My 2017 Season review

[callmack1]

Hey guys, just thought I'd do a review of the 2017 season so here we go. I'm not hating on the team at all, I'm just saying it as it is. Sorry for the long post but I like to do decent reviews and I'd appreciate it if you guys took time to read it and let me know what you think.

I have to do it in multiple parts as this forum only allows 1000 characters per post.

Overview

Man, this season really hurt. We were looking really positive heading into the year and things were looking up but it just wasn't ment to be. It really, really has been a poor season, prehaps not as bad as last year but pretty close. Nine wins and Fifteen losses is just not good enough with the kind of roster we have and the fact that we are such a big club who demands success. Add to that our awful home record and it just looks even worse, we were probably one of the worst teams at home this year and that showed with our tiny crowds.

I guess this season was doomed about seven minutes in when our most influential player, one of our best players, our captain went down in Round 1. That really destroyed us and to be fair, we just never recovered. For most of 2017, it has been very inconsistent efforts. Some games we looked amazing, energy levels were up and the boys looked so hungry. Then other games, most games this year, we would look bad, no energy, boring footy and not much effort (our young guys would always try but the rest of the squad looked average all season). It really has been an inconsistant year. The lack of effort from a lot of the squad was really alarming and that is something that must change. Souths were beaten many times this year based on enthusiasm.

Souths really struggled to score points this year as we looked so predictable. The game plan was just so easy for other teams to read and shut down, at times, Cody Walker being the only one who could play ad-lib and spark something. It was just a game plan of one out footy and set plays from years gone by that no longer work. With the exception of a few nice ones, we didn't score as much off beautiful set plays than we have in previous years or than other teams would. I think this game plan was a huge fault, a huge fault of Madge which I will go into shortly. And when a chance did arise, we'd make an error or finish the set poorly and not be able to build pressure, just a lack of exucution. This high error rate killed off many games for us and it has been a problem for a little while now. The communication didn't seem to be up there sometimes either. It's not all doom and gloom though, we did have some very good games in attack. Games like against Manly in Round 2, Round 15 vs the Gold Coast, 17 up against the Panthers and a few more towards the back end of the season against The Dragons, Dogs and Warriors were great. I feel like these games showed what we could have done this year if it was a more consistent effort week in, week out. In these games everyone was really switched on, energised and did their job. It's a real shame that that same effort didn't happen enough.

Defence was a massive issue too. I'm just guessing, but I'd say that we conceded an average of around twenty points per game in 2017, could even be more. In a side that isn't the greatest attacking wise, that gives you no chance. I feel defence is an attitude thing and ours just wasn't good this year. For much of the season the boys just didn't work for each other and the communication wasn't there. Some of the efforts in defence this year were well below par. The edge defence was shaky all year, prehaps because some of our outside backs are so young but our inability to slide when the opposition went wide really cost us in some games. Like attack though, we did look great at times and many of those times came in those games I mentioned earlier.

Another big, big issue was the kicking game and Reyno's poor form. We didn't really build pressure with kicking all year and it seems most of the kicks were just 'bomb and hope for the best'. That doesn't build pressure at all. The halves also really struggled to get repeat sets. This is another area of our game that's fallen over and must improve.

I think a big issue was Madge though. Just his inability to change. Still using the same gameplan from years ago and persisted with picking players in some key positions when it was obvious it wasn't working. I think this was partly why he had to go. I love the guy and he is a good coach but it'd just gone stale.

The biggest positive for this year are our young blokes. Crichton, Murray, Fuimaono and Graham have been absoulutely outstanding.

 

[callmack1]

Player by Player

Britt: Only played one game but he looked okay. Was energetic and looks to have a nice offload. Big year for him in 2018

G.Burgess: One of the biggest disappointments this year. After his bad 2016 season, he got clear of injury and I thought he'd come out firing. It was quite the opposite. Looked disinterested for most of the year. A real lack of effort, silly errors and just didn't have the power in his runs. Showed in some games what he can do and he has improved as the year went on but it's still just not good enough. Better aim up next year.

S.Burgess: Another good season. Without Sam this year we could've got the spoon. He was one of the most consistent players, a big effort every week and was simply inspirational in some games. I thought he didn't do a bad job himself as captain. Did drop off towards the end of the year but that's because of his injury. You can tell he's frustrated with 2017.

T.Burgess: Nowhere near his pay packet but wasn't too bad. Like George, he's been inconsistant and has had poor efforts at times but I think that he has really improved in the back half of the year and he found some good form. Still need more from him.

Burns: Not a bad debut season. His inexperience did show early on but he seemed to find his feet in the last few games he played. Has the potential to be amazing, let's hope with another year under his belt he'll be even better.

Cherrington: For someone that's been out for so long he looked decent in all his games. Lacked fitness I guess but ran hard and was a good metre eater off the bench. I was hoping he'd stick around as back up in 2018 but oh well.

Clark: Been solid and I think he's done his job for most of the year but it's clear he is deteriorating. Just hasn't had the impact. A great clubman but I think we'll see less of him in 2018 with all the young prospects we have coming through.

