What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Rumours and Stuff

Eelementary

Post Whore
Messages
56,107
Wow. Teddy isn't a great defender? He is brilliant. His running game is best I have ever seen and that includes slater or Hayne.

Kikau is an absolute weapon. His defense may not be great but I love watching him play.

I wonder what Semi situation is. Id love him back. A guy who can make 50mtr runs from nothing.

I disagree - I have seen many times where Tedesco has made a poor tackle attempt.

His positioning is usually quite good, but his actual tackling is only average.

Tedesco is a strong ball-runner, and he is very good at it.

Kikau is a great attacker, but a very ordinary defender.
 

Glenneel

Bench
Messages
3,428
So why was Blake better at The Penny's GE?
I always had wraps on him and he always performed well against us. Then again maybe I only saw Penrith games against us. Glad when we got him but has not performed well and in trial match only made 1 good tackle and the rest was garbage along with same poor defence. Where has his attack gone? Think his confidence is low and his game has deteriorated as a result.
 

Glenneel

Bench
Messages
3,428
I’m not concerned with our form last night.

both teams were defensively sound imo for the first hit out of the season.

they bombed tries, as did we a few times.

I don’t think any of it means a single thing tomorrow when we’re back at training.

No injuries and some match fitness is the best outcome you can hope for.
Which tries did we bomb? Penrith bombed about 2-3.
 

Glenneel

Bench
Messages
3,428
Is this Bellamy's last year at Melbourne? Is he still interested in coaching? Parramatta should make a play, if not him then maybe one of his assistants. I agree with some on here that our attack and defence is not at the standard to win a grand final.
 

Incorrect

Coach
Messages
11,828
I always had wraps on him and he always performed well against us. Then again maybe I only saw Penrith games against us. Glad when we got him but has not performed well and in trial match only made 1 good tackle and the rest was garbage along with same poor defence. Where has his attack gone? Think his confidence is low and his game has deteriorated as a result.
He is still doing that stupid little 'skip' in the air when gets the ball. That shit hasn't fooled anyone since circa 2005.
 

Incorrect

Coach
Messages
11,828
Is this Bellamy's last year at Melbourne? Is he still interested in coaching? Parramatta should make a play, if not him then maybe one of his assistants. I agree with some on here that our attack and defence is not at the standard to win a grand final.
We've already got a Bellamy assistant as our head coach. And the bloke we had prior to the current head coach was also a Bellamy assistant and got a spoon for us.
 

Incorrect

Coach
Messages
11,828
I would ofmliked to see D.Pay hired as defense coach and Jason Taylor as attacking. Keep BA as fulltime coach.
It's a No from me for Dean Pay as defensive coach. The Raiders became a better all round defensive unit once Pay left that role and took the Dogs head coach position IMO
 

84 Baby

Referee
Messages
28,032
I always had wraps on him and he always performed well against us. Then again maybe I only saw Penrith games against us. Glad when we got him but has not performed well and in trial match only made 1 good tackle and the rest was garbage along with same poor defence. Where has his attack gone? Think his confidence is low and his game has deteriorated as a result.
“I only saw him a couple of times before he joined us but it’s clearly BAs fault he sucks now”
You can absolutely say you don’t think BA has gotten good performances out of Waqa, but don’t come claiming you thought he was the second coming when you only saw him play against us (and you think we are shit)
 

Incorrect

Coach
Messages
11,828
My impressions of Waqa Blake back in his Panthers days was that I always thought that he wasn't getting the most out of his physique and ability. Showed glimpses of it now and then but overall I thought he was underwhelming. IMO he has carried on much the same since joining us. Clearly his standout game last year was v the Panthers at Bankwest. Outside of that he was average, if not below average. Worse, he seemed to negate Fergo's effectiveness somewhat, though injury played a part for Ferg on that
 

