What turned our season around last year

[_addict]

...and can we do similar to get this season on track?

 

[beefstew]

...and can we do similar to get this season on track?

Locke finally getting the fullback job, and Johnson's appearance in place of seymour.

Those two gave the team the individual brilliance that we needed on attack, as there was
basically no structure at all in the opposition 20, except kick to Manu.

Locke's fantastic defense cant be overlooked either.

 

[Rich102]

A very interesting question.
I think the players realised what they were told to do wasn't working and took matters into their own hands. They chanced their hands and started to play with a bit of fire.

Time for a few men to stand up now and play with a bit of pride.

 

[aargon]

...and can we do similar to get this season on track?

I think it was really a bit of luck. We probably won more of the close games than we lost. Could of gone either way - just like our game against the Tigers in the finals. In 2010, we lost a lot of the close games - just opposite.

Unfortunately this year, we're not even close...

Canberra - lost by 20! (would have been by 30 if Crocker knew how to kick!)
Roosters - lost by 18!
Bulldogs - lost by 14!
Manly - lost by 6 - behind by 16 points at one stage!

 

[vvvrulz]

It was the personnel that turned things around, a combination of things:
- Locke given fullback and flourishing
- A combination of Seymour (steady) and Johnson (successful). For a while from memory we had neither.
- Inu and Moon giving solid returns in the centres and wing.
- Luck organizing the defence (was injured for a while and things were going wrong)
- Lillyman improving leaps and bounds after making Origin I.

We're missing all of them bar Johnson right now and that's the difference, only one performing day in day out is Matulino.

 

[Izz]

Last season, we prized our defense. Our attack struggled for the first half of the season, but we were hardly ever out of the contest because we defended strongly. Even when Luck was injured the only time we got beat up was against the Cowboys (plus we let Wests score 20 points in ten minutes).

(and we couldn't use the 'bomb to Manu' tactic for that first half of the season, because he was injured. We didn't actually use it excessively at all last season.)

 

[NZ Warrior]

I believe JBro got injured and everything got better from that point onwards.

 

[Warmess]

I believe the Sharks played us into a bit of form at the Taupo game, didn't they? From losing 3 straight, I think we went on to go 3-4 in a row after the Sharkies game.

 

[ozbash]

A very interesting question.
I think the players realised what they were told to do wasn't working and took matters into their own hands. They chanced their hands and started to play with a bit of fire.

Time for a few men to stand up now and play with a bit of pride.

Didnt Ivan tell them to go out and play their own game.?

 

[Rich102]

If he did it was the best bit of advice he gave them.
Maybe Bluey should do the same.

"Listen chaps. Go out & play your own game. If it goes right I will look good - If it goes wrong I'll say you didn't stick to the game plan."

Nice.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

we grew the beards and we were right from then on

 

[vvvrulz]

we grew the beards and we were right from then on

Actually yeah!, especially in 2008 when we eventually lost to Manly, the magic beards turned the whole season around.

 

[Dr Crane]

I believe the Sharks played us into a bit of form at the Taupo game, didn't they? From losing 3 straight, I think we went on to go 3-4 in a row after the Sharkies game.

things went worse after that. we didn't look like doing anything until after melbourne did us in auckland.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

We lost 5 in a row between byes last year.

 

[Blair]

Can it happen again? We were written off last year at the SFS v Tigers and I almost went home at half-time (my dad went to bed in NZ - my brother refused to come to the game with me saying he couldn't bare the Tigers fans all victorious).

I decided to head over to the 'Kiwi-corner' and watch the rest of the game. Despite being 18-6 down there was still a real excitement down there and Mateo's try right in front of us started our famous comeback (it remains my favourite Warriors try).

This season? I've been following the threads so far here with interest. There is no obvious answer to our woes but woes they are. Souths should be favourites tomorrow, but I still hope tomorrow will be the moment we start playing to our potential, and consistently at that.

Looking forward to Luck and Lillyman returning, it is correct to note that without Luck last year we fell very flat.

Also, Inu needs steady game time. I agree with the comments that he's being set up to fail tomorrow.

I almost went down to Darlinghurst last year and got a tattoo of his image after the shock defeat of the Tigers! So glad I didn't.

Additionally, in Rd 2 v the Eels, mum said we should drop Manu! ('makes too many mistakes, drops ball, etc') I scoffed at her and said she's mad. However, in hindsight she seems a brave visionary!

Hope he has a blinder tomorrow.

 

[Drzoidberg]

We need to turn up to play from the start. Like manly showed last night if you don't turn up u get beat by anyone including the titans and eels.

Even more so this year.

Every year the boys seem to have the need to get in positions where they have to win or seasons over positions before they will perform, silly I know but.....

Examples last season. 3 loses to start season then we started to play, head into the bye with a descent start 7-4. Then we lost all games in between the byes bringing us down to 7-8 for the season, after we just got our season on track. Then after the byes we win 7 out of 9. 1st up against the broncos in the finals and we potentially had a life if we lost then we bombed. Then in the elimination finals we turned up and won bar the big dance, only to be beaten by the better team and Tony 'cant tell what is square' Archer.

 

[Micistm]

Honestly? It sounds awful to say, but IMO what turned our season around was Jro getting injured. We seem to come right when he was gone.

I don't like bagging players when you know they're doing their best...and it's not their fault they get picked! But I don't get the Jro lovefest that so many coaches are on. Listening to radio sport this morn waiting for the washing machine to finish, they had Frank Endacott on as a guest, with his Kiwi team. Yes, he was picking Ropati (which caused a barrage of texts into the show).
What do they see that the average punter doesn't? How do they overlooked the things that the fan on the street sees?