Round 25 v Dragons @ Pepper Stadium

[martielang]

DWZ is easily our next best option at fullback, no one else should really be in the conversation IMO. He had a Barry Crocker today, but I don't think I'd be basing his whole ability at fullback on an average half of footy.

Be interesting to see if Moylan was available if he'd just slot in at the back.

 

[OldPanther]

Dean Whare must come into the side.
Wallace is past his use by date in attack and gives poor service from dummy half
Tim Brown why do we start with him? Why is he even in the side
Lack of go forward up front....out muscled in the forwards.
CHN needs time in NSW cup.
DWZ was poor again.
Griffin we won't win a comp with this bloke. Still waiting for a set play from Griffin....I think I'll be waiting a long long time.

CHN and DWZ aren't the issue. Wallace is. He's where our poor discipline starts.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

The way i think Griffin will do it now with Edwards injured (rumored MCL) and Moylan not back until week one of finals (if we make it is:

1.DWZ
2.Mansour
3.Peachy
4.Whare
5.Blake

That will be the path Griffin will go. Whare been playing well in reserve and deserves to come back yet Blake doesn't deserve to lose his spot. He is wasted on the wing. Its a case of whats best for the team at the moment though.

 

[Fangs]

DWZ will have to do. I think it would be a mistake moving Moylan back there. Though with May's form I could see Hook leaving him in the 6.

No Moylan yesterday. Edwards got injured. And Wallace looked like he was still injured. I still think we should have put that mob to the sword.

Can't believe we have lost to that rabble 2 times in one year. Who knows...if results pan out we might get a 3rd chance to lose to them in the finals.

 

[The Realist]

Well we were due for a loss, the team needed a wake up call and got it.

Widdop showed us that composure and experience in the halves trumps youthful exuberance.

Our forwards got on top of them after 20 minutes but we could not capitalise and when the weather turned and we let in the 2nd Dragons try I knew we were cooked, as we are a poor wet weather team and we are a 'dumb team' even in the best of conditions.

It seems like most of our players have a brain fade in them once a game, whether it is no respect for ball security, giving away stupid penalties, not paying attention to the short kick off, or being caught out of position in the defensive line.

This team lacks discipline, footy smarts and structure, and in my opinion you can directly attribute this to coaching.

Some of our huge faults have been papered over in our win streak, most concerning is our error rate. Wallace was also starting to look his footy age, old and slow.

 

[SBD82]

Congrats on the game yesterday fellas. I know a loss is hard to take but I think at the end of the day we beat you through desire. Our season was on the line and I think if the situations were reversed the result would have been too.

We targeted your back three as a deliberate tactic, rushing them on plays one and two and limiting their run meters. I think we took you by surprise, and your forwards didn't adjust. If they had, they could have made plenty of meters around the ruck or down the blind in the space that was created by us shooting out of the line.

I doubt your team will get caught out again by teams doing this to you. Mary had a rare moment of coaching inspiration and caught you out, but it's an easy fix for you.

 

[MrBlack]

Two words gents (ladies?)

Ball Security

Saints had it and we didn't.

Could see we weren't going to get the win, so was just hoping that we lost by as few points as possible.

Our for and against may just come into play this time next week.

Also - glad we had a loss in a way. That whole "how many games in a row have we won" will not be a distraction from here onwards.

 

[Cagey Mac]

13+

Lets end the year of the worst fan base in the NRL

You can do that this week and good luck to you!

 

[Cagey Mac]

Can someone close to the club tell them to contact Manly and throw the game so it is a draw and both sides progress through no matter what.

Haha and you'd trust Manly?

 

[billypilgrimnz]

We targeted your back three as a deliberate tactic, rushing them on plays one and two and limiting their run meters.

Mansour: 217 m
DWZ: 171 m
Edwards (40 minutes): 131 m
Blake (40 minutes on wing + 40 min center): 153 m

vs.

MacDonald: 135 m
Dufty: 116 m
Nightingale: 101 m

It didn't work.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Also - glad we had a loss in a way. That whole "how many games in a row have we won" will not be a distraction from here onwards.

You know what would have been even more pressure reducing? Being guaranteed a spot in the 8 going into the last round.

 

[SBD82]

Mansour: 217 m
DWZ: 171 m
Edwards (40 minutes): 131 m
Blake (40 minutes on wing + 40 min center): 153 m

It didn't work.

I get that they made meters, but what our tactic did was slow down your starts to the set. Numbers in tackles and slowing down the ruck.

The sharks were the best exponents of the back three getting sets off to a good start last year, and the last several weeks it has been you guys. We disrupted that yesterday.

 

[Munted]

Mansour: 217 m
DWZ: 171 m
Edwards (40 minutes): 131 m
Blake (40 minutes on wing + 40 min center): 153 m

vs.

MacDonald: 135 m
Dufty: 116 m
Nightingale: 101 m

It didn't work.

Hah.

Im so disappointed for Edwards, the kids made more meters than some fullbacks/wingers who have played the entire season.

 

[Pomoz]

This team lacks discipline, footy smarts and structure, and in my opinion you can directly attribute this to coaching.

Some of our huge faults have been papered over in our win streak, most concerning is our error rate. Wallace was also starting to look his footy age, old and slow.

Fair enough, but you might also want to consider the age of our team. We have one of youngest teams in the NRL, if not the youngest. Yesterday both halves and the fullback were 21 or younger. We see it time and time again, you can't put an old head on young shoulders. The Tigers halves and now the Titans halves have all suffered from the same problem. Playmaking requires composure and the ability to read the game. These young whiz kids can do that at times, but Widdop showed yesterday the difference in having an experienced composed half. When the chips were down he kept the team going in the right direction. Cleary, May and Edwards can be a brilliant combination with another season or two under their belt.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

I get that they made meters, but what our tactic did was slow down your starts to the set. Numbers in tackles and slowing down the ruck.

I must have misunderstood your phrase "limiting their run meters".....

 

[Cagey Mac]

It's all a plot by channel 9, the NRL and the refs. How many people are going to be watching the Dragons vs Dogs game on Sunday night? Truth is Panthers, Dragons and Raiders aren't so far apart and any could win with the rub of the green. Sims try was freakish and the loss of Edwards was fundamental to your loss. Good luck on the weekend and hope young Edwards comes thought okay. A third game, wherever it's played would be a beauty.

 

[SBD82]

I must have misunderstood your phrase "limiting their run meters".....

Ha. Did I literally say that? Oops.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Ha. Did I literally say that? Oops.

Yep. No dramas.

 

[SBD82]

I must have misunderstood your phrase "limiting their run meters".....

I guess that I thought your sets started poorly, and I could see our line speed had changed dramatically in the first 2 tackles of the set. Put 2 and 2 together and failed.

I mean, I've been wrong at least once before. I suppose There's a chance it's happened again.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

I guess that I thought your sets started poorly, and I could see our line speed had changed dramatically in the first 2 tackles of the set. Put 2 and 2 together and failed.

I mean, I've been wrong at least once before. I suppose There's a chance it's happened again.

The comparison with your back 3 was unfair, because you actually have a forward pack that is consistently worth a damn, thus meaning you don't need your wingers/fullback doing the forwards' job.