Anyone kind of happy we lost charity shield?

[CCJames]

Souths will need their full strength squad on the park basically at all times in order to even come close to winning the comp this year.

They still have massive issues in the halves, although I was actually impressed with Sandow for a change on the weekend.

My major issue with the bunnies though is that most of their key players are impact players (Burgess, Taylor, Inglis, Asotasi, Sandow, Sutton & Luke). IMO They need a lot more workers in the team who knuckle down and focus on the little things required for a team to be consistent.

I dont agree with Luke being an impact player, as per what you have outlined above. I agree he has a big impact on every game but I think he is someone who you can rely on week in and week out to do the little things right like, consistent tackling and good service out of hooker. There are other players like this such as Ben Lowe, Luke Stuart and even Merritt who are consistent and get the little things correct.

 

[Collateral]

Souths will need their full strength squad on the park basically at all times in order to even come close to winning the comp this year.

They still have massive issues in the halves, although I was actually impressed with Sandow for a change on the weekend.

My major issue with the bunnies though is that most of their key players are impact players (Burgess, Taylor, Inglis, Asotasi, Sandow, Sutton & Luke). IMO They need a lot more workers in the team who knuckle down and focus on the little things required for a team to be consistent.

 

[Collateral]

I dont agree with Luke being an impact player, as per what you have outlined above. I agree he has a big impact on every game but I think he is someone who you can rely on week in and week out to do the little things right like, consistent tackling and good service out of hooker. There are other players like this such as Ben Lowe, Luke Stuart and even Merritt who are consistent and get the little things correct.

I agree about Luke, I just think he gets a bit caught up in big occasions sometimes and loses his way trying to create something out of nothing himself rather than knuckling down and doing what he does best.

Stuart is the exact type of player I am talking about. All quality and a guy you love to play with. Lowe might work hard but he isnt on Stuarts level and that is what ouths need more of IMO.

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

:roll:

Any form of intelligent discussion is lost on you, isnt it?

FFS,you have no idea.](*,)

 

[Collateral]

Coming from someone who believe John Sutton should be playing origin....

 

[Newcastlerabbit]

Coming from someone who believe John Sutton should be playing origin....

Lol,coming on a Souths forum spreading your merged filth.You have no idea.You said we had no workers,I pointed two out to you.Then again,you might not have heard of them.:roll:

 

[Collateral]

Typical dribble response. To be truthful I wasnt expecting much from you though. You have already displayed how thick your Green & Red goggles are! Just trying to offer my view on it but I guess there will always be some morons who take it as an attack on them...

 

[Zigwaa]

I'd like to think we have our fair share of hard workers in the team with Stuart, Lowe, Geddes, Ross, Crocker and Clarke to back our big impact players. As for our depth players, we've placed emphasise on our up and coming players which is a bit of gamble but with minmial injuries they can fill the void.

As people have pointed out our halves are the danger area. I'm happy they've placed faith in Sutton and Sandow but to have them backed by Reynolds and Mundine is a big risk.

 

[JetRider]

That statement would be true if everything was equal and all clubs had the exact same Marquee player to depth ratio, but it isn't is it?

Souths have chosen the route of signing big guns at the expense of depth. Souths have displayed a lack of depth, it's a huge part of the reason why they didn't take part in the finals last year. Their recruitment this year has done little to change that. I'm not saying that they won't be a success either, but the team looks like an all or nothing gamble moreso than a sustainable culture and squad.

I do not agree that the game showed up a lack of depth, what it showed was that we have some work to do for those guys to be ready for round one (most of which will not be in the team in round one). I thought that Peats looked very good when he was on and really added spark to dummy half, if he was used as a relacement would only improve.

Our centres were very good and will improve and our halves whilst steady need greater invlovement and control. Depth at the moment is good particurarly our forwards and backs. Halves is my concern as none of the players really stood out.

 

[Sans Souci Sainter]

The score aside, seeing Souths lack of depth in the squad and an apparent inabilty to complete tackles should be alarming.

Another year of missing the finals in the making.

 

[CCJames]

The score aside, seeing Souths lack of depth in the squad and an apparent inabilty to complete tackles should be alarming.

