Match Discussion: Round 13 vs Rabbitohs @ ANZ Stadium

[Zoidberg]

Tom Burgess facing 1-2 weeks, Saifiti and Sam Burgess only fined. Wonder why Fitzgibbon hasn’t been punished further.

Strange how getting sin-binned for doing nothing doesn’t have a further penalty attached to it (for a knights player).

 

[Yosh]

Calmed down a little so gonna make some comments now.

We are 2 of 3 against the top three sides in the comp. That Storm game is gonna be a cracker. If we make it 3 from 3, I'd put us up there with the competition favorites. The lack of experience may be the difference in the final but I expect us to go deep into the finals this year.

Have we had a bad player this past month and.a half? Can't remember a bad performer since the Titans game. Is this how it feels to support the Storm?

Have we ever defended so well ever? Even under Joey I never felt we were ever a defensive side. At the moment it looks like it takes something special or refs help for teams to score on us.

Also, I am loving the penalties we are giving away. I used to watch the Storm and be frustrated to no end watching them just give up penalties over and over killing our attacking momentum. We are doing it now. The dark arts was one of the key aspects missing from our game and I feel slowly we are mastering them.

Watching footy is a joy again

 

[Zoidberg]

The last 2 weeks have been a test for sure, but this week is THE TEST. Storm in Melbourne with no keys players out (as of now) for them. I can’t wait. And I’m confident.

 

[slotmachine]

Did winning and playing good football feel this good back in the day?

Maybe I was too young during the halcyon days to remember it or I was too expectant of success to fully appreciate it.

You expected to win every game, so winning wasn't a big deal.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

The big test for me will be if we are behind then we make a comeback. Good teams need to be able to do that.

 

[Knight Vision]

Have we ever defended so well ever? Even under Joey I never felt we were ever a defensive side. At the moment it looks like it takes something special or refs help for teams to score on us.

Its the most impressive aspect of the side. Our defense is part of our attack, swarming with great line speed, not just stopping the player but continually driving them backwards, slowing the play the ball and hitting hard and in numbers.

We've gone from a bottom 4 defensive team to top 4 defensive team in a matter of months- remarkable.

 

[Zoidberg]

And it’s not just once or twice in a game, it’s the majority of the time we have them in their own half.

 

[Silent Knight]

So that’s two games in a row that a big name opposition player from a big club has committed an offence against us, gone unpunished or actually got the penalty in their favour, only to be suspended afterwards.

How does that help us? All it does is make the teams above us weaker for when they play the teams below us trying to take our spot in the 8.

I know the referees can’t get everything right, but these were shocking calls and they could have cost us 4 competition points. Suspending them later doesn’t fix the injustice done during the match itself.

Winning a penalty for making someone throw a punch at you by head butting them is embarrassing to the game.

I may be wrong but I’ve had the feeling that the refs over our past 2 games are thinking that we’re still meant to be a sh*t team and they ref accordingly. They haven’t really got the memo that we’re not sh*t anymore.

 

[perverse]

Its the most impressive aspect of the side. Our defense is part of our attack, swarming with great line speed, not just stopping the player but continually driving them backwards, slowing the play the ball and hitting hard and in numbers.

We've gone from a bottom 4 defensive team to top 4 defensive team in a matter of months- remarkable.

Attitude and purpose have been the biggest turn around on both sides of the ball. Once we started playing with intent, the points started to flow and we stopped leaking points. It was all in their head, and I guess each player finding their niche in the team too.

 

[Spot On]

Its the most impressive aspect of the side. Our defense is part of our attack, swarming with great line speed, not just stopping the player but continually driving them backwards, slowing the play the ball and hitting hard and in numbers.

We've gone from a bottom 4 defensive team to top 4 defensive team in a matter of months- remarkable.

The line speed, contact and technique have been the biggest changes. I can't remember watching so many opposition ball runners being stopped dead and driven or pulled backwards 5 or 6 m or more. Consistently having a 3rd man come in to wrap around the legs was not part of our technique in the past.

Better structures have made it much easier for players to read the play as well.

Woolf has pretty much stripped back whatever we were doing in the past (not a lot tbh) and updated the whole system. It has given the side a new found confidence and attitude to defending. Trust is high in each other.

Having 2 centres that are not complete turnstiles has also helped tremendously.

Pearce hit the nail on the head last night when he said they can win games with their defense now. Giving away a penalty on the try line isn't a disaster. They trust each other. I think they enjoyed it last night. Confidence is very high in their defence atm.

 

[MrTwoBits]

Every year there are a handful of teams that are a class above the rest. This year Storm, Souths and Roosters are clearly there, but I think you have to add us to that top echelon as well.

We beat the *** out of the Roosters and Souths. Our halfback is leading the Dally Ms (and was last year until he got injured), our fullback is the most dangerous player in the comp, and our pack can match it with anyone.

Daring to dream baby. This is an elite team.

 

[Knight Vision]

We've had a good run no doubt but I wouldnt yet say we are in the Storm, Roosters, Bunnies echelon just yet - They've all had steady rosters and systems for many years now. The proof will be come seasons end and how we've faired.

A couple of minor tweaks in the roster and another 2 seasons to mature and I'd say we will be a team to beat for the Premiership. By then everyone will know each others play and theyll all have another 50 games of NRL under the belt.

 

[Burwood]

I'd group us with the Raiders and Sharks. Nowhere near the consistent level of Melbourne, Roosters or Bunnies yet.

 

[perverse]

The line speed, contact and technique have been the biggest changes. I can't remember watching so many opposition ball runners being stopped dead and driven or pulled backwards 5 or 6 m or more. Consistently having a 3rd man come in to wrap around the legs was not part of our technique in the past.

