Match Discussion: Round 9 vs Eels @ McDonald Jones Stadium

[Walk On Home Boy]

They scored off a Fitzy mistake. We look all over them. Winning the arm wrestle and look much fitter than them across the park. Cut out them forward passes and we got this easy.

Very fortunate to have Hoy on our bench.

To be fair, most of those passes were not even forward.

 

[Zoidberg]

Tough half but we have shot ourselves too many times (as have Parra). Hopefully our 2nd half is an improvement on the 1st like most of our 2nd halves this year.
Game is there to be won.

 

[perverse]

We look like we have a mandate to learn how to attack on the right. Every movement left looks dangerous, but we don't do it. I honestly think we're thinking long term.

 

[Silent Knight]

Look knock on wood here but I’m feeling optimistic at 4-4 here. Obi’s words at halftime usually leave a mark and we usually turn out better in the second half. I think we’ll click and go on with it. Again, knock on wood.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Did Ponga go off for HIA ? Saw him walk up the tunnel with a few mins to go..

 

[perverse]

Look knock on wood here but I’m feeling optimistic at 4-4 here. Obi’s words at halftime usually leave a mark and we usually turn out better in the second half. I think we’ll click and go on with it. Again, knock on wood.

If we go left more, we can win. If Ponga stays glued on the right it's going to be tough. There's definitely a strategy there, I don't know exactly what it is but there's no way it's accidental that we're going right as a rule with our strike player at the moment.

 

[K-Man]

We've got no forwards hitting on the right. When Ponga is there he's looking to turn it back in like he has done with Sione or to get it out wide to the backs.

Yeah I don't just mean in this game only, I mean generally. None of our playmakers look sharp passing left to right. But you're right, Barnett/Mata'utia out there is certainly more of a threat than old man Guerra.

 

[Silent Knight]

We look like we have a mandate to learn how to attack on the right. Every movement left looks dangerous, but we don't do it. I honestly think we're thinking long term.

That’s what I’ve been thinking lately. My short term view is just get it left to Ponga so we can get the immediate result but my long term view is let’s learn to attack from anywhere so we’re more unpredictable and the opposition can’t figure us out.

 

[perverse]

On the plus side, we're competing well, the middle is killing it. Execution in attack is so poor... but the past couple of years attack has been the least of our worries. We can find that again. In the next 40 minutes would be nice, too.

 

[K-Man]

We look like we have a mandate to learn how to attack on the right. Every movement left looks dangerous, but we don't do it. I honestly think we're thinking long term.

That's a great point. No other explanation makes any sense, because it's definitely not optimal for our chances of winning this game or any game at the moment.

If it is indeed a long-term plan, I guess I can understand the thinking behind it. But I'd maybe save it for when we're winning comfortable against a lesser team, not for the biggest match of our season so far against the competition pacesetters.

 

[K-Man]

One day I'll understand the Newcastle Knights' patented chip-bomb handing over possession with no challenge for the ball. One day.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

Back off Moga maybe? Closer than it looked.

 

[Jono078]

That didn't go forward?

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

Some brutal contact out there.

 

[K-Man]

Game was lost in that passage right there. We needed to score. Our attack is so clunky it's almost embarrassing. Where is the structure and sharpness?

 

[K-Man]

Come on boys, when we shift let's do it with real purpose and at speed. Ponga needs to hit that left side with options.

 

[Seage]

Ponga is just in the road in attack. He is trying to pop up on both sides, but him and Pearce arent in sync. It was easier when they attacked a single side each. As dumb a plan as that is, it seemed to work better.

 

[K-Man]

Very, very underwhelming attack. There's no intent.

 

[aqua_duck]

It's absolutely obvious we can't handle a rushing jamming defence, we should forget about going wide and just go through the middle

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

This is it, we must score.