Early Season Report Card

[Kilkenny]

Kilkenny's report on the season thus far would be a B minus.

Poor performances against the Sharks and Titans.

Reasonable performance against the Bronco's albeit somewhat lucky to come away with the two points.

Good performance against the Bulldogs.

At no stage have we performed to the best of our ability over the full 80 minutes.

POSITIVES:

1. Matt Elliot - clearly we will will a premiership during his reign at the club, although it probably won't be until 08-09 at the earliest.
2. Michael Jennings - will develop into one of the top line centres in the game.
3. Defence - has been better in 07 thus far than it has been in the past couple of seasons.

NEGATIVES:

1. Our kicking game remains absolutely dreadful and IMO the worst in the NRL.
2. Our last tackle options, in attack, are woeful.
3. We continue to concede to many soft tries from last tackles kicks.
4. Indiscipline, poor ball security and dumb mistakes top sides simply dont make!

My opinions only, but the loss to the Titans was an absolute disaster. We cannot consider ourselves serious contenders if we loss games at home to the likes of the Titans. Pure and simple.

 

[PEPPSY]

I agree with it all basically.
Also we leak too many penalties early on in the match.

 

[NK Arsenal]

KK is spot on.

 

[choc_soldier]

I'll third that.

 

[Munky]

IMO our threee captains are playing liked busteds.

Puletua was pathetic again last night while Priddo and Gower haven't thrown decent passes for a few seasons.

 

[Big Mick]

I'd say C- not B....

We've won 2 games...and should have won 2 others...if it wasn't for ill-discipline and brain explosions and poor kicking.

IMO Wallace is just NOT the answer. He may have the odd good game and he is a top notch defender, but he just doesn't have the required skills to make a top class five-eight. We need an organiser, a kicker who finds open spaces...and most of all an ATTACKING kicker.

I'm sick of seeing these pansie little kicks. The first thing u teach a kid when kicking is to find the space between the winger and the fullback even if it sacrifices some hangtime in the air... a rolling ball is always harder to pick up than an airball under no pressure.

 

[Big Mick]

I thought Priddis has his best game last friday...he's getting back to form.

Tony Puletua...don't get me started..A guy of his size...should be hitting the line hard, unlike hitting it like a punce and being tackled one on one by a freaking centre. He should have no problem backing up tonight, because he did sweet f**k all last night. He needs a fire cracker to explode in his arse because he is just not consistently good enough. IMO he's only ever had 3 good seasons in his entire career...he needs to step up in a big bloody way. A guy his size should be the most damaging secondrower in the game. instead he is losing his fear factor.

 

[Big Mick]

The only 4 positives I can bring out of this season are:

1) Frank Puletua again leading the way.
2) Luke Rooney's return to his best...the tries will come in time..but its his work ethic that is great.
3) Michael Jennings and Junior Moors debut. They both have done exceptionally well and look players we can build a team around. Once Tim Grant gets a start, i'm confident it'll be the same situation.
4) Matthew Elliots new defensive structure. Although I fear it'll bend and break this afternoon.

 

[parra pete]

Can anyone answer this question?
Is it Junior Moors...or Junior Moops?

 

[Munky]

IMO Wallace is just NOT the answer. He may have the odd good game and he is a top notch defender, but he just doesn't have the required skills to make a top class five-eight. We need an organiser, a kicker who finds open spaces...and most of all an ATTACKING kicker.

In the Bulldogs game it was Wallace's kicking game that gave us so much posession with multiple grubbers into the in goal and a 40/20. Remember he is only 5 games back from a knee reconstruction. Give the bloke some more time. Plenty of players look lost in their first few first grade games in the halves. Once he gets the experience and is given the chance at first receiver he will go well. Look back at his debut in 05 where at first receiver his passing gave Preston more time and space than he had for the entire year. Hell Franze was scoring tries!

