GRAND FINAL: Parramatta v Penrith GAME DAY THREAD at Accor 2/10/22

[hindy111]

I think we just ran out of steam early.

In the first 6 minutes of the game, Penrith did not make it into our half - every set we had, we made it into their half.

But they remained calm, and I think our intense start to the match (we were hitting like trucks in the first 10 minutes) took its toll.

And they're too good to not take advantage.

Had a message from optus just before the game. Details stolen. I knew it was a bad sign then

 

[JokerEel]

Hopgood yes but the other two are very ordinary

What do you think of Eddie Blacker?

 

[strider]

He made 200+ and his defense rattled us with 32 bone jarring tackles.The vicous fish was in beast mode
Lepta was good. But 90 mtrs and 17 tackles is a low output

he has a great motor and is a very good player ..... but i reckon they have other higher impact players that rattle the opposition .... Leota smashes merkins - they don't wanna come back for more

 

[strider]

Had a message from optus just before the game. Details stolen. I knew it was a bad sign then

I got one about 5 mins in ..... f**k of optus

 

[strider]

Hopgood yes but the other two are very ordinary

Hopgood is very good ... but i'm a bit unsure how we are gonna go with him and Matto .... they both seem to need to play decent minutes in the middle, but are not bash em up type players ... don't know how it's gonna work

 

[hindy111]

Us parra fans got too far ahead of ourselves the last week - swept up in the emotion .... nothing wrong with that .... but reality is there was a reason 90% of people were tipping penrith and most were tipping them to win well - they are way ahead of every other team atm

We have basic flaws.

Jnr - If we have him on field with not much possesion he is bascialy useless. He becomes a Makatoa.

Papali'i- In big games he is targeted and exposed. Marata has always been best in the 2nd row. His defense is rock solid. Should of been there most the season.

Mahoney - He is a pin ball. Missed 26 tackles in the final series.
I counted 34 missed if combined every other hooker in the 9 games that start. Total 60. Mahoney took 26 of those. He just doesn't dominate tackles.

Backs - Gutherson,Simmonson,Blake are ragdolls. No place in the game for these weak style runners. Can carry one maybe. Pensini also but he is strong and a kid. He'll be ok in future. The others need to be shown the door. Blake first as on half a million and can't catch bomb.


To our credit we still made a grand final with all these flaws. Most are defensive and as Avenger pointed out we had the 8th best defense.
The modern game requires tough physical players. You can get away with one in your side if he has super skills like Alex Johnston. But we cary far to many.

 

[hindy111]

What do you think of Eddie Blacker?

I mean I only saw him and that other big lump in Penrith final game. Both impressed me but it was one game

 

[hindy111]

Hopgood is very good ... but i'm a bit unsure how we are gonna go with him and Matto .... they both seem to need to play decent minutes in the middle, but are not bash em up type players ... don't know how it's gonna work

I see Matterson going back to the 2nd row. I prefer harder running edge forward but he atleast is defensively sound

 

[strider]

Backs - Gutherson,Simmonson,Blake are ragdolls. No place in the game for these weak style runners. Can carry one maybe. Pensini also but he is strong and a kid. He'll be ok in future. The others need to be shown the door. Blake first as on half a million and can't catch bomb.

yeah our backs need work

things is - someone like crichton for penrith - he is a skinny f**ker too - but he doesn't get dominated as much as our skinny f**kers - he uses a little footwork at the line - why can't our skinny f**kers do that?

 

[strider]

I see Matterson going back to the 2nd row. I prefer harder running edge forward but he atleast is defensively sound

yeah i think that will happen too .... but he was a heap more useful in the middle getting his hands on the ball more

 

[hindy111]

yeah our backs need work

things is - someone like crichton for penrith - he is a skinny f**ker too - but he doesn't get dominated as much as our skinny f**kers - he uses a little footwork at the line - why can't our skinny f**kers do that?

Well its not like the coach makes a difference. A player should just play how he naturally developed. Why should he be taught new things?

 

[Reflector]

I had been saying this for the last 2-3 years about Arthur and motivating his team for the big game. He just does not get it. And it cost us massively again. An opportunity this time missed that may not come round again for decades.

