Charity Shield 2019

[getsmarty]

The problem with carrying an outside back on the bench is that if a forward gets injured or HIA, we are then down to only 2 forwards on the bench. Forwards are more likely to get injured or HIA.

It's O.K...McGregor will probably turn Dufty into a middle forward like he did with Mann....

 

[nontime111]

Thought we missed JDB's physicality more than we could have ever imagined.

yes, this is a CRUCIAL point

Jacks absence has shown just what a crucially important part of the team he is, he is the RUDDER of the forwards who does SO much work in the middle, immense defence and superb attack, im not going to be too hard on the team as theyre a close close bunch and Jack is going through some hellish intense stuff right now and if he is to be trusted as he says hes innocent and cant wait to have his day in court to prove it

Hopefully his legal team is GUN and if he IS innocent as he says I hope theyre good enough to clean it up fast so he can be back on the paddock steering the team as our rudder again
It looked like the whole team was rocked by his being stood down it wasnt just one or two players the whole lot played pretty badly in my book, looks like they were all emotionally affected by what their friend is going through aswell as the actual consequences of losing such a vital oplayer and it showed today

Our main hope is that ( IF he is as he swears, innocent he can win the case and get back on the field as fast as possible) If not, if it drags on or if he is guilty, well our ONLY hope is to try find a CRACk I mean a GUN lock as good or almost as good as Jack to replace him unless Fizz or someone we already have can fill his damn HUGE boots

one other point, our backline looks to be a mess

Norman and Hunt clicked ok I think theyll only get better and we DID find at least ONE decent centre in Lafai! we need Lomax to rise and to remain in his natural position as a centre ( as he looked pretty lost as a winger to me) or hopefully Aitken can get back some of the form he had early in the season last year, today he was a hopeless mess

Our wingers were appalling......Lomax at wing isnt going to cut it its too much to ask hes NOT a winger, Ravi cannot catch at all he needs to be kicked 500 bombs at training everyday for months to even get him ready to take the field in my books, Periera is ok....ok....even bog average so Im hoping when Jonus Pearson comes back he can gradually outshine Periera and take his spot....so for now I suppose itll have to be Lomax and Periera as wingers I just hope they damn well improve, at least until Ravi or Pearson find some form to take over from one or both of Lomax remains bog average at wing ( out of position I blame Mary, he should be a CENTRE and told hell be safe there to develop his game against men)

Widdop better improve also fast, to me he looked lost at fullback, they looked like theyve just messed the whole chemistry of the backline up by this risky gamble, IF I was coach Id have last years backline again for a few games just to consolidate....except Nene of course and Nighty but Dufty to me seems like 1000 times a FB than Widdop for now anyway, specially in regards to defensive play ( oh the irony)

If I was coach after todays shocking display Id go with a round 1 team of;

Dufty ( our best attacking player and GUN insanity to not have him there, Widdop didnt replace him in any shape)

Lomax ( hes no winger, but better than Ravi so Id have him there just literally until Jonus is back and as soon as hes matchfit Id have Aitken out of the team and Lomax taking his centre spot)

Lafai ( he was ok today, at least hes a centre and our best at the moment hands down)

Aitken ( only until Jonus is back then gonsky, 2 out of ten today, abysmal)

Periera ( bog average Id only have him until and unless either Ravi or Saaby can outshine him in ISP, hopefully they WILL or were pretty much in sh(^& creek having a totally BOG average winger!)

Widdop ( five eight as of last season, we seemed to be MUCH better then from the 2 trials so far better learn fast not to mess with a teams chemistry which was just gelling last year, Id have Norman on the bench at Robsons expense unfortunately, troubleshooting just to get things back how they were in after the last 2 trials indication... too many changes, Dufty CANNOT be left out.... Norman can wait....Lomax should NOT be playing out of position.... what im saying is the tiny bit of 'improvement' wed have with Norman at 5/8th over Widdop counterpoints ANY advantage of having Widdop at fullback and our best attacking gun out of the team altogether in Dufty...were far stronger with Dufter at the back and Gaz at 5/8, so far anyway)

Hunt ( going ok was a lot better today than against Newcastle in attack and defence)

 

[nontime111]

Straight out of the McGregor playbook....same Cr$p for the last 5 years...and they want to extend him...LAUGHABLE.

