Charity Shield 2024

[Desperate Dragon]

Hey! Get out of here with your even handed analysis!!! But seriously, they are very astute observations.

Also just noting to the doom and gloomers that the Wayne Bennet era also started with a loss in the Charity Shield and that star studded team only managed to score 6 points, the only try coming from a charge down by Beau Scott.......

I can still remember some of the comments outside of the Olympic Stadium that night about the way we played.
Sure enough, supporters putting the boot into Bennett!!!
Sele and RFM added to our pack will give us a lot more experience in the middle, plus more depth on the bench.
The downside of it all is we still do not have anyone in the halves with an effective short kicking game, and Sloan needs time either on the wing or in reserve grade to get his game right.
Agree with the all the comments about Marsche, will be a very good number 14.

 

[Spazer]

Marshke was good but I'm worried he may not get a spot since he has to get ahead of kyle and bird who're both favourites of the coach. He looked like one of the few players actually playing for a spot on the team, he swung the momentum back in our side for brief moments when we were getting rolled through the middle.

I think Sione should be ahead of tamale at least for the wing spot. Sione handles the contact better than tamale and has good leg drive.

Fifita was solid, the line he ran off of flanno was great and he hurt Jai Arrow from the contact which is what you want your props to do. would have scored if it was directed at a halfback.

Our starting props are good, I'd have Sele and Fifita in the rotations for now and 17 up for grabs.

 

[Wizardman]

Hey! Get out of here with your even handed analysis!!! But seriously, they are very astute observations.

Also just noting to the doom and gloomers that the Wayne Bennet era also started with a loss in the Charity Shield and that star studded team only managed to score 6 points, the only try coming from a charge down by Beau Scott.......

Trials often are optical illusions..........if you look simply the score to see how good your team is going in a trial, you are going to have a sad life. I saw some Souths fans bag their team last week after getting lapped by Manly despite the fact that they fielded a third string side and Manly had some guns playing. If anything....I think Souths fans have more to worry about after their first half last night than anything they did in that Manly trial. Despite that....it is still a trial but last night was a closer guage for Souths than that Manly game. Coaches look for different things in trials.

That first half was the best guage as both sides fielded pretty much full-strength teams minus their all-stars from the previous day. Other than the spine cohesion and speed, I thought they were very good for a first hit out.

 

[BLM01]

Hey! Get out of here with your even handed analysis!!! But seriously, they are very astute observations.

Also just noting to the doom and gloomers that the Wayne Bennet era also started with a loss in the Charity Shield and that star studded team only managed to score 6 points, the only try coming from a charge down by Beau Scott.......

Agree it was a good analysis and at half time with Souths 1st grade forward pack minus Cook we matched them, rolled them and it was only 6-6. The second half we lost all momentum with our best off for most.

 

[FlickFlano]

Our pack without two potentially three running forwards held their pack missing ??

We will be a much stronger defensive team than last year

just poor spine depth give theirs was missing ..

definite lack of polish in attack particularly from Sloan but a few poor Hunt passes both left and right ..

An injury to liddle/flanno/hunt and we are badly exposed

the 17 less the spine more than good enough to compete .. our top 30 though is only really 20 in terms of nrl quality

 

[thebigredv]

Marshke was good but I'm worried he may not get a spot since he has to get ahead of kyle and bird who're both favourites of the coach. He looked like one of the few players actually playing for a spot on the team, he swung the momentum back in our side for brief moments when we were getting rolled through the middle.

If Shane plays favourites he will end up signing his own death notice. It was really irked us about Mary and Hook, their stubborn allegiance to failing players.

Originally there were reports Kyle was not guaranteed any graces or certainty of first grade. Since then all the noise coming from Shane has been about Kyle and Bens halves connection and how good it is progressing. It was a bit questionable yesterday but definitely willing to give it a bit more time (as we did with Norman and Talatau to no avail).

Want to see more of Marske this year in first grade. He didn’t just cruise yesterday but made an impression and has a good reputation. Between Liddle, Marske and Kyle there could be a reasonably good rotation of 9 and 6 until we find what is actually best for the team. I want to believe in Kyle but he definitely should be feeling a weight on his shoulders now. He has a point to prove.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Sloan clearly has game breaking capability. Dragons simply have to back him 100% and hope he develops further as the season goes on.

Yes, but for how long they do they persist?

6 or 7 games into regular?

Im a tad uncomfortable with a genuine strike player holidaying on the wing while Sloaney is still learning his trade.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

If Shane plays favourites he will end up signing his own death notice. It was really irked us about Mary and Hook, their stubborn allegiance to failing players.

Originally there were reports Kyle was not guaranteed any graces or certainty of first grade. Since then all the noise coming from Shane has been about Kyle and Bens halves connection and how good it is progressing. It was a bit questionable yesterday but definitely willing to give it a bit more time (as we did with Norman and Talatau to no avail).

Want to see more of Marske this year in first grade. He didn’t just cruise yesterday but made an impression and has a good reputation. Between Liddle, Marske and Kyle there could be a reasonably good rotation of 9 and 6 until we find what is actually best for the team. I want to believe in Kyle but he definitely should be feeling a weight on his shoulders now. He has a point to prove.

I thought Hunt was covering a bit for Kyle post match.

 

[kit66]

I listened to the game on MMM because I don't have kayo or pox, was a pretty good call but I just started watching the replay on NRL.com and just 3 1/2 minutes in and you can see how much you miss on the radio.
Our first set the ref missed a high shot on Frankie Molo then, same set, missed the Rabbits knock on when we kicked on the last and Lomax knocks it back - a bunny then knocks it forward into Eisenhuth's hands, play on ref ya dh.

