Dumb move, by our dumb club. We need a genuine front rower that when we replace our starters he can hold his own and we don't lose the middle and or all our momentum, especially against the better teams. We lost to Melbourne when we lost all shape in the middle when the two starters came off. Same problem as last year that hasn't been addressed at all and probably weakened further.
Sure we tried to address it with Martin Taupau but it didn't work out, but we then should have pivoted and found another one to lure here otherwise we have no chance of winning the big one again. You can not keep bashing the two starters game in, game out and think that they will be enough. They are human, fatigue and injuries will set in, especially after what 3 seasons now of the same routine? Normally someone from our juniors should have emerged and stepped up, but we haven't been able to produce a genuine quality front rower that we have held onto since Junior. Which if you ask me is alarming for such a big club that is supposed to be a go to place. Says something about our management and coach, if you ask me.
Anyway, I expect us to be decent again this year and probably make the 8, if injuries are kind, but as for winning the Premiership, Buckley's!
Chasing a second rower in Curtis Sironen when the most important position we have needed to fill for a while now has been a 3rd or even 4th, genuine prop so we can play that 'chase the collision power game' that the coach is so obsessed with, but hasn't recruited sufficiently for. Madness. Look at the Broncos, they had 4 genuine front rowers in their 17 opening round and lost very little when the interchanges took place. I was so freakin envious. Barring injuries, I expect them to be a real contender, even with their handicap of probably having the worst NRL coach. Their squad on paper is probably the best in the NRL and if Reynolds can stay fit, they will be right up there. Pity for them though as I said, terrible coach that obviously, some players don't have much respect for and that could be their undoing and account for yoyo performances as well.
But getting back to our team, for all the sh*t options we took or didn't take against Melbourne, we still could have won that game if when Penisini scored he focused on improving the angle of the ball for the conversion. But instead as soon as he received the ball he knew he was in and therefore almost casually ran to the line and and put it down wider out then he could have if he had focused on it. Sure we are talking at best and extra 3-5m, but that is all it takes for those sort of kicks to go from semi hard to relatively easy. As we all know now Moses missed the kick and we didn't have those potential 2 points in the bank. If we did, we probably win without the extra time needed. I was dirty when I saw Penisini almost stroll over the line, and blew up thinking, have we still not learnt anything. Little things are what win you games. The big plays are the icing. I have seen Bellyache blowing a gasket when a player in his team does what Penisini did and for good reason. I am not trying to lay all the blame on our young centre, but more the culture and standards that are still lacking at times. We need to take every inch that is on offer. The teams that win Premierships are ruthless. No excuses.
As the saying goes, from little things big things grow.
We need another BIG BOPPER THAT CAN HOLD HIS OWN IN THE MIDDLE WAY MORE THAN ANOTHER FREAKIN BACK ROWER FFS!!!
Go the Dolphines!