YES and we NEED a NEW COACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[2010]

The game is over, I think we will see a different team in round one.
What has happened to Pearson, been on personal leave for a while now, hope he is not homesick

 

[nontime111]

McInnes is so predictable. Gives penalties away every game and slow getting back in the ruck. Makes plenty of tackles but misses a few and does not provide a different point of attack. I thought he was so much of a cut above Rein when he arrived but over the last two seasons he has not developed. Only slightly above an average hooker.

well said, Im hoping hes off to the Eels and FAST!!
With Robson hes superfluous to us now and just stopping Robson or Field getting any game time from the bench now, a blocker, get rid of him and let Robson take control hell only get better, then we can have supersubs on the bench like Fieldy or Norman

 

[SnowDragon]

I love the red and white as does my entire family so my wife and I travelled the 6 hours to Mudgee from the mid north coast with our 2 boys. Mudgee has signs everywhere advertising the dragons and their affiliation with the club including promoting the game here in May.
We enjoyed the game even though saints looked very clunky.
However, I though it was very ordinary that given the crap our great club has copped over the last few weeks that only two players made the effort to conduct a partial trip around the field to sign some autographs and have a photo (Lawrie and Pereira). The entire Souths outfit walked a lap signing things and taking photos. It wasn’t lost on the saints supporters in the crowd also. Saints have taken games to the country and hosted this match to engage support from the country but it was the visitors that were engaging the crowd. Sam burgess and Cook were still signing autographs as the security were trying to get people to leave!
We met the NSW indigenous under 16 team earlier in the day and they were all fine young men who engaged with children and gave my boys the footies they were training with and posed for photos. Saints could learn a lot from these young men and the Souths players whom were also very approachable even to those children adorned in red and white.

Yeah... gotta expect better!

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Yes had a look at the game.

The gifted one was dreadful. Dropped balls, missed tackles, slipping and sliding, wobbly offloads and does a funny little kinky dance before getting smashed. He looks nervous and frustrated, lacks dash.

Euan believes he is superman but gets poleaxed these days

Seriously Lawrie trys hard full stop. Just like last year. Underwhelming.

Ravalawa can bend the line, let’s see where to from here. No to josh P but trys hard. Lacks dash. Remember Nene the whipping boy here on the forum. Made huge metres and very quick. Bye bye Nene wish you were still here.

Thank heavens for Tim Lafai. Strong and even the best centres find him difficult to handle.

It’s silly running a world class 5/8 like Gareth at fullback. Big joke leaving our Porsche in the garage most of the game and apparently most of season.

Methinks you’ve forgotten just how lazy MacDonald was, particularly in defence.

BTW! “The Gifted One” is???

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Cute.

P.S. the truth hurts.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

yes, this is a CRUCIAL point

Jacks absence has shown just what a crucially important part of the team he is, he is the RUDDER of the forwards who does SO much work in the middle, immense defence and superb attack, im not going to be too hard on the team as theyre a close close bunch and Jack is going through some hellish intense stuff right now and if he is to be trusted as he says hes innocent and cant wait to have his day in court to prove it

Hopefully his legal team is GUN and if he IS innocent as he says I hope theyre good enough to clean it up fast so he can be back on the paddock steering the team as our rudder again
It looked like the whole team was rocked by his being stood down it wasnt just one or two players the whole lot played pretty badly in my book, looks like they were all emotionally affected by what their friend is going through aswell as the actual consequences of losing such a vital oplayer and it showed today

Our main hope is that ( IF he is as he swears, innocent he can win the case and get back on the field as fast as possible) If not, if it drags on or if he is guilty, well our ONLY hope is to try find a CRACk I mean a GUN lock as good or almost as good as Jack to replace him unless Fizz or someone we already have can fill his damn HUGE boots

one other point, our backline looks to be a mess

Norman and Hunt clicked ok I think theyll only get better and we DID find at least ONE decent centre in Lafai! we need Lomax to rise and to remain in his natural position as a centre ( as he looked pretty lost as a winger to me) or hopefully Aitken can get back some of the form he had early in the season last year, today he was a hopeless mess

Our wingers were appalling......Lomax at wing isnt going to cut it its too much to ask hes NOT a winger, Ravi cannot catch at all he needs to be kicked 500 bombs at training everyday for months to even get him ready to take the field in my books, Periera is ok....ok....even bog average so Im hoping when Jonus Pearson comes back he can gradually outshine Periera and take his spot....so for now I suppose itll have to be Lomax and Periera as wingers I just hope they damn well improve, at least until Ravi or Pearson find some form to take over from one or both of Lomax remains bog average at wing ( out of position I blame Mary, he should be a CENTRE and told hell be safe there to develop his game against men)

Widdop better improve also fast, to me he looked lost at fullback, they looked like theyve just messed the whole chemistry of the backline up by this risky gamble, IF I was coach Id have last years backline again for a few games just to consolidate....except Nene of course and Nighty but Dufty to me seems like 1000 times a FB than Widdop for now anyway, specially in regards to defensive play ( oh the irony)

If I was coach after todays shocking display Id go with a round 1 team of;

Dufty ( our best attacking player and GUN insanity to not have him there, Widdop didnt replace him in any shape)

Lomax ( hes no winger, but better than Ravi so Id have him there just literally until Jonus is back and as soon as hes matchfit Id have Aitken out of the team and Lomax taking his centre spot)

Lafai ( he was ok today, at least hes a centre and our best at the moment hands down)

Aitken ( only until Jonus is back then gonsky, 2 out of ten today, abysmal)

Periera ( bog average Id only have him until and unless either Ravi or Saaby can outshine him in ISP, hopefully they WILL or were pretty much in sh(^& creek having a totally BOG average winger!)

