Bird in Newcastle for lunch with Browny

[Noname36]

Last years team in round 26 would have maybe, yeah. We hadn't had many more drubbings than we've had this year at this stage, though. We appeared competitive.

We probably have made a couple of very small steps forward, mainly through Buhrer and Barnett. I'm not sure we've made any sort of monumental progress, though.

We've made a heap of progress. I'm struggling to see how anyone could say otherwise.

However having made a lot of progress doesn't mean we don't still have a hell of a long way to go.

We're competing this year - that's a huge improvement, but the next thing we need is some actual talent to take us up to another level. We're not going to get any better than we currently are without some talent in the spine.

 

[perverse]

If we've made huge improvements, then I guess the rest of the NRL made almost as large improvements too - because it's not getting us anywhere much on paper. We might be competing, but there's not a team we've played yet that has really played well except the Panthers. No-one turns up to play us - and the 15-20 minutes of effort put in is enough to account for us playing at 100% comfortably.

 

[Noname36]

If we've made huge improvements, then I guess the rest of the NRL made almost as large improvements too - because it's not getting us anywhere much on paper. We might be competing, but there's not a team we've played yet that has really played well except the Panthers. No-one turns up to play us - and the 15-20 minutes of effort put in is enough to account for us playing at 100% comfortably.

With having not won possession once this year all of the sides we've played this year would have smashed us last season, regardless of how close to their best the opposition was.

You seem to only be equating improvement with number of wins/ladder position only.

We were so far off the pace last year that I think we'd be delusional to suddenly expect to be winning games however the fact that we're actually trying and putting ourselves in positions to win games is a massive improvement. We were out of most games by the 15th minute last year and then the floodgates just opened. The side that finished 2nd last put 38 unanswered points on us...twice...

Nobody is saying we have the talent to compete - but hell, I'll take a side that tries over one that lets itself get beaten by 40-60 week after week any day personally.

The next step is to bring in some actual talent to turn those close losses into wins.

 

[perverse]

With having not won possession once this year all of the sides we've played this year would have smashed us last season, regardless of how close to their best the opposition was.

You seem to only be equating improvement with number of wins/ladder position only.

We were so far off the pace last year that I think we'd be delusional to suddenly expect to be winning games however the fact that we're actually trying and putting ourselves in positions to win games is a massive improvement. We were out of most games by the 15th minute last year and then the floodgates just opened. The side that finished 2nd last put 38 unanswered points on us...twice...

Nobody is saying we have the talent to compete - but hell, I'll take a side that tries over one that lets itself get beaten by 40-60 week after week any day personally.

The next step is to bring in some actual talent to turn those close losses into wins.

We didn't get beaten by 40-60 week after week early last year. As I said, AT THIS POINT in the season we are in a bit better position, there has been some progress - but huge improvements is a massive overstatement for mine. If we're still playing this well in round 26 and have won some more matches, then yeah - maybe that's a fair call.

At the end of the day I don't really expect anyone to agree with me... but I really don't see our progress as huge at this point. Small, iterative... baby steps. Am I enjoying watching us more this year? Yeah, sure. A bit, I guess.

 

[Noname36]

We didn't get beaten by 40-60 week after week early last year. As I said, AT THIS POINT in the season we are in a bit better position, there has been some progress - but huge improvements is a massive overstatement for mine.

Huh?

By round 10 last year we already had scorelines of 62-0, 38-0, 52-0, 40-18 and 48-6 against us. Sure, we all exaggerate a bit in our posts but not by much at all in this case...

 

[perverse]

Huh?

By round 10 last year we already had scorelines of 62-0, 38-0, 52-0, 40-18 and 48-6 against us.

Yeah, it's not Round 10 yet. Rounds 7 -> 10 were particularly brutal.

Regardless, even taking your cherry picked stats into consideration - you're the one equating 1 less draw than last year as some sort of massive, huge improvement. We're still the laugh of the league, we're still not taken seriously by our opposition and still accounted for comfortably. We look better in doing it primarily because we've got more ticker at the moment, but to equate that as massive improvement shows just how little we expect from our team.

You should join Brownys PR team.

 

[Noname36]

You're just nitpicking now mate. I know it's beyond frustrating that they're still so far off the pace, and nobody knows how long they'll be able to keep up the current effort for (it'll start to take a toll on all the young blokes soon) but to say there hasn't been a significant improvement in the side's effort and how they're competing compared to last year is just not right.

 

[perverse]

You're just nitpicking now mate. I know it's beyond frustrating that they're still so far off the pace, and nobody knows how long they'll be able to keep up the current effort for (it'll start to take a toll on all the young blokes soon) but to say there hasn't been a significant improvement in the side's effort and how they're competing compared to last year is just not right.

I'm not nitpicking, I'm legitimately concerned about our lack of improvement - and you aren't. It's ok, we don't have to agree. To be honest I don't think it will be particularly clear until late in the year.

There's other things you could say about it that have hampered our progress that shouldn't have happened, too. Kostjaysn's injury, Mullos ban, Phythians injury. If even 2 of these 3 things don't happen we're probably in a much better position.

 

[perverse]

What worries me the most is that I don't know how much longer this squad can keep putting in but not come away with the victory. The biggest difference between this time last year and now is just effort. I feel like there are some absolute drubbings in our not-too-distant future.

