Match Discussion: Round 7 vs Canterbury @ Accor Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park / Wanngal

[alexwilliams_66692007]

They started our run last year, hopefully they start it again this year

 

[Alintheeast]

Before he was Freddie Jack Gibson called him Adolf. Phil Sigsworth had the most complex nickname “packa” as in “ how much is a pack of”

 

[Nuke]

Before he was Freddie Jack Gibson called him Adolf. Phil Sigsworth had the most complex nickname “packa” as in “ how much is a pack of”

I'm thinking this should be in the 'nicknames' thread in the NRL section.

 

[Knight Tales]

But we've played poorly. Our wins are vs Storm reserves and Dragons in a swamp.
Other than that we got spanked by a mid-table-at-best Raiders side, lost to a Cowboys team who refuses to tackle and our best match was an 8 point loss.

The Dogs on the otherhand are improving while we're getting a bit stale.

Stop looking for what the opponents offer up as away to gauge our performances. The road trips where we usually get destroyed we have been in the scrap to the last minute. That is a mental hurdle being worn away. That is exactly what O’Brien was saying after the Cows loss. The gap is being closed fast. Every week we have something to build off.

 

[SamSepi0l]

We struggled to beat a Storm side at HOME with their stars out.
That Storm side with their stars just accidentally stumbled into a win vs our next opponents.

Nothing about our form is impressive so far.

 

[Knight Tales]

We struggled to beat a Storm side at HOME with their stars out.
That Storm side with their stars just accidentally stumbled into a win vs our next opponents.

Nothing about our form is impressive so far.

Oh yes. The old they are missing their stars argument. Melbourne would not see it that way. That is why they have been elite for 20 years. No excuses offered. Pezet and Wishart are quality players.

 

[SamSepi0l]

What are we doing here? Why are we sighting how we use to play on road trips against teams who are vastly different this year to the past? It doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter if the Storm have a next man up attitude. We played them without their stars. It's a fact. Their mindset is irrelevant. Muster will play SOO and for Aus this year while Pezet is hoping to jag free tickets. Quality of opposition matters.

 

[Apey]

There's something to be said about the fact we've been in every game except RD1. I'd say we've been largely playing to the level of our opposition instead of our own - just doing enough to keep with them, besides a couple of games. So we're not going to get thrashed by any means. I'm not remotely confident we win this one though because the flipside of this is, we're just as likely to lose in another close game ala Cowboys and Roosters.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Stop looking for what the opponents offer up as away to gauge our performances. The road trips where we usually get destroyed we have been in the scrap to the last minute. That is a mental hurdle being worn away. That is exactly what O’Brien was saying after the Cows loss. The gap is being closed fast. Every week we have something to build off.

We got chewed up in the middle on both sides of the ball in all but 1 game, which was played in ankle deep water. That had zero to do with the opposition and everything to do with our guys

It's a very tough sell to say we've been anything but average papered over by some KPP or KP brilliance

 

[perverse]

There's something to be said about the fact we've been in every game except RD1. I'd say we've been largely playing to the level of our opposition instead of our own - just doing enough to keep with them, besides a couple of games. So we're not going to get thrashed by any means. I'm not remotely confident we win this one though because the flipside of this is, we're just as likely to lose in another close game ala Cowboys and Roosters.

There's definitely something to be said about it, but i tend to agree with The Axe of Druss that our performances don't really pass the eye/smell test either. You could say that there is a corner somewhere that we've turned in that we're not running out there to get flogged anymore, for sure. I guess the worry is it looked like we'd turned several more corners than that last year too.

We're rapidly approaching the point in the season where you'd have to say we've gone backwards. We're in the process of building another mountain to climb if we want to play finals footy this year. There's still a long season ahead of us, but we're already knee-deep in making things difficult for ourselves again.

We shouldn't have to "build" each and every season on the back of hard losses and lessons. A lot of those lessons are supposed to stick after an off season too.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I think the frustrating thing is that whenever we have a half decent season we always seem to regress to being battlers the season afterward. We just can’t seem to have a season without a slow start and a heap of questions being raised about our team and then we have to fight our way back up the ladder to get any sort of respectable finish. It’s just so on-brand with everything we’ve been doing over the last 5 of so years.

Obviously that 10 game winning streak was brilliant last year but we can’t rely on that happening again. We need to play good, consistent footy for the whole season to build ourselves into a premiership contender. Not starting slow and fiddling around with combinations and playing clunky football for half a season. Good play needs to start becoming ingrained in the club somewhere along the line, not just in patches.

 

[Woody90]

Look, if we were playing like we are currently in 2022 I’d be pretty happy. After seeing what side we can be last year though it’s been a really disappointing season. We should have won most of the games and won well.

I know a lot of people said we got lucky with our run last year playing “easy teams” but nobody we’ve played this year have been great. Other than the Warriors we’ve mainly beaten ourselves.

 

[Yosh]

We are not longer the team that loses games by 40 points anymore. However to be a top 4 side we are going to have to learn to turn these small margin losses into gritty wins.

I think overall we are a good side but the small things are letting us down. We have no support play. We need our halves and backs backing up every play. We need to put up better contested bombs on the end of sets. No more little dinks over the top unless we are specially targeting KPP or Friz. Our line speed starts to drop off during games. Needs to be top notch for the whole 80 mins and tighten up our ruck.

Nothing that demands more talent or skill just effort.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Nothing that demands more talent or skill just effort.

attitude.

Cam Smith post game yesterday asked 1 of the Storm players about the small winning margins of late - He replied, words to the affect "you know mate, compete on every play, the last play of the game is the same as the first, and if you do that you win more than you lose"

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

So on the other site, a bloke that seems to be correct with predictions 99% of the time has said Cogger will be dropped for Gamble in this game.
Also, apparently Gagai has picked up an injury and Jenkins is going to come into the side to replace him....

 

[perverse]

So on the other site, a bloke that seems to be correct with predictions 99% of the time has said Cogger will be dropped for Gamble in this game.
Also, apparently Gagai has picked up an injury and Jenkins is going to come into the side to replace him....

Jesus at least there was some sugar with that medicine... Gamble back in to at least try and aim up against Kikau is the only smart choice.

What's going on with Gags? He missed a week recently with a mysterious ailment/personal issue that no-one wanted to comment on too. Hope he's travelling ok.

 

[Burwood]

Probably got an open house inspection down at Bondi he needs to get to.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Probably got an open house inspection down at Bondi he needs to get to.

a game of golf perhaps?, maybe meeting with a solicitor to open an offshore bank account.

 

[Woody90]

So on the other site, a bloke that seems to be correct with predictions 99% of the time has said Cogger will be dropped for Gamble in this game.
Also, apparently Gagai has picked up an injury and Jenkins is going to come into the side to replace him....

Was just reading and he also said that apparently Hastings and Pryce had a punch on at training and AOB didn’t do anything about it…some real quality leadership we have there. Halfback punching on with a rookie and coach not doing anything.

Really bad look if true.

Hope the Gamble part is true though.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Was just reading and he also said that apparently Hastings and Pryce had a punch on at training and AOB didn’t do anything about it…some real quality leadership we have there. Halfback punching on with a rookie and coach not doing anything.

Really bad look if true.

Hope the Gamble part is true though.

That's great news, happens in many a good team. These powder puffs are missing some passion. At least we know the game means something to someone in the team.

If you continuously didnt perform in the Army the whole section would bash the living shit out of you that night........not many people didnt perform.