LIVE GAME Round 25 v Cowboys

[watersider]

This cowboys team is a star studded team, it's a shame they turned up to play today. Taumalolo and McLean were the key for me. They got the cows on the front foot early and ran over us at the end to get Drinkwater space and time.

We definitely stuffed up but there was a lot of really good play. Bula seems to have gone to another level, our forwards are very competitive these days. While taumalolo and McLean got the better of us we fought our way back into the game with defensive strength.

I think as soon as we took Sione off that right edge we looked way more vulnerable in not being able to control the ruck. If KPP goes well on the edge there's no question Sione is our #2 prop and he can play big minutes as well. The mays and and fainus all know how to tackle and are dominant when firing.

I also love Latu at halfback. Such a terrible error, but he had a brilliant game.

Unfortunately our goal line defense was non existent today. I feel like we barely held them when they got into attacking field position.

It was a great game for 65 minutes. Unfortunately this is a very good insight into where we are at the moment, and we're not good enough.

I really wanted the three in a row. The finals was a fun longshot but I think you call it a successful season if we got that win today. I'm not sure we've proven much now.

 

[innsaneink]

Whats the goss.on douehi i saw on fb theyre saying hospital...concussion and facial fractures

 

[Tucker]

Anyone got a stat for how many tackles Naden missed?

5….one less than Api and Sammy

 

[TYGA]

This cowboys team is a star studded team, it's a shame they turned up to play today. Taumalolo and McLean were the key for me. They got the cows on the front foot early and ran over us at the end to get Drinkwater space and time.

We definitely stuffed up but there was a lot of really good play. Bula seems to have gone to another level, our forwards are very competitive these days. While taumalolo and McLean got the better of us we fought our way back into the game with defensive strength.

I think as soon as we took Sione off that right edge we looked way more vulnerable in not being able to control the ruck. If KPP goes well on the edge there's no question Sione is our #2 prop and he can play big minutes as well. The mays and and fainus all know how to tackle and are dominant when firing.

I also love Latu at halfback. Such a terrible error, but he had a brilliant game.

Unfortunately our goal line defense was non existent today. I feel like we barely held them when they got into attacking field position.

It was a great game for 65 minutes. Unfortunately this is a very good insight into where we are at the moment, and we're not good enough.

I really wanted the three in a row. The finals was a fun longshot but I think you call it a successful season if we got that win today. I'm not sure we've proven much now.

Good summary agree with you. KPP and two more bonafide starters and we have a team that makes the finals. We have a way to go. Usually we have 1-2 youngsters some good every season it’s setup for Makasini next year.

 

[Merlot]

This cowboys team is a star studded team, it's a shame they turned up to play today. Taumalolo and McLean were the key for me. They got the cows on the front foot early and ran over us at the end to get Drinkwater space and time.

We definitely stuffed up but there was a lot of really good play. Bula seems to have gone to another level, our forwards are very competitive these days. While taumalolo and McLean got the better of us we fought our way back into the game with defensive strength.

I think as soon as we took Sione off that right edge we looked way more vulnerable in not being able to control the ruck. If KPP goes well on the edge there's no question Sione is our #2 prop and he can play big minutes as well. The mays and and fainus all know how to tackle and are dominant when firing.

I also love Latu at halfback. Such a terrible error, but he had a brilliant game.

Unfortunately our goal line defense was non existent today. I feel like we barely held them when they got into attacking field position.

It was a great game for 65 minutes. Unfortunately this is a very good insight into where we are at the moment, and we're not good enough.

I really wanted the three in a row. The finals was a fun longshot but I think you call it a successful season if we got that win today. I'm not sure we've proven much now.

you're right we aren't good enough and we do need to improve

 

[TT 01]

Another disappointing game.

We played really really well for the most part and were the better team over the course.

However, we were asleep for the first 10 minutes and conceded two fairly soft tries. This happens frequently that we just can’t turn on for the first 15 minutes. Gotta be a mindset or warm up thing or something. Regardless, this needs fixing as we don’t want to be down points early and fighting back.

Then there is the Dearden try which should not have been a try as he clearly takes the ball forward into Taylans leg but whatever, then I don’t even know how to explain the back to back kick off tries. The first one was Taylan slipping but then the other two were just shocking and the loss of Latu was really unfortunate.

Honestly, it’s so frustrating at this point to win 60 minutes of so many game and lose the whole thing because of a shocking 20 minutes thrown in there.