 

[Noname36]

Regardless, even taking your cherry picked stats into consideration - you're the one equating 1 less draw than last year as some sort of massive, huge improvement. We're still the laugh of the league, we're still not taken seriously by our opposition and still accounted for comfortably. We look better in doing it primarily because we've got more ticker at the moment, but to equate that as massive improvement shows just how little we expect from our team.

You should join Brownys PR team.

Cherry picked stats? Lol you said that the side is really no better than it was early last year and that we were not getting beaten by 40-60 then and I provided lopsided scorelines that heavily suggest that what you are saying is not accurate at all.

You must have been drinking some serious cool aid if you expected the side to come into this season and suddenly not be the joke of the league given how ridiculously far off the pace they were last year - combined with losing a whole heap of senior players.

When your side is as far off the pace as we are you can't compare it against the opposition - all you can do is compare us against ourselves, and it's been obvious to just about everyone in the league world that we've become a much better side that we before the last off season. It's effort yes, but they're also making some smarter decisions in defence.

Does that mean I think we've improved enough that I actually think we can beat sides? No, I never said that - we're seriously lacking in talent to turn the effort displayed this year into wins - but damn, they're going close.

 

[perverse]

Cherry picked stats? Lol you said that the side is really no better than it was early last year and that we were not getting beaten by 40-60 then and I provided lopsided scorelines that heavily suggest that what you are saying is not accurate at all.

Yeah you skipped into the future nearly a month, lol. You know as well as I do that the drubbings really started in Round 7, because I know we've both looked at the same statistics. If you only compare up to Round 7 - i.e where we are up to, the records aren't miles apart - and if you're going to claim they are then I would say THAT is nitpicking, because it's only 4 points here, 6 points there.

Dunno about kool aid, but this side definitely makes me drink plenty of something.

 

[Noname36]

Yeah you skipped into the future nearly a month, lol. You know as well as I do that the drubbings really started in Round 7, because I know we've both looked at the same statistics. If you only compare up to Round 7 - i.e where we are up to, the records aren't miles apart - and if you're going to claim they are then I would say THAT is nitpicking, because it's only 4 points here, 6 points there.

Dunno about kool aid, but this side definitely makes me drink plenty of something.

Even if you don't want to take the stats I've provided into consideration we'd still copped 3 heavy drubbings by this time last year. So no, they didn't start in round 7.

Other than the Penrith game all of our games have been very consistent this year: very close with good effort and much improved defence however don't have the class/composure/experience to get the game over the line.

Who knows? They'll probably go on to cop some more thumpings this year but all I can do is compare the side as it is now to where it was last year. I'm not bothering to get myself worked up about what will/may happen next but you go ahead.

 

[Alex28]

There is no doubt we need some experience in the team. We are genuinely short two halves (Brock really isn't cutting it if we are being honest) and a fullback, two front rowers, and probably a centre.

But despite that we are competing. We weren't far off tonight - the tries we let in were soft, but we did alright in attack given our two halves created nothing. We have to stop dropping our heads when we let in a try. Inevitably it ends up being two. That's just some self belief however I can't see that belief turning up soon.

They kept going tonight for the full 80. I love the fact that they wanted the scrum with 2 seconds to go to have one last shot at them. I love the fact that the majority of them showed they were a bit hurt in losing. They are committed - just need some guidance and skill to help the young blokes become a better team.

The error rate is a mile better than last year. They are completing more sets - you can see what they are working on. Get the basics right first, get better from that point.

 

[Knight76]

The ref hilariously said at that time, "Ok, I'll blow time off if you really want"!

He's like seriously, just quit already!

 

[Pedge1971]

Why is Lamb getting brought up so much ffs. Our middle forwards were belted and our edge fwds and winger compensated for it like they have all year. They were great.

Lamb was really good tonight but let down by the rest of the spine. Lay off the kid. He plays 5/8 to Cronk at Melbourne and he would kill it. He plays for us on unders. Buy a f**king decent half, get a front row and if he doesnt aim up then have a whinge!

 

[Knight76]

Lamb wasn't good tonight. But I agree with your sentiment. He is young, and getting the rough end of the stick pretty much being our only playmaker.

We can't honestly demand anything more from Lamb, when Hodkinson provides nothing, and our forwards don't lay any platform to get us in decent field position.

 

[Pedge1971]

Lamb wasn't good tonight. But I agree with your sentiment. He is young, and getting the rough end of the stick pretty much being our only playmaker.

We can't honestly demand anything more from Lamb, when Hodkinson provides nothing, and our forwards don't lay any platform to get us in decent field position.

Lamb was fine in a beaten team. Lay off the kid. He shows more than enough to see that with a bit of cover and go fwd he can shine.

 

[Spot On]

I lost count of the amount of times Lamb had to finish a set kicking on the 5th from our 30m line. I can't cut the bloke to shreds yet.

Really, if Hodko did nothing else but put himself in a better position to defend the Manu and ???? (who scored the other try when Hodko evaporated??) then the result would have been in the balance come the last 5 minutes.

 

[TooheysNew]

2016 v 2017 (Rounds 1-6)
Points per game: 15.33 v 17.33
Tries per game: 2.50 v 3.00
Goals per game: 2.67 v 2.67
All runs: 154.83 v 148.17
All run metres: 1,262.83 v 1,302.83
Line breaks: 2.33 v 2.83
Try assists: 2.17 v 2.33
Offloads: 6.33 v 6.83
Tackles: 355.17 v 339.83
Missed Tackles: 32.50 v 26.17
Errors: 9.00 v 11.00
Kicks: 16.00 v 17.00

 

[Spot On]

What about points against Coby?