Rd16: Parra v Souths GAME DAY thread (27/8/20)

[Spooner]

Waqa Blake needs to be dropped but I'm just not sure who we put there. Taka I guess.

Further on Waqa Blake, someone needs to show him the interview with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck earlier this season on The Fan. They showed RTS a bunch of photos from throughout his career and asked him if he remembered each game they were taken in. They showed one from his schoolboy days where he was mid-air running the ball back in to the defensive line. And he said, i"f my Dad saw that he would have got stuck in to me for leaving my feet" - his old man's theory was that if you do that skip at the defensive line you lose momentum and give the defence a better chance to react... Waqa Blake is still doing that stupid skip in the air despite the fact that it has fooled nobody his whole career. I even saw Matterson trying it last night...

My boy does that skip. He plays centre (Sydney Shield this year). It is pointless and you lose all momentum. I tell him every week to cut it out but it seems like it’s wired into his brain. F***king hopeless.

 

[hindy111]

But we're heaps good at defense and can grind out wins...

,,,or something.

In all honesty we had about 3 or 4 chances in the first 10 minutes and we blew them all because we can't string anything together for shit. Then Souths scored. Then it was over.

Our centres are crap. Sivo is crap. Lane is crap. Kaufusi is crap.

Seriously - Will Smith to fullback, Gutherson to centre (drop one of those plodders), Dunster in for Sivo, Niukore in for Lane, Taka in for Kaufusi.

EDIT - After reading hindy's post, I'd also consider Salmon at centre, and maybe leaving Gutherson at the back.

You always need new blood in a team. How demoralizing for a backup knowing they will get no chance no matter how poor the form is of another player.

Gutherson stays at fullback.
Salmon or Taka comes in for Blake
I'd blood Dunster on wing for Sivo

Start with Davies in 2nd row. Lane drops to the bench. And plays middle or edge.
Stone is not a hooker. W.Smith comes on bench if the plan is to play him there. Stone offers nothing at hooker.

 

[IFR33K]

What is it with these knts who sign a new contract doggin it a week later

Jennings
Lane
Mahoney

abd whoever f**ken else!!!!

BA too

 

[IFR33K]

Used the off season to work on getting a f**ken life.

Hope you start reaping the rewards soon.

 

[IFR33K]

Paulo has been ineffective since he hurt his ankle in the Dragons game, and Moses has been playing on one leg since play resumed in May. Those are our best two attacking players. Without them, grinding it out is our only chance of winning games. Looks like tonight we put it in the too hard basket, plus Souths were excellent.

More excuses. Every player in the Comp would have some sort of niggling injuries or issues at this point in time.

 

[Gazzamatta]

No point reorganising the deck chairs on the Titanic gang as the Captain and his Senior Officers reckon its only a small iceberg and if we paddle harder we'll be fine.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Hope you start reaping the rewards soon.

Thanks mate. I doubt I will.

 

[Bandwagon]

Remember when we let Melbourne put 60 points on us in magic round last year - we have one of those performances EVERY.FREAKIN.YEAR.

That's true, sometimes we have more than one of them

This year though it has looked like our defence has had the resolve to not let that happen, and that was pretty pleasing, because regardless of if your attack is clunky, defence will win you games way more often than not

Last night put paid to that, I thought we were over shitting the bed, all growed up like big boys, now I reckon Arthurs better put the mattress protector back on and bulk buy himself some nappy san.

 

[Bandwagon]

You always need new blood in a team. How demoralizing for a backup knowing they will get no chance no matter how poor the form is of another player.

Gutherson stays at fullback.
Salmon or Taka comes in for Blake
I'd blood Dunster on wing for Sivo

Start with Davies in 2nd row. Lane drops to the bench. And plays middle or edge.
Stone is not a hooker. W.Smith comes on bench if the plan is to play him there. Stone offers nothing at hooker.

Stone's not a ball player, and at dummy half he's always gonna be scoop pass, average. But the game is attack and defence, and Stone hits f**king hard, his first up contact is awesome, but his reads are still lacking, only game time will fix that. Replace him with Will Smith and yeah, you'll get better service, but defence will suffer greatly, and Smith's had enough game time to work that out, he isn't getting any better.

I reckon BA hooked Reed last night because the game was done, and the points differential doesn't matter, but he used the it to give Stone more minutes, and maybe just to rest Reed a bit.

 

[Oscarman]

We need to make changes to the starting 13 - it has been pretty much the same all season. Even if it is starting Davey etc, just to get rid of the sameness which would be causing staleness. Energy comes from things being different.

I would give Salmon, Dunster and a few others a run in the next 4 weeks. We should win 3 of them and that will mean at worst 4th place.

Would prefer to play Penrith in Week 1 of the Finals than the Storm.

 

[Happy MEel]

*fairies

After watching the Eels go around last night I do.

