Just way too many errors and the good teams like the Storm will punish you every time. I had to have a laugh when Cameron Smith was appealing to the refs for a quicker play the ball a few times. The Storm were given massive leniency by the refs in the ruck and I don't believe were penalised once for holding down or leaving the line early but I suppose good teams make their own luck.
I'm starting to worry that Bennett is losing it as Hunt was having yet another shocker but was left on the field to about the 60 minute mark before Nikorima went on which by that time the game was gone. I know Hunt scored a try but he was directly responsible for at least 3 Melbourne tries. Another loose pass same as against Canberra leads to a Melbourne try, misses a one on one tackle on Munster and Melbourne score on the next tackle and then throws an intercept for their last try. Twice maybe 3 times we were caught with the ball on the 5th tackle and Hunt as halfback and obviously first choice kicker has to take ownership of those errors. When Nikorima did come on within 5 minutes of being on the field he made a great run up the middle of the field. I also think when Hunt is on the field Marshall is letting or has been told to let Hunt run the team and considering the great form Marshall is in is an error by Bennett.
There is one telling statistic in that more than not if Hunt starts we lose if Nikorima starts we win.
The whole team has to stand up for that performance as on two occasions the wingers unnecessarily came in and gifted their opposition tries and Blair and Sims were guilty of loose passes but at the end of the day Hunt is woefully out of form, is leaving the club at the end of the season and we just can't win with him as half. I say tell Nikorima he's the half for the rest of the year and see what he can do. It can't be any worse that what Hunt has been producing.
I'd be happy if someone just tossed that ground announcer/urger/cheerleader under a bus - I swear nearly every time he does his shtick Something Bad Happens. I guess he just doesn't understand the First Law of crowd support, enunciated by Wally Lewis to the 2001 Origin team, to wit that the crowd can only be effective when the players give them something to cheer for
first ...
If this was some sort of playoff for the Qld 6 then it looks like Munster's to lose and Ben can ... well dream anyway.
I'm wondering how it can be that (presumably) highly trained and (definitely) highly paid pros can look like nervy high schoolers at the formal dance. What actually goes on at training ? I thought the whole idea of training/prep is to
improve yet Ben still can't kick with precision (does he even
like to kick a ball?) or lead the team. Maybe he is a "doer" more than a thinker or a surgeon.
Indeed the side didn't even look that well
coached, the contrast with the crisp Storm professionalism is a bit foreboding.
