Charity Shield 2018

[epDragon62]

I remember last years they played crap in the cs then they flogged Penrith 1st game. May be there are other plays up their sleeve that they didn't want show we hope that's the case anyway.

Last year flogging the Pennies was delightful and enjoyed Vaughnny acknowledging my “welcome to the Dragons” call out. But let’s not kid ourselves, all the those games early felt a little bit uncertain because you could see some flawed tactics, structures or whatever you want call it; we looked like we were winning on borrowed time.

We could come out and wallop the Broncos but still display fundamental flaws and I will be expecting the inevitable unravelling. Mary has to fix the “style we like to play” and actually fix th “D”.

Based on the reports of last night, neither has been done and we are not picking the new guard.

I desperately want to be wrong but it would seem to be unlikely.

 

[dragonssamy61]

Dragons are specials tonite! Pretty tight first half then dragons to run away w it

Mickey
still
100% wrong.
Still 0 from 100
Please tell us the broncos are specials in round 1

 

[getsmarty]

Only trials...but my observation..

Positives

1/. Isn't it great to finally have a decent Halfback to play alongside Widdop..

2/. Lomax will be a gun...hope we can keep him.

3/. Dufty also has great potential.

4/. Graham....inspirational signing.

Negatives.

1/ When Graham and Vaughan go off together our ruck becomes like swiss cheese based on the 2 trials.

2/. No one has put their hand up for Thompson's spot

3/. The Aitken/Nightingale Right side combo will leak tries..... Can't see Mary not playing these guys...I'd personally play Mann right centre with either Nighty or Lomax on the wing...

4/.McInnes is not an 80 min player...I'd rotate with Robson.

5/. Left side also weak in defence....

6/. Looks like our coach is still running alot of the same block plays with little variation

7/. Coach

 

[True_Believer]

Much like the coming of the apocalypse last year. People stress too much as it is, and last nights performance was not worth stressing over.

Apparently the CS has become our Grand Final.

 

[RedV Resurgence]

Only trials...but my observation..

Positives

1/. Isn't it great to finally have a decent Halfback to play alongside Widdop..

2/. Lomax will be a gun...hope we can keep him.

3/. Dufty also has great potential.

4/. Graham....inspirational signing.

Negatives.

1/ When Graham and Vaughan go off together our ruck becomes like swiss cheese based on the 2 trials.

2/. No one has put their hand up for Thompson's spot

3/. The Aitken/Nightingale Right side combo will leak tries..... Can't see Mary not playing these guys...I'd personally play Mann right centre with either Nighty or Lomax on the wing...

4/.McInnes is not an 80 min player...I'd rotate with Robson.

5/. Left side also weak in defence....

6/. Looks like our coach is still running alot of the same block plays.

With you get smarty.

Only comment I would add was when Sele came on he stopped the rabbits running through our middle. They scored in the 46minute and that was the end of the story for them. We did tighten up the middle.

Note also that we missed four tries, whilst the rabbits scored each possible try.

My takeout is that the ingredients are there, we need the chef(Coach) to mix them together.

 

[getsmarty]

With you get smarty.

Only comment I would add was when Sele came on he stopped the rabbits running through our middle. They scored in the 46minute and that was the end of the story for them. We did tighten up the middle.

Note also that we missed four tries, whilst the rabbits scored each possible try.

My takeout is that the ingredients are there, we need the chef(Coach) to mix them together.

Yep...Our biggest negative is the guy sitting in the coaches box.............

 

[BrissyRedV]

Not worried so much about the defensive intensity. That will be there Round 1 like last year. Assume they are at the end of getting flogged at training?

However the defensive misreads and the general lack of speed from our outside backs won’t be fixed any time soon.

The defensive3 misreads can somewhat be put down to losing the ruck. They had much faster play the balls, landing on their fronts and our markers not being able to get back in time. This led to a cascading effect leading to some of the defensive misreads. The general speed of our backs and attack, will improve with coordination and combinations.

 

[BrissyRedV]

Apparently the CS has become our Grand Final.

Going by the end of the world statements on here it is. I guess it comes part and parcel having an incompetent coach though as you know he won't be able to remedy all the deficiencies.

