My take

[Gary_Bakerloo]

The opening post makes some excellent points. Wests held on for much longer than I expected with the amount of possession Brisbane received.

When you bring in so many young players, you expect dips in performances. Obviously never played first grade, but I imagine it is hard for a 20 year old to play week in week out early in their career. It must be a steep learning curve.

In light of the above, I had the following frustrations:

1\. Why is it that Tedesco, Simona, Woods, Nofoaluma & Sue with less than 100 first grade games between them, are playing with cool experienced heads when players like Marshall and Ayshford are playing like rookies? Chip kicks, running near the sideline on tackle one, panic passes all completed by some of our most experienced players.

2\. Why the change in game plan? Why was Benji playing first receiver? The last two wins had been build on a solid game plan with Sironen playing first receiver and playing DIRECT. The side-to-side rubbish returned last night.

Pettybourne should be playing for the Magpies this weekend. Benji is an awful defender, that is a given, but a second rower should not be brushed aside as Pettybourne was last night by Gillett. I would argue that was the turning point of the match. Pettybourne's pathetic miss on Gillett displayed to the Brisbane forwards we were soft and they ran with increased purpose for the rest of the match. From that moment, we were going backwards (probably explains the side-to-side).

On the positive, it was great that Nofoaluma picked himself up after the dropped ball and did not make any further mistakes.

 

[Newtown]

Experienced players like Marshall, Ayshford, Blair and Pettybourne are playing like rookies because they know they will be selected in first grade week in and week out no matter how they play each week. Players like Farlow respect their chance when their first grade status when selected. Theirin lies the crux of the problem with Wests Tigers.problem. Mick Potter will you take note or will you brush it off as usual?

 

[1_4_chicken_chips]

I thought we were in until the first interchange , once woodsy went off the broncs started dominating the middle .i don't believe the broncs were good , the stats lied .broncs won't make the top 8 ,and griffin will get the bullet.anasta was going well until he got injured .we have the nuclease of a good side at full strength , we just need some good back rowers and two good centres,,,, I also think Benji is doing a Seward in the hope of getting a release , no Nrl club will give Benji the money he wants in his current form

 

[Paris_Cobbs]

I realize that the ideal model is that everyone defends and shares the load, but at Benji's age and time in his career, it isn't his defense that we should be focusing on. In his last few seasons, Lockyer made few tackles per game and that was the plan. It ought to be the plan for Benji too. He shouldn't be required to wrestle with someone the size of Gillette on his own. That's someone else's job.

I live in France and sometimes watch French Rugby. English rugby legend Johnny Wilkinson is still playing. No one asks why he doesn't make more tackles, all they care about is how many goals he kicks.

 

[Tim Sheens]

I thought the Broncos were bog stock ordinary tonight. We gifted them field position which put us under the pump for consecutive sets and we buckled, unable to work it out, and if we did couldnt book-end it with a decent kick and chase. If we kept it together for the back end of the first half we would have gone a long way to winning that game.

Many were good, though those that were poor I wouldnt even freaken feed.

+1

 

[happy_tiger]

I thought the Broncos were bog stock ordinary tonight. We gifted them field position which put us under the pump for consecutive sets and we buckled, unable to work it out, and if we did couldnt book-end it with a decent kick and chase. If we kept it together for the back end of the first half we would have gone a long way to winning that game.

Many were good, though those that were poor I wouldnt even freaken feed.

+1

I still gave us half a chance if we could of gone in 12-6 at HT

 

[innsaneink]

Wow, amazing round up!

I think one thing that NO ONE has mentioned is METRES! we have made the absolute worst metres in the NRL this season as of last round, doubt its any better this week. And I'm sure we have conceded the most. Around round 7 we had the worst metres differential (-200m) of any team and i'm pretty sure it's gotten worse. We struggle to break 45m gained and concede more than 50 in MANY sets game after game.

We need more go forward and we need to contain them! We contained them against the cowboys and penrith to some degree but not even close this week.

**Any ideas on how to reduce their metres?** I mean, we can buy, we can sell but that's for later. We're just outmuscled or have no desire. Combination of both i reckon.

New defense coach????

 

[TurnStyle]

I live in France and sometimes watch French Rugby. English rugby legend Johnny Wilkinson is still playing. No one asks why he doesn't make more tackles, all they care about is how many goals he kicks.

then maybe marshall should head to france and play union. the nrl is not the nfl, nor french rugby and he is and has been for a long time a big liability.

bon voyage i say!

also, i am so sick and tired of the old "he needs a decent halfback and forward pack". :deadhorse:

 

[TurnStyle]

@ macdougall: fantastic take. thanks for that.

one question i have though is about tedesco. i think he is doing pretty well, and really knows how a fullback should play. i saw he is listed as 93kgs, and even looks to be pretty well put together for a young fullback. is it a matter of him developing more physically? and can this be achieved in the nyc? some of those young dudes are massive!!! would nsw cup be better to help him acclimatise?

as for marshall, well, one can only hope he really does do a soward and asks for a release….what ever happened to that japan rugby thing from a few seasons ago??

 

[MacDougall]

I don't think it's a case of him being too small. He's just not built like an adult yet. He'll likely end up more of a Hayne build than a Slater build but right now he is just getting hammered. It's good though because you can see that he's not leaving anything on the field unlike Benji who doesn't want to get his knees grazed.

 

[barra]

The Broncos didn't play that bad nor were they that good. They complete sets and defend well against average attack. It was one of those games where the other team has the opportunity to win but the simple fact was that apart from a couple of players we weren't good enough across the park.

We got out muscled in the middle and there isn't any sign of that being turned around. As many have said, we are short one good prop and we also miss Galloway.

And our halves structure and kicking were woeful, as was Benji's defence.