Finals Week 2: Sharks vs Panthers

[franklin2323]

I seem to be in the minority so maybe I’m just wrong but I do think there’s a lot of upside with him, a full off season, some more experience & he’ll be a different proposition. I see a lot more in him then say a Brailey or Liddle or any other Hooker with similar experience level.

The last two weeks he was tremendous, has an average game & people calling for his head & saying he’s not good enough.

An off season will do wonders for everyone in that team. An year older is always good

 

[franklin2323]

Maloney didn’t stand up enough this season. He was shit last night. Moylan has comfortably had a better year.

At 20 all onwards we were a mess, we needed someone to take control and no one did. Maloney’s defence and attitude isn’t right to be our captain. Seriously consider letting him go, if we can an Isaac like or another good hooker.

Too be fair at 20 all the halves didn't get decent ball. Hell one time Blake had a scoot from dummy half with nothing on.

Katoa did similar things. We just have some dumb players out there. A few guys phoned it in post origin Maloney was one

 

[lsta5838]

Just watched it again.

Merrin: Can go. He's had two straight rubbish years. Really loved him after 2016 so it's a shame.

Maloney: Either retires from rep or goes. I'd be happy with Luai permanently.

Katoa: Has to go. There is no question on this. Has had one good game since Wallace retired and cost us the field goal last night with terrible decision making and slow service. If he's our hooker next year I won't be a member. I was so hopeful on him after last week.

RCG: Won't judge him as he was good before his injury.

Tamou: Has become one of our best forwards. Keep him coming off the bench next year. Our games are turning because our bench middles are doing such a good job.

Was just looking at the stats, he ran for 9 meters! I was really thinking he was going to be up for a big game, considering how quiet he has been last few weeks... Surely not a coincidence that we look a much better team when our bench comes on.. though I guess that is when the oppositions bench comes on too....

 

[martielang]

Damning that he only played 20 minutes as well. Surely he’s gone.

We would of got more out of Hetherington & Ellis last night as opposed to Merrin & RCG.

 

[OldPanther]

Damning that he only played 20 minutes as well. Surely he’s gone.

We would of got more out of Hetherington & Ellis last night as opposed to Merrin & RCG.

Does anyone know if he got injured. On replay he was up and cheering and he looked fine.

 

[franklin2323]

Frustrating. This is simply a dumb team, and it doesn't look like anything will ever change there.
I've been a supporter of Maloney generally, but the way he handled that game was unforgivable.
I know he's injured, but it isn't a brain injury is it?

Someone explain to me the wisdom of putting our two best props on the bench, while leaving the hopelessly out of form pair to get us off to one of our now infamous starts.

The sooner Luai replaces Maloney and Merrin is packed off the better.

As bad as Maloney was. I don't think we win with just a new 5/8th. Kikau is the best defender anyway and of course a rookie half has questions in defence

It is hard to see things open minded sometimes so player ratings can help.

Merrin got 3. Katoa 5. RCG 6 (which I think was generous) that there tells the story. Halves and backs flow on from that

 

[franklin2323]

Does anyone know if he got injured. On replay he was up and cheering and he looked fine.

He has the medi bib in the training photos so has some injury. Though Leota also does and he has been our best prop this year

 

[TheFrog]

RCG: Won't judge him as he was good before his injury.

I thought he was OK. Tamou was good too. Merrin, well its understandable that the coach didn't bring him back on.

 

[TheFrog]

Merrin got 3. Katoa 5. RCG 6 (which I think was generous) that there tells the story. Halves and backs flow on from that

If these were the ratings on NRL.com, I think they are very poor. For a game played in two halves, I think they have rated on the first half only.

 

[OldPanther]

If these were the ratings on NRL.com, I think they are very poor. For a game played in two halves, I think they have rated on the first half only.

They seem pretty accurate to me. Katoa isn't good enough for a 5 in that game.

 

[herbert henry1908]

They seem pretty accurate to me. Katoa isn't good enough for a 5 in that game.

The gap between the sharks ratings & panthers ratings is pretty stark given it was only a 1 point game. Almost like they made the ratings 60 mins in.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Overall it’s hard to deny we copped the worst of the Maloney/Moylan swap in terms of on field performance.

Obviously we made the best of a bad situation by getting Maloney, Moylan wanted out and at that point Gould had to get something for him. But if you could go back and avoid all the Moylan drama we’d be much better off with him as our 5/8 in future years.

I remember some saying Moylan wasn’t a 5/8, has anyone that expressed that view changed their mind?

 

[TheFrog]

They seem pretty accurate to me. Katoa isn't good enough for a 5 in that game.

DWZ, Mansour, Blake, Peachey, Cleary, JFH, CHN, Leota and Tamou are all marked down, some rather savagely, while several Sharks players are marked up. Townsend getting 9 is ridiculous. It was a one point game, decided by a late field goal and we were quite comfortably the better side for half of that game. I have not decided my ratings yet, but they will reflect the effort put in by our team in the second half, even though we were pipped at the post.

 

[TheFrog]

I remember some saying Moylan wasn’t a 5/8, has anyone that expressed that view changed their mind?

Deserves the NSW gig next year. The way he parted company with Penrith and especially missing the finals last year still stands against him though.

Overall it’s hard to deny we copped the worst of the Maloney/Moylan swap in terms of on field performance.

We got to play them in a sudden death final and the game came down to a field goal at the death. Maloney had a poor game but had a blinder last week and the week before that. It's hardly clear cut and its just paper talk anyway but I do hope Jimmy considers stepping down from Origin.

 

[martielang]

Yep gotta give the bloke credit, he played some really smart footy last night & the back end of the year. Helps when Fifita is running rampant though, I thought he was easily motm.

In saying that, his leaving was much more than a personal falling out between he & Griffin. Plenty swept under the carpet by Gus & issues within the playing group. It was inevitable unfortunately.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Deserves the NSW gig next year. The way he parted company with Penrith and especially missing the finals last year still stands against him though.



We got to play them in a sudden death final and the game came down to a field goal at the death. Maloney had a poor game but had a blinder last week and the week before that. It's hardly clear cut and its just paper talk anyway but I do hope Jimmy considers stepping down from Origin.

Their record against us was 3-0

Plus the fact they’ll have Moylan for another 5-6 years.

They won the swap, but we had no option but to do the swap.


Agree that Moylan is likely the next NSW 5/8.

 

[franklin2323]

If these were the ratings on NRL.com, I think they are very poor. For a game played in two halves, I think they have rated on the first half only.

Who was under scored? The Fox sports ones are close to the same. I can't argue with any of them

 

[TheFrog]

Who was under scored? The Fox sports ones are close to the same. I can't argue with any of them

See post 533 above. In particular DWZ and JFH were much better than 5.

 

[franklin2323]

Yep gotta give the bloke credit, he played some really smart footy last night & the back end of the year. Helps when Fifita is running rampant though, I thought he was easily motm.

In saying that, his leaving was much more than a personal falling out between he & Griffin. Plenty swept under the carpet by Gus & issues within the playing group. It was inevitable unfortunately.

That is the thing if we swap the 8, 9 and 10. Does the result change? I say yes. Their pack stands up every week ours every month or so

 

[TheFrog]

TheFrog's Player Ratings

Watene-Zelezniak 7
Mansour 6
Blake 7
Peachey 5
Crichton 5
Maloney 5
Cleary 7
Merrin 3
Katoa 5
Campbell-Gillard 6
Kikau 8
Yeo 7
Fisher-Harris 7

May 4
Leota 7
Harawira-Naera 6
Tamou 7

Referee Klein (5)