Match Discussion: Round 21 vs Eels @ Bankwest Stadium

[newyboy]

Massive concerns over what is going on with Ponga after watching him tonight.

and $1.5m per year isn't going to change anything. Cameron Smith (the GOAT some say) doesn't even earn that and he can win you a comp, Ponga cannot.

 

[newyboy]

We need some forwards who aren't flash, but have leg speed and are HARD men.

PS: T Moga is as slow as a wet rag, not far off Eddie Lee. They both need to go.

 

[Swarzey]

It pains me to bag him, but Klem needs to find an offload. One out running is great, and the volume he puts out is great, but he is a leader, and we have NO ONE who can offload. He needs to be that guy.

Mate he's already the only forward consistently having a dig and carrying up the field. If your expectation is truly for him to excel in each and every f**king area then you're off your rocker. Maybe if we can get another Prop who can actually put in and carry his fair share of the load, then we can start to look at Klem adding an offload to the game.

Hell, Klem is THE guy when it comes to everything the forwards do because the rest of them do jack shit.

 

[Yosh]

Klem doesn't need an offload. We didn't bring him in to offload and Warriors it to wins. We brought him in be a leader, make hit up after hit up and play big minutes etc. How good has he been. He has done so well so so so well. It's not his fault he suddenly has to learn how to offload on top of all the great stuff he has been doing.

 

[Spot On]

Continuously blaming the coach is really easy and convenient.

Our three highest paid players aren’t earning their money. Pearce was in cruise control out there. Bar early in the second half he barely had a go.

It pains me to bag him, but Klem needs to find an offload. One out running is great, and the volume he puts out is great, but he is a leader, and we have NO ONE who can offload. He needs to be that guy.

If there was one guy who had something to prove this week - and yes, it should be Levi because he is literally playing for his career and still played like a spud - it’s Ponga. Prove you are worth that cash. His lack of willingness to run the ball tonight was glaring. Long passes to SKD allowing the defence to swamp him is not good enough. Dumb errors that put the team under pressure aren’t good enough. Being caught out in defence time and time again isn’t good enough.

He isn’t worth the hype. Yet. Time for his manager to shut the f**k up.

This run is on those three guys, not our whipping boys in Brown and Mann.

Who recruited those players?

Mate he's already the only forward consistently having a dig and carrying up the field. If your expectation is truly for him to excel in each and every f**king area then you're off your rocker. Maybe if we can get another Prop who can actually put in and carry his fair share of the load, then we can start to look at Klem adding an offload to the game.

Hell, Klem is THE guy when it comes to everything the forwards do because the rest of them do jack shit.

100% mate.

The bloke is there to do what he was bought to do and is expected to do.

And he does it every week.

If people want an offload from him every third hit up then look to the coach. He can do it if asked, no doubt.

He is earning his money.

Has been our best player all year.

Gives his all every week.

 

[Yosh]

and $1.5m per year isn't going to change anything. Cameron Smith (the GOAT some say) doesn't even earn that and he can win you a comp, Ponga cannot.

Put Ponga in the Storm system and he would be an immortal already. Put Smith in ours and he would have already left to a better club Ramien style.

 

[the seagull]

Question can someone answer- Why do our forwards run at the defence instead of running into the gaps - just about every game you see a forward step into the marker instead of going to the markers outside- too much running at the pads at training
Why are we so dependent on the speed of the play the ball for our attack .Watch the speed of the play the ball on the six game winning run and compare it to now. Other than give it to Ponga what is our other form of attack?
While do a kickers find the opposite fullback on just about every kick
Why don't we have more leg tacklers in the team -

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Over the years we keep blaming the coach and blaming the players. We change the roster to what looks like a promising team or we change the coach and we still get the same old.
I reckon it's the club culture. Maybe Bennett had a point when he marked us as the only team he had coached where the main goal was to only make first grade.

