I feel bad about starting a new post because I'm wary of adding to the dribble, but I feel that fans here need to calm down. In all the analysis of how the Tigers are 'stale' and 'they aren't giving 100%' and 'benji is a touch player' and 'sheens needs to be sacked' and 'blair is useless' no one has bothered to talk about how depleted our side is and how much commitment they showed last night. So, the injuries:
1\. Tedesco
2\. Utai
5\. Tuquiri
7\. Moltzen
9\. Farah
11\. Ellis
(12\. Dwyer- does he still count?)
Think about how injuries in those positions would affect every other side in the competition. Think about how it would affect the bulldogs. Nevermind taking all their other players out- if you take out Barba their side has nothing.
So, half the side is taken out (including our captain, arguably the best second rower in the game and our speed in the backline as well as both of our wingers) and we still compete against the form side in the competition. I agree that we were scrappy and Benji had a poor second half but this is a piecemeal team which was down a man early on. So, sure it was hard to see a structure out there but that is inevitable when a team is a depleted as ours.
I am pariticularly disappointed with the benji bashing. The whole team revolves around him at the moment and I think it is really poor form to have a go at his performance. His kicking game certainly went missing in the second half but how about (after we always complain about the lack of loyalty shown by players) we give the guy a break for a subpar performance. It is not as if he went missing in the match or wasn't playing hard, so do you really want to have a go at a player who has been our best for the last seven years and will continue to be into the future? His entire spine which he had trained with all summer (tedesco, moltzen, farah) was missing today and he still led our side to almost getting a victory against the best side in the comp.
Sheens also deserves praise for turning players like Ryan, Humble, Iosefa, Bell into serviceable first graders. They are all rejects from other clubs who consistently perform for us in a range of different positions. So, while you all go on about how fed up you are none of you offer much analysis of how Sheens should be doing things better (how come he didn't have a winger on the bench tonight?????). Also, consider who out there you want to get. Should we get Lamb back? How about Stuart? Stuart has a proven record of developing excellent halves (for other clubs once they leave his coaching). Langmack? Fittler? None offer anything. But Sheens is not only the right option because there is no one else, he also encourages the most exciting brand of footy in the competition and is one of the best at developing juniors. Fans take for granted what he has done with this squad, but any supporter who followed wests/balmain and early wests tigers would be aware of how often quality junior talent gets ruined by dodgy coaching. Sheens has rarely made such mistakes. In fact, next to Hasler, Bennett and Bellamy there is no one better, and we aren't getting any of those coaches anytime soon.
All you who are so critical of the sheens/benji/farah tigers team are going to wax lyrical about this side when this great team is eventually lost.
Good quote Watersider, I think we should stop all this "player/coach/ asst coach/ball boy" type bashing after we lose a game. I'm not happy that we lost either, but I reckon we played a pretty good/entertaining game against a top team. Give it a rest guys, and lets all be positive :blah