 

[getsmarty]

With you get smarty.

Only comment I would add was when Sele came on he stopped the rabbits running through our middle. They scored in the 46minute and that was the end of the story for them. We did tighten up the middle.

Note also that we missed four tries, whilst the rabbits scored each possible try.

My takeout is that the ingredients are there, we need the chef(Coach) to mix them together.

Sele was actually on when they went through us...He was on the right side...Au mau and Leilua were the culprits if I remember correctly but Sele was definitely on.

 

[possm]

i understand the lafai hate .. he makes errors ...
but I would still have him there ... across the season the tries/assists will outnumber the errors like tonight.

Lafai needs to be told 'no more flick passes'. Lafai's job was made harder because he was exposed to a lot of defence.

Generally, I believe the team was not prepared correctly and were tired and sluggish for season's start.

The game plan, defence pattern and team selection were poor and contributed to the poor standard showed by the Dragons Aitken and Flo have to go and Mann and Lomax should be included in the round 1 game against the Broncos. Coaching staff judgment has to be questioned. Clearly Aitken, Leilua, Nightingale and Latimore should have not been selected; they all played poorly and naively effected the standard of the team. Someone from the coaching staff, I'd say Hornby, needs to work closely with Dufty as a matter of urgency.

So for the game against the Broncos I'd make the following changes:

Mann for Nightingale
Lomax for Aitken
Kerr for Latimore
Sims for Leilua

Mann and Lomax will bring speed and better defence to the backline on the right.

Hopefully Kerr will bring some go forward to the prop rotation off the bench.

Sims will bring a more reliable defence and predictable attack to the left edge.

More changes could be made but I would not recommended too many changes for round 1. It's a poor reflection on the coaching staff that they could not see the limitations of Nightingale, Aitken, Latimore and Leilua after working with these players all off-season.

 

[giboz71]

The defensive3 misreads can somewhat be put down to losing the ruck. They had much faster play the balls, landing on their fronts and our markers not being able to get back in time. This led to a cascading effect leading to some of the defensive misreads. The general speed of our backs and attack, will improve with coordination and combinations.

Not sure about that.

Aitken gets exposed continuously even when our forwards are going well.

 

[MaryMcGregor]

Forget what you read in the papers, we won that game.

If you look at the stats we were coming first for a fair while.

 

[BrissyRedV]

Only trials...but my observation..

Positives

1/. Isn't it great to finally have a decent Halfback to play alongside Widdop..

2/. Lomax will be a gun...hope we can keep him.

3/. Dufty also has great potential.

4/. Graham....inspirational signing.

Negatives.

1/ When Graham and Vaughan go off together our ruck becomes like swiss cheese based on the 2 trials.

2/. No one has put their hand up for Thompson's spot

3/. The Aitken/Nightingale Right side combo will leak tries..... Can't see Mary not playing these guys...I'd personally play Mann right centre with either Nighty or Lomax on the wing...

4/.McInnes is not an 80 min player...I'd rotate with Robson.

5/. Left side also weak in defence....

6/. Looks like our coach is still running alot of the same block plays with little variation

7/. Coach

Pretty much nailed it GS. Responses to the 2, 4 and 5 negatives:
2. Indeed. Two trials and for the first one Mary had Leilua and Host play on the right when Frizz is obviously a lock for that spot. Why not trial them in the vacant position for both games? We know what Sims brings, he is a seasoned campaigner. But if there is doubt about team balance or performance on the left, why not give the young guys prolonged periods in the vacant spot. This also leads to point 5.\
5. I think once they settle on a second rower, the left side defence will be more stable. It is definitely not as leaky as the right but you can see some confusion between the defensive lanes particularly on the inside.
4. This is definitely a good option. Better than having a player like Field on the bench who either won't get a run or could upset team balance and combinations. A break for McInnes could be good and provide some spark late in the halves. Also gives some valuable experience to Robson.

 

[getsmarty]

Not sure about that.

Aitken gets exposed continuously even when our forwards are going well.

I think Red V was alluding to the 2 tries when they went through the middle. Yes, The Jennings ? try was clearly Aitken doing what he does....Teams will have a field day with this....Just ask Brad Arthur ( Round 2 2016 )....we are now forward 1 year and nothing has changed....who is coaching him in defense ............Mann would be a much safer option but our coach has tagged him as a "Utility" for life LOL.