The difference between the two teams yesterday was that one wanted it more and were super motivated to do it. The other team came out and “played a normal game” What Penrith did yesterday was epic. The game was over in 15-20 mins. The coach had them motivated. What they did was NOT play a normal game, their performance was EPIC, one for the ages.

the you had Parra. So The opposition 5/8 calls you out out 2 days before the game saying that they were your “Daddy” - I understand it’s childish and Luai is a dope (any idiot that manicures their eyebrows has issues) but any half decent coach would latch on to those things plaster it on the walls and ask his troops to rip their heads off. BA was asked about that and he completely dismissed it. No issue. So for the biggest game in our clubs recent history they came out and played A NORMAL GAME. They didn’t arrive together to the game, no training session together at Accor stadium together nothing.

There was only one team that was wanting to win at all costs last night. The other team wanted to win but played a normal game. Comes down to the coaches.

This. You can imagine the likes of Bellamy, Des and Sticky would all have jumped on this and milked it for every last drop leading into last night. Sticky wouldn't have been able to resist mentioning it in the pre-match press conference either.

 

[hindy111]

yeah i think that will happen too .... but he was a heap more useful in the middle getting his hands on the ball more

Yeah I agree but both are 65min players.

Most likely Hopgood is on the bench. He gets 30mins in middle.
Matto will have 35 in middle and 30 on the edge. Pending how Hopgoods game develops will depend on how much more time he steals

 

[Reflector]

It’s hard to hate them. They are class. Besides a couple of dickheads that I can’t cop. Luai and Crichton I’d can’t stand but I’d probably put up with them at my club and forgive them for their antics.

Skeepe posted this rant about the 1-17 last night and how much he despises practically all of them and it got a lot of love, but I can't relate. There are some (like the two you mentioned) who act like wankers, but overall they're a gun side. On top of that, it's refreshing that for the first time in seemingly an eternity, the standout team in the league doesn't come from Red Hill, Brookvale, Bondi Junction or Melbourne...

 

[Avenger]

Junior Paulo was the biggest disappointment in the GF. He was basically exposed as a pussy. Gutherson was our best player but he looked so slow and reminded me of Andrew Leeds with a dislocated ankle.

I couldn’t give a f**k about the players leaving anymore even Papali’i. Don’t start me on Mahoney, I’ve hated the little turncoat all season. Hodgson if he stays fit will expose that little cauliflowered fraud for what he is. Blake is a f**king nightmare and I’d be tapping him on the shoulder and f**king him off.

I’m excited about Hopgood. He will waltz into our starting side. Like another member said we need more signings. I don’t care if it’s second tier either because players like Perham have already been tapped on the shoulder. We need to replace players like that from other clubs because from what I see once again our juniors are tragically overrated.

 

[yy_cheng]

What young forwards?

I actually think our team is gettig old.

 

[Pamfer]

Obviously I’m a Penrith fan and delighted at the win. But genuine commiserations to all you Parra faithful. Your side had a great season and have plenty of reasons to be proud. Unfortunately, you just ran into a side who would have beaten anyone last night.

A lot of things didn’t go your way, but hopefully you will be up there again next year.

You have too much history and past glory to languish as also-rans.

And can I just apologise on behalf of Penrith fans at the stadium this morning who chanted ‘we hate Parra’.

It’s just typical of some of the classless bogans out here.

Our rivalry is legendary, but it should always be about mutual respect. In particular JFH making the comment of “Parra sucks” (I think that’s what he said as he still had a bit of a drunken slur going on), was putrid.

As much as I love my club, there are some grubs in there.

chin up Parra army, it wasn’t your year, but you’ll be back, the blue and gold ain’t going nowhere,

cheers,
Pamfer

 

[Pazza]

Hopgood yes but the other two are very ordinary

maybe....

i like the look of rodwell, definitely in the running for a bench spot next year

 

[Pazza]

Papali'i- In big games he is targeted and exposed. Marata has always been best in the 2nd row. His defense is rock solid. Should of been there most the season.

couldnt agree more, i liked it better how we ran it lasy year. 11 mistackles tell yah something

 

[Pazza]

I see Matterson going back to the 2nd row. I prefer harder running edge forward but he atleast is defensively sound

no chance, he plays 60 mins a week in the middle