We missed a healthy To’a out there. Naden just isn’t up to it in attack and so we didn’t have any right side attack whatsoever. Naden was also hit and miss in defence. Came up with a few crucial plays and tackles but just missed too many in between.

I think there are a lot of positives to take out and we are looking better week on week as a unit but can’t close it out for whatever reason.

Big props to Dearden and Drinkwater though. Dearden was super annoying continually shutting down broken play on our left side and I reckon we score a couple more with an average halfback there instead. Drinkwater made the tackle on Pole and sparked their attack quite well towards the end.

Onto next week. Hopefully Latu is ok 🤞.

That’s the thing for me. The amount of time we give a way an early try or one right before half time is just a sign of our lack of professionalism. Need to be an 80 min team to be up the top

 

[NT_Tiger]

Whats the goss.on douehi i saw on fb theyre saying hospital...concussion and facial fractures

No update, but I'd imagine he's in Hospital getting xrays and scans. The left side of his face looked smashed.

 

[Tucker]

BOM is saying it’ll be 11 degrees in Canberra next Saturday. Thank Christ its not a night game…

 

[Telltails]

I never thought we were a finals chance just wanted to maintain the position we got to given next week we are very unlikely - and even less now with injuries - to mix it with a red hot Canberra going for the minor premiership.
Going to be mentally tough to get up for that after that loss.

 

[Tucker]

I’m comfortable with AD and an offseason with Latu he may well be the best option. With API, Luai, Bula we don’t need a superstar. Have to fix our weaknesses. They score points on us wide right all day.

Api, Luai and Bula are followers, not leaders.
If we had a DCE with them we’d be flying.

 

[Bellend]

Terrel May you are a front rower run hard and straight then look to off load. Until we have a better kicking game we are not capable on pinning sides deep in there half.

 

[lathami]

Just soft defence as usual, expected to win at home full crowd! Shite effort, up by 10 then let in 3 tries! Hate to say it but typical tigers, all they had too do was play the smart football after the two try advantage. But instead they play like they’re behind risky pass when not needed, get to the kick moron, work down the field kick ti the corner! Instead shite!!

 

[mtd#2]

Whats the goss.on douehi i saw on fb theyre saying hospital...concussion and facial fractures

I reckon he will be out for the season.

Which leads to the next question, what was the grading for Latus HIA? Will he be available next week?

 

[Camel2281]

5….one less than Api and Sammy

However 3 of Naden's directly resulted in tries

 

[Lestronge]

I agree Naden isn't up to scratch, defensively, as a centre. So I'm not trying to defend him when I say this.
But I think blaming him is way to simplistic. We just got rolled through the middle (like we always do) and left him to make too many defensive decisions as the Cowboys shifted off their forwards momentum. Even good centres will get found out (perhaps not as often) when repeatedly left in those situations.
Sure Naden making one extra tackle we might have won. But I think pinning the blame on Naden excuses how soft our middles were/are. Particularly as Naden is a career fringie. Most of those forwards however are our regular first graders.

Agree mate . Now I’ve settled down , there was no pressure from the middle , or line speed , to get up in the cowboys face and limit the time and space drinkwater had .
Just lazy all year round . Still like I said , to fall off that many tackles is just no good .
As much as I thought the middles clocked off

 

[stephen]

crap , they didn't roll over , like they normally do

All too passive.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Taumalolo wound the clock back 6 or 7 years. He’ll never play like that again.

 

[Westoz]

Terrel May you are a front rower run hard and straight then look to off load. Until we have a better kicking game we are not capable on pinning sides deep in there half.

Yeh he always looks to pass first

We should lean into him and play him at lock and give him a license to ballplay

 

[Merlot]

All too passive.

just non smarts , enthusiasm to win was there

 

[weststigers]

I agree Naden isn't up to scratch, defensively, as a centre. So I'm not trying to defend him when I say this.
But I think blaming him is way to simplistic. We just got rolled through the middle (like we always do) and left him to make too many defensive decisions as the Cowboys shifted off their forwards momentum. Even good centres will get found out (perhaps not as often) when repeatedly left in those situations.
Sure Naden making one extra tackle we might have won. But I think pinning the blame on Naden excuses how soft our middles were/are. Particularly as Naden is a career fringie. Most of those forwards however are our regular first graders.

They threw the ball around and disrupted our composure. Most tries they scored were out of nowhere.