Match Discussion: Round 11 vs Bulldogs @ McDonald Jones Stadium

[Alex28]

19 years of failure has made us a pretty jaded lot...

Team was definitely complacent but pinning it on Pearce is a bit unfair. I can’t think of anyone that had a great attitude out there bar probably JSaf. Yes conditions were tough and losing McCullough and Watson in the first half was tough, but they need to be better than that.

Hooefully the attitude is better against the Storm next week...

 

[Alex28]

Yes yes and more yes

• Pearce - is NEVER going to win us a Premiership - he needs assistance from someone more than just a running 5/8. He isnt even a Captain as far as I'm concerned. Given Guerra is a part timer these days Barny would be my Captain every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

• Crossland - in an effort to go for the future ( this season is gone ) he needs to be introduced to the NRL ASAP.

• Fitz - agree with you, he would NOT be in my team next season. Replace him with someone who has a pair of balls.

• Watson - Sometimes life is cruel. Constant injuries with this guy would prevent me from re-signing him. We have a ready made replacement in Tex Hoy.

• With Watson coin I'd go in the market for a halves prospect, I'd be looking straight at the Roosters stocks. They have 3 of the best young prospects and surely cant keep all of them or as you say Dearden.

Lol. That’s all pipe dream stuff. Watson is getting another contract, Fitz is going nowhere while Dad sponsors the team, as much as I want to see Phoenix at 6 it won’t happen this year.

 

[Knight Vision]

I can’t think of anyone that had a great attitude out there bar probably JSaf

Barny

 

[Knight Vision]

Lol. That’s all pipe dream stuff. Watson is getting another contract, Fitz is going nowhere while Dad sponsors the team, as much as I want to see Phoenix at 6 it won’t happen this year.

No doubt it is a pipe dream

So will winning a Premiership be

 

[Knight Vision]

Team was definitely complacent but pinning it on Pearce is a bit unfair

He is one of the teams highest paid players, its most experienced, the key play maker and most importantly its Captain.....yeh he gets a serve and rightly so.

Either way you want to cut,slice or dice it Pearce shares a more than very healthy portion of blame. He is not a leader of men this is self evident.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Kurt Mann 52 tackles, zero missed.

 

[Spot On]

ABC Grandstand summed it very well. When we needed our captain, leader, playmaker, kicker and 7 to stand up the commentary was, 'Mitchell Pearce is MIA'.

Time to unburden him by removing much of the above list.

And then squash the extending of his contract talk, unless he is taking a 500K pay cut.

Time for the coach to shake things up a bit.

 

[Loose Cannon]

19 years of failure has made us a pretty jaded lot...

Team was definitely complacent but pinning it on Pearce is a bit unfair. I can’t think of anyone that had a great attitude out there bar probably JSaf. Yes conditions were tough and losing McCullough and Watson in the first half was tough, but they need to be better than that.

Hooefully the attitude is better against the Storm next week...

Unfair is the dumbest statement ever.

Guy can’t kick for crap and general playmaking is almost as bad.
1 million dollars is 800 too much. He is Ash Taylor with a decade more game time.

 

[perverse]

He is one of the teams highest paid players, its most experienced, the key play maker and most importantly its Captain.....yeh he gets a serve and rightly so.

Either way you want to cut,slice or dice it Pearce shares a more than very healthy portion of blame. He is not a leader of men this is self evident.

The last nail in the coffin for me is the short kicking. The high long kicks I get despite him getting bagged for it - they're about resetting the defensive line and have been effective enough in their purpose. However, you can't carry a halfback that can't get repeat sets. We're going to need to know over the next 6-12 months if Crossland is the answer, if not we need to work on another plan for Pearce's succession.

It's pretty sad because he's been such a linchpin in getting us from where we were to where we are currently, but to get to where we want to be - another step has to be taken. He's kinda forcing our hand on it.

There's no quick and easy solution here. We'll be waiting out Pearce's current deal, so that is the timeframe to plan what happens next.

 

[Spot On]

Kurt Mann 52 tackles, zero missed.

Our heart and soul so far this year.

 

[Knight Vision]

ABC Grandstand summed it very well. When we needed our captain, leader, playmaker, kicker and 7 to stand up the commentary was, 'Mitchell Pearce is MIA'.

Time to unburden him by removing much of the above list.

And then squash the extending of his contract talk, unless he is taking a 500K pay cut.

Time for the coach to shake things up a bit.

