple with the reality that small mobile forwards and flair just can't work as a concept anymore.

yeah it was 16-0, I was at that game, most disappointing to watch, much better the previous week beating the knights at a packed parra stadium :slight_smile:

 

[IronTiger]

Probably the best post I have read in years.The good teams now base their game plan on the Storm style of play. Its not always pretty but very effective and if it is done well it will win you plenty of football matches. Its all about completing sets, five charges up the middle get a quality kick in and defending with aggression. When you have dominated the other team both on the field and on the score board you than can have the luxury of ten minutes of flashy stuff at the end of the game. Okay it might be robotic and boring but it wins games and every september these teams get to play on while the others plan their mad mondays.

The only trouble we have assembled a team that dosnt want to play this style of football, they want to play the flashy way or should I say the easy way. Great to watch when it comes off three times a year but most off the other games when we are being rag dolled and dominated with and without the ball is sad.

The tiger style of 2005 will never be forgotten buts its dead and buried now. The old story if you cant beat them join them. You cant win a title without making the eight and we cant make the eight playing Sheens football, its that simple

It's sad and very true the pressure to perform as the so called expert dinosaurs in the media dictate is running and ruining the game. It's almost as if each team wants to have their head rubbed by Phil Gould et al and told well done.

When you see kids playing footy how many do see practicing tackles like Cameron Smith? Not as many as side stepping like Benji…that's our legacy.. :supporter:

 

[glebe_tiger]

pearce_off that was a great post, but havent we shouted it to the rooftops already over the years since 05 that the tigers have been failing every year because theyre still trying to play that style of football? ok the boring play wins u more games but the teams you guys mentioned storm, dragons and others in the top 8 have monster packs. our forwards are too small and more importantly our bench is rubbish.

 

[simonthetiger]

Love the insight but I disgaree…..

We are being let down in the fundamentals of the game......simple stuff like catch/pass/kick.

In 1990,when we played the Raiders,we did nothing wrong,but the Raiders had moved up a notch,I knew it was over that day!!

This team has guns in it that side never had,and they are playing nowhere near there potential.We all know guys like Benji/Farah/Lawrence...etc have so much more in them.

I have not given up.....not by a long shot.

We are on the same points as teams in the eight,we have a stack of players that at some stage must play somewhere near their potential,we have a stack of games in our spiritual bases and we have no one in Origin.

This is the time to stick by these boys,we have the chance in this Origin affected time to play teams that are weakened and get our finals plans back on track.

I still think we can win it.

Last week was a disgrace,but a big win this weekend will get us in the eight and heading in the right direction.

Its only early......

 

[pearce_off]

Love the insight but I disgaree…..

We are being let down in the fundamentals of the game......simple stuff like catch/pass/kick.

In 1990,when we played the Raiders,we did nothing wrong,but the Raiders had moved up a notch,I knew it was over that day!!

This team has guns in it that side never had,and they are playing nowhere near there potential.We all know guys like Benji/Farah/Lawrence...etc have so much more in them.

I have not given up.....not by a long shot.

We are on the same points as teams in the eight,we have a stack of players that at some stage must play somewhere near their potential,we have a stack of games in our spiritual bases and we have no one in Origin.

This is the time to stick by these boys,we have the chance in this Origin affected time to play teams that are weakened and get our finals plans back on track.

I still think we can win it.

Last week was a disgrace,but a big win this weekend will get us in the eight and heading in the right direction.

Its only early......

Simon, I agree with most of what you said, and I hope I made it clear that I still "Hope" things will come around and I still support this team. I desperately want our style of play to be successful. It is a noble method. I guess my point is our style of play has no fallback position. When people aren't "on" we get massacred. If we played more conventionally we are not so dependent on individual performances and injuries. Brilliance isn't resilient. You could take the best 4 players out of the Dragons and they will still put in a good performance due to the style they play. That is what gets you 14+ wins a year consistently- but doesn't neccessarily mean you'll have the x-factor to win the comp. Tim Sheens seems to have the approach that making the finals isn't as important as winning the lot when you get there. I've seen enough in the last 5 years to agree with that approach (albeit with some faith shaking periods). What I saw on Sunday was the first time I felt the "Possibilities' of that approach were no longer valid. I don't know if it is possible to get this team to play to their potential week in week out. You either play the conventional style consistently or you play brilliantly inconsistently. I'm not sure consistent brilliance is attainable, but I thank Tim Sheens for trying. That said, I agree with most, that Tim is shooting himself in the foot with bench policy. I just don't get that. I wish, just for once, we'd put 4 bigger guys on the bench and use them. It might make no difference at all but at least we'd all stop bitching about it. I personally think the problem runs deeper than bench and selection policy. My 2 cents.

