Chokers

[madunit]

Moses has been hopeless, but you watch the defensive line movements and you'll see Naiqama making his move before Moses does.

Nofoaluma is a victim of the disgraceful defence on his inside. There's no point him rushing up when he's already outnumbered. He has to stay back and hope to force the attack infield and hope that cover defenders arrive in time.

If Naiqama holds his place then Moses' ineptitude in defence can be easily covered as the cover defence are right on his inside shoulder already.

But Kev, well he runs at gaps between players so he doesn't even take one player out of the movement. He has been leaving Nofoaluma outnumbered and isolated all f**king year.

But no, that's not Kev's fault. Let's blame Nofo for not being able to defend two men at once on his own. Afterall, everyone can do it can't they?

Oh wait...

 

[macnaz]

Would anyone say the Warriors are smaller than the Raiders ?
Yet we beat them twice , so the big boys shit doesnt wash. We had the Raiders on a very hot day at a packed home ground , ball control and possession behind crowd support was the key to wearing them down.
We lost our shit from the kick off and it never got much better.

The Sharks just proved how its done

 

[Tiger05]

Moses has been hopeless, but you watch the defensive line movements and you'll see Naiqama making his move before Moses does.

Nofoaluma is a victim of the disgraceful defence on his inside. There's no point him rushing up when he's already outnumbered. He has to stay back and hope to force the attack infield and hope that cover defenders arrive in time.

If Naiqama holds his place then Moses' ineptitude in defence can be easily covered as the cover defence are right on his inside shoulder already.

But he runs at gaps between players so he doesn't even take one player out of the movement. He has been leaving Nofoaluma outnumbered and isolated all f**king year.

But no, that's not Kev's fault. Let's blame Nofo for not being able to defend two men at once on his own. Afterall, everyone can do it can't they?

Oh wait...

So Kev is to blame for everything. I am 100% sure that you have this wrong. For some reason you are desperate for Kev to be the problem.

 

[madunit]

I didn't say he was. You suggested that Kev's bad defence isn't all his fault.

I am telling you that it is all his fault.

Moses needs to hold his line. Our back rowers need to quicker and better laterally as cover defenders as well.

How many times did you see kev bolt out into open space, a try scored in the gap he left and f**k all defenders near the tryscorer.

No urgency or communication in defence.

They are two of the first few things any player is taught about defence.

 

[madunit]

I have said repeatedly.

Kev is damn good with the ball in hand and i would be more than happy to have him on the wing.

He is a disgrace at centre in defence and that has cost us more games than his attack has won us.

 

[mepelthwack]

Agree with very first post about us having a choking history, especially on verge of semis and missing out.

Also never forget when Penrith ran us down after we led 31-8.

As for could we have won in 05 without Benji it's a huge no, firstly we don't make the semis or even come close without him.

Secondly in that semi verse the Broncos he won it for us singlehandedly in the first half, first holding up Darren Smith, then stopping Tony Carroll before running over after the play the ball and intercepting to score.

 

[simmo05]

MU, I wholeheartedly agree with all you just said. Naiquama is the worst defender in the comp. Opposing teams smash his side. How do you fix the teams defense though. The whole culture needs an overhaul. There has been probably 6 months of consistently good defense since their inception. Before that both wests and balmain were equally shit defensively. Even Steve Folkes couldnt work it out

 

[Tigerm]

MU, I wholeheartedly agree with all you just said. Naiquama is the worst defender in the comp. Opposing teams smash his side. How do you fix the teams defense though. The whole culture needs an overhaul. There has been probably 6 months of consistently good defense since their inception. Before that both wests and balmain were equally shit defensively. Even Steve Folkes couldnt work it out

Well, I don't think getting rid of one of our best players and defender is the answer.

 

[Tiger05]

Well, I don't think getting rid of one of our best players and defender is the answer.

