Match Discussion: Round 12 vs Storm @ Sunshine Coast Stadium

[Spot On]

Sarcasm mate.

Yes Mozza, as was mine.

 

[Spot On]

I think we started to see the limit of Mann's talent yesterday.
He's been doing what he's been asked to well, but trying too hard to make stuff happen led to plenty of errors, and he wasn't at his best defensively either.

He has done a great job with very little support from Pearce. Now he is having to do a bit more than he should.

 

[Old dog]

Hopefully Crosslands get to play 5/8 only start or from bench for decent amount of time sharing with Mann who can share 9 with Randall if fit. He looked good while on, tackled ok as well, don’t recall him kicking much though, Pearce will have to learn to let go.

 

[Yosh]

Also if Pearce is re signed then we are clearly a clueless club, as he is way past his best and should only see this contract out and nothing more.

What's the other option? We ain't really got one.

Until Crossland is ready to lead the team, Pearce is the next best option for us. We should definitely sign him for 70% of his current contract though.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I know that people are pretty disappointed but I actually thought we played pretty well for the majority of the game. We shot ourselves in the foot on several occasions such as allowing that kickoff to go dead after scoring a try and a few dropped balls at the wrong time but I didn’t think we were nearly as bad as what everyone is making it out to be.

The glaringly obvious area where we’re letting ourselves down right now is the play 5 options. Pearce is constantly finding a way to come up with the wrong play which is super frustrating.

That being said I was a lot happier with this performance than most of the others over the last 6-8 weeks. The effort was there for 80 minutes and I thought we looked dangerous in attack for much or the game but Melbourne are just too professional and those errors at the wrong times just killed us when the game was there for the taking.

Also just a side note. We seem to get the storm twice every year. Anyone know what that’s about? It’s basically a fixture that we can chalk up as a loss every time so a bit annoying that we always get them twice. Tbh I would rather play any other side in the comp rather than Melbourne.

 

[Knight Vision]

So we either drop mann to 14 and put Phoenix in the 6, or we persist with what we have and have another holiday at the end of September.

this is becoming very apparent. Unless Pearce suddenly finds a purple patch of form.

We are currently below my worst case scenario on the NRL ladder predictor and my worst case scenario had is at 7th or 8th .

 

[Alex28]

Also if Pearce is re signed then we are clearly a clueless club, as he is way past his best and should only see this contract out and nothing more.

And sign... who?

 

[mozza91]

Imagine 3 or 4 years ago if someone said our biggest qualm would be the form of our halfback Mitchell Pearce?

Remember when our halfback options were Jaelen Feeney or Trent Hodkinson? Or when Josh Starling, Joe Wardle and Sam Mataora we’re regulars?

 

[Knight Vision]

Pearce is a good half, just a bit out of form.

Now we're missing a piece of the puzzle in a 5/8 to compliment him and do the things he cannot do,

Short kicking game, repeat sets and attacking creativity being 3 that come to mind

 

[Apey]

Obi said he was 'outstanding' and 'excellent' and that he 'really threatened the middle'.

I think he was right on the last bit. He looked more dangerous running the ball. His kicking game was still the same garbage though.

 

[Loose Cannon]

Pearce is a good half, just a bit out of form.

Now we're missing a piece of the puzzle in a 5/8 to compliment him and do the things he cannot do,

Short kicking game, repeat sets and attacking creativity being 3 that come to mind

Agree we are missing a real 6, (Mann has been great but not a 5/8th, and as was stated previously, it was very apparent yesterday his limitations in that spot. More value out of that role).

But Pearce’s 3 areas of failure suggested, are 3 things a halfback is. We are screwed.

 

[Old dog]

How can you be a top rated half back and be missing three essential parts of the game.
I didn’t follow him closely prior to Knights but surely these game inadequacies were obvious before now unless it has just manefested. So why is he paid so highly to perform so inadequately, have we been conned into believing 100%+ effort makes up for shortcomings in general play or is it a desire of his to succeed with effort but failing to see the overall big picture of what brings success.
Or simply it could just be a lack of common sense and ability to play as a team, he needs to stop running flat out forward and take a step back.
Coach have a heart to heart with him, sort it out.

 

[Spot On]

You saw the Origin stat re Pearce OD?

Top rated half?? Why did Robbo replace him at the Roosters??? You don't replace top rated halfbacks. Do you?

 

[Burwood]

And to think only a few weeks ago he was rated the best halfback in the NRL in the players’ poll.

 

[Knight Vision]

I remember the days when a half like Cleary would only this year be entering the conversation for SOO footy, let alone in his 3rd year, when great halves like Greg Alexander could barely get a game at rep level due to the plethora of talented halves in the comp, when the average standard was Phil Blake and Scott Gale and man could those guys play footy.

To think that Pearce has played more SOO games than Peter Sterling says everything about the state of the games halves. Woeful.....but maybe time plays tricks on the memory, who knows.

 

[AusKnightRKO]

And sign... who?

Honestly no idea, but Pearce has done his job, he's helped build the foundation for our future, but there is a reason that Trent let the man go, for how good he is with his effort, easily the best defensive HB in the comp, hell probably the best since Joey to be fair.

we currently have cap restraints and re signing a then 32-33 yr old to 700K plus who is already on the decline isn't going to lead towards glory with the team we have.

Hopefully the new recruitment officer can find the next stud HB, i honestly believe in crossland, has a little of the early JT at the dogs from 02-03 about him, good service from dummy half, eager to get his hands on the ball, happy for him to learn off Mitch for this and next year and take over in 2022 when mitch is gone.

Focus on developing a 6 or bringing one in to compliment him.

on a side note, Any chance Mullen wants a redemption story? will be 34 at season start, suspension ends i January but with years out will be well rested, might be able to get one year out of him and would be extremely cheap considering the circumstances.

 

[Spot On]

Mullo?? You take the piss yeah?

Pearce and Mullo - how diabolical would that combo be! They'd be passing the pill to Klemmer to kick on the 5th.

 

[AusKnightRKO]

Mullo?? You take the piss yeah?

Pearce and Mullo - how diabolical would that combo be! They'd be passing the pill to Klemmer to kick on the 5th.

NSW Cup, if he somehow made it back to top grade it would be a miracle, but having him around for his skill set could help development a little (lets be fair, we surrounded the bloke with pure trash, for so many years)

 

[AusKnightRKO]

1. Boyd 2. McManus 3.Leilua 4. Gagai 5. Uate 6. Mullen 7. Roberts 8. Snowden 9. Buderus(35 yr old) 10 Mason 11. Rochow 12. Scott 13. Smith Bench Hilder, Houston, Costigan, McKinnon.

our current team at full strength would destroy this team through the middle, and thats the best team we put on the park for the bloke, i don't think he would get there, but would love to see him do after what he went through here.

 

[mozza91]

No way he’d be able to make it back. The guy was basically an invalid by the end. I’d love to see him comeback and play at some level but it won’t be for us.