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The Problem

Vicious

Bench
Messages
2,624
i can`t believe i`m reading people pointing the blame at Benji, blame others such as Fitzy and now Beau Ryan.
The BIG PROBLEM is the lack of heart and lack of aggression shown by our forward pack. We were up against a buch of mid thirty year old park footballers last night and they still towelled up our forwards, nothing short of disgracefull. It`s ok to point the finger at Benji, but when does he get the ball on the back of a good set of three or four tackles where our forwards have punched genuine holes in the defence and created a platform for him to work off ??? I`ll give you the answer, not once in the past 5 weeks.
There`s quite a simple reason why this isn`t happening, it`s because very few of our forwards have the heart to run hard, straight and aggressively and put a bit of fear in the defenders nor are they willing to hit hard and often when defending. Opposing forward packs love playing our bunch of softies and have done for the post five seasons.
I`ll start with Chris Heighington, good hard working footballer that every side needs, YES, but if he fair dinkum thinks he`s anywhere near SOO quality he`s kidding himself. If he can`t penetrate the defence when running the ball against the side that Souths fielded last night, then there`s not much hope of him troubling any defence.
Bryce Gibbs really needs to have a good hard look at himself, totally outplayed by three over the hilll park footballers in Jaiman Lowe, Garrett Crossman and Craig Stapleton.
Galloway wasn`t any better early in the game, but after being concussed he obviously got a rocket from the sideline and started running hard like he should be.
Andrew Fifita went ok in limited game time, he needs to not get discouraged when they use him as a decoy. If he keeps running hard onto the ball, he`ll quickly become one of the best props in the game, not too many good ones around at the moment.
Another genius move by our super coach and go into the game with three props and to play another talented young back rower in Simon Dwyer at prop. Dwyer is a super talent and he also went as good as any of our other forwards, but what a waste playing him in tight.
Liam Fulton was a little below par last night, but he did atleast try to run the ball hard, a few of our bigger forwards need to take note.
Gareth Ellis, very average game from Gareth last night as well. I can forgive him for one bad game because it is a rarity, but he needs to lift dramatically if we are to win any more games this season.
Another stroke of genius by our super coach was playing one of our three interchange forwards Mark Flanagan for very minimal game time. I think Flanagan is a reasonable footballer, but he isn`t fitting into the dynamics of our soft forward pack.
I hate to say it, but I don`t think we are any hope of coming out of this slump we are in this season, we need some mongrel in the side, someone off contract like Jeremy Smith would be a good start and i`d be more than willing to offload someone who plays with no mongrel like Heighington if it was necessary to fit him under our cap !!!
 
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hybrid_tiger

Coach
Messages
11,684
None of our side plays with any aggression, its not just the forwards. Every other team runs harder and tackles harder than we do, it is that simple.

We are coached to play without any aggression. We are coached to run into the markers. We are coached to stand a metre away from the dummy half with no run up, and get smashed off inside balls.
 

Vicious

Bench
Messages
2,624
None of our side plays with any aggression, its not just the forwards. Every other team runs harder and tackles harder than we do, it is that simple.

We are coached to play without any aggression. We are coached to run into the markers. We are coached to stand a metre away from the dummy half with no run up, and get smashed off inside balls.

The hardest hitting defender in our side is Chris Lawrence, it`s very embarassing when the opposing sides halfback runs and tackles harder than your entire side !
 

super_coach

First Grade
Messages
5,061
We have a very SOFT squad of players coached by bloke who has do nothing in five years. Nothing changes from year to year same old same old,the odd flash of brilliance mixed mainly with soft dumb football.

I for one hope we come 9th and the club is finally is embarrassed enough to flick Sheens and his cast of thousands in the football department.
 

weretiger

Juniors
Messages
70
we have had a soft pack for at least 5 years nothings going to change jason cayless was supposed to fix this problem another great signing,if souths had there full pack in, they would have put another 50 on us the big packs must love playing us, we need to sign greg eastwood and jeremy smith.
 

Vicious

Bench
Messages
2,624
we have had a soft pack for at least 5 years nothings going to change jason cayless was supposed to fix this problem another great signing,if souths had there full pack in, they would have put another 50 on us the big packs must love playing us, we need to sign greg eastwood and jeremy smith.


They`d be a real good start as I can`t think of any good aggressive props on the market at the moment.
 

gronkathon

First Grade
Messages
9,266
The problem is the man in the head coaches job.

Forwards have come to us with aggresive styles and it is not wanted by Sheens. Look at the treatment of Moors. He is a far better option than a Dwyer or a Flanagan in the side but he won't get a run. Fifita is getting softer as each week passes. Our forwards are coached to attack without depth and our backline is coached to slide and wait.

Benji is a massive problem. He has moments of class and vision but nobody has taught him to reign those things in when it is not on or it is an early tackle. Our playmakers cough the ball up to opposition on early tackles more than anyone.

Beau Ryan is just sh*t. He was sh*t in the centres for the Magpies, he was sh*t when he made his debut for us and he is sh*t now. He has had two class touches in almost 3 years of football. That is not good enough. We rewarded an average season last year barring 6 or so games where he was passable with a new contract.