 

[BrissyRedV]

Not sure about that.

Aitken gets exposed continuously even when our forwards are going well.

True and I don't disagree. He always comes in and leaves his winger out there alone. I want to see either Mann or on last nights performance, Lomax.

 

[possm]

I was saying the exactly the same thing to my son. This is under 8’s mentality. Of all the things to come out of the game, the way we played when the bunnies had a player to in the bin MUST BE ADDRESSED!!! Ahhhh!!!!

Poor on-field leadership. Widdop has never been a good Captain; he just dose not seem to have a clue as to how to adapt to current circumstances on the field. Whether it be to stretch our attack from sideline to sideline in order to expose Souths shortage in the line or in previous games, when and how to close out a game, when to set up for a field goal, how to lift the team when required. I'd like to see either Graham or Hunt as our on-field captain.

 

[kit66]

Can't be bothered reading through the comments here but I assume after last night the sky is still falling...

It's not falling.....if you look up beyond the light towers at Jubilee Oval the sky's a deep midnight blue, it's March 8th, a balmy night, the cool breath of Autumn still weeks away. It's almost 10:00pm and despite it being a work day tomorrow few have left the ground. There's a strange atmosphere, the faces all smiles and hope but an air subdued and nervous, uncertain, people waking from a dream. They just watched Ben Hunt and Gareth Widdop ruthlessly dismantle the Broncos defence to post a win more than double our previous biggest win against them. They watched as the old red bull who would be king was shown his place and a young bull in his prime JDB took the mantle, leader of the pack and his spoils a Sky Blue jersey awaits. They watched as time after timer our forwards rampaged up the paddock and set up camp on the enemy's doorstep while Ben and Wids produced an armoury the likes of which have not been seen in these parts for decades. They went up as one for eah of Dufty's 5 line breaks, said "I told you so" at Lomax's hat-trick on debut and were silenced as Nightie got a hat-trick of his own. 50-4 against the Broncs, how do you sleep after that. No worries, you taped it, you can watch it all again when you get home.

 

[BrissyRedV]

It's not falling.....if you look up beyond the light towers at Jubilee Oval the sky's a deep midnight blue, it's March 8th, a balmy night, the cool breath of Autumn still weeks away. It's almost 10:00pm and despite it being a work day tomorrow few have left the ground. There's a strange atmosphere, the faces all smiles and hope but an air subdued and nervous, uncertain, people waking from a dream. They just watched Ben Hunt and Gareth Widdop ruthlessly dismantle the Broncos defence to post a win more than double our previous biggest win against them. They watched as the old red bull who would be king was shown his place and a young bull in his prime JDB took the mantle, leader of the pack and his spoils a Sky Blue jersey awaits. They watched as time after timer our forwards rampaged up the paddock and set up camp on the enemy's doorstep while Ben and Wids produced an armoury the likes of which have not been seen in these parts for decades. They watched Dufty's 5 line breaks, Lomax's hat-trick on debut and were silenced as Nightie got a hat-trick of his own. 50-4 against the Broncs, how do you sleep after that. No worries, you taped it, you can watch again when you get home.

Love the enthusiasm, but what makes you think the Broncos could possibly score a 4 pointer against us on such a night?

 

[possm]

Yeah but Loamx won't start till the season is already lost, we know this, we have lived this before.

Unless of course, we get rid of this hopeless coaching staff. I'd say move on Hasler before Penrith grab him; he is a Panthers junior after all. Doust is on his way, now let's get a professional coaching staff on board and then there will be no excuses.

 

[possm]

Jeez really?
It was like Groundhog Day is what people are saying.
Same problems with defence as last year, same problems with the centres we had last year,same problems with Nene looking slow and disinterested as last year.
Sure, no doubt the forwards were good, but again, they were last year too.
The same problems in the backline haven't been addressed and McIdiot has had the whole off season to do something different, but it's still same old same old.

This is why people get frustrated.

All should have been addressed during the off-season. Clear out the coaching staff now, before we throw away another season.