Sheens calls on Tigers to Lift

[Bazzinator]

By Steve Jancetic AAP Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:57:07
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The Tigers were thumped 34-10 by ladder-leaders St George Illawarra on Friday night, a result which no doubt flattered the Dragons thanks to two late tries but which also exposed the magnitude of the task facing the Tigers.
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Entering the final two months of the season, Wests have still only beaten one side currently in the top eight, a statistic giving ammunition to critics who believe Sheens' men to be flat track bullies.
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Trailing 14-10 and with all the momentum midway through the second half, the Tigers could have gone a long way to silencing those critics with a late charge, but as they had for most of the game, the visitors made things hard for themselves with poor options in attack.
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"I said to the guys 'if you're going to run with the big boys you're going to have to handle those sorts of games," Sheens said.
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"They're a very well drilled and very intense side, they're a physical side and they don't give much away.
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"So if you're going to win a semi-final, it doesn't matter if it's them or anyone, you're going to have to play better football.
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"That's ten weeks away - there's a lot of things that have got to happen in that period of time." But the Tigers can't afford to take ten weeks to find their A-game, with six of their last ten regular season games against sides in the top half of the ladder and one against Melbourne - who would be third if they were allowed to attain premiership points.
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Of utmost urgency is finding someone to wear the No.7, with the Tigers badly missing injured playmakers Robert Lui and Tim Moltzen. Lui is not due back for at least a fortnight and Moltzen is gone for the season.
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"It's not easy to go and replace both your halfbacks, without offering any excuses," Sheens said.
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"It did break our rhythm a bit plus the short week Sunday to Friday to manufacture a new player in that position."
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One player who definitely won't be an option for the Tigers is veteran Melbourne playmaker Brett Finch, despite reports on Melbourne radio on Saturday that a move back to Sydney was imminent.
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"No, the mail's wrong - he's not going there," Finch's manager Steve Gillis said.

 

[Lukic]

Hmm, that sucks about Finch.

 

[Bazzinator]

of course his management is going to say that before he plays a game tonight. if he announced it now he probably wont play for melbourne this week. although management of the storm will no i doubt the players will

 

[crouching_tiger]

Of utmost urgency is finding someone to wear the No.7, with the Tigers badly missing injured playmakers Robert Lui and Tim Moltzen. Lui is not due back for at least a fortnight and Moltzen is gone for the season.
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"It's not easy to go and replace both your **halfbacks**, without offering any excuses," Sheens said.
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"It did break our rhythm a bit plus the short week Sunday to Friday to **manufacture a new player in that position.**"

That's a comment for the records..
Manufacturing a new player in that position?? Halfback??
Marshall has been a halfback manufacturing project since 2006/2007\. You're full of it Sheens!! Now i've heard it all…

:laughing:

 

[RatedRKO]

of course his management is going to say that before he plays a game tonight. if he announced it now he probably wont play for melbourne this week. although management of the storm will no i doubt the players will

Yeah Finch admitting that hes close to signing with another club wouldn't go too well right before a game.

Lui being out for atleast another 2 weeks sucks, hopefully we bring a half up from NSW cup or something and not leave Benji there.

 

[Eddie]

One thing that baffles me is the "we can beat anybody on our day" theory that our players and fans seem to think is true over the past 4 seasons. In general over the past 4 seasons we have been good at flattening the teams below us and struggling against the teams above us. We were not close to Saints last night, really.

One thing the Tigers have been pretty good at is making sure they win most of the games they are meant to. However on the big occasions the last few seasons our lack of a halfback and lack of grunt up front have seen us come up short. Im hoping we are a better side then the last few seasons however that must be in debate at the moment.

 

[andrew9148]

He didnt have to say it so emphatically boys. He could have not answered his phone, or said something like "he has not made any decisions re his future". He could have been "unavailable for comment". he's not coming boys.

 

[Cat_amp_Fiddle]

I agree with Sheens - it is not easy to find replacements for two first grade half-backs.
Without taking anything away from the State Cup - it is second grade after all.
The BRET half-back today was pretty good in attack in a side that really dominated in the final 20 minutes.
But in defence?
Moving to outside centre for the first three tackles of an opposing sides set seems to work okay in the slower paced State Cup but in the breakneck speed of the NRL I just can't see it being anything more than very risky.
In any event wisdom is always in hindsight.

