Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[Tiger Stripes]

He's been trying to instill it all year.

A conservative first 20, then stick in the game and win late.

It's a shithouse game plan and it hasn't been adapted at all over the course of the season.

It doesn't play to our strengths and there appears to be no effort put into the 1%ers that make that game plan successful.

Basic shit like line speed, ball runners receiving the ball at the advantage line, kick pressure, competing on kicks, passes out in front, operating at speed, etc, just isn't there.

Penrith did everything 10% better last night and it blew the game wide open.

Benji can recruit and can get the dressing room showing up for him. But the cookie-cutter, generic game plans that look like they've been torn out of the play book that Melbourne donated to Vinnies in 2019 is some of the most amateur shit I've seen.

They've actually started to build a squad and have actual threats on the park, but they don't use any of them.

Latu and Luai's running games have disappeared. What exactly has the Doueihi experiment achieved? Wingers shifting sides. Poor, predictable selections. No competing on high kicks even in the opposition half. No protection for the kickers. Everything at half pace.

The biggest challenge in this rebuild was the squad. That has finally started to improve.

The next will be the actual coaching.

I hope for the love of God that Richo has told Benji behind closed doors that he has a free swing the back end of this year to get combinations right long term ahead of 26, because, if not, these crack-addict selections and positional switches and redundant, derivative, half-assed plays are a ticket to nowhere.

Well analysed review and comments.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

1. Yes ..but even Izaac had a limited impact on the game …Skelton has fallen off a cliff… I really rated him earlier in the season … it’s a shame
2. Yes… same story every week
3. Yes
4. Toa - another one on fire at start of season and now just a shadow of that
5. Yes they tried hard … the try right on half time is a confidence killer …. How many times this season ?

The fanfare around Skelton even before the season started was a head scratcher. He’d only played 8 games. At 25, that isn’t saying much.

 

[Tom Shines]

The fanfare around Skelton even before the season started was a head scratcher. He’d only played 8 games. At 25, that isn’t saying much.

Yeah ..more out of hope than anything else I would say…physically he fitted something we lacked in previous seasons …

Like a lot of our boys that play out wide last few years …he seems to lack a bit of confidence in defence and under the high ball….

 

[Vicious]

1. I thought Izaac Tu'itupou out played Skelton. Retain for next week.
2. We had no line speed when defending. They ran us ragged down the middle as the game progressed.
3. We had no chasers whatsoever competing for bombs. And we sent plenty!
4. Toá is a metre or so to slow compared to opposition centres and is matched by his poor defence.
5. Positives...........they all put in 100%.............Overall, just not classy enough.

Very well said, but I’m not totally convinced they all put in 💯
I’m baffled by the selections of To’a and Skelton if they are not fully fit to play and then to position them alongside each other ?
Our players who are not attempting to get back to marker after making a tackle are much worse than those missing tackles as they do not have the required effort to even be in position to attempt to make a tackle.
Our players lacking line speed are lacking effort.
Our players not willing to run the ball near top speed are lacking effort.
Our players who cannot be bothered trying to contest high balls are lacking effort.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Anyone notice TDS is still listed in our squad on our site?

 

[weststigerman]

100% coach is playing busted players , Skelton and Toa I feel ,

Yep. For all the criticism of Madge doing this, Benji is doing the same thing.

To’a can’t use his fend so is ineffective in attack and not tackling like he did earlier in the year.

Samuela has been playing injured all year too.

 

[tigahhh]

richo needs to raid that Wahs NSW cup team, sell them a path to first grade
some great forwards in there
benji can use that kiwi connection

 

[Tiger Stripes]

I actually thought Luai’s kicking game was too long yesterday ! He has a longer boot than I thought … but seems to overreach on the bombs ..

Agreed, he kicked so long the chasers gave up 20m from where the ball landed so they took up defensive positions. Benji's instructions, "play it in their half"?
Why didn't Benji get the message to Luai, "not so deep" its not working.
The original game plan needed adjustments as our troops weren't up to it. But no plan B?

