3-2-1 v Titans

[ozenzud]

3 Roger
2 CNK - both him and Roger made errors but probably from fatigue at carrying everyone else
1. Clark

Capewell and DWZ were defenisively bad. To be fair, DWZ did do some pretty strong hard runs.

That result, probably ends our top 4 aspirations. Penriff are now coming to get us. I can't see enough improvement either in the team or webby's selctions, to see us beat the dolphins on form. Hopefully, my pessimism is off.....

 

[Meth]

To be fair, DWZ did do some pretty strong hard runs.

he did

 

[SpaceMonkey]

DWZ tries, that’s never in question. He’s just error prone and defensively shit in combo with Capewell

 

[JJ]

3. RTS
2. CNK
1. JFH

 

[Izz]

3 - RTS
2 - JFH
1 - umm... Vaimauga, I suppose - tossup between him and Leka

There was a period in the leadup to RTS's try when we actually looked quite dangerous in attack (and only with 12 on the field). There was a lot of second-phase, moving the ball around. Then RTS scored, and soon after we made an error trying to move the ball and then soon after that CHT got penalized and we went back into our shells.

The better period in attack also coincided with TMM moving out of hooker. Not saying he's necessarily the better choice than CHT at 6 - CHT was instrumental in our opening 2 tries - but he's definitely the better option at 6 if our 9 goes down.

That penalty on CHT was frustrating. Technically correct, i guess, but the marker being allowed to actively interfere with the play the ball if the ref calls ball plant is a dangerous precedent - especially when a penalty went against us in the first half in the PTB when the Titans player never looked like getting his feet and our interference was super minimal.

Pretty disappointed by Clark. Thought he would've been really up for it against his old team, but instead lacked his usual aggression.

Similarly disappointed by Niukore. I know the chat is that Webster's game plan is that the edge forwards aren't to get involved unless running a line at second receiver but I'm not buying that completely. Laban usually goes looking for the ball when he comes on, and he's typically spelling Niukore. And surely Niukore can get in the ear of his half and demand more ball - he's a 150-game vet after all.

Titans executed super well on the weekend, but we put so little pressure on them. That was the frustrating thing, for me. Our marker pressure was non-existent, our kick chase was average. I understand that playing every week at the intensity Webster's game plan calls for is difficult, but that didn't even feel like 70% effort.

Egan didn't look in a good way. Hope he pulls up okay. Silver lining, i guess, is that we'll see Healey this weekend. Maybe he'll pass some of that NSW Cup team energy on to the FG boys.

 

[ozenzud]

Other thing that was very obvious against the Titans, was that they won the collision. All season (well games we've won), we have seen warriors defences hit and push back attacking runners taking momentum out of the attack. There was virtually none of that on Sat. Leka was energetic in defence I also noted

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

That result, probably ends our top 4 aspirations. Penriff are now coming to get us. I can't see enough improvement either in the team or webby's selctions, to see us beat the dolphins on form. Hopefully, my pessimism is off.....

We have the Dogs after the Fins too. If we do drop our next two, we could tumble to 6th if other results go to form.

That said, the award for hanging onto 4th is (probably) facing Canberra away in week 1 which feels like a pretty shit deal at the moment.

So maybe finishing 5 or 6 and getting an elimination final at home wouldn't be a bad thing. So long as we can get some momentum back in our last 4 games after the Dogs.