3 2 1 v Slippery Eels

[KeepingTheFaith]

Hohaia isn't a leader, never has been. Think about his best games, how often has he made the players around him look better? Most of the memorable Hohaia moments are individual brilliance.

Our defense is the same, dominating them doesn't even come into our thought process. It's a "bend but don't break" approach to defense where we hold and limit as oppose to dominate.

Losing happens, but the weak negative manner in which we lose is the reason why I don't rate Cleary as a coach. He's good for rebuilding a team or great in a crisis, but a premiership winning coach, not a chance.

 

[Iafeta]

I don't see how Brown can get points, too many errors and was the reason behind their first try when he didn't come off the line at all.

From memory, he was also the player who gave away the penalty on tackle 5 that gave the Eels that set in the first place.

Points

3 The Crowd

That is all.

 

[ozenzud]

I think the smart posters above mentioned our kicking game. Very ordinary. Who's responsibility is that? The halves. They both had ordinary games in my view. Mahoney gets -2.

But thats not what lost us that game. It was our back 3.....well 2 actually. Ropati was OK. But really Hohaia and the Fish. They did not control the kicks. Really, para won that on Steve Lyons mistakes and the mistakes off the kicks. Simple.

A pretty intense, first up game. The Fish was out of position in his first, 1st grade game. He will be a star. Hohaia, is a test fullback.

Obviously loosing manu affected the game plan.

 

[Fast Eddie]

It's all well and good saying Hohaia is a test fullback but he has always been a terrible defensive/positioning wise fullback so it's not going to get any better any time soon. If anything he will have a good game where he makes a linebreak or two and everyone will think he is back in form.....

 

[Dr Crane]

hohaia has zero urgency in his game and that's his biggest weakness as a fullback. why let kicks bounce if you can catch them on the full? at least fisiiahi made his mistakes actually trying to catch the f**king thing.

 

[armchaircritic]

Playing Devil's advocate, he did throw 2 passes that led to tries - the second one was a beauty.
However I agree that he seems lazy at the back. Started terribly last night - set the tone for the match.

 

[JB]

How good was our last set? Try needed to win, 30 seconds on the clock.....lets take 4 hitups.

Of course we did. 4 hit ups then bomb to......? Oh sh*t! Plan B?........Plan B?.....

 

[Dr Crane]

Playing Devil's advocate, he did throw 2 passes that led to tries - the second one was a beauty.
However I agree that he seems lazy at the back. Started terribly last night - set the tone for the match.

he's a fine attacking fullback, but the defensive and kick return side of his game lacks the energy required of an nrl standard fullback.

 

[Dr Crane]

my favourite part was micheal luck being given the ball in an attacking situation and falling over five metres before the defensive line.

 

[Meth]

3- Ropati
2- Berrigan
1- Rapira

Special mention to Luck.

We looked much sharper with Berrigan on the park last night.

Was really disappointed with Mateo. We don't need an offload every time he has the ball.

I thought the last set of 6 summed us up last night. A chance to square it up and nobody took responsibility for it. We looked as leaderless as we did in '09 at times

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Everyone needs to relax tbh, we'll be fine. Everything that could go wrong did, just a sh*t night, it happens.

At the end of the day, despite having no ball, we only lost because Fish dropped a bomb and Hayne caught a bomb jumping over a makeshift midget wing/centre combo. Otherwise Parra hardly even tested our line. Did they even make a break?

One thing I don't understand is the love for Brown, for me he has become noticeably less effective with ball in hand towards the end of last year and in this game. I think opposition teams have cottoned on to the fact that he's a threat if marked 1 on 1 by a halfback, and have him pretty well contained now.

The only thing we really need to worry about is Manu, any side would be pretty f*cked losing a player like him Clutching at straws maybe, but weren't "diving at the legs" tackles outlawed? Watching that hit at the ground, it was just obvious it was gonna be an injury. I don't really think Manu is injury prone, he just cops so much rough treatment because that's the only way to stop him.

btw, has enough else noticed how Manu seems impervious to pain when suffering major injuries?

 

[hitman82]

Yeah I thought diving at the legs (particularly with clear intent to hit the knee, rather than wrap up the legs with your arms...) was an illegal act subject to the "contrary conduct" rule. That number 5 was acting like a maniac in a number of tackles actually. Mind you so was Maloney haha.

I agree re; Brown. I'd have Ta'ai over him

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

They actually went in to the tackle a bit on The Sunday Roast, saying it was a borderline "clipping" tackle, Gus in particular said it was dangerous for both the tackler and the ball-carrier and he didn't like it

 

[ozbash]

3- Mateo
2- JRo
1- Packer

 

[Rich102]

3- Mateo
2- JRo
1- Packer

Way to go Oz!

 

[ozbash]

Way to go Oz!

honourable mention must to to Baloney, not his best, but sh*t I wish they would all play with the same heart...

 

[Rich102]

honourable mention must to to Baloney, not his best, but sh*t I wish they would all play with the same heart...

And all give Hayne a serve!

 

[AliN]

3 - JRo
2 - Mateo
1 - Packer

Well played Eels.

 

[Meth]

Arghhhhhhhhhhhh

Mateo should not get any points!!

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

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