Anzac Match 2013

[Minh]

We're still a good side but the top 4 are in another league at the moment. We will be back.

 

[dragonv]

We're still a good side but the top 4 are in another league at the moment. We will be back.

Maybe you are being a touch generous Minh. Have you seen the stats from today's game? Did you see how we made about one line break all day? A good side would have done better than that. I don't mean to sink the boot in.

 

[dragonsman4eva]

Roosters were great today but the refs were awful. So many dodgy calls. Rein "knock on" Merrin penalty, Vidot being tackled in the air, so ,many calls went against us. I can handle losing but not like today. They had there hand on the ball in most tackles hence why our play the balls were so slow.

 

[dragonv]

Roosters were great today but the refs were awful. So many dodgy calls. Rein "knock on" Merrin penalty, Vidot being tackled in the air, so ,many calls went against us. I can handle losing but not like today. They had there hand on the ball in most tackles hence why our play the balls were so slow.

Roosters handled us with ease without the penalties but at least 3 tries came from terrible calls (Minichello 'tackled in the air', Hunt's 'shoulder charge' and Rein's 'knock on'). Appalling and to put Merrin on report was the icing on the cake. Dragons are owed an apology.

 

[Minh]

Maybe you are being a touch generous Minh. Have you seen the stats from today's game? Did you see how we made about one line break all day? A good side would have done better than that. I don't mean to sink the boot in.

i know we didn't look likely to score but this Roosters team has kept a few to zero points this year. They are a well oiled machine that will go close to winning the whole thing.

 

[Minh]

Ref's cruelled us a few times led directly to tries and we were lucky they didn't put 50 on us, a credit to our heart that was the only thing preventing a cricket score.

 

[Old_Timer]

For mine it was the worse loss we have suffered this year. True it was against a very good team playing with vigour, crispness and cohesion, all of which, we lacked.

 

[Dezziedc]

- We matched it early, we looked on par, but as soon as they cranked up a gear we were shredded with speed, creativity & power in all aspects of the game.

- Today we had no space at all to work our attack, they seemed up on us, before we could even get a ball out wide, and we really didnt adjust our attack until very late, not that it would make much difference, they pretty much have us man for man in their entire 13, speed really was the killer with how easily they converted their line-breaks.

- Dont like that were resulting to early tackle count low % plays as literally our only genuine scoring opportunity, I think Soward/Fien gave up in the 2nd half, we didnt look like scoring apart from kicks.

I think that says it all. You can't blame the ref - yes there were some bad calls in the game, but a good team can look past that.

The Roosters were up in our face the whole time - stopping any real momentum and preventing us from playing the game we usually play. A good set of halves would have noticed this early and changed their attack - at lease tried different things early on. We just hit it one up and then swept to the side when we could - just to be picked off every time. If the forwards aren't making ground, the halves need to come up with alternatives. We didn't do that today at all - we just kept doing the same thing over and over and didn't threaten the Roosters at all.

 

[W.Smith]

i thought we started ok and when we went up 4 - nothing i was thinking 'here we go' - but then the Roosters kicked up a gear as has been sed already and we couldnt go with them, resorting to our early season crap of not supporting or spreading, falling off tackles or just missing thru lazy's or bad reads and u had to love as an Eastsfan how they kept making us play sideways and running outta room !

Great stuff from the Chooks, brilliant defence too, luv how they hold their line and dont chase or move off leaving holes

was really disappointed at some of the body language from some of the Dragons, Sowy in particular considering how important he is to our mob looked to be kicking stones early in the second half ad just generally looked like he didnt wanna be there

 

[Inspector Gadget]

i thought we started ok and when we went up 4 - nothing i was thinking 'here we go' - but then the Roosters kicked up a gear as has been sed already and we couldnt go with them, resorting to our early season crap of not supporting or spreading, falling off tackles or just missing thru lazy's or bad reads and u had to love as an Eastsfan how they kept making us play sideways and running outta room !

