Why we are likely to struggle

H

hybrid_tiger

Well-known member
Look I know it was only a trial and I think we will improve, so I won't go slitting my wrists just yet.

However, lots of evidence based on tonight that we will really struggle this year.

Where do you start?

Right side defense absolutely abysmal. Will be torn to shreds by any half decent team.
Forwards getting monstered by bigger, stronger pack. (What's new?)
Lack of impact & balance in the back row. We have workers but no real impact players aside from BMM (Jury out on Thompson/Pettybourne)
Poor depth in front row. (A rookie starting tonight)
No genuine speed out wide aside from Koroibete.

The real issue is that we don't have many other options. It's either NSW Cup players, or young, inexperienced rookies. There isn't enough quality depth in this squad, IMO.

And the biggest issue is that we really don't have any forwards aside from Woods and Galloway who consistently hit the line with IMPACT and actually dent the defense.

So yeah, a huge task for Potter. I don't envy him.
 
Totally agree Thought Thompson went Ok and may have snared himself a starting spot

Defensively we lacked attitude on most occasions

The difference between the 2 teams were the Roosters genuinely seemed to be fighting for positions

We didn't seem to be playing for our Round 1 positions (bar a few ) and that really concerns me

I picked us to finish 10th , and I'm now not even confident about that
 
Its funny because I took mainly positives out of tonight and the only negative you didnt mention:

- Blair; that was his third best game (two games against Melbourne) he has played for us
- Galloway looks to be better for recovering from his toe injury
- we fired none of our big guns from Robbie and Benji and Rowdy was only on for half the game
- Thompson and Pettybourne look good; and BMM to come

However I have big doubts as to whether Miller will cut it as 7\. Obviously give him the benefit of showing his wares, but reckon we could still be looking at Anasta playing half.

Oh, and I reckon it is pretty obvious who Potter sees as the fullback for the majority of this season.
 
Pete I'm not so sure about who Potter sees as fullback

I reckon we will still see Moltzen in the 1

Don't agree , but thats how it will probably be

If Potter thought Teddy was No 1 for the No 1 he should of played him behind the No 1 side in the first half
 
We will struggle because our forwards dont have the speed size and the ability to lay the platform. As with most years we will have our good days but against the likes of the Chooks,Rabbits and the Dogs we will get smashed.Also like most years come mid season we will be running out of troops as we dont have the physical presence to absorb all the contact week in and week out.

We will be better than 2012, but a top eight finish is a pipe dream of course unless about five clubs get scratched over the drug thing.

Anyway lets wait and see how we go against the knights in knightsville before getting to carried away
 
I think supercoach is on the mark. Galloway is NOT an old-fashioned enforcer with a bit of mongrel about him. He tires his guts out (most times..). If he is not at the very top of his game in any week, we are on the back foot from the start. I think our season hinges on Galloway staying fit, having a dig each week and hoping that the younger guys (including Aaron Woods) can improve quickly as the season develops. More than that though, last nights domination by a stronger pack shows just how crap the Parra pack is….lol
 
Its glaringly obvious and many saw it before a ball was even kicked

People not long ago were saying we have all this depth, Big T, Seumahfanga, Brooks, Nofo Brien etc etc….I think potential is more apt than Depth, as T and a few others showed, its a big step and its easy to be outta your depth.

Brien gets 7 tries in two games and people have him better than Aysh ( who I thought went OK last night)....maybe he'll kill it but the odds say he too will take time if hes going to make it......we have more pressing issues imo and centres arent our main concern

5 straight penalties early last night mainly cause we were steamrolled around the ruck sees us 10-0 down

Its why Im disappointed in the Fulton signing, he wont help where we need it

...and when I see the packs the other teams are trotting out.....my concerns are shared too
 
I'm not so sure. We lacked intensity last night against the Chooks, and we seemed to be content going through the motions and playing simple football. I think the return of Woods, the addition of BMM to the bench and possible inclusion of Tedesco over Moltzen, and we look a more formidable outfit.

We really didn't throw anything at the Roosters in attack, and a couple of their tries came off the back of our mistakes.

Have to wait and see how we treat the Knights in round 1 as they boast one of the tougher forward packs this year. If we can match it with them, I think we can match it with most forward packs provided we "turn up" ready to play.
 
the lack of desire stood out especially after some mistakes.something we have seen all too much over the years.
i can understand that happening in a trial,but when you have seen it year after year during the regular season,it is hard to just put it down to being just a trial.
 