Another year of missing the finals in the making.

Very early to be making a call like that!!

 

[Ttime]

agreed Muzby.

This is definitely a concern. Fingers crossed we do not see large numbers of injuries this season.
I think we might suffer as well

 

[RedAndWhiteThommo]

I do not agree that the game showed up a lack of depth, what it showed was that we have some work to do for those guys to be ready for round one (most of which will not be in the team in round one). I thought that Peats looked very good when he was on and really added spark to dummy half, if he was used as a relacement would only improve.

Our centres were very good and will improve and our halves whilst steady need greater invlovement and control. Depth at the moment is good particurarly our forwards and backs. Halves is my concern as none of the players really stood out.

Perhaps it's more of a sign of the gap between the NYC and First Grade? Having to rely on NYC players for depth is a risk in my opinion, particularly for defence and team play. This is an area the Dragons may struggle with over time if we do not get the NSW cup team sorted. Then again, the NSW cup is little better than park football.

Give me a return to the U23's and the Reserve Grade comp - if managed correctly it could resolve some of the issues around depth and the loss of players to ESL.

 

[BranVan3000]

Saints were nowhere near their top 13 though which is the worrying thing for Souths.

We were without:

Jamie Soward - 5/8
Ben Hornby - Captain/Halfback
Beau Scott
Dean Young
Brett Morris

Plus, guys like Weyman, Cooper & Creagh saw limited game time. We had a 2nd rower playing at hooker for a time, our hooker playing halfback and our fullback playing 5/8.

And one more thing is that our coach wasnt even at the game.

Im not saying this to try rub anything in, infact Im saying it because I like Souths and their performance in the Shield worried me...not so much that they lost, but that they got 32 points put on them and could only manage 10 for themselves depsite at times having a 70% possesion rate.

I know its only a trial game but you want to win every game you play or at least put in a strong positive performance, neither of which Souths did IMO.

Dragons had some star players out, but they still had their best player out there to lead the charge (Boyd). Souths didn't have any of their best players on the field, it was essentially last years Toyota Cup squad.

 

[Sans Souci Sainter]

Very early to be making a call like that!!

Not really.


You've got the same halves combination as last year, and Souths couldn't defend last year and Souths missed the finals last year.


I think Souths defence has actually got worse. I thought that would have been something for them to focus on during the long off-season and practice in the trials, but evidently not.


I stand by the call.

 

[muzby]

Souths didn't have any of their best players on the field

so asotasi (NZ rep), Sutton & Lowe (fringe SOO reps), as well as pettyborne & vaivai are not considered amongst your best players? fmd.. that's a high benchmark to set..

it was essentially last years Toyota Cup squad.

really? and i thought the toyota cup was u/20's? no wonder your blokes did so well last year..

Sunday night's team - age

1) Rhys Wesser - 31
2) Chris McQueen - 23
3) Dylan Farrell - 19
4) Junior Vaivai - 21
5) Fetuli Talanoa - 23
6) John Sutton - 26
7) Chris Sandow - 22
8) Scott Geddes - 30
9) Beau Falloon - 23
10) Roy Asotasi (c) - 29
11) Eddy Pettybourne - 23
12) Shannan McPherson - 25
13) Ben Lowe - 25



if that was your toyota cup last year, i'll happily french kiss bunniesman..

 

[Ttime]

Agreed that the team was not our toyota cup from last year but then this team was only on for the first 20 before the changes started. And correct me if I'm wrong but I believe we were winning in the beginning (understand the lead did not stay for long but we were the stronger team in the first 20).

Once the changes started we were a very different team, pretty much last years toyota team.

Give bunniesman a big sloppy kiss the next time you see him muzby you old egg.

 

[Ike E Bear]

so asotasi (NZ rep), Sutton & Lowe (fringe SOO reps), as well as pettyborne & vaivai are not considered amongst your best players? fmd.. that's a high benchmark to set..



really? and i thought the toyota cup was u/20's? no wonder your blokes did so well last year..