Cook: I think he's been good. He seemed to direct the side better than Farah. We looked quicker, and more direct with him on. Has to be one of the fastest hookers in the game and it's nice to see him developing. Certainly has many things to work on but we saw at the back end of 2017 that he is a better prospect at hooker than Farah. He goes well the more minutes he plays and should get eighty minutes each game next year.

Crichton: Were do I start? Just amazing. Did anyone expect him to be this good this time last year? I didn't. Gus was one of our best players this year. He has a great work ethic and put in a massive effort week in week out, considering a lot of his games were with a broken foot it's amazing. He's so powerful and is just really elusive. I love him. Hope we can lock him down long term and his development will continue. A future Origin player no doubt. Well done Angus.

Farah: A big disappointment. His signing kind of makes no sence now with the way Madge ended up using him and the little impact he's had. Is a selfish player imo and is just too slow. His kicking game and defence is about the only valuable element to his game now. Let's hope Souths see sence and cut him loose, I don't think Robbie's happy here anyway.

Fuimaono: Another huge positive to come out of 2017. I love him already. Almost every run he took this year he's carry defenders with him. Just so powerful. The effort has been there all the time too. Should be starting in 2018 and I hope he's with us in many years to come.

Goodwin: Mr consistent. Was very solid in any position this year. About the only back who is really good at the shit work and I think he's still good enough to be a great NRL player. One of our best this year and one of the only senior players who tried hard all the time. Thanks for your service Bryson, you will be missed.

Gosiewski: Only played one game but was really good in that. Looks much like Crichton tbh. Hope to see more in 2018

Graham: A good debut season. The kid has some real ticker, He never gave up and took some really tough runs this year. It's a shame he couldn't score as I think he deserved oe. Got caught out in defence a few times but that's just down to experience. I see no reason why he can't become a consistent first grader.

Gray: Inconsistent. 2017 was ruined by injury for him. Looked alright at the end of the year and we know the kind of player he can be but just wasn't on the park enough when we needed him. Thanks for your service.

Hunt: As above (apart from the last part of course).

Inglis: Not much to say as he was done after seven minute which is such a shame. Did manage to det a try though. Hope to see my boy back fresh and better than ever in 2018.

Jennings: Not bad. He looked very, very shaky and undesisive early in the year. I think he lacked confidence. However, he came into his own late in the season when he was given the chance. He's proven that he can actually be a real attacking weapon in the future and he's good at finishing tries.

Johnston: Very good. I think he's been one of our best too. Looked average at fullback to start off with filling in for GI but the shift back to the wing saw him rediscover form. From there, he was amazing, like really good. Twenty Two tries is friggin awesome and it's a real shame he couldn't be top. I think AJ is a freak who just needed time, and will still need time. His shift back to fullback was really impressive and he developed well. Popped up everywhere when needed, showed he can create opportunities for others and boy was he dangerous. Should be fullback next year really.

Kelly: Played two games, wasn't the best in his first but in Round 26, he went very well and controlled things nicely, prehaps better than Reyno did at times. Not a bad back up.

Moceidreke: Not much to say as I can barely remember theone game he played lol. He remember he wasn't too bad though.

Murray: Another shining light for 2017. Boy he looks good. Is an absoulute powerhouse in defence, just chops everything that comes his way and in attack he's so powerful. Awesome to see him get a try too. Must be in the sventeen somewhere next season as this kid id seriously good.

Musgrove: Not bad, probably the best prop for us in 2017. Has a strong running game and has great impact in games but I think he's still a bit raw. In a few years he could be outstanding. Should be in the seenteen next year.

Reynolds: Not good. It's been a terrible year for Reyno and much like the entire side, he looks like a shadow of his former self. Whether it was his niggling injuries or not, I'm not sure but he just wasn't good enough. Didn't show much effort in most games. His kicking game has gone to shit, can't seem to build pressure as a lot of his kicks were so poor, just going straight to the opposition for east metres or going dead. He still doesn't run the ball enough too. His goal kicking has been outstanding though which is good to see. I think Reyno's poor form is a reason why we've been so poor. When he's on, we look good and it's a shame because we all know he's a great player. Hopefully this year is a learning experience for him and 2018 is much, much better.

Sutton: Is certainly slowing down. Has a good running game imo but apart from that, doesn't offer an awful lot anymore. The effort just isn't there with Sutto anymore. If he stays on next year (and in a way I hope he does because despite his poor form, we all love him and it'd be great to see Sutto reach three hundred), it should be for short stints off the bench.

Talaki: Not the best but he's not a centre. He's too slow to be a centre which saw him get caught out so many times this year. It was a big mistake of Madge to keep him there for so long. Sifa is a gun in attack though and he's so strong. Second row is where he belongs. Could be great back there.

Turner: Not the best of seasons but still solid. Kyle has struggled for impact in 2017 but I think he did still do his job in most games. Seems to be a bit scared because of his neck which is concerning. Looked good late in the year once he started running hard again and I actually think his best position is prop and that's where he should remain.

Tyrrell: Just not up to it anymore. Tbh, he did nothing in all the games he played. A great clubman and a great guy but he's just past it. I want to thank him for all his service and he's given us some awesome memories.

