Rd1: GAME DAY THREAD 8pm Parra v Storm in Melbourne - 5/3/26

[Delboy]

This is where I think we're a long way off being competitive with the likes of Panthers, Storm, Roosters, Brisbane, heck even Cronulla. They look the goods for a while then go back to the same skeletons, just switching off, doing stupid errors, playing like theyre not interested. Some of the teams above have that system, most of the time theyre mentally switched on. This team still hasnt got the mental toughness and I dont know when they'll get that level. Honestly tonight was the most disgraceful performances in a long time. I could probably cop the Round 1 loss last year, a lot young guys, inexperienced, rebuilding. Tonight I saw absolutely NOTHING to suggest they'll be better or even make the 8. The more experienced players were a huge let down, its like they never prepared for this team.

Recruitment 101 is lacking, Tigers now have a roster that is more than competitive with ours just by Richardson getting ballsy with some elite signings.

we haven’t signed an elite player since what, Moses , and he was if I remember Signed when Bernie Gurr was here, could be wrong. but shows how poor we have been in building the club,

sure we have some juniors coming through but unlike the Chooks and Dogs we haven’t got elite players to assist. Questions need to asked and answered on recruitment.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Hopgood swap for Barnett

Hopgood was our best defender. Him going off is what f**ked us.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Only player I would pay after tonight is Iongi.

And I wouldn’t pay Ryles either for that bonehead decision to bring Joash on for 7 mins meaning we then couldn’t use Tuivati. Absolute insane decision with zero intelligence used.

I wouldve been ok with it if he played more minutes but to only use him for that period was a complete waste. Whether it wouldve made a difference to the score but another big forward wouldve been handy

I dont know about anyone else but I dont really like this 6 man bench

 

[the phantom menace]

Only player I would pay after tonight is Iongi.

And I wouldn’t pay Ryles either for that bonehead decision to bring Joash on for 7 mins meaning we then couldn’t use Tuivati. Absolute insane decision with zero intelligence used.

Yep, he should have brought back Riley early while Iongi was off, and just shuffled people around and someone back to fullback, until the HIA was decided either way.

 

[Soto]

We signed Debelin and Kelly...wow

 

[DaveMc]

One other thought - it has been so, so long since our team has consistently won the ruck. The game tonight was pretty much won and lost there, alongside the handling errors. Not sure if it’s a coaching thing or if our blokes just aren’t fit, strong or quick enough, but they definitely aren’t smart enough.

 

[King-Gutho94]

Look on the bright side. We get to play the Broncos at Suncorp next week.

Yeah Madge has lost 10 from his last 11 games against Parra since 2016.

And that includes his last 2 years of his Souths days.

 

[senior]

Apparently Ryley Smith is playing injured

Do we not have another hooker in the squad ??

Terrible roster construction

 

[the phantom menace]

3 players
Ionghi
Kautoga
Russell
The rest can...finish off the sentence urself

Seriously think you're overrating Kautoga tonight. Was no better than any other forward for mine.

 

[Bandwagon]

It's onfield leadership. I don't think coaching has anything to do with it.

Coaching decides who and then builds on field leadership. You can't simply separate the two, good coaches will build quality leadership.

 

[85 Baby]

I’m trying to figure out what we worked on in the offseason?
It sure wasn’t respect for the ball especially from Penisini or Hopgood.
It wasn’t Smith or TDS’s service from ruck.
It wasn’t defence or effort.
So far Kelly is no Lomax and Pezet is Brown but with epically worse defence.
No one showed Junior that time Latrell made him his bitch on repeat over the offseason.
And as bad as the Iongi HIA moment was it clearly wasn’t handling decisions under pressure because bring Papali’i on after already using Walker, TDS and Doorey is one of the dumbest coaching decisions I’ve witnessed

 

[Pazza]

One other thought - it has been so, so long since our team has consistently won the ruck. The game tonight was pretty much won and lost there, alongside the handling errors. Not sure if it’s a coaching thing or if our blokes just aren’t fit, strong or quick enough, but they definitely aren’t smart enough.

Handing the ball over definately doesn't help

 

[the phantom menace]

They need something to remind them it's a *contact sport.

*contract sport

 

[Joshuatheeel]

They need something to remind them it's a contact sport. Maybe going around the Storm for a try in the first five minutes made us think that's all we needed to do?

Yeah. Actually thought the first 25-30 or so we looked like we were finding space quite easily. We just weren't patient enough....the errors compounded and we couldn't get back into grind / gave them to much ball....the end!

 

[Soto]

I’m trying to figure out what we worked on in the offseason?
It sure wasn’t respect for the ball especially from Penisini or Hopgood.
It wasn’t Smith or TDS’s service from ruck.
It wasn’t defence or effort.
So far Kelly is no Lomax and Pezet is Brown but with epically worse defence.
No one showed Junior that time Latrell made him his bitch on repeat over the offseason.
And as bad as the Iongi HIA moment was it clearly wasn’t handling decisions under pressure because bring Papali’i on after already using Walker, TDS and Doorey is one of the dumbest coaching decisions I’ve witnessed

...Ryles and Brown looked like Dumb and Dumber in the box

 

[85 Baby]

Seriously think you're overrating Kautoga tonight. Was no better than any other forward for mine.

He was better than all our forwards combined. Which still wouldn’t have been good enough to make Scum’s 22 man lineup. One of the most woeful forward pack displays of all time

 

[the phantom menace]

One other thought - it has been so, so long since our team has consistently won the ruck. The game tonight was pretty much won and lost there, alongside the handling errors.

Yep. Pretty much since RCG left teams can barrel us up the middle.

Not sure if it’s a coaching thing or if our blokes just aren’t fit, strong or quick enough, but they definitely aren’t smart enough.

I'll take all of the above.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So many errors were also from loose carries as well though. The way we beat brisbane last year is the blueprint for eels success if they want to make top 8.

The difference is intensity. No team is up every week. Unfortunately this week Melbourne were and we weren't. The gulf in class contributed to the blowout.

 

[Avenger]

I think TDS has been a bust. He reminds me of Michael Lichaa. I wouldn’t be carrying him on the bench anymore. He’s done nothing to warrant a position on the bench. I have faith that Smith will get better.

Our forwards were dominated. If we get flogged next week which I’m expecting the honeymoon may be over for our coach who has had plenty of smoke blown up his arse. His bench rotations were diabolical and so far the new recruits have looked terrible. I expect JDB to eventually land on the shit list with his mate, Kelly who made Harper look like Tom Opačić.

 

[the phantom menace]

He was better than all our forwards combined.

So no-one watches KK's defence. Okay...

Which still wouldn’t have been good enough to make Scum’s 22 man lineup. One of the most woeful forward pack displays of all time

Can't argue with you there.