Team v the bloody Panthers

[Beavers Headgear]

Lol nope but you do have some. We both have awful coaches. No idea what will happen in this one

Interesting to read that from a Panthers fan, have been wondering what the opinions on Griffin are, personally I don't rate him at all and see letting Cleary go to bring him in as 1 of the biggest coaching downgrades I've seen for a long time

 

[umina panther]

The massive positive is Nathan Cleary. If Ivan was still bere he wouldn't be debuting till 2020. Hook needs more time for a fair assessment but the signs aren't great

 

[JJ]

yep, but if they can manage to keep this young group together for a few year, they're a scary proposition

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

My thoughts on the Panthers are similar to what my thoughts were leading to the Canberra game.

Panthers can score tries in bunches, they can concede tries in bunches. Which Panthers side turns up for longer (both are likely to show up) will probably have as much influence on the result as anything else.

 

[Rich102]

A trend that is increasingly worrying me is the standard of the team's passing.
A pass should be flat and hit the receiver about belt height. Johnson is now specializing in lobbed passes that land anywhere between head and knees. These require the receivers prolonged attention and, in the case of players in traffic, dropped passes. The rest of the team passes hard but often inaccurately, often behind the receiver..
They need a couple of sessions on this basic skill.

 

[Benek]

Fus is going great at the back, but I still feel having Tui instead of Maumalo is a stronger team. So I see no options but putting Tui at fullback and Fusitua on the wing. That try he scored to level it would not have been finished by anyone else on the team. That's just too valuable. And Tui proved earlier in the season he's solid at the back.

I loved Jazzed earlier but not really seeing his contribution right now. He either needs to be faster or bigger/stronger to have enough ball carrying impact. Right now he's waste a bench spot for mine - I'd rather have another prop.

 

[jaseg]

I don't get moving Fusitua, who is safe at the back, to make space for Lolohea who is a turnstile.
Fusitua ran the most metres for the Warriors against the Raiders and has safe hands. Let lolohea replace Maumalo on the wing - oh wait; he already did and couldn't catch bombs.
Lolohea currently is a myth. A supposed superstar without the evidence to back it up.

If Tui wasn't at fullback and Fus on the wing for those last 20 minutes, we don't take that to golden point. That's not really conjecture - at the very least, nobody but Fusitua scores that last try... certainly not impotent Ken.

Fus might be a better fullback than Tui, but we're a better team with Tui at fullback and Fus on the wing. It showed yesterday.

 

[JJ]

McFadden will probably bring Wright back

 

[Blair]

It's very unfair treatment of Lolohea, he's under pressure that's unneessary. The coach's attitude seems to be, 'OK, you're talented are you? Well, here's twenty minutes off the bench, we need you to win the game for us...'

When Lolohea was in the halves yesterday did anyone else see that break he made with Johnson? It was good, real good.

 

[jaseg]

He was at right centre (or maybe even fullback by that point?), but yeah.. it was good. Shame neither had the legs to finish the thing.

 

[Blair]

He was at right centre (or maybe even fullback by that point?), but yeah.. it was good. Shame neither had the legs to finish the thing.

Yeah, he replaced Aysh.

But in that play they were both up in the middle of the park as if they were in the halves together. It showed exciting potential. I agree with the consensus here though, that both players look to be too similar in style to play there together.

We'll see, I suppose.

We just want to see him on the park, our attack needs him, it's bloody obvious. All that possession and territory but just four points until the 70th minute or so (as Phil and others have said on here already).

 

[Blair]

Lol nope but you do have some. We both have awful coaches. No idea what will happen in this one

I just hope the Panthers spend the next week thinking how insanely talented they all are.

 

[JJ]

I hope the Panthers spend the next next week just thinking how insanely talented they all are.

They might, my suspicion is that some Warriors do too, tbh. The talent at the Panthers is huge, but more the point is the potential - the next few years could be huge for them - adding Tamou too, it kind of looks like 1989 - huge pool of talented youngsters and a few hard heads... think Merrin is still young too

Still on McFadden though, there is no reason not to bring Tui on earlier - seriously they were dominating the Raiders (and indeed Manly) but had nothing to show for it, surely against a tired defence he's a dice worth rolling - 25-30 mins in...

 

[SpaceMonkey]

If we're going to put Tui on the bench at least take a page out of the All Blacks substitution playbook with guys like SBW and Barrett and inject him around the 50 minute mark or earlier. They were destroying sides with their impact benchies in the RWC cup finals.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Individually I think Fusitua is a better fullback than Tui, but it's a team game and I think the team benefits more by having Tui at fullback and Fusitua on the wing.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

so who gets dropped. mano, maumalo or ayshford

 

[Meth]

so who gets dropped. mano, maumalo or ayshford

Maumalo.

No question

 

[Leber]

Maumalo. Although many could be injured

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I don't get moving Fusitua, who is safe at the back, to make space for Lolohea who is a turnstile.
Fusitua ran the most metres for the Warriors against the Raiders and has safe hands. Let lolohea replace Maumalo on the wing - oh wait; he already did and couldn't catch bombs.
Lolohea currently is a myth. A supposed superstar without the evidence to back it up.

It's really interesting you call Tui a myth. I'm not disagreeing with you either - I think it's a strong subject to argue over.

What I will say is this: Tui has played 42 NRL games. He has played every position in the backline, as well as being a bench utility. He has been swapped positions (ie week to week) SIXTEEN times. His longest stint in a position is 7 weeks (fullback last year) then six at halfback to end the year. He trialled at centre this year, then went to the wing for rd one, went back to fullback after RTS went down, then was a winger, then was dropped to the bench midweek and it all culminated in him not being subbed on in a match until golden point. All whilst our coach and CEO repeatedly tell us his future is in the halves.

So um, who's the real myth?

 

[JJ]

Excellent (Rhetorical) question