2020 Charity Shield

[BLM01]

For me it’s a lot more than a trial because we have been so poor for so long it’s overwhelmingly a chance to stamp some authority back into our team and brand.
By all means treat it as “just a trial” when you have the form line of a regular top 8 team but that isn’t us is it?
If “it’s just a trial” then best the club change its attitude to advertising maybe something like this
“Calling on all St GI fans to get out to Mudgee where we don’t care if we win or lose but we are happy to take your hard earned $$$ for special merchandise while we aren’t really trying. Great opportunity to get ob the cans with the staff and players and by the way make sure you put your hand in your wallet for Kogarah Hospital because we won’t be giving them a winners check”
Has anybody told Mc Fookknuckle that If you are going to c**k crow about the 9’s you can’t then simply wash away / ignore the sins of the CS.

As I said I agree but review after Round 1
That is the real litmus test. Just watch How we are more clunky than others for some reason and doesn’t really improve

 

[True_Believer]

I think it was ok and will improve we need to sign Billy up

I agree (is it samy or amy?). I think we need to sign up BB asap. I prefer his style more than Robson to be honest.

Also, I thought Norman looked more involved with Clune on the field. I wouldn't mind Clune getting a shot this year. Given QLDs desire to at least have Hunt in the team, I'm hoping that will be his chance.

 

[kit66]

I only got to see the cut-down 1 hour Fox replay but it was enough to see our pros and cons going into the season proper. Good signs in the 1st half where we more than held our own despite being very light in the forwards.
Pros - I was happy with Lomax at the back, good under the high ball, great positional play and some try-savers, one silly error but he won't do that again. He should grow in confidence as the year goes on. Our defence was much improved. Ford worked hard, I'm looking forward to watching him develop. We have a new centre I think with Williame again being arguably our best back by far. Brittain could serve us well if Cam's rehab is slower than expected.
Cons. - Mary's use of the bench again proved our downfall - Bennett sat back and watched our already depleted forwards get unnecessarily pushed to the limit then simply threw on a bunch of big, fresh young guys in the second half to steamroll us. If you look at the Player Stats on NRL.com you'll see 5 of our reserves got just 3, 9, 9,10 and 15 minutes on the park whereas the Bunnies reserves all got 30 minutes plus - most around 40minutes. Bunnies used 24 players we used 23. Our depth is a bit sh*t compared to other teams and we seriously need a few big Islander boys to fill out our ranks.
Other issues - Hunt and Norman are a worry, I reckon we'll see more experiments in the halves by about round 5. Aitken and Lafai again WTF both got a full 80 minutes and all they managed to do was bomb 3 tries for us and arguably let some in.

Overall, just a trial and we did OK at less than full strength against a full strength Bunnies in the 1st half.
With 3 props / locks and our best hooker to return things can only get better.
Lomax played better than Latrell.
The Sironen try was obviously short.

 

[qld redvee]

Giving Lafai all that game time tells me the caoch was trying to give him every opportunity to justify his inevitable round 1 selection...

Dragster
Plus mary can say that lafai was telling williame how to handle the centre spot . thus relegating him to CC unless we have an injury .... the old cut and paste is back on for tuesdays

 

[Dragonsamy]

I agree (is it samy or amy?). I think we need to sign up BB asap. I prefer his style more than Robson to be honest.

Also, I thought Norman looked more involved with Clune on the field. I wouldn't mind Clune getting a shot this year. Given QLDs desire to at least have Hunt in the team, I'm hoping that will be his chance.

Have to agree with you.
And it's samy which is a nickname.
I hope Clune get a go to but it want happen round 1 .
He play well in the CC cup trail .
I think Norman plays better when he is the main man.
Him and hunt just don't seem to jell

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

i thought that Host played better then TSims

T sims got man handled

Host drove thru the line and defended well

 

[Como Connection]

i thought that Host played better then TSims

T sims got man handled

Host drove thru the line and defended well

Very impressed with his time on the field.
Another of the players the coach won't give a fair go.
CC

 

[Saint Pedro]

Very impressed with his time on the field.
Another of the players the coach won't give a fair go.
CC

How do you think host would go at lock? He is a big young fella and hits hard in defence.

 

[Como Connection]

How do you think host would go at lock? He is a big young fella and hits hard in defence.

I would play him in that spot now.
Strong and tough.
Alas, all to hard for the coach to work out.
CC

 

[redandwhite4evr]

I only got to see the cut-down 1 hour Fox replay but it was enough to see our pros and cons going into the season proper. Good signs in the 1st half where we more than held our own despite being very light in the forwards.
Pros - I was happy with Lomax at the back, good under the high ball, great positional play and some try-savers, one silly error but he won't do that again. He should grow in confidence as the year goes on. Our defence was much improved. Ford worked hard, I'm looking forward to watching him develop. We have a new centre I think with Williame again being arguably our best back by far. Brittain could serve us well if Cam's rehab is slower than expected.
Cons. - Mary's use of the bench again proved our downfall - Bennett sat back and watched our already depleted forwards get unnecessarily pushed to the limit then simply threw on a bunch of big, fresh young guys in the second half to steamroll us. If you look at the Player Stats on NRL.com you'll see 5 of our reserves got just 3, 9, 9,10 and 15 minutes on the park whereas the Bunnies reserves all got 30 minutes plus - most around 40minutes. Bunnies used 24 players we used 23. Our depth is a bit sh*t compared to other teams and we seriously need a few big Islander boys to fill out our ranks.
Other issues - Hunt and Norman are a worry, I reckon we'll see more experiments in the halves by about round 5. Aitken and Lafai again WTF both got a full 80 minutes and all they managed to do was bomb 3 tries for us and arguably let some in.

Overall, just a trial and we did OK at less than full strength against a full strength Bunnies in the 1st half.
With 3 props / locks and our best hooker to return things can only get better.
Lomax played better than Latrell.
The Sironen try was obviously short.

Another good report Kit- the primary concern for me was how easily Souths CC team disposed of our first team. But yes, totally agree about the bench debacle. Bennett has a carpe diem approach and dared the CC players to put their hand up and challenge for a first grade spot and did they ever. While we had some players out, TBH, I'm not expecting that Graham, Korbin Sims and Dufty are going to challenge for starting spots so Cam and Kerr comprise the only cavalry riding to our rescue- a sobering thought.

As you correctly observed, Mary left it too late, as usual, for the fresh legs to make a difference. I thought our man Clune looked really sharp- he has an energy about him and his passing game, in particular, is so much better than Hunts and Normans. But Mary will never pick him. Lafai and Aitken are only good for providing material for Youtube blooper videos.