Sunday night's team - age

1) Rhys Wesser - 31
2) Chris McQueen - 23
3) Dylan Farrell - 19
4) Junior Vaivai - 21
5) Fetuli Talanoa - 23
6) John Sutton - 26
7) Chris Sandow - 22
8) Scott Geddes - 30
9) Beau Falloon - 23
10) Roy Asotasi (c) - 29
11) Eddy Pettybourne - 23
12) Shannan McPherson - 25
13) Ben Lowe - 25



if that was your toyota cup last year, i'll happily french kiss bunniesman..

You rate Vaivai that highly? Haha.

The kid hasn't done anything yet.

Mind you, I think the point remains that plenty of players were out for both teams.

While Fein is a fair back up (an international ... albeit not for the country he was born in), having both halves out wasn't insignificant for the Dragons.

I think one thing the result shows, though, is that Luke is very, very, very important to the Bunnies. They are a completely different team without him.

Without the likes of Luke (most importantly), Burgess, Taylor and even Inglis, it was a much simpler task for the Dragons to focus on and contain the likes of Sutton and Sandow. With more points of attack and a little less pressure on the halves, I hope the Bunnies are more potent.

Defence and ball control, however, still remain highly important. Hopefully those aspects will be improved upon as well.

 

[haha]

so asotasi (NZ rep), Sutton & Lowe (fringe SOO reps), as well as pettyborne & vaivai are not considered amongst your best players? fmd.. that's a high benchmark to set..



really? and i thought the toyota cup was u/20's? no wonder your blokes did so well last year..

Sunday night's team - age

1) Rhys Wesser - 31
2) Chris McQueen - 23
3) Dylan Farrell - 19
4) Junior Vaivai - 21
5) Fetuli Talanoa - 23
6) John Sutton - 26
7) Chris Sandow - 22
8) Scott Geddes - 30
9) Beau Falloon - 23
10) Roy Asotasi (c) - 29
11) Eddy Pettybourne - 23
12) Shannan McPherson - 25
13) Ben Lowe - 25



if that was your toyota cup last year, i'll happily french kiss bunniesman..

*Talonoa and McPherson didn't play, it shows how little attention you payed to the game. (Morgan and Tyrrell took there place)
*I think only 8 players out of the Souths team that played the shield will be in the 17 come round 1.

*One thing that has not been mentioned is that in the opening 20 minutes of each half both sides fielded there strongest teams, In these 20 minute periods the scores were 6-4 dragons and 6-4 souths.
*Asotasi, Pettybourne, Geddes and tyrrell were subbed at around the 20 mark in each half, this is when the Dragons took control with there greater depth.

*Out of our likely round 1 team Lowe was the only Souths forward to play most of the game, pettybourne and geddes will be our bench players.
*With Burgess, Crocker, Taylor, Stuart, McPherson and Luke to return for the forwards we have nothing to worry about in the depth department.

*Dont pay attention to the Dragons / Anti Souths wankfest in the media and on here, watch the game again and take note of what players are on for both teams after the 20 minute mark of each half.

*Take nothing away from the Dragons though as there defence was outstanding all game and we definatly would have scored more points on a lesser opposition.


There you go muzby, edited and in point form.

 

[muzby]

Talonoa and McPherson didn't play, it shows how little attention you payed to the game.
Morgan and Tyrrell took there place.
I think only 8 players out of the entire Souths team that played the shield will be in the 17 come round 1 if we are fully fit.

One thing i noticed that has not been mentioned is that the opening 20 minutes of each half is when both teams fielded there strongest teams.
In this time the scores were 6-4 dragons and 6-4 souths.
When Asotasi, Pettybourne, Geddes and tyrrell were subbed at around the 20 mark in each half is when the Dragons took control with there greater depth.

Out of our likely round 1 team Lowe was the only starting souths forward to play most of the game, pettybourne and geddes will be our bench players and with Burgess, Crocker, Taylor, Stuart, McPherson and Luke to return for the forwards we have nothing to worry about in the depth department.

Dont pay attention to the Dragons / Anti Souths wankfest in the media and on here, watch the game again and take note of what players are on for both teams after the 20 minute mark of each half.

Take nothing away from the Dragons though as there defence was outstanding all game and we definatly would have scored more points on a lesser opposition.

bugger me that was a tough read.. are you sure you paid attention during english lessons at school?