NSW Cup just kicking off, giving thecoverage trial a shot:
o Wonder whether
Tuipulotu didnt get picked over Roberts or is injured?
o No Marschke or Mulheissen as we suspected earlier in the week.
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I'll add some game comments as it goes:
o We had heaps of possession on their goal-line early but couldnt do anything with it..
o Roberts on report for a shoulder charge
o They got a 40-20 and pretty soon they went straight over, probably Matt Feagais tackle.. definitely not the most agile fullback but early days.
o 3rd or 4th time we have finished our set on their 5m line, no skill to cut thru.. but using our physicality we forced an error and Roberts gets a try straight off it.
o Man we need a halfback in here.. were just ramming it up, slow speed.. getting outkicked (we are into the breeze mind you).. if were gonna win itll be just grinding out with forwards trying to outlast them. Lots of errors from both sides thankfully. Atleast 10 times now we have died with it on their line.. it must be a strategy...no backline movements at all.
o Purcell is on at dummy half.. much faster and threatening.. Coric a much bigger body is good, Freebairn ive never heard of.. also very big body... Glover held up over the line.. damnit.
o Purcell was looking great, big passing, scheming, talking.. but hes just tried to burrow over into 3 blokes, dropped it and I reckon itll be a concussion (he stayed on, so maybe all good).
o f**k Tamale has some errors in him.. he tries really hard, maybe 3 errors before halftime.. hes not alone mind you, lots of stuff like not standing up to play the ball, or playing it properly.. basics.
o Just cant sustain pressure.. they definitely have more skill with ball in hand.. bluddy Faalogo the Storm Prodigy cant even crack reserve grade fullback for them.. kid called Jake Toby is their fullback.. just scored that try.
o As the game has gone on the quality difference is becoming more apparent, bit too mush skill and pace for our line-up.. bit unsure about the defensive nouse of Freebairn in particular, but Matt Feagai gets stepped very easily, Purcell is a small dude, love him with the ball, not sure if hes up to the defence yet. Down 4-20 currently.
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In the end we lost 4-28, pretty hard to watch sadly, they are sort of doing the same bash and barge stuff that 1st grade does, but without the same sort of acceleration or speed to finish things.. defended well early but rly fell away as the game went on.. Matt Feagai has his moments, the big body is useful at times, but we need a couple of guys with some pace and footwork in that side, Tamale does I suppose have footwork, but he was more doing bash em up, to be fair hes rarely in space.. anyway.. obviously its a much better side if Marschke, MMolo, Fifita, Mulheissen, BMM are dropping back also.
But that big hole of backs behind 1st grade.. this is where its apparent.. the bears are loaded with them, but we still have 2xFeagais and the Glover/Ralph combo which is sort of very average... we can win games if we hold the ball mind you.. but thats unlikely to happen at cup level.. but its what we need to do.