Walker: One of the best this year. Just so dangerous with the ball in hand. At times, he was the only real attacking threat we had and his form at the start of the year was amazing. I think he sulked a bit when he went to fullback which kind of ruined his year, this is partly Madges fault imo. Cody did rediscover that form when he went back to 5/8 though and that's where he should remain.

All in all it's been a real year to forget. There is so many unknowns for us in 2018 with a new coach but I hope that Seibold breathes life into the place. We could look way better next year with the skipper back, Gagai here and some of the under performing players pulling their finger out and with all the young guys we have coming though, I see no reason why we can't improve out of sight.

Pfffffffttttt.... That took a while. Thanks for reading if you did, I know it was long but I like to do decent reviews.

Cheers guys and lets hope the 2018 review is a lot better!! Haha.

 

[Souths Till I Die]

Great review mate I think you've hit the nail on the head with most of our problems. Seibold doesn't really have an excuse coming into 2018. The juniors we have coming through can replace most of our players in the 17. We are going to lose games next year purely because of the inexperience of the squad but hopefully we can recruit another player or two.

Something that I've noticed with turner is that he seems extremely fit and able to do more but could possibly be held back psychologically. When a player runs the ball they almost have to have no fear but turner looks to be holding back. How can you blame him after suffering that horrific injury though? Gosiewski, Britt, Johnstone all look like very good prospects. I would like to see Seibold give everyone a fair go at making the 17.

 

[Rabbits20]

Hey guys, just thought I'd do a review of the 2017 season so here we go. I'm not hating on the team at all, I'm just saying it as it is. Sorry for the long post but I like to do decent reviews and I'd appreciate it if you guys took time to read it and let me know what you think.

I have to do it in multiple parts as this forum only allows 1000 characters per post.

Overview

Man, this season really hurt. We were looking really positive heading into the year and things were looking up but it just wasn't ment to be. It really, really has been a poor season, prehaps not as bad as last year but pretty close. Nine wins and Fifteen losses is just not good enough with the kind of roster we have and the fact that we are such a big club who demands success. Add to that our awful home record and it just looks even worse, we were probably one of the worst teams at home this year and that showed with our tiny crowds.

I guess this season was doomed about seven minutes in when our most influential player, one of our best players, our captain went down in Round 1. That really destroyed us and to be fair, we just never recovered. For most of 2017, it has been very inconsistent efforts. Some games we looked amazing, energy levels were up and the boys looked so hungry. Then other games, most games this year, we would look bad, no energy, boring footy and not much effort (our young guys would always try but the rest of the squad looked average all season). It really has been an inconsistant year. The lack of effort from a lot of the squad was really alarming and that is something that must change. Souths were beaten many times this year based on enthusiasm.

Souths really struggled to score points this year as we looked so predictable. The game plan was just so easy for other teams to read and shut down, at times, Cody Walker being the only one who could play ad-lib and spark something. It was just a game plan of one out footy and set plays from years gone by that no longer work. With the exception of a few nice ones, we didn't score as much off beautiful set plays than we have in previous years or than other teams would. I think this game plan was a huge fault, a huge fault of Madge which I will go into shortly. And when a chance did arise, we'd make an error or finish the set poorly and not be able to build pressure, just a lack of exucution. This high error rate killed off many games for us and it has been a problem for a little while now. The communication didn't seem to be up there sometimes either. It's not all doom and gloom though, we did have some very good games in attack. Games like against Manly in Round 2, Round 15 vs the Gold Coast, 17 up against the Panthers and a few more towards the back end of the season against The Dragons, Dogs and Warriors were great. I feel like these games showed what we could have done this year if it was a more consistent effort week in, week out. In these games everyone was really switched on, energised and did their job. It's a real shame that that same effort didn't happen enough.

Defence was a massive issue too. I'm just guessing, but I'd say that we conceded an average of around twenty points per game in 2017, could even be more. In a side that isn't the greatest attacking wise, that gives you no chance. I feel defence is an attitude thing and ours just wasn't good this year. For much of the season the boys just didn't work for each other and the communication wasn't there. Some of the efforts in defence this year were well below par. The edge defence was shaky all year, prehaps because some of our outside backs are so young but our inability to slide when the opposition went wide really cost us in some games. Like attack though, we did look great at times and many of those times came in those games I mentioned earlier.

Another big, big issue was the kicking game and Reyno's poor form. We didn't really build pressure with kicking all year and it seems most of the kicks were just 'bomb and hope for the best'. That doesn't build pressure at all. The halves also really struggled to get repeat sets. This is another area of our game that's fallen over and must improve.

I think a big issue was Madge though. Just his inability to change. Still using the same gameplan from years ago and persisted with picking players in some key positions when it was obvious it wasn't working. I think this was partly why he had to go. I love the guy and he is a good coach but it'd just gone stale.

The biggest positive for this year are our young blokes. Crichton, Murray, Fuimaono and Graham have been absoulutely outstanding.

Great post and I believe it's 22-23 points conceded a match in defence...

 

[Rabbits20]

I think you were too kind on Turner.....