 

[Tom Shines]

richo needs to raid that Wahs NSW cup team, sell them a path to first grade
some great forwards in there
benji can use that kiwi connection

I watch that teams highlights most weeks … a lot of good young kids there

 

[Tiger Stripes]

Turuva isn’t a long term prospect at the back.
He is extremely one dimensional and even though that has been a breath of fresh air so far, opposition defences will soon understand that there is zero nuance to his attack. There is no deception, no ballplaying, just hard fast returns.
Bula offers a hell of a lot more and I have no doubt we’d still be 2 & 2 had he been there as those two wins were against a side missing most of their team and the worst performed side in the comp

I don't recall Turuva ever passing the ball? No intension to set up plays.
Head down, arse up at full speed..........THAT'S IT, there is no more.

 

[Ron Brodrick's Spirit]

[Edit: post removed]

Yeah , they're both the same.
Twal hasn't missed a tackle since Jesus was a boy and Klemmer's a turnstyle.


Can I ask why the abusive insults are necessary?
Just have an adult conversation.

 

[Tiger Stripes]

Agree with this. KPP and Sam Fainu in the team replace Sukkar and Bird. Makasini is projected to be a starter next year. Bula comes in and Turuva takes over his wing spot. We don’t need a lot but we need quality in certain positions. Lock, Prop, utility, back row depth.

We need better play from our spine if we ever get them playing multiple games together.

Cleary did bugger all in that game other thank kick. With all the time in the world to do so?
Where was Latu when we had the ball. Seemed to be smothered in defenders so passed it to Luai.
Where was he standing? Where were his protectors?
Some serious questions Mr Benji and attack coach.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

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roycey’s run in that first try 👀

Is it possible what my eyes have witnessed in that vid, he looks to have trimmed down some, if it's not an optical illusion bring him in next game, we are really missing a big man's runs.

 

[Dennisspicer1]

Not sure I like us writing off Skelton.

He is very clearly not 100%.

He is not worth having,
His reading of play both in attack and defence is terrible.

 

[WestsEffTheRest]

We could sign Andrew Johns in his prime but Marshall would tell him to just kick on last that’s it. Clubs going no where till he’s gone.

 

[TigerBurnsy]

We could sign Andrew Johns in his prime but Marshall would tell him to just kick on last that’s it. Clubs going no where till he’s gone.

spot on, benji and all of his assistants (his mates who can't get a job at another club) are an absolute handbrake on any progress for this club

 

[TigerBurnsy]

and

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roycey’s run in that first try 👀

idk why we dont bring up some players from cup to replace our injured players, the magpies have been in good form for a while now and benji is playing people at 50%

 

[TYGA]

Cleary did bugger all in that game other thank kick. With all the time in the world to do so?
Where was Latu when we had the ball. Seemed to be smothered in defenders so passed it to Luai.
Where was he standing? Where were his protectors?
Some serious questions Mr Benji and attack coach.

Our issues summarised as someone that played the game for a long time. Not NRL level.

1. Line speed and contact in defence, wrestle is poor teams make too many metres and kick off the front foot and often pin us back. We get limited to no kick pressure.

2. Back 3 outside or Turuva and before injury Skelton make no metres out of trouble.

3. When we kick its off a slow play the ball and from deep in our own end.

4. Our kickers Latu and Luai are good but don’t have massive boots.

5. We have errors in us fielding kicks particularly Skelton who gets targeted often.

Teams like Penrith which grind retain field position and strangle us to a bitter end. Like clockwork they bomb the wingers and pin is back.

There is only one way out of it recruit players that can do these things and train the house down in the offseason.

I wish it was the coach that’s an easy solution for wishful thinkers or those that have an axe to grind. Teams that play like Penrith with their quality will beat us 99/100 times when motivated. This is the end of the season we get beat down by premiership sides.

 

[Dennisspicer1]

I don’t know mate …. Isn’t one of Richo’s main functions to find them ? You can’t say that contracted players won’t become available ,,,they are made available every offseason

I added Twal to the list … the 4 I mentioned need to be down the depth chart and out of the Best 17 ,, I don’t think they need to be “moved on” … we have KPP and Sam to come in…. Leaves 2 more spots at a minimum to be filled …

Sam who.

 

[BUGSY MALONE]

Klemmer was a better option than Twal, let that sink in.

WINNIE I agree with you in respect of A.T! Seems like a great fella and is very good at singing the Team Song after a win (though he hasn't had to exercise his tonsils of late) but seriously he has been part of a threepete Wooden Spoon side. He would a huge success as the Captain of the Wests Magpies NSW CUP side.