Is this the beginning of the end?

[Benek]

Being called Powder Puffs by the media will either inspire the boys to bounce back, or cement us into our usual late season capitulation.

Before this game I would have thought we won't follow the same trend and give up at year's end. But after last night, I have serious doubts. What do you think?

 

[One Warrior]

That was pathetic, the club owes us fans an apology after that performance, granted the reffing was shocking, a non existent forward pass costs us a try and a blatant shoulder charge costs us another try. However to drop our bundles like that, when we lose
we really do shit the bed. If Hiku plays another game this year, Beale must replace him for the rest of the season, hike can't defend to save himself. Tevanga is not a prop, why was Sao kept on the bench until 65th minute mark, the game was well gone by then, Hiku should of been hooked at half time. Next week will show us whether this team has changed from the last 6, beat the Broncos and we can resurrect this season and go into the finals with some momentum, lose and it will be the like the last 6 years and the will continue. If the slide continues then the only thing that will keep us in the eight possibly, is the 8 point gap we have on 9th place currently, the Raiders and Tigers both have tough draws and we might scrape a couple of wins against the Bulldogs and Knights maybe, but we would be thats the first week of the finals.

 

[Cold Roses]

Tevanga is not a prop, why was Sao kept on the bench until 65th minute mark, the game was well gone by then

This. Massive failure by Kearney in persisting with a small bodied tackle bot for 3/4 of games. Last night wasn't the first time either. The game this year and last, is about wresting momentum back from the other team when they've gained the upper hand. You can't do that through tackling alone.

 

[Benek]

The thing that really drives home that we're pretenders is this: imagine any game we are without both SJ and Green. We wouldn't beat a single club - not even the bottom 3. Heck we barely beat the bottom 3 teams this year with our nearly full strength sides.

Against the Panthers with a very under-strength side is a game we should have won by 20. The fact that we were blown off the park is almost inconceivable.

It proves that we are a very fragile team. When the wind is blowing in our direction we can look the good, but the moment the momentum goes way from us, we are incapable of getting back into the game.

That's partly a failure of our weak forward pack, who can usually keep up for the first 20 but then die out when the going gets tough. It's partly SK's strategy of using a small mobile pack. Small mobile packs look good off the back of momentum, but they can't swing momentum. We need someone with the strength to carry the team through periods of lack of possession, and we don't have anyone like that. So it ends up falling on guys like Maumalo, Fus, and RTS to try to carry the burden and that doesn't work when you continue to get dominated up the middle.

I have a very bad feeling that this will mark the beginning of a big slide. Attitude in defence seems to have completely fallen away since the beginning of the year when that was one of our strengths. Once that starts to go, Warriors don't recover. We just get worse and worse until everyone is praying for the end of the season.

 

[Cold Roses]

When the wind is blowing in our direction we can look the good, but the moment the momentum goes way from us, we are incapable of getting back into the game.

That's partly a failure of our weak forward pack, who can usually keep up for the first 20 but then die out when the going gets tough. It's partly SK's strategy of using a small mobile pack. Small mobile packs look good off the back of momentum, but they can't swing momentum. We need someone with the strength to carry the team through periods of lack of possession, and we don't have anyone like that. So it ends up falling on guys like Maumalo, Fus, and RTS to try to carry the burden and that doesn't work when you continue to get dominated up the middle.

Put Afoa, Harris and Pulu back in the side, and we can at least compete. But you're right, we're missing one guy like Andrew Fafita or Taumalolo who can consistently power back into the defensive line and get them back peddling. From that, the rest of the forwards can start to get some momentum. Doesn't help that Gavet is badly out of form, and Tevaga gets a spot.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Put Afoa, Harris and Pulu back in the side, and we can at least compete. But you're right, we're missing one guy like Andrew Fafita or Taumalolo who can consistently power back into the defensive line and get them back peddling. From that, the rest of the forwards can start to get some momentum. Doesn't help that Gavet is badly out of form, and Tevaga gets a spot.

We have Maumalo and when he did that last night once they stopped the game because a guy who got up from the tackle a little slow and he was fine. Killed our momentum there.

Need a couple of big guys who aren't scared of contact.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

When we have Afoa, Harris, Pulu and Paasi all in the side we compete ok. Down two of those and suddenly we’re very fragile. Satae has potential but isn’t there yet. Gavet is out of form. Mannering has a huge work rate but isn’t dominant up front, and Blair is Blair.

 

[JJ]

Harris is a huge loss but if everyone is fit the middle is still likely the weakest in the comp

 

[LeagueNut]

I reckon we over-achieved for the first half of the season and we're now settling in to a more realistic table position.

The team looks tired. Pre-season training was very different this year and it obviously worked, but after YEARS of under-investment in fitness, maybe it's not something that can be fixed in one year. We saw the benefits early on but we're running out of steam.

Yes a top 4 finish would have been amazing, but given where we've come from and how much needed to be fixed, I'm happy with any finals spot this year as long as we keep building on it in the years ahead.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I reckon we over-achieved for the first half of the season and we're now settling in to a more realistic table position.