 

[Spot On]

Question can someone answer- Why do our forwards run at the defence instead of running into the gaps - just about every game you see a forward step into the marker instead of going to the markers outside- too much running at the pads at training
Why are we so dependent on the speed of the play the ball for our attack .Watch the speed of the play the ball on the six game winning run and compare it to now. Other than give it to Ponga what is our other form of attack?
While do a kickers find the opposite fullback on just about every kick
Why don't we have more leg tacklers in the team -

In this forum there are a few theories on these conundrums.

In one corner, there are forumites who will point you towards the coach for those answers.

In the other corner, people will point at the players.

Then there is a weird little man who hangs around these parts who will direct you towards

...


Where do you stand?

 

[Old dog]

I think this game has highlighted our shortcomings,
One out running by forwards
Lack of offloads in general play
Poor kicking game, lacks variety
Lack of playmakers, Pearce needs one alongside him, we lack zip
Lack of speed, Mann and Moga look pedestrian and SKD for all his good efforts is not quick
Every play looks the same and have trouble making line breaks.
All of the above could be playing to Coaches instructions/plan
Barnett was good tonight and tried hard, Klemmer also but the rest were so so except for 10mins after half time.

 

[slotmachine]

Maybe Bennett had a point when he marked us as the only team he had coached where the main goal was to only make first grade

Case in point Sione. Great bloke apparently. Tries harder than anyone. But we're kidding as a team if he's playing middle forward off the bench.

1 run in half a game and a whole bunch of ordinary defence yet no chance of being dropped because of the effort.

All of the above could be playing to Coaches instructions/plan

It's either the coaches plan, or the players are ignoring the coach. Which one is worse?

 

[Apey]

0 line breaks in 80 minutes, that's on the halves and in particular on the coaching staff

That's why we keep trying the cut-out balls, can't create any tackle breaks or line breaks.

 

[Alex28]

You can find fault with any of our players but if you think we've look a well coached team at any point in the last 4 years there's really nothing to discuss.

Do you think Brown’s plan for tonight was not really have a go until the second half, hit the lead, then revert to not really having a go?

 

[Spot On]

Our million dollar half is a massive issue.

The bloke needs a decent 5/8 to help out but that is a no brainer for an NRL team.

Would have been nice to have settled on a spine in the off season too.

Brailey coming gives some hope we will have 3/4 of a spine for 2020.

But is anyone confident that Brailey will be up to scratch in the eyes of the coach?

 

[mozza91]

You know what shits me the most? We’re so f**king boring to watch. f**k these worthless pricks.

 

[Alex28]

Mate he's already the only forward consistently having a dig and carrying up the field. If your expectation is truly for him to excel in each and every f**king area then you're off your rocker. Maybe if we can get another Prop who can actually put in and carry his fair share of the load, then we can start to look at Klem adding an offload to the game.

Hell, Klem is THE guy when it comes to everything the forwards do because the rest of them do jack shit.

We need someone who can offload. Tonight demonstrated that we have 5 blokes who can run and take the tackle. Klem does that better than the rest of them.

Is that what we need to tie up $800K a year of salary cap with?

5 hit ups, a kick and hoping the opposition makes a mistake isn’t working. That’s on the coach sure, but it’s absolutely on our leaders to be able to change if something doesn’t work.

 

[Apey]

We're super slow and besides Ponga and even Watson I don't think we have any creativity anywhere.

 

[aqua_duck]

We're super slow and besides Ponga and even Watson I don't think we have any creativity anywhere.

Agreed, take out Ponga and i reckon there'd be some forward packs who'd keep up with our backline

 

[Loose Cannon]

4 tries to 2, it wasn't particularly close.

2 tries from 2/4 well placed kicks all season from Pearce, and Barnett freakish stuff.

That is our season.

Rely on that sh*t.

Got the Titans covered for the spoon, but will lose Old Boys day.

 

[Zoidberg]

You don’t put doubt in the defences mind when you run one out. No chance of an offload when there is no support, then the defence can get 3 in every tackle. This adds to slow play the balls, no momentum, no dummy half runs. Pretty simple solution which I feel would add plenty to our running metres and may come down to laziness.