What a thoroughly entertaining game of football
Souths tried hard and were commendable opponents, but they made a lot of usual errors. I can't see them doing that again in a hurry. They will be much better in the finals series
They needed to play percentage football rather than go for the throat every time they had the ball.
SBW, Maloney & Pearce were great, as were a lot of other players playing out of position or above their normal station for the Roosters.
There was a great crowd there tonight - with a large Roosters away contingent which surprised me.
Nice to see both sets of fans behaving in this thread rather than trolling and sledging too. Respect all round to all of you for behaving and adding rather than detracting to the thread.
i like reading your posts lambretta. for an easts fan, you're not to bad.
qualification straight up. I'm a souths supporter.
Souths will not win the premiership. when the game is on line, when it comes down to the crunch, souths are team #4 of the top 4.
When the opposition gives you 3 'THREE' consecutive errors/opportunities in great field position to put points on the board, you must take them.
This is where Souths deadset fail and a team such as Melbourne & Manly absolutely succeed. Now I can throw Easts into that basket.
Reynolds had an off night again in his kicking game. That's two consecutive games now. This part of the game is so crucial as it is how pressure is applied/built up. this is what defeated manly a few weeks ago. He has to be consistent. The pressure is on him now in the post season. He has to deliver here. Go back to game management basics which is what he was doing earlier in the year and get this right and let others be the playmakers.
i would've taken a loss last night if the in game processes were clicking. if the fundamentals were being adhered to and there were just some minor tweaks to improve upon for the next 3-4 weeks. but it is clear that against good quality opposition, the processes are flawed.
this is analysis is not based on just one game either. it is a pattern. souths have weaknesses that can be exploited by the other 3 teams. although the win is the outcome every game is judged on, the process of consistently getting things right is what lays the foundations for those wins in the crunch games. souths' processes crumble all too regularly.
manly have combinations that are attuned to each to other and can strike at will. they haven't beaten souths this year, but when the chips are down they can break a team with consistent pressure.
melbourne continually expose souths on the flanks. they do the solid work up the middle, quick play the balls, yards around the rucks, then spread the ball majestically and get outside souths slower outside backs.
easts have a forward pack on par with souths and took a leaf out of melbourne's playbook with quick play the balls getting souths on the backfoot and storming down the field in sets.
souths do not have the speed out wide and rely on opposition defensive break downs and poor discipline to score points. it comes easy against shit opposition, but good teams make fewer mistakes.
furthermore, they make the most costly errors of all top 4 teams. i don't know how madge can get it through to the playing group any more than he has tried. it's a constant facet of their game and it won't be rectified all of a sudden. once again, it's a process that has to be repeated consistently and this souths team is no better than the john lang teams. madge just has players of better ability at the moment.
as much as it pains me to say it., congrats roosters. and well done robinson. enjoy it, but in the bigger picture, nothing really has been won. just souths vs easts bragging rights for now. each game in the next 4 weeks is bigger than last night.