Gower is the problem. His lateral defence has degraded to being barely passable, his kicking, passing and running games have been non existent. For a guy on 400 grand a year he has to show he is worth it. The bloke was a superstar in 03/04 and has been living on reputation since.

 

[murraymob]

Gower looks like he is playing not to get hurt rather than put his body on the line. Is at the end of his carrer and needs to start running straight .When he does this the rest of the attack will gel

 

[cainen]

Can anyone answer this question?
Is it Junior Moors...or Junior Moops?

LOL!

 

[Sheilas, Wogs and Poofter]

Is that you,George?

 

[The Piper]

Can anyone answer this question?
Is it Junior Moors...or Junior Moops?

:lol: I've been calling "Go Moops" every time he's gotten the ball!

Glad Im not the only crazy one here!

 

[Kilkenny]

The only 4 positives I can bring out of this season are:

1) Frank Puletua again leading the way.
2) Luke Rooney's return to his best...the tries will come in time..but its his work ethic that is great.
3) Michael Jennings and Junior Moors debut. They both have done exceptionally well and look players we can build a team around. Once Tim Grant gets a start, i'm confident it'll be the same situation.
4) Matthew Elliots new defensive structure. Although I fear it'll bend and break this afternoon.

Amist all the doom and gloom I've seen enough in recent weeks, despite three depressing back to back losses to suggest we will turn the corner very shortly.

The commitment and effort is terrific, if we can just improve our execution we will turn thrings around.

 

[Big Mick]

I agree wholeheartedly.

 

[Fibroman]

Can anyone answer this question?
Is it Junior Moors...or Junior Moops?

Waiting for his bubble to burst?:sarcasm:

 

[Kilkenny]

I could be wrong but did Junior Moors play the entire first half against the Storm.

I was impressed with his defensive workrate as this was one area that concerned me greatly about Moors as he always seemed lazy in defence in the last season or two.

I think he has shown enough to suggest he will develop into a top notch forward in a year or two as he is still very young for a forward.

I was somewhat surprised with the NRL official stats on the storm game which had us making well over 200 overall metres less than the storm and only Frank P recorded over a hundred metres amongst our forwards. I thought we pretty much matched them up front and it was a couple of moments of individual brilliance from Cameron Smith and Co which ultimately was the difference.

 

[Kilkenny]

Nearly a third of way into season 2007 and it's fair to say the pre season optimism is well and truly evaporated.

There can be no denying the team as a whole is playing poorly and there have been very few individuals who can hold there heads high and be happy with their own performances.

We were all confident at the start of the season the new coach and what we believed was a very good side on paper, but on the evidence of the first eight games it is clear we have deficiencies in the playing roster which preclude us from being a genuine threat.

We are at least four class/quality players of being a good side week in week out. We can all argue about what we need most but it is imperative we recruit for 2008 a quality front rower, back rower, half/five eight and outside back.

In reality I can't see it happening and we will most likely pick up some fringe first graders or lower graders from other clubs.

 

[Big Mick]

tbh our backline is fine...they just need quality ball.

Lets not fool ourselves...not having Waterhouse or Rodney there has hurt us...because lets face it...who else will make their tackles and runs.

Fact remains we've got some very soft arse players in this team that are not performing.

A bloke of Tony Puletua's size should be dominating opposition teams...and fact remains for aside from 2 good seasons, his career has been sub-par and he is not worthy of the big salary he is on. He is playing like a bustard at the moment and should be given permission to make heaps of money overseas.

Same goes for Gower.

I'd be willing to sign someone like Josh Lewis or Jamie Soward and tell Gower to walk. That would free up nearly $1mill...so that'd give us close to $2 mill once we tell Clinton to walk also.

Then sign Ben Ross back, sign Brett White, sign Josh Lewis and a few other good solid first graders and get our juniors game time to develop and we'll be in a position to challenge for a premiership in 09'.

Lets face it...without some quality players around our young guys, we'll be nothing.