Our second set, 4th tackle Hunt totally misses/ignores a 2 man overlap and takes the tackle - see this screenshot, we're in for all money if he passes right.

 

[Rocket Rod]

As you say they had all those players out , said elsewhere Hunt being our play maker , and nothing changed last night everything went to him first, should have torn South's a new one , but still couldn't ....... And he still can't control a game .......

Hunt is a myth only shines with rep players around him
As for the rest of them well the less said the better although Sua does try very hard
I reckon Sowie’s angels are way more fun to watch

 

[True_Believer]

I'm just watching the first half now and am only 10 minutes in.

- for 2 of the Rabbits kicks so far I've seen our markers have to run around blockers on the side of the play the ball. So where is the penalty for that? But we get pinged for a down town call later in the game?
- at the 10:30 mark we drop the ball and the rabbits pick it up and run down the side line for 15 meters and then we bundle him out. Apparently no advantage. Isn't the no advantage a 10 meter thing?

I don't like to bag the refs but boy there were some questionable calls last night.

Outside of that, the main team looks pretty good so far. If nothing else, it looks like we should be a hell of a lot more competitive this year.

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

First 15min we were owning the game and only worked the right side in attack

3 times it went to Birdy where it broke down

One he dropped the ball because he couldn’t stay in field

The other two it was hard to say if he over ran but as he was involved they both broke down

It was clunky and not much space

Conversely in that first 15min Lomax and Eisenhuth looked dangerous

25th min I felt birdy didn’t run at the gap where Hint was passing out in front of him which led to birdy reaching then stuffing his chip. Involved Birdy again and he directly made this mistake. It’s just too many !!!

I’m giving Birdy a leave pass this game but no more after that

It is only fair to give Birdy the leave pass if I am also in my mind giving Sloan a leave pass also with a up and down game

 

[Crush]

First full game of rugby league I've watched in 2024. I am surprised by some of the comments on here as I looked at the game from an entirely different lens to quite a few on here. I thought your blokes were all over Souths in the game time that truly counted.....the first half. I saw way more positives than negatives in that half.

1. The intensity you guys played with in the first half was top notch.....particulary in getting your team up the field. They look ready to go for me for a big round one.

2. There is no doubt that there are a few guys who clearly look like they have had big off-seasons. Bird looks lean and mean, Rav looks as strong (and light footed) as ever and Lawrie.....he has been on the Lite n Easy program. They look and played a lot fitter......only 40 minutes I know, but their intensity was a step up from the Souths first graders.

The only negative I saw from last night was from the spine. It is the first trial and they certainly need more time to gel. It did look like there were two halfbacks out there last night....which is a concern. There was a lack of pushing up to run off any good offloads from their forwards. Sua gave a 100% tryscoring opportunity.....but nobody was there to take advantage. The two starting halves also looked a touch......slow. Hopefully, a 6 develops quickly or flanno/hunt improve their combo.

This is how I saw it too, I was totally satisfied with the first half go forward and defence. The attack is clunky AF but I fully expected that given it’s all new. New 5/8, new coaches etc.
It’s a start, they didn’t look like wooden spoon material to me.

 

[baggygreen man]

notice from the 1st was that Flanno Jr was hardly sighted.

His old man wont like this, as didnt he want his boy as chief play maker. Read the sook the riot act coach. Toe the line or you are gone.

 

[Auntie.Gerald]

Btw that try in the first half by Rava

Talk about offensive defence

The Bunnies centre was about to get killed by Rava and had a look hence ball on deck

Rava though was super clever in not poll axing and watching for the opportunity - I mean Rava literally in a squat launch position and still pulled out to pick up the spoils and run 40m for a try

 

[baggygreen man]

Sloan

He will win us a game, Bird never will. Where were these extra kilos we were told Sloan would be putting on. Still looks like a one iron. Had he bulked up doubt he'd have spilt the one that led to their try. This kid needs to wake up and smell the daisies. Add some muscle to your scrawny frame and cut out avoidable mistakes.

 

[Dragons4me]

** Deleted **

 

[dungay dragon]

Guys
Thought our first half was quite ok
Sua was very good , along with another solid defensive effort from JDB
Our halves were terribly clunky , so more combo work to do there
Of the others Marchkse looks like he'll provide great utility value , along with Fafita and young Jonah Glover was very sharp when he came on
Some of our youngsters will look and perform much better and appear more comfortable when mixed in with our top 20
Last night they were just tossed into the deep fryer in the 2 nd stanza against the bunnies

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

I listened to the game on MMM because I don't have kayo or pox, was a pretty good call but I just started watching the replay on NRL.com and just 3 1/2 minutes in and you can see how much you miss on the radio.
Our first set the ref missed a high shot on Frankie Molo then, same set, missed the Rabbits knock on when we kicked on the last and Lomax knocks it back - a bunny then knocks it forward into Eisenhuth's hands, play on ref ya dh.

Our second set, 4th tackle Hunt totally misses/ignores a 2 man overlap and takes the tackle - see this screenshot, we're in for all money if he passes right.

View attachment 84280

Yeah, they are caught short. There’s a smorgasbord of try scorers lining up.

Well spotted. One quick look and a simple pass.

 

[baggygreen man]

Talk about offensive defence

We see differently here. Most times Rava goes inside he misses his man. Not be surprised hed have missed this one too. He scored the try because of a loose pass and the fact he had again left his wing unattended, something he has made his speciality ever since he joined us.