Widdop ( five eight as of last season, we seemed to be MUCH better then from the 2 trials so far better learn fast not to mess with a teams chemistry which was just gelling last year, Id have Norman on the bench at Robsons expense unfortunately, troubleshooting just to get things back how they were in after the last 2 trials indication... too many changes, Dufty CANNOT be left out.... Norman can wait....Lomax should NOT be playing out of position.... what im saying is the tiny bit of 'improvement' wed have with Norman at 5/8th over Widdop counterpoints ANY advantage of having Widdop at fullback and our best attacking gun out of the team altogether in Dufty...were far stronger with Dufter at the back and Gaz at 5/8, so far anyway)

Hunt ( going ok was a lot better today than against Newcastle in attack and defence)

A couple of points:

1. Lomax continued his poor performance even AFTER being moved to the centres. He is definitely not a winger, that’s for certain.

2. Putting faith in a fringe first grader (Pearson) only demonstrates just how awful recruitment was during the off-season, You’re also harsh on Ravalawa, who only dropped one difficult kick. He might have good leg drive, but I just don’t have confidence with someone so inexperienced.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

The game is over, I think we will see a different team in round one.
What has happened to Pearson, been on personal leave for a while now, hope he is not homesick

Of course the Charity Shield means little in the scheme of things other than club pride.
8 Charity Shield losses in a row now - 5 under McGregor.
I really worry about club pride in our iconic jumper.
This game is about that not NOT just another trial.
Even psychologically it would be nice to win this to get our season under way and claim bragging rights.
It is exactly the same as the Canterbury game at Kogarah when we got flogged in front of our home fans.
Nightingale's tribute game and memorial game for Lance Thompson.
Played like we weren't interested.
That's the difference.

 

[possm]

Gee, I must have seen a different game to some.

I was very impressed with the halves and the promise of Widdop at fullback... though Dufty is a great option too (nothing changed in the 5 minutes he was on )

Luc neeeds motivating, but still hopeful

Lomax showed last season he has the ability. A few shockers is a disappointment, but I don’t read too much into it yet. Just maybe consider leaving him in reserves for now? Or shift him to centre...

Kerr wasn’t given a chance. Wtf?

Our defence on the wings was ridiculous. Something must be done.
Peirera was decent. He may not be a superstar, but we are weak in this position and he is solid. Mika has done enough to secure a trial in the wing considering the same. Lafai has done enough considering.

So Aitken... down on confidence... not playing well. But Lomax isn’t either. Clear what needs to be done, but not how.

The players were not well prepared for this game.
The problems with the right edge defence still remained even though Frizell moved to lock and after the right centre and winger were replaced.
It is clear that the coaching staff had not done their job and are still employing the failed compressed defence pattern and the repetitive charge up the middle attacking plan. Put all the above down to the coaching staff's inability to properly prepare the team for this game.

Widdop has not as yet settled into the fullback position.

Pereira played average and will lose his spot if Pearson plays at his best.

Aitken had another very poor game no matter which position he was moved too.

Lomax played without confidence and very clear was not properly prepared for the experience of playing right wing outside Aitken. Even when moved to right centre, he seemed to be hesitant in attack and defence.

Ravalawa was nervous and as expected heavily targeted by bombs. Surely Mary and his merry men would have known that Bennett would target a new and inexperienced right winger.

It was clear the halves combination still has some bugs in it and it still remains to be seen whether Norman and Hunt is our best option.

The forward pack seemed to be focused on just running up the middle for the first four tackles. Maybe this was the plan however, their defence was less than adequate especially on the right edge.

McInnes was poor at best with poor passing from dummy half and his usual undisciplined antics giving away penalties at vital times.

Yes it was only a trial and we have said that each year over recent years. And yes we seem to come out for round 1 with all guns firing and a winning attitude over the past couple of years. However, I am concerned about the quality of our wingers and the insistence on finding a place for Aitken in the 17. The experiment of Widdop at fullback is still a work in progress.

