I didn't get to watch the game live (fortunately) and have stayed away from here so that my view of the game wouldn't be tainted by group think. The performance was poor; Api and Benji were on the money about being out enthused; however, the coaching staff need to take just as hard a look in the mirror as the players.
It was not a simple as they ran and tackled harder than us. They had a game plan that pulled us apart; our "new" simplified system appears to be five hitups and get to the kick. The way Saints were going to play the game was predictable and us playing down the middle corridor played into their hands - we needed to play wider and run them off their feet. Instead, we dished up the same tripe set after set - no good having a great completion rate if you don't ask any questions of the defence.
The glaring deficiencies, apart from attitude:
- Seyfath is not a 13 - he tries hard but simply doesn't have the ball playing skills required for the position.
- Staines has not shown anything that warrants a start in first grade - outside of a better centre that can get him into gaps he could be OK but we don't have that luxury. Lobb, while also not setting the world on fire, at least provides a good kick target. This aspect of his game is probably worth exploiting as we have s a couple of reasonable kickers.
- Neither Sezer or Sullivan took charge of the game management. I'm not sure what the game plan was going into the game - but I can bet it wasn't five hitups and a kick. Galvin, with next to no experience, played more direct and offered a couple of opportunities.
- The number of ineffective tackles made; and this has a direct link to our poor attitude towards the game. Saints came with a point to prove; we looked like we turned up for an opposed training session.
There weren't many positives aside from Galvin showing that, although not ready developmentally, he has the skill set and attitude required to play first grade. The better aspects of our generally poor effort related to our very low error rate with the ball in hand and our short kicking game produced a number of repeat sets. Certainly nothing to crow about.
No need to panic yet, but based on our last performance we are rightly favourites for the spoon. I still think we are capable of climbing the ladder to about 12th; however, we very much need a change in attitude.
I'm going to the opener in Canberra; based on our last game I don't have high expectations.