 

[IFR33K]

We need to make changes to the starting 13 - it has been pretty much the same all season. Even if it is starting Davey etc, just to get rid of the sameness which would be causing staleness. Energy comes from things being different.

I would give Salmon, Dunster and a few others a run in the next 4 weeks. We should win 3 of them and that will mean at worst 4th place.

Would prefer to play Penrith in Week 1 of the Finals than the Storm.

Maybe BA wants waqa to run out of the line like a headless chicken. He’s done it all year and it hasn’t been addressed. And the only success he had was shutting down ponga. Maybe BA is content with him. I mean poo thought it’s totally normal for him to do so

 

[Joshuatheeel]

The problem with making changes is half the squad hasn’t played for 6 months.

The biggest issues are:

- our line speed / energy appears to have dropped of. Maybe give the players a break over the weekend (they probably are). Change up training. COVID 19 prevents a mini camp etc. Boys just need to lift. Maybe change the starting side a bit. Stone / Marata to start (They play with energy/effort) , Paulo / Mahoney (better attackers / bring on after 20 when game opens up a bit) to bench

- moses is struggling a bit, he is obviously still injured. Really our form drop has coincided with his time out. Not much we can do. Get him to focus on perfecting his kicking game.

- our edge defence is terrible. It’s the same structure we have used for years, Blake is pushing up correctly but missing to many / contract is poor. While Sivo struggles to make good decisions (and is rather slow). Bring in Gennings for Sivo (Good effort / more mobile) and Taka for Blake (salmon is an option but hasn’t played while Taka is experienced and knows the structure well, yeah he is a bit slow, but we seemed to go ok defensively with him at centre, the odd stuff up but generally ok. Also he is good in attack, can create space, good offload.). Dropping players also puts others on notice.

- attack, go back to pushing up the middle and not go wide as much. Go wide when we earn it (seems we haven’t got the balance right). We are to “deep” at times. BA also needs to put a rocket up the team to provide more support to the ball runner (Gutho less rucking more support). Also no pushing passes. Also change our last play attacking kicks, to many just to the winger.

 

[84 Baby]

I’m done defending these merkins. I can take losing to Rorters, Drags, the shit first half vs Manly and some of the other inept performances. Those games happen to every team in a season. But if you want to be a winning team, I can’t take a month out from finals 95% full strength with a f**ken fortnight until our next game, a game where not one f**ken merkin wanted to be out there. We had one, f**ken one player who didn’t have a missed tackle (amazingly it was Reed and he still had one ineffective). To a man they were all praying Souths would run at someone else, I won’t cop that at beer league level.

For me, BA now has this season to magic a premiership somehow or next season he needs to cut these performances altogether, otherwise I’ll also be calling for his head.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Maybe BA wants waqa to run out of the line like a headless chicken. He’s done it all year and it hasn’t been addressed. And the only success he had was shutting down ponga. Maybe BA is content with him. I mean poo thought it’s totally normal for him to do so

he does, it’s our structure, it’s just he misses to often/contract is poor. It’s the structure we had used for years.

 

[IFR33K]

I’m done defending these merkins. I can take losing to Rorters, Drags, the shit first half and some of the other inept performances. Those games happen to every team in a season. But if you want to be a winning team, I can’t take a month out from finals 95% full strength with a f**ken fortnight until our next game, a game where not one f**ken merkin wanted to be out there. We had one, f**ken one player who didn’t have a missed tackle (amazingly it was Reed and he still had one ineffective). To a man they were all praying Souths would run at someone else, I won’t cop that at beer league level.

For me, BA now has this season to magic a premiership somehow or next season he needs to cut these performances altogether, otherwise I’ll also be calling for his head.

7 years and nothing’s changed. Crumbles when it matters.

 

[IFR33K]

he does, it’s our structure, it’s just he misses to often/contract is poor. It’s the structure we had used for years.

It’s not working. you think the structure needs....restructuring???? Only a genius like BA could keep at something for a year at a time.
Can’t wait for the super secret moves

 

[TheParraboy]

The false dawn that was covid

We undoubtedly came back from it fitter and jumped the gun on many sides in this area alone
(credit where credit is due)

Now that all sides are match fit, we are exposed like nothing else, have been for weeks

Dead set it looked like 14 v 12 out there last night in attack or defence. F..KING EMBARRASING !!!

A top 4 spot is gone if we cant beat the Warriors on Sunday week, cause we wont beat Penrith , and games vs broncos and tigers will be 50/50 games

Need some changes, will BA have the balls to drop anyone, particularly guys like Waqa who has been horrid all year bar the Penrith game and the odd and rare 5 min purple patch here and there

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

f**k this. I might as well eat carbs!

 

[TheParraboy]

f**k this. I might as well eat carbs!

We are having fish and chips today with potato scallops