You don't need to be a rocket scientist to see that we're struggling big time. Here are some of my reasons as to why the shit has hit the fan so to speak.
1. All our go forward is gone.
OK obviously this is gonna be partially rectified by the return of Croker, Davico and of course Wiki. But what worries me more is the fact that we've abandoned our 'up the guts' strategy. Last year that killed it for us, we made a stack of metres, continually had the opposition defences pedalling backwards. And most importantly, IT WORKED. I'm glad Elliott had the balls to say 'OK, there's a good chance oppositions will work us out regarding that, we need to be able to spread it too', but the problem is we are now going wide before we go forward. Woolford seems to have completely forgotten the art of quick play the balls, I dont think it is helping that he is being benched at various intervals. He seems unhappy.
The most startling stat is that our average metres gained has dropped by over 400 metres per game since 2003. That is a worrying sign and one that suggests that we're not just moving away from what we're good at, we're leaving behind the basics.
2. The halves
Drew may be a talented footballer. But he has completely lost the plot. He pre-meditates what he is gonna do, but if the play unfolds differently then he still continues wtih his original idea. That for me demonstrates that he is not a halfback in any sense of the word. A halfback has to marshall the troops and guide them around the paddock, and adjust as the game sees fit. This does not happen. Michael Monaghan had this ability.
Mark McLinden is always a favourite of the Raiders public but at times he shits me to tears. Everyone remembers his Eels game earlier this season, because he was dynamite. Where did that effort go? He has not played a decent game since that night. He is not a classical 6 because he doesnt like to link his outside men. He's far happier running himself, and at the moment he isnt even doing that. What is frustrating is that Marty turns up to play WELL maybe 1 every 4 games. He needs to lift his act and get consistency into his game. He has played 150 matches now, he should do better.
This for me means we have two 'non classical' halves occupying both positions. Throw in Toots and we have the 'odd trio', which works behind a forward pack that is killing it but fails dismally if we're getting butchered as we are at the moment.
IMO we need to buy someone as a quick fix. I know Todd Carney is waiting in the wings but he is young and will need time, if we blood him now it will be awkward to begin with. Matt Orford is on the market, the Dragons have two gooduns with Firman and Head, Luke Dorn is playing reggies with the Rorters.... hell Mick Monas is off contract June next year! I just think we need something else there to bring structure and organisation to our attack.
3. The backs
Schif is dreadful at the moment and I'm his biggest fan. All his confidence is gone. His failings with the boot has killed him and he just doesnt hit the line hard. I say relieve him of the kicking duties and let him focus on doing what he does well, running hard and into gaps. This means give Gafa a regular wing role and I think he deserves that. He is talented and kills it with the boot. A far better prospect than some of the others we have in the backline as well.
I don't know what has happened to Adam Mogg. Last season I thought he was one of the best buys our club had made for ages. Defensively he was an animal and he is quick and runs hard. Now he is leaving a 15m hole in the defensive line, is rushing in and leaving the winger stranded. Plus he is braindead in attack. He may need a spell because he is talented, he just isnt showing it at the moment.
Robbo may have started the season well, but IMO he has fallen in a big hole recently. He is watching too much Justin hodges, he loves the sideways thing. He doesnt have size like Joel to carry him across the stripe. While I love his attitude personally I dont think you can say he will ever cement a wing spot because he never IMPOSES himself on a game. Is there someone better? I'm not sure. Joel is travelling OK but a long way off his hard running from 03.
Boogas. I don't blame him for the semi, I dont blame him for the Panthers game. But at 28, and with his penchance for mistakes, I think he is blocking someone else from making the grade. And why play him in the forwards when I could have a decent, full-time forward! I think he is a useful stop-gap at best.
4. Depth
I think we've lost more than we thought. We're skinny in the three-quarter line with no more Jimmy and Elliott's reluctance to use Phil. Where is the alternative? Fransiscus? 'The Man'? Last season our PL backline was Chalk Gafa Evans Graham Jensen Monas Van Dijk.... that killed it. No monas. No Van Dijk, no jensen, no evans, no lolesi. We were an average attacking team, now we're a shit one. Because we dont have the cattle to do the job.
Even our forward depth is tested at the moment (mainly due to injuries). I LOVE Miller and Rothery as prospects, but we cant have the two of them PLUS Kahler and Bryant in the one team as it kills us in terms of experience. You need to bring rookies through 2 at a time max. otherwise the team is rudderless, just like we are now! Obviously injuries happen but we are being sorely tested right now. I hope we can pull through.
BUT....
its not all doom and gloom. Hodgo and Hindy are killing it. We can bounce back if we return to what we are good at. We dont have a gamebreaker, so we need to work as a unit and do the percentage things well. It will take a monumental effort from the coaching unit to get us back on track. But after 1.5 games this yr (half time at the panthers game) I thought we were gonna be unstoppable. So it can be done. Its just a question of 'if'.
Finally, my team (this is the best lineup, not next weeks):
1. Schif
2. Gafa (GK)
3. Monaghan
4. Mogg (through lack of options)
5. Robertson (ditto)
6. Croker (because it works)
7. McLinden or Carney
13. Ian Hindmarsh
12. Ruben Wiki
11. Michael Hodgson
10. Davico
9. Woolford (although on thin ice as well!)
8. O'Hara
14. McLinden or Carney
15. Cross
16. Weyman
17. Rothery
I hope I havent bored you all to tears.