Angry_eel

First Grade
Messages
8,547
My impressions of Waqa Blake back in his Panthers days was that I always thought that he wasn't getting the most out of his physique and ability. Showed glimpses of it now and then but overall I thought he was underwhelming. IMO he has carried on much the same since joining us. Clearly his standout game last year was v the Panthers at Bankwest. Outside of that he was average, if not below average. Worse, he seemed to negate Fergo's effectiveness somewhat, though injury played a part for Ferg on that

For the supposedly awesome defensive team, Waqa seems to run out too much and miss the attacker half the time.
 

hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
58,498
My impressions of Waqa Blake back in his Panthers days was that I always thought that he wasn't getting the most out of his physique and ability. Showed glimpses of it now and then but overall I thought he was underwhelming. IMO he has carried on much the same since joining us. Clearly his standout game last year was v the Panthers at Bankwest. Outside of that he was average, if not below average. Worse, he seemed to negate Fergo's effectiveness somewhat, though injury played a part for Ferg on that


Enough skill and athletic ability to be best centre in the game. Lacks the desire.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,457
Enough skill and athletic ability to be best centre in the game. Lacks the desire.

What he lacks is the ability to understand and read the game particularly in defense.

There are some players that get it and read the game very well, which even if you have moderate ability makes you a superior player and then there is the very talented player that has very little understanding of the game and therefore panics under defensive pressure. He tends to over or under reacts to offensive threats and sometimes he even gets totally lost out there.

From what we have seen of W. Blake, he is the latter. This can be taught over time for some players, but sadly I don't see him being one of the types that has the temperament to adjust his thinking and game significantly enough to improve consistently enough tor him to stop doubting his own ability and judgement out there when the heat is on. It becomes a vicious circle. He is a panic-er.

When you have that in you, it is very hard to change and take on board and put in practice what has been drilled in you at training even though you may have done it a million times. Temperament and understanding of the game(not intellectually) but a feel for the game is what I am referring to. He doesn't seem to have it.
 

84 Baby

Referee
Messages
28,032
What he lacks is the ability to understand and read the game particularly in defense.

There are some players that get it and read the game very well, which even if you have moderate ability makes you a superior player and then there is the very talented player that has very little understanding of the game and therefore panics under defensive pressure. He tends to over or under reacts to offensive threats and sometimes he even gets totally lost out there.

From what we have seen of W. Blake, he is the latter. This can be taught over time for some players, but sadly I don't see him being one of the types that has the temperament to adjust his thinking and game significantly enough to improve consistently enough tor him to stop doubting his own ability and judgement out there when the heat is on. It becomes a vicious circle. He is a panic-er.

When you have that in you, it is very hard to change and take on board and put in practice what has been drilled in you at training even though you may have done it a million times. Temperament and understanding of the game(not intellectually) but a feel for the game is what I am referring to. He doesn't seem to have it.
I agree that sometimes he’s hesitant in defence but his biggest issue is technique. If he is going to rush up, he has to hammer the shit out of his opposite. But too often when he rushes up he’s just grabs air. Actually it isn’t even really technique because he has done some heavy tackles. But whatever it is, if he rushes up and smashes a merkin (even f**ken illegally if need be) then it puts the uncertainty on that player instead.
 

hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
58,498
What he lacks is the ability to understand and read the game particularly in defense.

There are some players that get it and read the game very well, which even if you have moderate ability makes you a superior player and then there is the very talented player that has very little understanding of the game and therefore panics under defensive pressure. He tends to over or under reacts to offensive threats and sometimes he even gets totally lost out there.

From what we have seen of W. Blake, he is the latter. This can be taught over time for some players, but sadly I don't see him being one of the types that has the temperament to adjust his thinking and game significantly enough to improve consistently enough tor him to stop doubting his own ability and judgement out there when the heat is on. It becomes a vicious circle. He is a panic-er.

When you have that in you, it is very hard to change and take on board and put in practice what has been drilled in you at training even though you may have done it a million times. Temperament and understanding of the game(not intellectually) but a feel for the game is what I am referring to. He doesn't seem to have it.

Penrith sold us a lemon
 

Latest posts

Top