Penrith Game

[Blaze]

So Wiki could be out for the rest of the season, we suffered our biggest defeat and our season is over.

The Fox commentators are almost unbearable. Fair enough that Alexander favours Penrith, but you wouldn't think he would be so blatently biased considering he played for us as well...

I know the Sky guys are just as bad, but Daley and Smith were happy enough to focus solely on the Panthers.

Wait for them, and the rest of the Aussie media to get right behind us again when we rise back up to the top whenever that may be. :?

Regardless not a good night for the club.

 

[MKEB...]

One word ...GUTLESS

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

I thought Wiki and surprisngly Luck didn't do too bad.

Sad thing about the game, was that was the best comment i could make about it.

 

[MKEB...]

I could see Wiki getting himself suspended just from watching the first 10 minutes.

 

[pantherz9103]

Bad luck guys. I reckon you were due for a big loss because usually you always rip in and compete well but often lose the close games. Penrith were too hungry tonight and we played our best attacking footy of the year with 'Wesser the Expressor' notching a hat-trick.

 

[LeagueNut]

After tonight, I'm firmly convinced that somewhere deep within the hidden tunnels under Mt Smart Stadium is a bright red "self destruct" button that some bright spark keeps on pressing every so often. If I ever find that little bugger, I'll tear him a new ringpiece.

That was definitely a 2004-esque performance. Apart from a couple of flashes of form, the whole team basically looked completely disinterested.

Well done Panthers - I hope you buggers DO make the 8 now, otherwise we've just been spanked for no reason!

 

[Lego_Man]

Yep, we suck. From 1-17. Nothing else needs to be said.

 

[NZ Warrior]

Why did they not continually bomb Preston's wing???

That is all they f**king needed to do.

Useless f**ks. Thank God that it's all over.

 

[Dr Crane]

I'm glad i missed it. I'll be f**ked if i even watch a highlights package. Lets put a bullet in 2006 and several heads.

No doubt we'll play Scumnulla into form to. Typical gutless performance just when we need some spine to be shown. Crowd next week: 500 and a dog.

 

[Iafeta]

Went to the game... that was just an absolute shambles of a performance. Disgraceful.

There are a few blokes at the moment who are surviving in the team on reputation and reputation alone

W. Koopu
R. Wiki
L. Anderson

They are all woefully out of form. Also, the following players are just not up to first grade, or not up to playing in a position that suits them

S. Rapira
J. Ropati

The move to drop Tuimavave was somewhat of a let down, the bloke who should have faced the ax since about round 9 was Mr Wiki. He's been below average all season, and certainly not at the standard his contract suggests he should be. In a round about way, I suggest that Wiki's shot at the end of the game, which will spell the end of his season, will be the best thing for Wiki and the club. Wiki needs a good, long break. He looks tired, run down, and a shell of the man he used to be.

Next week

1 Webb 2 Ah Van 3 Martin 4 Mannering 5 Vuna 6 Fien 7 Rovelli 8 Tuimavave 9 Gatis 10 Price 11 Luck 12 Guttenbeil 13 Faumuina Bench Fai Vatuvei (Back-row) Hohaia Lauaki

The sad thing on tonight, one of the best players tonight doesn't look he'll be here next year. Vuna. He was at least if nothing else enthusiastic and looked dangerous bringing the ball back.

Overall, a disgraceful performance, and it was very evident early in that second half what was coming; good kick, 3 man chase, easy ability for Wesser to carve up; five minutes later, same thing; a few minutes after that, an aimless bomb easily defused in the in goal and what happens, some one, I don't know I didn't see, but someone who's upper two inches simply was not working decided to blindside Campbell. Outrageous. That player should have been hooked immediately and dressed in his sivvies on the sideline within 10 minutes with only a cold shower.

Season 2006 is over, and my word, if some of these blokes, namely Koopu, Anderson and Wiki don't lift their games, and Rapira doesn't develop a lot quicker than he's showing, so is 2007.

 

[NZ Warrior]

I've had a f**king guts full of Ropati and Anderson. I'm also sick of seeing Rapira. These guys are f**king killing us with their unforced errors and sh*t-for-brains play options.

Teams don't need to beat us any more. All they need to do is bide their time and watch us f**k ourselves over.

I'm also sick of seeing f**king passengers in this team. Koopu is one, Wiki is another. You either make a decent contribution, both on attack and defense, or get the f**k out.

f**k this team and f**k 2006. What a f**k up of a year.

AND f**k YOU, JEROME ROPATI. YOU USELESS f**kING merkin. YOU'RE THE sh*tTIEST STAND OFF THAT I'VE EVER SEEN. WHERE THE f**k ARE YOUR PLAY-MAKING SKILLS, YOU UTTER f**kING USELESS PIECE OF sh*t. f**k YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Iafeta]

The thing is Wazza, all jokes aside, some players are just deadset surviving - without criticism either - on past performances.