 

[Guest]

The Tigers seemed to lack intensity at times last night, they were right with the Dragons for large parts of the game, but they played dumb football at times while the Dragons played smart and methodical. Wayne Bennett actually gave the Tigers a good wrap after the game and said the scoreline didn't reflect the closeness of the match, he said the Tigers chanced their arm and on their night, it could have gone the other way.

As it is, the Tigers need to get the simple things right such as improving their completion rate and getting a decent kick in, that really hurt the side last night, along with individual missed tackles, Benji was surprisingly poor in defence, Ellis missed a few and Galloway missed a whopping 8 tackles…The Tigers have looked at their best when they have played more direct in attack and Farah and Marshall go forward, rather than sideways all the time.

Let's see if the team heeds Sheens words and aims up against the Broncos.

 

[Cat_amp_Fiddle]

Tigers can be Dragonslayers
St George last night reminded me of the Jack Gibson coached Easts of the mid 1970s. The emphasis is not on scoring points. The emphasis is on total defence and zero mistakes. The last tackle inevitably involves a kick from Soward (reminiscent of John Peard) or a pass to the fullback or wing just like the Roosters used Russell Fairfax, Mark Harris and Bill Mullins – all of which is designed to put the St George attack under minimal pressure. It is a very boring style of play to watch but it grinds out wins.
Just like the Roosters of the mid 1970s who were beaten by sides that took them out of their comfort zone the 2010 St George can be beaten by the Tigers because the Tigers have the kind of free wheeling attack from anywhere at anytime which can make holes in the otherwise impenetrable Saints defence.
Canterbury-Bankstown beat the Roosters in the 1974 semi-final by disrupting the Roosters gameplan. They couldnt do it again though in the grand final which was won by the minor premiers - Easts.
IMO shutting down Soward is key to disrupting the St George "attack" just as shutting down Peard was the key to overcoming Easts in 1974.

 

[Geo]

Of utmost urgency is finding someone to wear the No.7, with the Tigers badly missing injured playmakers Robert Lui and Tim Moltzen. Lui is not due back for at least a fortnight and Moltzen is gone for the season.
>
"It's not easy to go and replace both your **halfbacks**, without offering any excuses," Sheens said.
>
"It did break our rhythm a bit plus the short week Sunday to Friday to **manufacture a new player in that position.**"

That's a comment for the records..
Manufacturing a new player in that position?? Halfback??
Marshall has been a halfback manufacturing project since 2006/2007\. You're full of it Sheens!! Now i've heard it all…

:laughing:

Not quite…..

It's the contuning development of the Protoge....Benji Marshall...Rugby League player.....The Massiah...

What you think we should chuck it in now....time for plan B.....

 

[innsaneink]

Christ, we just let a half thats played first grade go….this garbage is Sheens' trademark.
Why get him in the first place?
He didnt get a go....what a lot of farting around the taumata exercise was.
Recruitment on a whim as opposed to targetting players and positions.
5 wingers. You couldnt make this crap up.

 

[Geo]

What 5 wingers did we buy….Lortay and........

 

[ron_burgandy]

tame brown daniela lote…thats 4

 

[crouching_tiger]

+ Fitzhenry = 5

 

[Geo]

Tame = wing days are over
Daniela = centre
Brown = centre
Fitzy = utility or super sub…...

 

[ron_burgandy]

Tame = wing days are over
Daniela = centre
Brown = centre
Fitzy = utility or super sub…...

tame = winger
daniela and brown have played more games on the wing then any other position
fitzy = winger
\
\
anyway no matter which way you slice it we signed 5 outside backs for this season with only one producing the goods

 

[innsaneink]

Short memory geo? :unamused:

Talk about pedantics.
5 wingers, no half no props, no recruiting nous, no idea

 

[crouching_tiger]

Cayless = prop
Taumata = half
Moops = prop

 

[graham46]

The tigers have probably the best record in the NRL for the worst decision making in spending money to "buy players"and of getting rid of good players. We need to STOP buing players that we never use and invest that money on a DECENT halfback to partner Benji (ie; like Benji and Scott prince were" half back and 5/8 are like salt and pepper. Why didn't we get on the bandwagon and approach the halfback from manly before the bulldogs got him. like someone else said, we Dont need any more wingers!!