Great stuff from the Chooks, brilliant defence too, luv how they hold their line and dont chase or move off leaving holes

was really disappointed at some of the body language from some of the Dragons, Sowy in particular considering how important he is to our mob looked to be kicking stones early in the second half ad just generally looked like he didnt wanna be there

How the f**k could you not want to be there, I would give my left nut to play for the Dragons in front of that crowd

 

[Old_Timer]

Nah Inspector Gadget, the post match euphoria would have been to much for you to bear.

 

[Gomarchin]

I hope I'm wrong but it looks like Soward's mind is at the foot of the mountains already. Happened with B Scott last year and I'm afraid now that Soward isn't playing for a contract like he was before this game - we won't see that determination and brilliant kicking game again. There was one point in the first half were he could've taken the line but decided to pass to Nighty.

 

[dragonv]

I hope I'm wrong but it looks like Soward's mind is at the foot of the mountains already. Happened with B Scott last year and I'm afraid now that Soward isn't playing for a contract like he was before this game - we won't see that determination and brilliant kicking game again. There was one point in the first half were he could've taken the line but decided to pass to Nighty.

I think it would be a bit early to make that assumption. Soward will come good.

 

[hewi]

If the reward for today's performance is to extend the coaches contract then there is little hope for us. You can't win defending. Penalty after penalty and some were unwarranted, however we have had one good win against Cronulla they should have waited for another 3 or 4 weeks before a decision was made. Today was nearly as bad as rounds 1,2and 3. Lastly, the roosters are the real deal, we are pretenders.

 

[OziDragon]

The only highlight from the game that I enjoyed was the attempted shoulder charge from Pearce. Got brushed away from Stockwell for trying it.

 

[saint.nick]

Ref's cruelled us a few times led directly to tries and we were lucky they didn't put 50 on us, a credit to our heart that was the only thing preventing a cricket score.

in fact the roosters' first 4 tries came off the back of incorrect refereeing decisions.

 

[Inspector Gadget]

Nah Inspector Gadget, the post match euphoria would have been to much for you to bear.

You know me well old timer;-)

 

[saint.nick]

Haven't first hand witnessed such an inept performance from us in a long time. Not since that first 60 minutes against Manly in 04 until we famously came back and won. We totally forgot what we had been doing in the past few weeks. Everything was sideways. Everything. We also concede too many metres every week as well. Ultimately though, we just didn't have the players to match them today. Maloney is much better than Soward, Pearce, whilst not amazing, is streets ahead of an ageing Fien, don't need to discuss SBW, and Jennings is too good. If we had a team with Dugan, Chase, Widdop and Thompson today, it would have been game on for sure. We simply lack any sort of x-factor in the APPROPIATE positions at the moment. Merrin is a forward with X factor, but where are we going get if we centre our game around him?

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

Im as disappointed as most on here after todays loss...but seriously did anyone expect us to reach any great heights this season......we had a brief relief period when we won 3 on the trot and we were not thinking we were wooden spoon material (which I still don't) but the cold hard facts are we simply don't have the player personnel to compete with the top teams this year......so the decision must come from our now longer time coach and blood the likes of Drinkwater etc.......if we're not going down that path then go flat out and push for the likes of Dugan etc.....I could live with Dugan at Fullback, Widdop as half, Carney at 5/8, Beale and Vidot in the Centres along with Florence and Moz on the wings......at least we would have some variety in attack.....that is providing the so called bad boys behave themselves.....

 

[saint.nick]

On another note, never seen so many roosters fans at a season game before. I know their team is on fire, but they are dead set the most fickle fan base in rugby league. I haven't seen so many people stand up and participate in their 'chook pen' before like they did today. Oh well, they still come nowhere near our army- any group can look good with drums and clapping despite zero creativity. Let them enjoy their win, they've been absolutely starved of an Anzac win in recent times.