Certainly Koopu and Wiki have had poor seasons comparing to what they've achieved in the past. Koopu doesn't appear anywhere near as involved. Wiki looks soft in attack. What's up with that?

There's a reason we are 2nd or 3rd last, and it isn't all salary cap related. It's like players expect to go to Auckland for a holiday at the Warriors, just appears the entire club culture is rotten.

 

[kiwi_man]

i think we are being abit harsh on wiki and lui anderson, wikis defence earlier on tonight was inspirational, i think he outplayed price tonight. although that being said the 6 odd weeks he will recieve from the judciary will do him the world of good, its ovbious the man needs a break

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Well at least that means we're f**ked fo the season. Whatever happens from here on in, I know that irrespective of salary cap shennanigans we don't deserve to make the finals, so lets cut the BS and build for next year, because the potential is there at least.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

When ever we say we need to win the rest of our games we get hammered. Happened last year and years gone by. Gutless indeed.

Change half the team i say
Give Price a week off hes done his bit all year. I was really f**ked off with Koopus performance last night

 

[LeagueNut]

i think we are being abit harsh on wiki ... i think he outplayed price tonight.

I agree with this. Price is a legend, but it seems he has also been affected by whatever rot was running through our team last night. He seemed to spend an awful lot of time on the bench for some reason. And there were quite a few times when Tony Archer deserved at least a question ("what the hell are you talking about you blind prick"), but Pricey was nowhere to be seen.

 

[AliN]

losing while putting in 100% is hard but you can relater to the fact the the guys tried
losing like we did against the Panthers is a bitter pill to swallow, and as Campo said before the game, there's a few guys in the team that should take a good hard look at themselves.

Well done Panthers, great to see such a determined effort..

 

[ozbash]

roll on 07.

pretty dissappointing but thats footy

archer was rubbish but we cant blame him for our completion rate or dropped ball and missed tackles. cant understand some of your criticisims, thought louie and ropo were the best of a bad bunch, pricey is a legend , so is wiki.

mannering played like a show pony and why wasnt fein and sione on the paddock for most of the game ? gatis :arrow: jetz

rubes might be looking at a holiday for the high shot.

well done pennies...

 

[MKEB...]

Granted...Pennie completely outplayed us for all but 15 minutes.

Ah Van ..6 tried, still needs NRL experience as a fullback.
Vuna ..7 tried harder than Ah Van, needed a little more help from Martin.
Martin ..5 one good kick,and,ummm.
Mannering ..6 As someone said before, played like a showpony, You are not Gasnier Yet
Vatuvei ..5 A battering ram all night, pretend the ball is KFC. You wont drop that
Jro ..6 Defensively sound, (as sound as everybody else). Has no vision, and yesterday looked our only playmaker doing any work on the field, pity it wasnt play making
Rovelli ..4 Played like Sh1t wamed up, Worse game for him all season.
Wiki ..5 Running laterally instead of forward, mate you area fron rower. Good defence apart from THAT tackle
Fien ..4 See entry: Rovelli
Price ..6 Played the typical front rower game, and not the Pricey game.
Lui ..5 Penalties. Made the tackles yes. Hitup counts are one thing, how about meaningful hitups.
Luck ..7 Looked like our only forward who wanted to be there.
Sione ..5 (one point awarded for haircut) one try save, one Sione pass. Where was he for the rest of the game. This is not a game of where's Sione.
Koopu ..4 butchered a try, living there on last years rep ,and has been for a few weeks.
Guttenbeil ..6 saved by lack of game time.Running into the tackle too high again.
Gatis ..6 also saved by lack of gametime but gave more on attack and defence than Fien
Rapira ..5 I hope you made the most of this opportunity, I think you are going to be in bartercard for a lot longer yet.

Points to note..

Never stand off Preston Campbell.
Tackling is allowable.

This Masochistic streak I have lets me put up with warriors.

 

[Iafeta]

How was Ropati defensively sound?

Again - it was his poor read of an unders play that let Tony Puletua in. If you watch the replay, Ropati almost gets in behind Tony Martin, that's how far across he's gone, Gower turns it inside and Puletua goes in untouched by Ropo who was marking him. The tunnel passes along the crowd though at least gave some humour to the Panthers fans, along with Rovelli's pass to the angels that miraculously still ended up with Tony Martin.

Guttenbeil missed a load of tackles in a short space of time that killed off a bit of momentum.

Mad Kiwi, I agree - are we all clinically insane for saying we'll be back next week... again