Better structures have made it much easier for players to read the play as well.

Woolf has pretty much stripped back whatever we were doing in the past (not a lot tbh) and updated the whole system. It has given the side a new found confidence and attitude to defending. Trust is high in each other.

Having 2 centres that are not complete turnstiles has also helped tremendously.

Pearce hit the nail on the head last night when he said they can win games with their defense now. Giving away a penalty on the try line isn't a disaster. They trust each other. I think they enjoyed it last night. Confidence is very high in their defence atm.

That's all true, but it's not like they learned all of these new structures and this new technique between rounds 6 and 7. They found their heart. Pearce pretty much pulled us into this form, with Kalyn in support. Now they're applying what they know with real purpose... we're getting the 1%ers right. They trust each other. The desperation and intent is there, where it wasn't before.

 

[Spot On]

It is clear they have used the structures the defensive coach has implemented. It is absolutely clear techniques are different. May have taken some time to adjust. It has continued to improve every week since the Titans game. That was rock bottom.

Centres have also done a great job. There has been stabilty there for weeks now. Sione to the middle suits the side as well - that has removed a problem that oppositions continually targetted. Klemmer and Glasby in the middle make a big difference too.

Yes effort is there but you can't tell me players did not try or were not prepared to defend the past 3 yrs. They lacked any structure or decent technique at this level and the edges were bleeding weekly. Woolf has done an amazing job building our defence from a pile of rubble.

A whole heap of different parts coming together no doubt.

 

[Knight Vision]

It is clear they have used the structures the defensive coach has implemented. It is absolutely clear techniques are different. May have taken some time to adjust. It has continued to improve every week since the Titans game. That was rock bottom.

Centres have also done a great job. There has been stabilty there for weeks now. Sione to the middle suits the side as well. Klemmer and Glasby make a difference too.

Yes effort is there but you can't tell me players did not try or were not prepared to defend the past 3 yrs. Woolf has done an amazing job building our defence from a pile of rubble.

Yeh full marks to Wolfe it certainly isnt just attitude although it plays a huge part, to be fair a team would take a few rounds to adjust to new systems. At this stage Wolfe is looking as big a signing as Klemmer. - outstanding .....so far.

 

[perverse]

It is clear they have used the structures the defensive coach has implemented. It os absolutely clear techniques are diffetent. May have taken some time to adjust.

Centres have also done a great job. There has been stabilty there for weeks now. Sione to the middle suits the side as well. Klemmer and Glasby make a difference as well.

Yes effort is there but you can't tell me players did not try or were not prepared to defend the past 3 yrs. Woolf has done an amazing job building our defence from a pile of rubble.

As I said, you're not wrong - it just can't be understated how much the speed and enthusiasm we're playing with has turned us around in all aspects of play - and that's come through our captain first and foremost. I can absolutely say we're playing with a lot more purpose and effort than in previous seasons, and I think it's understandable given the positions we were in too with the roster and other factors. Just last night I think of plays like the 2 stripped balls, Ramien's all-effort into touch tackle on their winger, Watsons desperate try after taking the quick tap, Dan standing up to the Burgii... it's all effort plays that we just couldn't make prior to this year. I mean there's a lot that has gone into transforming us through the course of the year -

- our better defence
- Pearces incredible form
- no second year syndrome for Kalyn
- Klemmer being the making of Dan Saifiti - which we all hoped would be the case
- Klemmer in general
- Hunt and Lee being revelations in their own right
- Ramen noodles

... and probably heaps more. Being 1-5 after 6 rounds though, most of this meant nothing until Pearce grabbed the club by the scruff of the neck, and everyone began to follow him. A very, very large factor of how well a team defends is it's attitude and effort. I think there's a lot of people to thank for a lot of things this year, but Mitchell Pearce is number one with a bullet for me.

 

[Spot On]

.... yep... so far.

Just waiting for things to implode due to the past x amount of seasons we have been shit but hoping they don't.

 

[Spot On]

As I said, you're not wrong - it just can't be understated how much the speed and enthusiasm we're playing with has turned us around in all aspects of play - and that's come through our captain first and foremost. I can absolutely say we're playing with a lot more purpose and effort than in previous seasons, and I think it's understandable given the positions we were in too with the roster and other factors. Just last night I think of plays like the 2 stripped balls, Ramien's all-effort into touch tackle on their winger, Watsons desperate try after taking the quick tap, Dan standing up to the Burgii... it's all effort plays that we just couldn't make prior to this year. I mean there's a lot that has gone into transforming us through the course of the year -

- our better defence
- Pearces incredible form
- no second year syndrome for Kalyn
- Klemmer being the making of Dan Saifiti - which we all hoped would be the case
- Klemmer in general
- Hunt and Lee being revelations in their own right
- Ramen noodles

... and probably heaps more. Being 1-5 after 6 rounds though, most of this meant nothing until Pearce grabbed the club by the scruff of the neck, and everyone began to follow him. A very, very large factor of how well a team defends is it's attitude and effort. I think there's a lot of people to thank for a lot of things this year, but Mitchell Pearce is number one with a bullet for me.

Screwing around with the spine in the preseason and beginning of the season did not help Pearce or Ponga at all.

We have some stability now and have stumbled across some of it with Mann, the bloke who was apparently going to be a hooker (could not believe that) playing great footy at 6 while Watson, who was bought to be a 6 but really isn't a 5/8's arse crack, showing his attributes are a bit Cook like due to the Levi injury.

May it continue!!!

 

[PhantomChief]

Game management has been really good. Our bench has to be mentioned too. There is little or no loss of impact when interchanges are made. Defensive structure remains intact and impact and energy off the bench has been awesome.