LIVE GAME Round 16 v Raiders

[Jolls]

I was unable to watch the game live - and just finihsed watching the replay so I now understand the frustration that I read on here over the weekend. We simply can't affor to play Mason and Seyfarth on the same edge they really hurt us.

While Latu is being managed back into the side, and I don't want to rush that. I think he showed enough this weekend that he is not only FG ready but, if he can remain fit, he will become one of the top halves in the competition in time. His defence is sound, much better than Galvin's was and I think it we teamed him up with Sukkar we would have a hard defensive edge.

There are wins ahead of us, this is another came we could have won - but for the bootballing gods. There are wins ahead - I trust that the first one is this weekend. We have every chance agaisnt Manly.

 

[jirskyr]

Another game that could have been won. If Latu started, I think we win.

That’s on Benji.

I don't think Latu can start every week. Benji said in the presser that he is still managing Latu's minutes, which is obvious because the dude gets injured for 6 weeks every 4 appearances.

Someone asked Benji is this leading into a starting role for Latu, to which he said "yeah".

 

[jirskyr]

The Tigers must have had 40 tackles in the opposition 20…

They look very bereft of a strategy to score tries though

Lack of backrowers kills us in the 20. You need big units out wide to crack the opposition and Samuela alone isn't enough because he's not particularly agile or doesn't run a great line. He also plays left side with AD and the opposing centre isn't specifically worried about AD who is a big body but slow enough that you can slide onto him and recover.

Not to say Samuela isn't good enough, he can be, but he alone is not varied enough and Samuela specifically needs the middle to be stretched (better hit-ups), for a decent half to start putting him on the outside shoulders of smaller players.

Unfortunately in my books we also need Royce Hunt on field for those parts, where he draws so many bodies into the middle because he's such an explosive dangerous unit near the line. Pole is good generally but too sideways / too much footwork at the line and Terrell is not huge impact to barge over.

The easiest way to score at the line is to punch through the middle then swing it wide because you only need a half gap to cross the line. If you can go punch-punch then quick PTB for tackle 3, you are going to threaten the line every time and Api is most dangerous against a scrambling defence.

We otherwise amble too much in short-range attack. Seyfarth actually has decent hands but it zero physical threat, the hitups to the middle are too slow and fit but slow guys like Twal are not effective at the line.

Getting in KPP ASAP is a start.

 

[Tom Shines]

Lack of backrowers kills us in the 20. You need big units out wide to crack the opposition and Samuela alone isn't enough because he's not particularly agile or doesn't run a great line. He also plays left side with AD and the opposing centre isn't specifically worried about AD who is a big body but slow enough that you can slide onto him and recover.

Not to say Samuela isn't good enough, he can be, but he alone is not varied enough and Samuela specifically needs the middle to be stretched (better hit-ups), for a decent half to start putting him on the outside shoulders of smaller players.

Unfortunately in my books we also need Royce Hunt on field for those parts, where he draws so many bodies into the middle because he's such an explosive dangerous unit near the line. Pole is good generally but too sideways / too much footwork at the line and Terrell is not huge impact to barge over.

The easiest way to score at the line is to punch through the middle then swing it wide because you only need a half gap to cross the line. If you can go punch-punch then quick PTB for tackle 3, you are going to threaten the line every time and Api is most dangerous against a scrambling defence.

We otherwise amble too much in short-range attack. Seyfarth actually has decent hands but it zero physical threat, the hitups to the middle are too slow and fit but slow guys like Twal are not effective at the line.

Getting in KPP ASAP is a start.

Royce’s stats in reserve grade last week were non existent…

He might have spat the dummy and that imight be a long term concern

 

[Vicious]

Royce’s stats in reserve grade last week were non existent…

He might have spat the dummy and that imight be a long term concern

The cold weather of the UK Super League should suit him and he should be able to get another 2-3 seasons in over there.

 

[TheClaws]

Lack of backrowers kills us in the 20. You need big units out wide to crack the opposition and Samuela alone isn't enough because he's not particularly agile or doesn't run a great line. He also plays left side with AD and the opposing centre isn't specifically worried about AD who is a big body but slow enough that you can slide onto him and recover.

Not to say Samuela isn't good enough, he can be, but he alone is not varied enough and Samuela specifically needs the middle to be stretched (better hit-ups), for a decent half to start putting him on the outside shoulders of smaller players.

Unfortunately in my books we also need Royce Hunt on field for those parts, where he draws so many bodies into the middle because he's such an explosive dangerous unit near the line. Pole is good generally but too sideways / too much footwork at the line and Terrell is not huge impact to barge over.

The easiest way to score at the line is to punch through the middle then swing it wide because you only need a half gap to cross the line. If you can go punch-punch then quick PTB for tackle 3, you are going to threaten the line every time and Api is most dangerous against a scrambling defence.

We otherwise amble too much in short-range attack. Seyfarth actually has decent hands but it zero physical threat, the hitups to the middle are too slow and fit but slow guys like Twal are not effective at the line.

Getting in KPP ASAP is a start.

I think if Samuela gets a Taylan May type, strong running with some speed and no self preservation playing outside of him it will give him more space to do his thing and be more effective on an edge. He would make a good middle, however who do you replace him with if you put him there. I believe he lost too much weight to try and play 80 on an edge and it has impacted his ability to break the line....he needs to bulk up a little and move to a Hamuole type of weight which is probably an additional 5kg's of muscle, they are about the same height. Yes, I do agree we need a Royce Hunt that can smash out a destructive 15mins and we can afford to carry him on the bench with the big minute players we have.