The team looks tired. Pre-season training was very different this year and it obviously worked, but after YEARS of under-investment in fitness, maybe it's not something that can be fixed in one year. We saw the benefits early on but we're running out of steam.

Yes a top 4 finish would have been amazing, but given where we've come from and how much needed to be fixed, I'm happy with any finals spot this year as long as we keep building on it in the years ahead.

I reckon this is an awesome point. When you train as hard as we obviously did and you're not used to it, and you're carrying this expectation you haven't had for 7 years, it's going to create a mental and physical toll. Crank out a huge pre-season in Melbourne and it's no issue because they're used to it and used to being a title contender. For us, it could really be a case of running out of juice at the back-end. Not saying it is just yet because it's round 17 but it's a huge possibility.

We're nowhere near the top 4. I agree, I'm happy enough with the finals but if we're playing the Sharks, Roosters etc in Sydney I think we'd get turned over. Consider it a stepping stone for future years, so long as we can load up on bigger props and start to be able to match it physically with the better teams.

As I said in another post, every side in the top 8 can win it apart from us. Maybe not the Broncos at a stretch. But I'm not being a downcast fan I'm just thrilled we can push on to achieve a finals spot, and to be honest our draw in the run home is not that brutal at all. We obviously need to get Harris and Bunty back, and the rest of the forwards need to step up.

 

[Diesel]

Being called Powder Puffs by the media will either inspire the boys to bounce back, or cement us into our usual late season capitulation.

Before this game I would have thought we won't follow the same trend and give up at year's end. But after last night, I have serious doubts. What do you think?

Considering Blair saying they weren’t up to it or words of that effect

 

[Diesel]

At this rate we could be 8th by the end of the round, 2 wins off first and 2 wins ahead of 9th, we are well placed

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Don't panic, Shaun's got this! Haha

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/07/07/no-panic-for-shaun-johnson-but-reality-check-hits-warriors/

 

[Philip_Smith007]

I reckon we over-achieved for the first half of the season and we're now settling in to a more realistic table position.

The team looks tired. Pre-season training was very different this year and it obviously worked, but after YEARS of under-investment in fitness, maybe it's not something that can be fixed in one year. We saw the benefits early on but we're running out of steam.

Yes a top 4 finish would have been amazing, but given where we've come from and how much needed to be fixed, I'm happy with any finals spot this year as long as we keep building on it in the years ahead.

We over achieved based on expectations on past performances.
Much like Cowboys and Eels under achieved based on same idea

But I struggle to buy the whole tough training issue.
Once you get fit staying fit is relatively easy, the hard part is getting there the the motivation to stay fit, these guys are paid to do so and is part of their job, they dont have to find an hour a day between work and family commitments like most others.
But I'm not sure of Carvos approach to fitness. Eg keep pushing or gain and maintain.

There mental state is a little harder to work on, but should be managed in a professional sports environment this day and age.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Don't panic, Shaun's got this! Haha

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/07/07/no-panic-for-shaun-johnson-but-reality-check-hits-warriors/

Too briefly summarise what Shaun is saying - 'it's our forwards fault I couldn't play good'. He's playing the 'blame game' but makes a fair point. At times, Panther forwards like Leota, powered through our line and got themselves in a good position to play it quickly and the rest was pretty much Luai vs Hiku.

 

[Leber]

I can't see us winning many games (If any) without Harris. He's the glue the moulds the forwards together.

We are very thin on second rowers.

 

[JJ]

Too briefly summarise what Shaun is saying - 'it's our forwards fault I couldn't play good'. He's playing the 'blame game' but makes a fair point. At times, Panther forwards like Leota, powered through our line and got themselves in a good position to play it quickly and the rest was pretty much Luai vs Hiku.

he has a point, sure...

But regardless most other halves would "try" to do something, rather than just stand still and shuffle the ball to someone else

 

[Rich102]

It's pretty basic stuff.
If your forwards are taking punishment you need to slow the game down to allow them to regather.
Play through your sets and put in a touchfinder on the last. (Not boot it straight to their fullback!)
Then dawdle to the scrum, maybe seeking medical attention on the way.
Basic, no nonsense football.
You see other teams do it all the time.

If it was just the strength of the forward packs the tipping competition would be easy to win.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

 

[SpaceMonkey]

It's pretty basic stuff.
If your forwards are taking punishment you need to slow the game down to allow them to regather.
Play through your sets and put in a touchfinder on the last. (Not boot it straight to their fullback!)
Then dawdle to the scrum, maybe seeking medical attention on the way.
Basic, no nonsense football.
You see other teams do it all the time.

If it was just the strength of the forward packs the tipping competition would be easy to win.

That doesn’t help your attack though, it just blunts opposition effectiveness somewhat.we do that in the Penrith game and we lose maybe 18-4 and people still bag SJ and Green for not attacking.

That gsm was lost squarely in two areas. God awful edge defence and the complete failure of our forward pack to either lay a platform themselves or halt/slow Penrith’s pack. Aided and abetted by a lopsided first half display from Cumdumpster.