Match Discussion: Round 18 vs Melbourne @ AAMI Park

[Mr_Knightside]

Once Pearce and D.Saf were ruled out, why wouldn't we at least just rest Ponga and Frizell. We needed everything to be perfect to have even a slight chance.

I suggested this sort of thing earlier in the week and was shouted down by a couple of people but yeah the result sort of seems inevitable doesn’t it.

 

[Loose Cannon]

Kurt Mann.

Floats like a butterfly, that is all.

 

[TooheysNew]

Haha f**k me what a joke.

 

[Seage]

Bahahahahaha Kurt Mann. Reserve grade is too good for him. What an unskilled, derpy ass player.

And yet Adam O'Brien genuinely can't see why anyone criticizes him. That is a scary thought if he can't identify what a competent player looks like.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

You saw how crap Munster and DCE when their team was shocking around them. That's Ponga on a weekly basis. We need to drop the likes of Mann and Fitzgibbon. Need some luck with injuries. Can't believe people are doubting the value of Ponga.

Yoshy, the crap team around him doesn't make him miss simple tackles, throw hospital passes, miss simple goals etc. I'm not denying his talent but the last thing we get from him is value.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

For the first time in a long time I’ve turned the TV off at half time and am letting my wife watch what she wants. That’s how dire this game looks.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

And by half time Storm pretty much undone the positive F/A we got up in the Cowboys game

 

[perverse]

Once Pearce and D.Saf were ruled out, why wouldn't we at least just rest Ponga and Frizell. We needed everything to be perfect to have even a slight chance.

Because in theory we should be able to lose by 10 or 20 instead of 50 or 60 if we play the best team we can, and it's important for us as far as the 8 goes - and our general mentality needs to be scrapping for every point and win that we can right now.

At least, that's the theory. We have too many passengers and pretenders in the team still.

 

[perverse]

And by half time Storm pretty much undone the positive F/A we got up in the Cowboys game

Yeah, and they did it looking ordinary by their standards.

 

[slotmachine]

For anyone who thinks PVL hasn't made this sport 100x worse - tonight is example 1A.

I reckon league went pretty well from 1908-2018...

The Newcastle Knights make this sport worse

 

[TooheysNew]

For anyone who thinks PVL hasn't made this sport 100x worse - tonight is example 1A.

I reckon league went pretty well from 1908-2018...

Yep the game is pretty hard to watch nowadays.

 

[Yosh]

The Storm are indeed very good. Smart players all round as well. We unlucky to lose two key players on top of not having Pearce and Dan.

It's clear as day they have identified Mann as our weak link. Targeting him all night. They could have targeted the rookie winger on the other side who started with two errors but decided to still attack Mann. If that doesn't tell you something, I don't know what will.

Friz and King look strong. Ponga hasn't had a chance to do much. I want to see Clifford kick more but Crossland's kicking has been strong too. Never seen Fitzgibbon dominate a tackle ever. Goes in and hangs on but is only there to make up the numbers.

 

[Jono078]

This is the sort of game that gets you questioning AOB and the club again.

I know Melbourne have destroyed everyone this year, but how can you not aim up and do better than this. They are not doing anything crazy. They are just focused and winners, not much more to it than that.

Meanwhile we have players running back on side to the wing, away from responsibility, because they're not up to scratch and can't put their hand up and take one for the team.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

I suggested this sort of thing earlier in the week and was shouted down by a couple of people but yeah the result sort of seems inevitable doesn’t it.

I agreed with you whole-heartedly. There is no point having some of our best players out there when they're not 100% if the team is on a hiding to nothing. If anything, having them there and still getting flogged demoralises the team even more.

 

[Seage]

For the first time in a long time I’ve turned the TV off at half time and am letting my wife watch what she wants. That’s how dire this game looks.

Any recommendations? Ive got a free 40 minutes.

 

[perverse]

And yet Adam O'Brien genuinely can't see why anyone criticizes him. That is a scary thought if he can't identify what a competent player looks like.

Yes, re-signing him and targeting Finucane really makes me wonder what the f**k goes through our coaches head. The only thing that AOB has proven thus far in his tenure here is that he can only get a good performance out of the team when every single one of our players is on deck and firing. Huge question marks over him still.

 

[Yosh]

Kurt Mann.

Floats like a butterfly, that is all.

Floats like a bee, stings like a butterfly.

 

[GidleyTwinz]

Because in theory we should be able to lose by 10 or 20 instead of 50 or 60 if we play the best team we can, and it's important for us as far as the 8 goes - and our general mentality needs to be scrapping for every point and win that we can right now.

At least, that's the theory. We have too many passengers and pretenders in the team still.

That's unfortunately not how the game works anymore - or at least, it's so much harder to stay within 10-20.

This Storm team just beat the Roosters 46-0, the week before they almost broke the record for the most points ever scored against the Tigers.

They're going to demolish the records for most points in a season, and best F/A. Look at the lineup, does it look like the best team ever to you? Does it look better than the teams with Slater, Cronk and Smith? Of course it doesn't - but the game has completely changed.

 

[perverse]

That's unfortunately not how the game works anymore - or at least, it's so much harder to stay within 10-20.

This Storm team just beat the Roosters 46-0, the week before they almost broke the record for the most points ever scored against the Tigers.

They're going to demolish the records for most points in a season, and best F/A. Look at the lineup, does it look like the best team ever to you? Does it look better than the teams with Slater, Cronk and Smith? Of course it doesn't - but the game has completely changed.

You don't need the best ever team when you've got the best ever coach.

 

[Jono078]

That's unfortunately not how the game works anymore - or at least, it's so much harder to stay within 10-20.

This Storm team just beat the Roosters 46-0, the week before they almost broke the record for the most points ever scored against the Tigers.

They're going to demolish the records for most points in a season, and best F/A. Look at the lineup, does it look like the best team ever to you? Does it look better than the teams with Slater, Cronk and Smith? Of course it doesn't - but the game has completely changed.

Regardless of how the game has changed, doesn't that tell you just how well drilled they are down there and no one else, especially us, are even close?

Seriously would kill to have Bellamy here for 2-3 years to instil some sort of development system.