Cheers
thickos
1. All our go forward is gone.
OK obviously this is gonna be partially rectified by the return of Croker, Davico and of course Wiki. But what worries me more is the fact that we've abandoned our 'up the guts' strategy. Last year that killed it for us, we made a stack of metres, continually had the opposition defences pedalling backwards. And most importantly, IT WORKED. I'm glad Elliott had the balls to say 'OK, there's a good chance oppositions will work us out regarding that, we need to be able to spread it too', but the problem is we are now going wide before we go forward. Woolford seems to have completely forgotten the art of quick play the balls, I dont think it is helping that he is being benched at various intervals. He seems unhappy.
The most startling stat is that our average metres gained has dropped by over 400 metres per game since 2003. That is a worrying sign and one that suggests that we're not just moving away from what we're good at, we're leaving behind the basics.
2. The halves
Drew may be a talented footballer. But he has completely lost the plot. He pre-meditates what he is gonna do, but if the play unfolds differently then he still continues wtih his original idea. That for me demonstrates that he is not a halfback in any sense of the word. A halfback has to marshall the troops and guide them around the paddock, and adjust as the game sees fit. This does not happen. Michael Monaghan had this ability.
Mark McLinden is always a favourite of the Raiders public but at times he shits me to tears. Everyone remembers his Eels game earlier this season, because he was dynamite. Where did that effort go? He has not played a decent game since that night. He is not a classical 6 because he doesnt like to link his outside men. He's far happier running himself, and at the moment he isnt even doing that. What is frustrating is that Marty turns up to play WELL maybe 1 every 4 games. He needs to lift his act and get consistency into his game. He has played 150 matches now, he should do better.
This for me means we have two 'non classical' halves occupying both positions. Throw in Toots and we have the 'odd trio', which works behind a forward pack that is killing it but fails dismally if we're getting butchered as we are at the moment.
IMO we need to buy someone as a quick fix. I know Todd Carney is waiting in the wings but he is young and will need time, if we blood him now it will be awkward to begin with. Matt Orford is on the market, the Dragons have two gooduns with Firman and Head, Luke Dorn is playing reggies with the Rorters.... hell Mick Monas is off contract June next year! I just think we need something else there to bring structure and organisation to our attack.
3. The backs
Schif is dreadful at the moment and I'm his biggest fan. All his confidence is gone. His failings with the boot has killed him and he just doesnt hit the line hard. I say relieve him of the kicking duties and let him focus on doing what he does well, running hard and into gaps. This means give Gafa a regular wing role and I think he deserves that. He is talented and kills it with the boot. A far better prospect than some of the others we have in the backline as well.
I don't know what has happened to Adam Mogg. Last season I thought he was one of the best buys our club had made for ages. Defensively he was an animal and he is quick and runs hard. Now he is leaving a 15m hole in the defensive line, is rushing in and leaving the winger stranded. Plus he is braindead in attack. He may need a spell because he is talented, he just isnt showing it at the moment.
Robbo may have started the season well, but IMO he has fallen in a big hole recently. He is watching too much Justin hodges, he loves the sideways thing. He doesnt have size like Joel to carry him across the stripe. While I love his attitude personally I dont think you can say he will ever cement a wing spot because he never IMPOSES himself on a game. Is there someone better? I'm not sure. Joel is travelling OK but a long way off his hard running from 03.
Boogas. I don't blame him for the semi, I dont blame him for the Panthers game. But at 28, and with his penchance for mistakes, I think he is blocking someone else from making the grade. And why play him in the forwards when I could have a decent, full-time forward! I think he is a useful stop-gap at best.
4. Depth
I think we've lost more than we thought. We're skinny in the three-quarter line with no more Jimmy and Elliott's reluctance to use Phil. Where is the alternative? Fransiscus? 'The Man'? Last season our PL backline was Chalk Gafa Evans Graham Jensen Monas Van Dijk.... that killed it. No monas. No Van Dijk, no jensen, no evans, no lolesi. We were an average attacking team, now we're a shit one. Because we dont have the cattle to do the job.
Even our forward depth is tested at the moment (mainly due to injuries). I LOVE Miller and Rothery as prospects, but we cant have the two of them PLUS Kahler and Bryant in the one team as it kills us in terms of experience. You need to bring rookies through 2 at a time max. otherwise the team is rudderless, just like we are now! Obviously injuries happen but we are being sorely tested right now. I hope we can pull through.
BUT....
its not all doom and gloom. Hodgo and Hindy are killing it. We can bounce back if we return to what we are good at. We dont have a gamebreaker, so we need to work as a unit and do the percentage things well. It will take a monumental effort from the coaching unit to get us back on track. But after 1.5 games this yr (half time at the panthers game) I thought we were gonna be unstoppable. So it can be done. Its just a question of 'if'.
Finally, my team (this is the best lineup, not next weeks):
1. Schif
2. Gafa (GK)
3. Monaghan
4. Mogg (through lack of options)
5. Robertson (ditto)
6. Croker (because it works)
7. McLinden or Carney
13. Ian Hindmarsh
12. Ruben Wiki
11. Michael Hodgson
10. Davico
9. Woolford (although on thin ice as well!)
8. O'Hara
14. McLinden or Carney
15. Cross
16. Weyman
17. Rothery
I hope I havent bored you all to tears.
Cheers
thickos
