'11 | R24 | Fri | Storm 8-6 Dragons | AAMI

[Spanner in the works]

No...it's sour grapes for the Dragons.

Do you think I'm a Saints supporter?

 

[Spanner in the works]

Good game except neither team offered up much in attack. The Storm were a bit lost in the opposition 20 with no halfback and the Dragons were just lost full stop. That was the worst game Soward has played in 2 years, maybe in his whole career. He looked rattled the whole game.

Brisbane, Manly and Tigers would have beaten either teams tonight. Melboure atleast have an excuse though.

He didn't look rattled. He looked like he wasn't even there. It wasn't even going through the motions - it was like he didn't want to play. Very weird.

 

[aussies1st]

Dragons did look good in the Storm 20, they created some overlaps but failed to hold onto the ball when it mattered. The Storm did all the things Gus was talking about but they failed in the main point of the game in scoring tries. Widdop looked okay at halfback but doesn't have the experience at making the right choices. At least he was playing the halfback role, can't say the same for our halfbacks.

 

[thommo4pm]

Score definately flattered the dragons , they made alot of errors and silly plays ,and got alot of rub from Archer i thought. And agreed the ruck was a disgrace from both sides .

:lol:
What help did we get from Archer?
Let me guess, you are going to say 1 forward pass which lead to a try right?
What else?

Funny how nobody has mentioned the blatant forward pass thrown by Melbourne in the first half, which the commentators called "dubious" at the time. Only difference was Saints defended it, and there weren't 100 replays shown of it.

 

[thommo4pm]

Good game except neither team offered up much in attack. The Storm were a bit lost in the opposition 20 with no halfback and the Dragons were just lost full stop. That was the worst game Soward has played in 2 years, maybe in his whole career. He looked rattled the whole game.

Brisbane, Manly and Tigers would have beaten either teams tonight. Melboure atleast have an excuse though.

Really, what's Melbourne's excuse?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

This is the worst I have ever seen Slater play. The Storm attack was very scratchy with no Cronk

You have to wonder how Slater would be perceived if he hadn't played most of his club career with Smith, Cronk and Inglis, and his whole rep career with Lockyer, Thurston and Smith.

 

[mongoose]

Really, what's Melbourne's excuse?

Their star halfback wasn't playing, remember?

I know, i know, you guys didnt have gasnier :sarcasm:

 

[thommo4pm]

Oh so they are the first side this year to be without a halfback. Yeah we didn't have Gasnier, cause he is pathetic also right.
The Storm were missing some players, as were Saints.

 

[Charles Bronson]

GG cheats

we will smash you in the finals if we meet.

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

f**k it was busy in here last night.

I stand by my call to axe Soward for Stanley, but the defence was excellent last night. Thats where our mojo comes from.

Saints can bounce back on the back of that defence. But I said that after the Tigers game too.

6 straight wins and we are premiers again:sarcasm:

 

[Evenflow]

Oh so they are the first side this year to be without a halfback. Yeah we didn't have Gasnier, cause he is pathetic also right.
The Storm were missing some players, as were Saints.

Lol you can hardly compare missing a centre to missing your main play maker. Centres are a shitload easier to replace than a halfback so it's a ridiculous comparison.

 

[Apey]

As for the pass for Stanley's try, it looks forward because Boyd has his hands way out in front of his body and he got hammered backwards just after releasing the ball.
A flat pass delivered by a man on the move will always travel forward. It gets very frustrating that about 1% of the people watching and 0% of commentators studied physics in high school.

:lol: it was quite obviously forward out of the hands in this case... physics is only relevant when they throw it backwards and momentum causes the ball to float forward.

 

[adamkungl]

Boyd doesn't know how to throw a pass backwards...

 

[kia ora storm]

Congrats Storm. Thought our guys played with good effort but they dont look happy at all. No talk on the field, something is wrong (or maybe its just me).

I dont think Melbourne got out of 1st gear and didn't need to. With Cronk there you would have done it a lot easier. Oh well maybe we will meet in the finals, until next time good luck!

Agree...there appeared to be no communication around Soward on the 4th or 5th tackle. He was simply pushing passes out into the centres because there were no other options.

 

[Rodent]

:lol: it was quite obviously forward out of the hands in this case... physics is only relevant when they throw it backwards and momentum causes the ball to float forward.

I haven't seen the side on or the overhead view and I'm betting you haven't either. I think that's why the video ref can't adjudicate on forward passes. I'm sure you know about parallax error.
Obvious? I don't think so.
Besides, Stanley had a clear run to the line. It's not as if he wouldn't have scored if the pass were legal in your eyes.

 

[Saints fan]

Congratulations Storm. Pretty intense game; our defence was great but our attack was horrible.
I still reckon we are a big chance of tipping the Warriors up next week, provided Sowie comes out of his slump.
Great Friday night entertainment despite the score.

 

[kia ora storm]

Just watched the post match interview with Bennett..he is bloody funny the way he sits there and gives nothing....lol.

 

[Raiders_Premiers]

lol@merge fans thinking having Cronk out didn't make a difference. Would have had at least 3-4 tries put on you if he was there polishing off the plays in your 20.

Melbourne were the better team by far, the scoreline isn't a good indication of the game

 

[Timmah]

To me the Dragons were much improved last night. Unlucky in a few instances - debacle of refereeing that the air-tackle on Soward wasn't penalised - because the ball had bounced... WTF?

Ultimately both teams have amazing defence. Dragons' problem was their late desperation seeing the outside back push silly passes. Soward's trying to hard. He'd be better off relaxing and letting the play flow instead of panicking and attempt to be the hero.

The match for me also showed the Storm are definitely beatable.

One last thing - I know it's a nice sentiment for his 200th - HOW THE HELL was he Ch 9's MOTM? :|

 

[Apey]

I haven't seen the side on or the overhead view and I'm betting you haven't either.

well, no, I did see the side on view.