 

[pearce_off]

Probably the best post I have read in years.The good teams now base their game plan on the Storm style of play. Its not always pretty but very effective and if it is done well it will win you plenty of football matches. Its all about completing sets, five charges up the middle get a quality kick in and defending with aggression. When you have dominated the other team both on the field and on the score board you than can have the luxury of ten minutes of flashy stuff at the end of the game. Okay it might be robotic and boring but it wins games and every september these teams get to play on while the others plan their mad mondays.

The only trouble we have assembled a team that dosnt want to play this style of football, they want to play the flashy way or should I say the easy way. Great to watch when it comes off three times a year but most off the other games when we are being rag dolled and dominated with and without the ball is sad.

The tiger style of 2005 will never be forgotten buts its dead and buried now. The old story if you cant beat them join them. You cant win a title without making the eight and we cant make the eight playing Sheens football, its that simple

It's sad and very true the pressure to perform as the so called expert dinosaurs in the media dictate is running and ruining the game. It's almost as if each team wants to have their head rubbed by Phil Gould et al and told well done.

**When you see kids playing footy how many do see practicing tackles like Cameron Smith? Not as many as side stepping like Benji…that's our legacy..** :supporter:

Love that quote IT. I love the way we play when we are "on". Hence why I am sad our style is heading for extinction.

 

[tigergirlz]

Like everything in life football is continually changing and the smart teams change with the times, The very very smart teams invent the change for the other teams to follow. The not so good teams continue to do what they do be best even if its out dated. Iam afraid we seem to be in the last category. The Craig Underbelly style of football gets the job done at present, its now up to Sheens to invent a style of football that can break that style down, easier said than done.

Yes supercoach I heartily agree.
The 2005 excitement football unfortunately has had its day, and damn the changes that caused it to be so.
Lets hope the playing style that supercedes the Melbourne game plan excites.
Tim Sheens did wonders, but perhaps he has had his time. I wonder who the coach will be that comes up with new winning formula?

 

[Swannie47]

Love the insight but I disgaree…..

We are being let down in the fundamentals of the game......simple stuff like catch/pass/kick.

In 1990,when we played the Raiders,we did nothing wrong,but the Raiders had moved up a notch,I knew it was over that day!!

This team has guns in it that side never had,and they are playing nowhere near there potential.We all know guys like Benji/Farah/Lawrence...etc have so much more in them.

I have not given up.....not by a long shot.

We are on the same points as teams in the eight,we have a stack of players that at some stage must play somewhere near their potential,we have a stack of games in our spiritual bases and we have no one in Origin.

This is the time to stick by these boys,we have the chance in this Origin affected time to play teams that are weakened and get our finals plans back on track.

I still think we can win it.

Last week was a disgrace,but a big win this weekend will get us in the eight and heading in the right direction.

Its only early......

As I've calmed down over the week I'm coming around to this thinking as well. That game last week and it's aftermath might have been the kick up the arse the Tigers needed.

 

[old_man_tiger]

PO, your post brought a tear to my eye, seriously. I love(d) how crazy we play and could put up with the past few years hoping the dream would come good. And I was ready to get the tissues out, but then I read Simonthetiger's post and there's a bit of kick left in the heart of my hope still.

I will support this crazy team of so called "limited" players who kill themselves every week and incompetent geniuses no matter what, changing that is not possible. For the first time I actually feel for the players and coach more than the club. I hope they read some of this more analytical stuff and remember that they have to play for each other, and if they don't want to, they owe it to us to leave.