The real proof of Ryan is that not one club apart from Wests Tigers was chasing his signature and we still paid over minimum contract to keep him.
 

Steve Austin

Juniors
Messages
53
Agree about the comments re: the forwards.

Unfortunately though with a halfback who contributes absolutely zero, everbody's job is made so much harder.

To a degree explains why Benji chances his arm more than he needs to.

Scotty Prince, they were the days. :(
 

westie

Bench
Messages
3,936
Totally disagree. The contact last night was great to watch. Gus Gould's review of the match says the same. We lack a bit of penetration from the two big boys, but I spose that comes and goes with form. Galloway is off his game, but I don't see a lack of effort. Gibbs in defence was phenomenal again last night, summed up by the charge down at the end when all our small boys who'd done less work couldn't get there.

It's easy to criticise the lack of class from some of those replacement forwards at Souths, but they had a full bench of units, all playing their game of the season to claim a place in the first team. They battled impressively.

We were unnaturally weak in defence and Beau just had one of those days, theoretically costing us 4 trys.

Our main problem is a lack of cohesion in attack. Lui offers nothing, as we all knew... but he's not the problem. Farah keeps us in games and has won plenty off his own bat. But Benji has lost the plot. He's been in his down phase for his longest ever period and he doesn't seem to know how to break it.

It's not just blown opportunities.... he's off for 80 mins and it's f**king us generally all game and making things hard. Dumb arse chip kicks when a good half would put the ball out in the corner aren't the way to get himself into form again.

He was superb at the beginning of the season because he was taking the opportunities as they arose and not giving the ball away when it wasn't on. Sometimes 2 trys and field position are more valuable than 4 freak trys against the run of play. I think he needs to settle down, kick well and smart... and just concentrate on getting the simple things right in our attacking structure - which seems to have disappeared.

As I said, Gus seems to think the same thing, and I think most here would rarely disagree with his analysis.

For the record, Fifita was good last night. We didn't lose as much as normal when he came on and, f**k me drunk, he took two hit ups in the one set. More of the same please.
 

ShanghaiCharlie

Juniors
Messages
321
We need a halfback to add that bit of direction and organisation.
Benji will always be Benji but we need a half that can control the tempo of the game and give the side a rudder. At the moment we've got one who can't threaten the line, doesn't lead the side or direct, can't put people in holes, gets in the way of his forwards' lines, can't kick and has woeful defence.
 

madunit

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
62,358
We have always needed a halfback, no matter what any idiot thinks.

This whole concept of two halves, one each side of the ruck is completely f**ked and has rarely worked.

We need an organiser at 7 who can control the side and has a good kicking game.

f**k, I'd kill to have Kimmorley or Orford at this club.

They wouldn't need to do much in regards to plays, just provide some direction, good kicking game and some decent leadership in the middle of the field.

Our most experienced back happens to be a f**king winger who spent the last few years in Union.

Lui is just not ready to be our regular top grade 7. He couldn't lead a dog on a chain.

He's also very slow and the most pathetic inept defender in first grade. Even Sandow is a better defender.

These Under 20's players shouldn't be bypassing NSW Cup imo.

BRET and Wests Magpies should be the teams we look at for our back up players.
 
Messages
1,355
We have always needed a halfback, no matter what any idiot thinks.

No truer words have been spoken.

Also it would be nice if our coach replaced injured players with players who are already in that position instead of shuffling the whole deck for one position.
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
24,598
Westie, I think what you are trying to say is that benji has been sh*t since moltzen got injured
 

Reek_Havoc

Juniors
Messages
559
Let's not kid ourselves. All but the first few games of the season they've been playing like busted a$$s. Had a good win against the Warriors a couple of months ago but that's it. Majority of people in here saying that there wasn't a problem, trying to sugar coat everything because they have been winning the close ones. Bullsheet!!. A pig in lipstick is still a pig.

Farkwit sticks with the same group of players....there is no pressure on these players to perform. Players know they'll be chosen next week even after a poor performance. Too many favourites from farkwit. Farkwit needs to hold players accountable and the club needs to hold farkwit accountable..

f**k we miss Moltzen. We look a 50% better side with him in there. Lui had a shocker on the weekend but overall is doing a reasonable job as a young kid coming through.
 
Messages
3,320
There does appear to be no accountability for a number of players in our team,this gesture is great if your thinking loyalty but it does nothing for the team or its morale when the same players make the same dumb arse,costly mistakes again and again each week without reptribution ,whilst others that are not protected have been hooked immediately for errors.
 

simmo1

First Grade
Messages
5,359
Deadset, Latu ran the ball up harder than just about anyone else in the team. I'm sure it will be coached out of him by next week.
 

Reek_Havoc

Juniors
Messages
559
Deadset, Latu ran the ball up harder than just about anyone else in the team. I'm sure it will be coached out of him by next week.

Deserves his own thread. Great debut. He made the others look like it was their 1st appearance in FG.
 

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