 

[Pablooo]

Of course the Charity Shield means little in the scheme of things other than club pride.
8 Charity Shield losses in a row now - 5 under McGregor.
I really worry about club pride in our iconic jumper.
This game is about that not NOT just another trial.
Even psychologically it would be nice to win this to get our season under way and claim bragging rights.
It is exactly the same as the Canterbury game at Kogarah when we got flogged in front of our home fans.
Nightingale's tribute game and memorial game for Lance Thompson.
Played like we weren't interested.
That's the difference.

How do you figure that? Mary left his near top side out on the field for the entire game whereas Bennett took his top side of with 25 minutes to go. However it is a trial and possession dictated the flow of the game which swung all game. I wouldn’t read too much in the result. It’s early days!

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Of course the Charity Shield means little in the scheme of things other than club pride.
8 Charity Shield losses in a row now - 5 under McGregor.
I really worry about club pride in our iconic jumper.
This game is about that not NOT just another trial.
Even psychologically it would be nice to win this to get our season under way and claim bragging rights.
It is exactly the same as the Canterbury game at Kogarah when we got flogged in front of our home fans.
Nightingale's tribute game and memorial game for Lance Thompson.
Played like we weren't interested.
That's the difference.

Not to mention giving away an avoidable penalty in the first set after the resumption of play. This is a poorly coached side.

Five consecutive CS losses under McGregor should put any contract extension discussions on an indefinite hold.

Of course, we all know that it won’t.

 

[possm]

Not to mention giving away an avoidable penalty in the first set after the resumption of play. This is a poorly coached side.

Five consecutive CS losses under McGregor should put any contract extension discussions on an indefinite hold.

Of course, we all know that it won’t.

Yes the fix is in. Our new CEO using the distraction caused by the De Belin problems would be best handled by Mary who has the full support of the playing squad. And yes our new CEO is an old boy and it seems heavily invested in all things 'old boy'.

We still need a cleanout - of the St George side of the Board and the SGI officials.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

How do you figure that? Mary left his near top side out on the field for the entire game whereas Bennett took his top side of with 25 minutes to go. However it is a trial and possession dictated the flow of the game which swung all game. I wouldn’t read too much in the result. It’s early days!

I agree the CS is all about early club bragging rights but the game itself illustrated a number of flaws which could ultimately produce a long, unhappy season.

The are (in no particular order):

1. the absence of experienced wingers.

2. continuing issues at right centre (Lafai is safe as far as I’m concerned).

3. moving Widdop away from five-eighth is fraught with danger -the only attacking fluency occurred when he teamed up with Hunt.

4. Norman is massively overrated and from what I’ve seen so far, refuses to take the line on (he’s also a poor defender as evidenced by Souths’ first try). Why Millward recruited such an erratic player that Saints DOESN’T need is bewildering.

5.once again, McGregor cannot utilise his bench effectively, and the fact he refused to use some players (Kerr, Timms, Field and Robson) clearly shows that unless injury strikes, his top 17 is already preordained.

Side note: as there’s nothing which can be done from club or playing perspective it’s not really a point, however, JDB’s likely omission for the year is going to be costly. As I’ve mentioned beforehand, Jacob Host was always going to be McGregor’s first choice but he simply lacks any genuine “agro” to make a startling spot his own. Blake Lawrie would be my preferenc but that severely reduces impact from the bench. It would be great to replace that quality with a “like for like” individual but who would that be? Kerr? Timm? Unfortunately, because of the coach, none of us know whether they can take the necessary step up in class during a challenging time.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Yes the fix is in. Our new CEO using the distraction caused by the De Belin problems would be best handled by Mary who has the full support of the playing squad. And yes our new CEO is an old boy and it seems heavily invested in all things 'old boy'.

We still need a cleanout - of the St George side of the Board and the SGI officials.

I deem Brian Johnston’s role a lesser priority but that maybe bias because of the school we both attended. From memory, he did an amicable job as CEO before Doust took over, and I really want him to succeed because he is definitely a Dragon at heart.

 

[Warabrook saint]

Yes it’s a trial

Positives : Jacob Host and Hunt/Normon combo..

Negative: some of the softest tries against us /. Goal line defence and frankly their forwards looked bigger and stronger

Bring on round 1

Yes to have had someone like JWH or Klemmer to put one on Sam Burgess' witchipoo nose

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

The problem with carrying an outside back on the bench is that if a forward gets injured or HIA, we are then down to only 2 forwards on the bench. Forwards are more likely to get injured or HIA.

The side still requires a utility player. How do you feel about Field being on the bench?

 

[Meapro Ham]

Probably a good sign if they’re not doing much in a trial match if it means they’ll be peaking at the right time instead of in April.

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

They say its no use crying over spilt milk but Im going to anyway just to make myself feel better.......imo the loss of Dugan and the failure to re engage Brett Morris was enormous.....ok now I'll move along