Rumours and Stuff

[Suitman]

His a shit player that bloke! Where can his be better with he’s preparing?

Wow.

 

[IFR33K]

He was pretty bad.

Waqa Blake was 3rd overall in missed tackles in the NRL. Worse than most halves. Out of all the centres in the comp he missed the most. His tackle efficiency was 77% (which is f**king horrible).

In attack he only had 5 line breaks and 4 try assists all year.

I’m sure some will see the positives in those stats.

 

[Eelogical]

Wow.

Give him some credit, mate. Balmain was most likely a hell of a place to grow up in way back in My Name's McGooley times.

 

[Eelogical]

I’m sure some will see the positives in those stats.

Well, he wasn't first in the 'missed tackles" category.

 

[IFR33K]

What was most disappointing was seeing the side go from being #1 defensively for ~3/4's of the season to then looking like Swiss cheese from late August onwards...

I think the team was exhausted by the end of the season. Playing middles for 50 and 60 minutes straight may of played a part.

 

[Incorrect]

I think the team was exhausted by the end of the season. Playing middles for 50 and 60 minutes straight may of played a part.

Yeah, I reckon Reg was f**ked by the end of the season. No wonder he was iffy about playing Origin

 

[yy_cheng]

Alot of our players lost form when they signed new contracts

 

[Incorrect]

Alot of our players lost form when they signed new contracts

Yep, Lane and Mahoney case in point. Though Rheed got it back towards the back end of the season

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Do you think French has the ability to carve up NRL quality opposition?

As much as any small player with speed and footwork. I think Papenhuyzen is a good comparison, though the main difference is he has a very good work rate. I'm not sure French has the motor.

 

[Eelogical]

I think the team was exhausted by the end of the season. Playing middles for 50 and 60 minutes straight may of played a part.

I'm convinced it did. Great 1-13, but our bench options killed us.

 

[Eelogical]

Alot of our players lost form when they signed new contracts

Scrawling the letter X could be quite exhausting.

 

[strider]

I think the team was exhausted by the end of the season. Playing middles for 50 and 60 minutes straight may of played a part.

Didnt seem to be a problem for the panthers

 

[Poupou Escobar]

What was most disappointing was seeing the side go from being #1 defensively for ~3/4's of the season to then looking like Swiss cheese from late August onwards...

A team's defensive success and failure is closely linked to its ability to control the ball. We seem to get into the grind and then inexplicably start throwing risky passes, like we can't handle controlling the ball but not scoring. The good sides are all patient. Penrith shat themselves against us in the first game for exactly that reason. By the time the second game came around they knew what to do. Cleary and Koroisau kept it together. Luai only gets the ball when something's on. Edwards isn't even a playmaker. He's just a support runner. Our spine needs to get smarter that way.

Edit: he's not a support rubber

 

[Poupou Escobar]

which might have been a nice reason to not put him there in the first place.

Well we had a suitable edge forward to cover him while also being down on quality middles. Niukore missed quite a few games late in the season.

 

[Incorrect]

A team's defensive success and failure is closely linked to its ability to control the ball. We seem to get into the grind and then inexplicably start throwing risky passes, like we can't handle controlling the ball but not scoring. The good sides are all patient. Penrith shat themselves against us in the first game for exactly that reason. By the time the second game came around they knew what to do. Cleary and Koroisau kept it together. Luai only gets the ball when something's on. Edwards isn't even a playmaker. Hes just a support rubber. Our spine needs to get smarter that way.

100%

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Which is rather odd, don't you think? When you consider how creative Matterson and Lane can be/have been, to have a game plan where you don't utilise that and just get them to hit the ball up. Sure, they can both effectively hit the ball up; but they are both capable of so much more. Are the coaching staff restraining them? So often I see creative forwards just used as battering rams under Arthur's coaching. It's such a shame.

They both throw plenty of offloads in their hit ups. Hardly 'battering rams'.

 

[Eelogical]

Didnt seem to be a problem for the panthers

I reckon we work harder for our wins than most other teams. We tend to go about it the hard way.

 

[Incorrect]

I reckon we work harder for our wins than most other teams. We tend to go about it the hard way.

Never a truer word spoken... Been this way for years...

 

[Obscene Assassin]

They both throw plenty of offloads in their hit ups. Hardly 'battering rams'.

Not only offloads but passes before the line too, Lane has passed many times, set Sivo up for a try with a nice cut-out pass.

In fact we used to have a set play where our second-rower was the ball player. On the blind side, second-rower at first receiver, half sweeping around. If the defensive centre came in the ball would go to the half, if the defensive centre stayed out the attacking centre would get the ball. Was a nice little play, hard to defend from memory we'd usually get a line break from it at the worst, often eventuated in a try

 

[IFR33K]

Didnt seem to be a problem for the panthers

we aren’t the panthers. How else can you explain the loss of form?