 

[Tom Shines]

The cold weather of the UK Super League should suit him and he should be able to get another 2-3 seasons in over there.

He might do a Rusty Packer and stay here and collect his pay every fortnight the next two and a half years …unless Richo is gunna muscle him out ?

 

[TheClaws]

He might do a Rusty Packer and stay here and collect his pay every fortnight the next two and a half years …unless Richo is gunna muscle him out ?

Packer probably wouldn't have been able to go over there with his criminal record (jail time)

 

[innsaneink]

The cold weather of the UK Super League should suit him and he should be able to get another 2-3 seasons in over there.

Its summer during their season...all the fans are in shorts n t-shirts...its blinding!

 

[Tiger Woods]

5 losses in a row all the team's below us on the ladder are winning their games tiger's desperately need to win a few games in a row (which hasn't happened for years) or 2025 will be 4 w/spoons.
Watched benjis press after the game, TDS answer if he'll be with the tiger's wasn't positive, why do we rely on our junior's coming through then have zero idea how to bring them into 1st grade like the top team's, and the club wants us fans after all these tough year's no finals to keep paying for membership,

Chooks & panthers are starting to click and rise up the ladder
I think we can go on a bit of a run as well starting with manly this week
We just need that 1 win to boost morale & confidence
The last 3 games we've been unlucky otherwise we would've already been 3 in a row & in the 8
We're not far off

 

[Speed2burn]

That gets a bit annoying after a while. I get the players love him, but I wonder how much that is due to there being no line between him being their coach and then being their mate. I haven’t heard him criticise them once after a loss.

It’d probably hurt the coaches image to roast them in a press conference. I’d wager a bet he does his fair share behind closed doors, nothing to gain putting his players on blast in public

 

[gregjm87]

You need at least one winger with x-factor, no other NRL team continuallly selects 2 wingers with a good work rate and not much else, UNLESS you have at least a few dynamic players with x-factor in the centres, back row, halves and fullback.
Who are our x-factor players to make something happen when we are attacking our opponents line and struggling for ideas on how to score a try ?
Virtually nobody as Benji thinks a team of boring grafters will get the job done.
News flash, no team of grafters has ever won or gone close to winning a competition, you need at least a few players with x-factor to compliment the grafters.

I think the Unless part of your statement is key. I think and both Skelton and Turuva are both decent enough wingers and no need to upgrade either.
Neither will really cost us wins (though you could make an argument regarding Skelton on the weekend) but neither will gain us wins. They will both do their job and contribute to an outcome without ever being the difference between two teams.
As you say however we don't really have that strike player who can win us games. Victories at the moment will rely on a team performance. When we have a couple weak points in the team and other sides have genuine match winners we will struggle.
Leaves the two options of finding a genuine difference maker or plugging the holes with quality options.

 

[Vicious]

I think the Unless part of your statement is key. I think and both Skelton and Turuva are both decent enough wingers and no need to upgrade either.
Neither will really cost us wins (though you could make an argument regarding Skelton on the weekend) but neither will gain us wins. They will both do their job and contribute to an outcome without ever being the difference between two teams.
As you say however we don't really have that strike player who can win us games. Victories at the moment will rely on a team performance. When we have a couple weak points in the team and other sides have genuine match winners we will struggle.
Leaves the two options of finding a genuine difference maker or plugging the holes with quality options.

Which players in our current line up can create something out of nothing ?
Latu gives the impression he could become that type of player, but other than that we really have nobody who strikes fear into opposing teams.

 

[gregjm87]

Which players in our current line up can create something out of nothing ?
Latu gives the impression he could become that type of player, but other than that we really have nobody who strikes fear into opposing teams.

To'a has on several occasions but as you say wouldn't be feared as a match up. Agree Latu looks likely to be that guy also.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Our team as a whole is not feared as a match up.

 

[Vicious]

Our team as a whole is not feared as a match up.

That’s the problem, we have a team full of grafters, nobody with x-factor who strikes fear into the opposition.
We are the only NRL team this applies to.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

That’s the problem, we have a team full of grafters, nobody with x-factor who strikes fear into the opposition.
We are the only NRL team this applies to.

We have a good team on paper. Just something wrong with us.

 

[Flippedy]

I think if you check back G you’ll find they’ve been alternating.

I thought they were alternating too Hal, but I checked the NRL site. Luai has fronted at the presser on 5 occasions rounds 1,2,6,8 & 14. There were 2 bye rounds and Api has done the rest. So I guess he has fronted a fair bit more often as GNR suggests.

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

What's your point?

 

[Flippedy]

That’s the problem, we have a team full of grafters, nobody with x-factor who strikes fear into the opposition.
We are the only NRL team this applies to.

I don’t think we’re the only team without x-factor. Cowboys and Titans are ordinary. Newcastle also, Ponga only plays about 1 good game in 7 and he doesn’t really strike fear into the opposition, imo. Manly have Turbo and DCE, but they are both cooked, there’s no one else. Besides that I do think Luai and Api have x-factor, but yes a damaging second rower or centre running off them would be handy.