Take away the Captaincy would be a start. This would ease some pressure on him.
Next would be to get another playmaker alongside him. Roosters did it with Maloney, it worked.

If Pearce was able to deliver a Premiership he's still be at the Roosters.

 

[Knight Vision]

He is Ash Taylor with a decade more game time

This

 

[Knight Vision]

The last nail in the coffin for me is the short kicking. The high long kicks I get despite him getting bagged for it - they're about resetting the defensive line and have been effective enough in their purpose. However, you can't carry a halfback that can't get repeat sets. We're going to need to know over the next 6-12 months if Crossland is the answer, if not we need to work on another plan for Pearce's succession.

It's pretty sad because he's been such a linchpin in getting us from where we were to where we are currently, but to get to where we want to be - another step has to be taken. He's kinda forcing our hand on it.

There's no quick and easy solution here. We'll be waiting out Pearce's current deal, so that is the timeframe to plan what happens next.

The only time I paid him any attention was SOO games. It was there I could see he had no short kicking game and zero ability to get repeat sets. It's just not his strong point.

As Joey fumed that particular SOO game when with the game on the line Pearce failed to target a 1 arm Thurston it became apparent to all that Pearce lacks game awareness and becomes overwhelmed in the big moments

What he lacks in skill he makes up for in being a great competitor and having a crack, unfortunately this is hard to do for 24 rounds and sometimes he goes missing. He is a good half no doubt but he isnt the 8th immortal that's for sure.

 

[perverse]

Take away the Captaincy would be a start. This would ease some pressure on him.
Next would be to get another playmaker alongside him. Roosters did it with Maloney, it worked.

If Pearce was able to deliver a Premiership he's still be at the Roosters.

One thing I've been wondering about the past few weeks with all the talk of his form, was if we were to phase Pearce out, who do you make captain? Without knowing how the players interact with each other off the field (and largely how they communicate on the field), I think Barnett has put his hand up the past 2 weeks. Would be him or Klem, but I honestly think I'd go with Barney. You want to talk heart and soul of the team, hard to go past that bloke. Klem has done his job this year, but to be honest I think he's been overshadowed a bit by the Saf twins.

Big question marks over our backrow. Friz will help with that.. but honestly I think all of our starting backrowers this year are benchies or depth at most clubs. They're servicable and can fill a roll for you, but they're not week in, week out contributors.

 

[Spot On]

Barnett is the only bloke who could be given the captaincy.

Are people only just realising Pearce's shortcomings now????

 

[Loose Cannon]

Are people only just realising Pearce's shortcomings now????

In MY PERSONAL DEFENCE, No.

 

[Silent Knight]

Barnett is the only bloke who could be given the captaincy.

Are people only just realising Pearce's shortcomings now????

Always knew of them but desperately wanted to believe he could overcome them with the right coaching. I think that time has passed though.

 

[Spot On]

... well and truly passed hence the reason the Roosters had to get Cronk. Two premierships later....

The club seems to be extremely comfortable telling everyone he will be extended. That is a huge mistake if the plan is to remunerate him like he is being now. A f**king huge mistake.

 

[perverse]

First 12-18 months a Knight Pearce is what we need. Some of us are less inclined to immediately throw a guy under the bus, especially when he's played a significant role in lifting us out of the shit. I'm not convinced he can get back to that 2018 form anymore, and he is back to his regular programming. I had high hopes for him and Ponga as a unit this year, but it hasn't eventuated, and I don't think it will.

 

[Knight Vision]

One thing I've been wondering about the past few weeks with all the talk of his form, was if we were to phase Pearce out, who do you make captain? Without knowing how the players interact with each other off the field (and largely how they communicate on the field), I think Barnett has put his hand up the past 2 weeks. Would be him or Klem, but I honestly think I'd go with Barney. You want to talk heart and soul of the team, hard to go past that bloke. Klem has done his job this year, but to be honest I think he's been overshadowed a bit by the Saf twins.

Big question marks over our backrow. Friz will help with that.. but honestly I think all of our starting backrowers this year are benchies or depth at most clubs. They're servicable and can fill a roll for you, but they're not week in, week out contributors.

Has to be Barny as Captain. He bleeds red and blue and is an old school hardman, no fuss no bullshit. Just like the town.......You can see he loves the club.

Klem has just been his usual self I think. I'd like to see angry Klemm more often though. Dsaf was doing well no doubt but it was still Klemm taking the first hit up to take the sting out of the defense.