Match Discussion: Round 21 vs Canberra @ GIO Stadium Canberra, Bruce / Ngunnawal

[Woody90]

Obviously the scoreline being what it was not blaming the officiating for the loss. We made some poor errors in defence and just don’t have anything in attack with our halves and key outs but wow, some of those horrible calls came at really costly times when we were still in it and made a huge difference. Those decisions would literally only happen against us. The officiating this year has left a bad taste in my mouth about the game in general.

 

[Yosh]

Feels like last tackles options/kicks is what separated the two teams. And also a couple of really soft tries. Didn't think we were that much worse today..

 

[Apey]

The two obstruction tries were bad calls. As someone in the game day thread said, it felt like victim-blaming.

Anyway we went ok in the first half and fell apart in the second. Next up after the bye, the Panthers..

 

[Knight Tales]

Plenty to love about McEwen and Hunt. Hunt competes on everything. Once he perfects his hands he is going to some threat in the air.

 

[Woody90]

Is it just me or is Brailey’s service getting worse? The halves are shit but having the ball thrown above their heads every time doesn’t help.

Really need to give Arthur a run since the seasons done. There’s zero point carrying so many halves and not giving Arthur a run.

I’d play Arthur at 9 with Crossland at 13 with Brailey on the bench to give Arthur a rest for the rest of the year. Keep Gamble and Cogger in the halves as even though neither will be first choice next year they might be there with injury where Hastings won’t be there.

 

[Woosh]

Feels like last tackles options/kicks is what separated the two teams. And also a couple of really soft tries. Didn't think we were that much worse today..

It’s always been a mystery why Newcastle never went hard for someone like Fogarty.
His massive boot would fit Adzy grinding style footy perfectly

 

[Loose Cannon]

Their edge defence isn’t great and we like to attack edges

But tbh I don’t think the Raiders bothered showing up in the first half given their position and our outs.

Expecting they’ll fix it in the second half and we’ll go down comfortably.

very good early assessment.

 

[macavity]

It’s always been a mystery why Newcastle never went hard for someone like Fogarty.
His massive boot would fit Adzy grinding style footy perfectly

We tried to get him when he was still playing Q cup, he came and toured.

Apparently we were close to getting it done, then the Titans made a top 30 upgrade offer and he decided he wanted to keep his young family at home.

Add it to the infinity long list of sliding doors moments we ended up on the wrong side of.

 

[Woody90]

very good early assessment.

We’re too predictable sadly.

 

[Burwood]

How long can we keep carrying Marzhew? It’s getting to the point where his yardage doesn’t make up for his liability under the high ball.

 

[Nuke]

I suggested this elsewhere earlier today: Hunt should be dropping back on the fifth, ready for the bomb, then return back to the centres as Marzhew then takes the next hitup.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

I suggested this elsewhere earlier today: Hunt should be dropping back on the fifth, ready for the bomb, then return back to the centres as Marzhew then takes the next hitup.

It looked like that was happening in the 2nd half.

 

[Yosh]

Marzhew is at least jumping to contest now. Previously he would just stand there. When Best returns, I wonder what we will do?

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Marzhew is at least jumping to contest now. Previously he would just stand there. When Best returns, I wonder what we will do?

Huh? McCarthy will be dropped to Cup

 

[Nuke]

It looked like that was happening in the 2nd half.

Yeah, I noticed that too. I would like to claim credit for it. In the other forum, it was at halftime that I suggested it.

 

[Woosh]

We tried to get him when he was still playing Q cup, he came and toured.

Apparently we were close to getting it done, then the Titans made a top 30 upgrade offer and he decided he wanted to keep his young family at home.

Add it to the infinity long list of sliding doors moments we ended up on the wrong side of.

You could have signed him for next season.
If the plan is to keep playing Sharpe in the halves, then partnering him with Fogarty would make much more sense than splashing $1.3m on Brown

1. Ponga
6. Sharpe
7. Fogarty
9. Da Silva/Mahoney

Saving $600k could’ve helped the club land a hooker like Da Silva/Mahoney or a quality middle.
Sully’s kidding himself if he thinks in demand players like Da Silva/Pahulu/Latu would come to Newcastle for unders.
That’s the reality Sully faces given so much of the salary cap is tied up in Ponga and Brown

 

[Yosh]

Huh? McCarthy will be dropped to Cup

I mean if Best won't switch with Marzhew so....

 

[perverse]

Sully’s kidding himself if he thinks in demand players like Da Silva/Pahulu/Latu would come to Newcastle for unders.
That’s the reality Sully faces given so much of the salary cap is tied up in Ponga and Brown

The crux of my discontent at our recruitment/retention. It's incredibly naive. We really did think we'd just clean the decks and O'Sullivan would just pied-piper all the best talent to the club. Doesn't matter if you can spot them if you can't get them over the line. There's no points for trying.

 

[HarVeeGee]

We tried to get him when he was still playing Q cup, he came and toured.

Apparently we were close to getting it done, then the Titans made a top 30 upgrade offer and he decided he wanted to keep his young family at home.

Add it to the infinity long list of sliding doors moments we ended up on the wrong side of.

Halfway there, it's all way worse than you're saying. We had a top 30 deal ready, which he absolutely would have taken, and AOB knocked it on the head because he didn't want to bring someone in to play five-eighth over the top of Phoenix Crossland as his first act at the club. Fogarty stayed at the Titans on a train & trial. He didn't get a top 30 deal from the Titans until 5 months later, just before the 2020 season kicked off.

It's a massive sliding doors moment. Nothing stopped us getting him but ourselves. We can blame AOB but he should never have been allowed to make the call, it's basically a conflict of interests. Should have been taken out of his hands totally, the recruitment guys make the call and there's no chance of AOB putting a player's nose out of joint with him because he didn't have aught to do with it.

I'm not Fogarty's biggest fan but the next six seasons absolutely look different if we have him. He would have been exactly what we needed as that connective piece between Pearce & Ponga who outplays his contract value. Pearce always played better beside a secondary organising half rather than with a running 6. Then when Pearce effs us over it doesn't hurt us anything like as badly because we have a genuine week to week first grade standard #7 ready to step in. Don't know if we still sign Clifford in this timeline, maybe we're looking for more dynamic running halves prospects to succeed Pearce makes and it more sense as a move because they'll be playing with Jamal.

It's picking at scabs to go over it again and honestly you can defend not signing him as he's a similar type of player to Mason Lino, but yeah it's all very frustrating.

 

[Old dog]

Like to see Hunt on wing for Marzhew when Best is back