A different perspective on the loss

[fish eel]

We all know how bad we fell apart when it got away, but what about before that? I thought we were competing more than well with a side who could reach the top 4, and wer unlucky to be down 18-10 considering the following went against us:

1. Vella being cited - a soft hit on Chan, would have been our ball from the scrum except Chan stayed down and milked it.

2. Widders no try - a 50/50 call, what happened to benefit of the doubt??

3. The six again call - Grothe came in, tackled was it...Matt Geyer, the ball flew backwards, Melbourne regathered, get six again and score their second try....closely followed by their third to make it 18-4. No way Grothe played at that ball, he played the man. They dont get six again and they dont score.

4. Wagon's no try? Seemed OK to me.....I thought McKinnon missed it and Wags grounded it on the line to make it 18-16.

I'm not making excuses for the final 25 minute collapse, but it could have been a lot different.

Will also put in the disclaimer that thats how I saw it in the thornett stand...haven't seen the replays on the box.

 

[strider]

I agree wholeheartedly....Steve Clarke and his buddies had a dead set shocker....but our capitulation was absolutely shocking.

I'll add to your list...

5. MacKinnon (I think it was) is tackled, ref calls held, he's then picked up and speared onto his head. No penalty, no reporting....Peek does a spear tackle, Kearney stays down, video ref reports him.

6. Parra on the attack early on on the Melb line - lovely pass form (I think) Thorman to Tsoulos, but Tsoulos has to reach back to catch it....ref calls forward pass - no way in hell was it forward.

7. Throman kicks a 40-20....the Melb guy dives to kock it back as it hits the line (ie it is out) - yet no official sees it - Melb get the ball - no repeat set of 6 for us.


Look, these things may not have made any difference - but I think it was an appauling officiating performance....we had some shit go our way too - but not as much at such telling times and it can change the complection of a game.....Melb capitalised on their chances - we didn't - end of story.

 

[Phillips]

Steve Clarke is the worst ref since bill harrigon

 

[fish eel]

i remembered thormans 40-20 and the mckinnon spear after i posted.

could have been totally different.....but doesnt excuse the white flag going up at 24-10

 

[eels_]

i agree...... although the game did get away from us we were in it early on....... but i have to say, the fact that at the beginning of both halves we had SO much pressure on their line and could not score was not a good sign at all..... we should have done better.... but the ref didnt help.....

did anyone remember a scrum when parra had the feed (in the 2nd half i think it was) when the ball stayed in the scrum a little longer than usual and clarke yelled "its out!" but it wasnt out?? then by the time the ball was released the storm defence was already up on us? nothing major i know, but it just annoyed me.....

 

[PJ Marshal]

Put it this way refs hate Parra, you occaisonally get one who gives us a fair go but today Clarke did a Kelvin Jeffes on us. The truning point of the game was his bad calls if half of em went our way we might of actually been in a position to win.

He can go to the video ref about late dangerous tackles, why not checks for 40/20's?

and as for Peekys late tackle on report, what about Dog Faced Macdougalls, if he gets away with his dangerous tackle its a load of shite!

 

[fish eel]

smith needs to coach our guys to stay the hell down when hit by anything close to a high hit

 

[PJ Marshal]

smith needs to coach our guys to stay the hell down when hit by anything close to a high hit

Nah then we'd get penlaised for tryning to milk penalties

 

[Eels Dude]

Yep I agree on the issues above, but our performance was still terrible and we did not deserve to win. No reason for excuses.

 

[nöyd]

Yep I agree on the issues above, but our performance was still terrible and we did not deserve to win. No reason for excuses.

Yes. Ultimately we licked balls :?

 

[Glenn]

Just a couple from late in the match (I know the match was gone there due to factors Parramatta could/couldn't control) A knock on by Melb about 15 meters out from their line gets called a knock back. And then up the other end of the field stapelton gets put on report for the softest "high" shot, looked like he just draped his arm over his shoulder :roll:
If these dubious calls were a more 50/50 split maybe things would have been closer :roll:

 

[Unreal V]

With so many errors where was captain fantastic, Wagon. He should have put the ref on notice that he had made one too many errors, it might have made the ref look twice before another blunder. The Captains job is to Gee up his team and go to bat for his team when bad decisions are made.

Those errors should have been turned to positives, they should have been used as motivation not as an excuse to lay down and die.

 

[Misty Bee]

Players getting put on report have absolutely no bearing of the game. If it's soft, jet the match review comittee handle it.

Tha fact that Parra had 3 players reported concerns me. ON top of Cayless last round, it strikes me that ill discipline has entered the club.

Clarke's first half penalties went against us, and I'd be surprised to see him in first grade next week. But where is the old Brian SMith referees whinge when we need it?

The 40/20 was just bad juck - no way the touchie could have seen it.

Widders try was 50-50. Wagons was a dead set rip off.

However, we went in at halftime in a winnable position. Can't blame the ref or the second half.

 

[fish eel]

Wagons was a dead set rip off.

However, we went in at halftime in a winnable position. Can't blame the ref or the second half.

Thats kinda my point. We were matching a top 4 side for the best part of the match. Wagons try would have made it 18-16, and who knows?

Still, just because the freakin' navy was there didnt mean we had to raise the white flag

 

[Eels Dude]

A top 4 side? I don't think so. We were losing to a side who'd lost to on the trot, one to the side coming last, and another that probably won't make the 8 either. Melbourne were good, but not great, but they didn't have to be, we just handed it to em on a platter.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Players getting put on report have absolutely no bearing of the game. If it's soft, jet the match review comittee handle it.

I have to disagree. It's afree interchange right there. 3 in a match andit can have an effect.

On the topic.......I feel every single incident was a dead set rip-off.If we had have lost by 10 or so then it would have been cause for calling for the refs head. Every time we were in a position to draw even or take the lead we were screwed.

But in the end we capitulated and that is what will count.

 

[fish eel]

Players getting put on report have absolutely no bearing of the game. If it's soft, jet the match review comittee handle it.

It not the actual reporting of Vella that I have a problem with and I probably should have made that clear. It was early in the game, Melbourne looked rattled...full of mistakes, Chan drops the ball....stays down, gets the penalty. How long after that did they score their first try....was it in the following set???

There's a pretty big difference between a melbourne penalty 45 out from our own line and a parramatta scrum feed.

But in the end we capitulated and that is what will count.

And that is the bottom line.