That is the hard part bon. It brings those flashbacks of all those years of rubbish.
 
this how i seen last night 1) the roosters ran much harder than we did into the line were much more organized than us. 2) we will struggle this year as we do not have the size in the forwards to bend others backwards, bucanhan played well but has no size compared to the roosters pack,ava looked ok when he came on.3) and i know people will shout me down for this one, MILLER is not the answer at 1/2 back he looks well out of his depth in attack, his defence is very sound, but he is not answer to our attack.3) not sure what others were hoping to see but it looked like a sheens game plan to me lots of short runs into the markers and lots and lots of kicks in attack on their try line.
i know it was only a trail but we had no plays we looked like strangers in attack,i think we are in for a long painful season, the only bright spot was young teddy went well, and knowing that parramatta are worse than us.
 
From what i saw at the game and then on replay when I got home..nothing much as changed from 2012 and it's still the Robbie & Benji show and this has become very predictable. Whilst Miller had little involvement and seemed to be just making up the numbers it's still too early to tell as Robbie & Benji still try to run the show . The positive for Miller was his defence as he is not afraid to put his body on the line and he took the line on a couple of times and this added a little variation to our usual crab across the ground and try and find a straight runner strategy. Reckon until that changes ..nothing else will no matter who plays half. Looking at the State Cup game Brooks was a standout again. This kid has got that special talent of 'time' and is the best kicker we have across all grades by far. Apart from his age/experience his only problem is D and that I think is cause he is just not strong enough physically yet.

Utai is still a liability in the air and turn & chase we will continue to leek tries regularly down his side. The only place I could find for him in the team would be off the bench as an impact forward as this is what he does best and after seeing our lack of go forward last night , this is what we need. Nofu is a similar style player but excellent in the air and should be given a go now.

Lawrence is a real worry as he has lost a heap of speed and whilst his defence is great speed out wide is what we lack .
Moltzen was MIA again and Tedesco made a big difference when he came on in the second half as he didn't sit back and wait for something to happen ..he tried to make it happen himself.

The forwards as a group with the exception of a couple of runs by Galloway never bent the line or were dominant in D and this will remain our achilles heal against any of the top sides. Don't think we can afford to have Anasta/Fulton/Blair on the filed at the same time unless we are well a head and protecting a big lead.Watching the State Cup game the 2 front rowers seem to have the mongrel to drive forward at any cost and maybe should be considered. BMM did nothing in the first half of State Cup and I think that Potter got stuck into at half time cause the time he spent on the field in the second half was all around the middle of the ruck and he made a lot of really strong runs and bent the line every time. Maybe this is the better way for him to play rather than hanging out on one of the edges waiting for an opportunity

Bottom line..not much change from 2012 and unless Potter changes the way Robbie and Benji run the show in attack and allows someone like Miller to become more involved and takes some risks on the younger State Cup players right now we will be 0-6 before we know it
 
@tigersrule4life said:
Dont forget thats a Tim Sheens side wait until we start signing fowards this year and start to see what Mick Potters team will be.
Click to expand...

please we only sign short light weight, nsw cup type players, but potter has gone down a notch in my book his game plane was crap and his relucants to try players out other than the same players who failed last year is a worry. if we go with that type game plan we will get killed every week.
 
Bottom line is we got murdered in the contact and physical stakes. Like we always do against Easts, and thats why we get flogged. You lose that battle and most the time you lose the game. They ran with power and aggression. They most the time, made easy yards after contact and even before contact. We battled to get out of our own end with a pedestrian go forward game. No players with any real intimidation running the ball, no one really denting the line or defending with mongrel. Take out Woods and we probably have the worst pack in the comp. Unless the ruck speed is somewhere going to go back to where it was in 2005 we could be in for a torrid season. Like people have said teams with aggression lie Souths, Easts, Canterbury will always give us trouble. Newcastle away in Round 1 looks a daunting match already.

The depth we have up front is mostly raw youngsters who are going to be very green. That's why i think with the inevitable injury or two we are in big trouble and 9th to 12th place beckons. I am hoping with the change of coach for some positives and some changes but lets remember its nearly the same playing squad then last year, that were very ordinary most weeks. Its early days and im sure we will have some good days but overall the lack of impact and depth up front means i think we will see many performances resembling 2012 until the squad can be revamped or players gain experience.
 
@tigersrule4life said:
Dont forget thats a Tim Sheens side wait until we start signing fowards this year and start to see what Mick Potters team will be.
Click to expand...

Thats not going to help us for 2013 is it
 
:laughing: it's been two games, two trial games at that.

give Miller a bit of faith…I rank him on the same level as Rob Lui after he had played a few games and there was no big rush to drop that bloke. Worked out for the best. Let him settle in.

It definitely appears we have a lack of depth though. A few young guys are going to need to come on quite quickly for this to change. Utai shouldn't be playing 80 minutes and I dearly hope Reddy got a run only because of it being a trial game. If we're expecting to rely on those guys regularly then we'll have some ugly games.
 
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