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Rd 18 vs Bulldogs

Clifferd

Coach
Messages
10,805
That's really disappointing, another could have been game

Rankin dropping the ball off that kick really really cost us
 

macnaz

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
8,352
Can't believe we let JAC go so as to keep Rankin.
What i cant believe is we tied up the future of Lovett the replaceable slug plodding merkin worth about $20k a year when we could have invested in JAC instead !!
 

simmo1

First Grade
Messages
5,357
Awful right edge defence yet again. Looked absolutely lost trying to chase points without Tedesco yet again.
 

magpie guy

Juniors
Messages
358
Positives -
Completions were great until the end of the second half.
Brooks kicked well and Moses was kicking goals.
We stayed with a top 4 team missing 3 of our best players.
Tim Grant stood up, had a really good game and was close to our best.
Liddle try on debut. Didn't look out of place though service was not as crisp as it could have been.

Concerns -
Rankin was really poor. Dropped a few including a try that went begging. I too can't believe we let JAC go as he (Rankin) doesn't add anything to the team and has been said always seems two paces behind where he needs to be.
Their forwards really rolled through us but as excuses go, missing Woods and Sue being stitched up for a large part of the game did not help. I also couldn't spot Ava on in the second half, did he get on?
Lovett needs to be taking more hitups as the fresh man off the bench especially when the rest of the forwards have been doing a heap of defence.
I though Lawrence had a poor game. Missed a few important tackles and had a simple dropped ball that really hurt us. Made a heap of tackles though. 22 Tackles, not as many as I thought, though he was second highest forward for run metres.
Edge defence still shaky AF. Our ruck defence was shoddy as well.

TLDR - we competed against a top 4 team missing 3 important players. Edge defence and Rankin poor.
 
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madunit

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
62,358
Naiqama cannot be tolerated with any more. His value in attack is nullified and overshadowed by his defence, for every point he contributes in attack, he is conceding two in defence. We cannot carry a player like that anymore., He's had a longer run in first grade here than his previous clubs. He's had more time to solve his issues than those around him and yet he is just disgraceful. So long as he is in the team, he will be singled out and targetted.

Halatau can no longer be tolerated with at hooker. His service is slow, ineffective and enirely lacking in energy. He's a slow lateral mover and most of his passes to the halves are woeful.

The kicking game was mostly woeful. We seem completely disinterested in getting repeat sets from short kicking.

Rankin stunted our attack. We really failed to make the most of some occasional poor kicking by the Dogs by having this plodder dawdling around at the back, generally out of position. Simona would've been far better.

Our bench was completely dominated by theirs, it was almost cruel.

Grant was good. Lawrence has got to the point where he makes metres easily which is great, however he looked to be trying too hard. Taylor was quiet. Despite being in the game, the side is fluking a lot of these contests and just holding in for the rest of their games.

All it takes is one good side in top form to play us when we're not at our best, and we will cop an amlighty hiding.

The side looks amateurish. It also looks like Taylor has failed to implement his attacking strategy. The players are in some weird halfway place between some of Taylor's teachings and their own natural instincts. Which just makes it looks incohesive, disjointed and hopeless.
 

Tiger05

First Grade
Messages
9,162
Naiqama cannot be tolerated with any more. His value in attack is nullified and overshadowed by his defence, for every point he contributes in attack, he is conceding two in defence.

You have a thing for him. I suggest you re-watch the game.

I think it was great to see Simona play to the level he can. Great player but he has been ordinary for long parts of the year. He is starting to play like I expect him to now.
 
Messages
1,355
Naiqama has a part time job as a turnstile at Pratten Park. He rushes up in defence and places enormous pressure on the defenders on either side of him, especially Nofa. It happens every week and makes you wonder what Taylor is looking at during the game, or whether he encourages Kev's cannonball style defence. It's terrible. Time for a young kid in the centres.
 

madunit

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
62,358
Naiqama has a part time job as a turnstile at Pratten Park. He rushes up in defence and places enormous pressure on the defenders on either side of him, especially Nofa. It happens every week and makes you wonder what Taylor is looking at during the game, or whether he encourages Kev's cannonball style defence. It's terrible. Time for a young kid in the centres.
I could almost handle it if he actually took an attacking player out of the line. But he doesn't. He runs at the gap between the half and the centre/wrap around player. Nofo has to sit back and hope cover defence will come in time.

All this achieves is making Nofo look like a shittier defender than he is.
 

madunit

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
62,358
Rankin was shit.

But he gives his all, so apparently that deserves respect.

Hitler gave his all too....
 

simmo1

First Grade
Messages
5,357
So who to replace Naiqama? Nofo was probably worse in his time at centre. Milone is awful. Chee Kam won't offer the same in attack, but I think that's the price we need to pay. We can't expect to compete with such an obvious defensive weakness.

I don't watch a lot of 20s - is there anyone good coming through?
 
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