I think we can safely state that Naiqama should be a shoe-in for a first grade spot for a while. We need to focus on a winger. Can you imagine if we had Mansour instead of Rankin. I hope Liddle turns into a gun hooker or we have problems there. Then I think backrow may need some work.

 

[Tigers Tale]

I tell you what Tiger05 I am hoping Liddle is the answer too. Everyone keeps banging on in the media how good Hodgson is for the Raiders. He reminds me so much of a hooker I used to love to watch...his name is Robbie Farah. At his peak Farah was the same style of player.

Spilt milk now though....

 

[Tiger05]

I tell you what Tiger05 I am hoping Liddle is the answer too. Everyone keeps banging on in the media how good Hodgson is for the Raiders. He reminds me so much of a hooker I used to love to watch...his name is Robbie Farah. At his peak Farah was the same style of player.

Spilt milk now though....

I completely agree. Robbie was some player. Even now he is really good. I think all the drama regarding him was pointless and impacted us negatively.

 

[Tigerm]

I completely agree. Robbie was some player. Even now he is really good. I think all the drama regarding him was pointless and impacted us negatively.

Agree, I believe it cost us a spot in the semi's.

 

[Tigers Tale]

I think for many years our 'direction' came from Farah. I accept that Taylor would like to see our halves take control and in a perfect world they will. I think Moses has the drive to get a team going forward, I just think Brooks is too quiet.

Blame Farah as much as they want but his reading of the game was always pretty good in my eyes. Seizer and Williams at the Raiders are solid at best, I don't think either are better than what we have. It was the direction their hooker (Hodgson) gave that was the key to their attack....that and fu#king forward that ran hard and good lines.

Anyway, this thread is about choking, not Farah. I don't think we necessarily choke, I just think we have poor coaching and players that love to do the flash attacking but not the dirty work that comes with hard defence. The Sharks have flair in their attack but they back it up with their defence and I think we could be that too with a good defensive coach.

I'll climb down off my soap box now sorry fellas.

 

[BrotherJim05]

I have said repeatedly.

Kev is damn good with the ball in hand and i would be more than happy to have him on the wing.

He is a disgrace at centre in defence and that has cost us more games than his attack has won us.

Completely agree. Instead of getting rid of Kev and buying a new Centre and Winger we should just concentrate on a solid right side centre and move Kev to wing.

Realistically, we are not signing anyone. We should move Naiqama to left wing and put MCK at right centre. I reckon he could develop into a solid centre, at least defensively.

 

[Tigers Tale]

I am with our Brother Jim. Chee Kam while not flashy is solid enough and fast enough to fill a centre position. We could do a lot worse than him.

 

[The Charlatan]

I reckon we need a quality pair of centres. Simona does his best work in a #2 or #5 jersey IMO.

 

[Shredder]

100% agree Charlatan - And to keep it simple, they dont need to be great - two moderately fast defensive centres would do fine - running off Brooks and Moses - they dont need to create, but plug up the holes and back up. Didnt we win competition with two tradesmen centres like that?

 

[madunit]

We did.

And we were going well with Ayshford and Lawrence.

But when we shifted to a pair of great attackers we and they have suffered.

The only problem with Kev and Simona on wings is where to put Nofoaluma.

 

[Shredder]

When on his game, Simona is adequate at centre, but I agree, it seems we have three first grade wingers in a game with only two wings.

I would like to see Chee Kam inside of Naiquama next year to see if that helps.

There was a game this year towards the back end of the season where nofo and Simona were on song. I cant remember which game it was - but they were both brilliant. If they can be 80% of that week in and week out, I think that would be OK.

 

[The Charlatan]

We did.

And we were going well with Ayshford and Lawrence.

But when we shifted to a pair of great attackers we and they have suffered.

The only problem with Kev and Simona on wings is where to put Nofoaluma.

Kev would be NSW cup until Simona/Nofo get injured. I wouldn't move either of them for Kev, as destructive as he can be with the ball.