Match Discussion: Round 9 vs Eels @ McDonald Jones Stadium

[perverse]

It's actually hard to fathom how out of form Pearce and Ponga are at the moment. Cost us that game for sure.

 

[Yosh]

Hmmm...

Frustrated. Not distraught but frustrated. We lost the best team in the competition by 6.

Looked great all across the park but can't find a try assist or a line break assist anywhere.

Hoy is an inch back and we win this I'm certain.

Pearce should have challenged straight away. Stop the play at least.

All our forwards look really good. Outside backs easily held their own. Really surprised by Moga today. Looked as big as Sivo and had a bit of cheek about him. Best is the most solid reliable player on the team.

Had no spark from our spine today. Too many forward passes and kicks into legs. Mann is doing just fine but would suit a system where Pearce and Ponga carried the creativity. However, they are not. Maybe time for another genuine playmaker to play our six. Crossland?

 

[aqua_duck]

It's actually hard to fathom how out of form Pearce and Ponga are at the moment. Cost us that game for sure.

One of the worst displays from a team's playmakers I've seen in possibly years

 

[Haffa]

We looked better with Hoy at FB.

 

[Rodney Rude]

Season over boys. Won’t win another game this year.

 

[Yosh]

We need Watson back asap. Barney is also going to be a big help in attack. Pearce and Ponga are undroppable so perhaps we need some Crossland or Lino for Mann. Not Mann's fault to be honest. Is doing his job but Pearce and Ponga aren't offering any creativity in attack so he is purely the scapegoat.

Tuala looked really solid on the wing. Perhaps Moga deserves to keep the right centre position for the season.

Wasn't O'Brian the attacking coach at the Roosters?

Just want to keep ranting here because our forwards and backs really did more than enough against the best side in the comp to get a win today. Spine really let us down.

Did we get any line break assists today?

 

[K-Man]

It's actually hard to fathom how out of form Pearce and Ponga are at the moment. Cost us that game for sure.

100%. They're going backwards which is concerning.

 

[Rodney Rude]

I’m sick of seeing other teams come good after rough years eg Eels, Panthers, Manly, Raiders. Why are we so consistently rubbish??? Seems like no matter who we bring in, results will remain the same.

 

[Fangs]

Knights attack looked quite impotent. Ponga and Pearce not firing many shots. Ponga in particular finding himself in very weird places in attack, everyone standing deep and he hops around like a touch footballer submitting to a tackle. They didn't really test the Eels defence.

Eels slide by, again.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

I reckon we should have hit up the middle more. We tried to go wide too early.
I hope DSaf is ok. Off injured?

 

[Zoidberg]

Lane was onside but Hoy not....

Yeah I don’t get that. I’m not quite sure on the rule (anymore) but it was exactly the same yet 2 different rulings.
I keep thinking Mann runs himself early in the game then will surprise the defence later on with a pass to the centre, but he never does the 2nd part.
Kicking game was dreadful again.
Stop going to Fitz, it works when Ponga can attract 2 men, not just hoping Fitz can break the line.
Disappointed.

 

[Seage]

Our only try was a fortunate barge over from hooker. We scored bugger all points last week. O'Brien needs to stop telling Pearce and Ponga that they have a licence to roam and play what they see. No harmony or direction in what they do.

 

[Old dog]

Attack not happening, needs a lot of work, we do have an attack coach I believe, he ain’t earning his pay

 

[Rodney Rude]

2 weeks in a row where we have been held scoreless In the second half? F*cking useless

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

I feel sorry for our pack (not you Fitz). They are consistently dominating and did again tonight but all of their hard work is wasted. We have 2 players on $1,000,000 a season who are looking like they've never played a game in their lives. Mann has been solid but he simply is not capable of organising when the others can't. It is beyond his skill set and the good things he is offering can be done from any other position. Literally any other halves in the league get us home tonight.

Hoy looked our only threat near the end there and I think we need to increase his involvement. How is it that we consistently give Fitzgibbon quality ball when he comes up with nothing time and again but we don't go to Best?

 

[General Knight]

KP's thinking too much. Needs to go back to playing instinctively. Run the dam ball.

 

[perverse]

Our only try was a fortunate barge over from hooker. We scored bugger all points last week. O'Brien needs to stop telling Pearce and Ponga that they have a licence to roam and play what they see. No harmony or direction in what they do.

I don't see how Ponga has a licence to roam. He has been absolutely glued to the right. Zero interest in going left whatsoever. I think he did twice tonight and both times gave Parra all sorts of grief.

 

[slotmachine]

Pearce and ponga should hand their pay cheques over to the forwards. Disgrace

 

[perverse]

I reckon we should have hit up the middle more. We tried to go wide too early.
I hope DSaf is ok. Off injured?

This was an issue against the cowboys in particular too. They punished us for it big time.

 

[Silent Knight]

I think it’s time to give Crossland a shot. If not against the Rabbitohs next week, then definitely the Dogs the following week.