Merrin needs to start

[st.phil]

That's about it. Not saying it would have changed the result on Friday but to have our best forward and (arguably) our most valuable player at the moment off the field for the first 20 is just insane to me. Weyman and Hunt are too similar - just solid metre eaters. They rarely dominate opposition props and we have lost the jump in a bunch of games this year because our forwards have not been up to it early. Price generally reacts and shoves Merrin on when things are going rough but by then the damage is done. I know they worship the ground Hunt walks on at the club but the loyalty does not match up to reality.

 

[emack]

Guys, I missed the game!!!!!!!!!

How bad were we?

Can we win persisting with the 17 we currently roll with?

I know we have the ability so whats the problem?

is it motivation/our structure/or what?

Does anyone warrant being dropped and will that send a message?

Sorry for all the questions, but at 5/4 I think there are more questions than answers at the moment

 

[Elias1983]

Guys, I missed the game!!!!!!!!!

How bad were we?

Can we win persisting with the 17 we currently roll with?

I know we have the ability so whats the problem?

is it motivation/our structure/or what?

Does anyone warrant being dropped and will that send a message?

Sorry for all the questions, but at 5/4 I think there are more questions than answers at the moment

We just lacked intensity and our line speed was poor from the start.

We never really turned up.

Attitude thing.

 

[possm]

Not that much different to what we dished up against Canterbury. We have the talant and the best 17 available (maybe C Stanley at right centre). But no leadership on the field. No one crunching the opposition, defencive line not moving up quickly. Very few quick play the balls when we were in possession, plenty of errors and no one out there leading the troops.

 

[Father Ted]

Guys, I missed the game!!!!!!!!!

How bad were we?

See for yourself.


http://www.nrl.com/smartReplay/tabid/10910/seasonID/10/roundID/424/matchId/2375/default.aspx

 

[Cagey Mac]

Guys, I missed the game!!!!!!!!!

How bad were we?

Can we win persisting with the 17 we currently roll with?

I know we have the ability so whats the problem?

is it motivation/our structure/or what?

Does anyone warrant being dropped and will that send a message?

Sorry for all the questions, but at 5/4 I think there are more questions than answers at the moment

In reality we were brilliant
Each player did their utmost to ensure that they would not be called up for Origin though Merrin let us down a bit with five offloads and a bunch of tackles and metres (what was he thinking??). BMoz uncanny ability to bat the ball just far enough to allow an exciting try ensured that he stands a good chance of being bypassed.

I’ve heard that Ricky Stuart has passed the hat around for Matt Prior, citing the fact that JT may have done his last no look pass for a while.

Latimore responded brilliantly to Price’s last minute call to drop the ball before scoring a try to ensure he had no chance of being included as a bolter if the rest if NSW props get injured next week.

In reality mate, the Cows were too big, too fast and too committed on the day. They’re developing into a very good combination and will get better barring injury. We haven’t won up there for a long time and will get the chance to bank some points against the Panthers, The Rabbits without Taylor and Inglis and Parra.

Price is trying to put something together but it won’t happen overnight. Ask Kearney, Bennett, and Elliot. Nightingale's inability to play anyway but brilliantly was sorted out as soon as the problem was identified when they listed him as an enzedder.



For 2013 I’d be thinking

• Cummins
• Nightingale
• Beale
• Cooper
• B. Morris
• Stanley or Soward
• Pearce or Clune
• Hunt
• Rein
• Merrin
• Vidot
• Creagh
• De Belin
• Weyman
• King
• Latimore
• another good journeyman back rower

 

[64 Dragon]

Can we sign up Ray Thompson from the Cowboys? He looks like a budding superstar.

 

[Bring back choc]

I agree merrin should start... although HUNT does not create enough impact from the bench.

 

[Cagey Mac]

I agree merrin should start... although HUNT does not create enough impact from the bench.

He's better starting with Horse off the bench.
And Forget Thompson what about bloody Segeyaro
52 minutes, 56 receives, 123 metres, 19 smashing tackles, 5 tackle breaks, 1 try assist. That's one scary rake!

 

[Drain the Dragon]

If there's a team in this comp that "doesn't turn up" every week it's the Cowboys. They'll come back down to earth pretty quick IMO.

 

[Stdavid]

We were a bit average in intensity and execution, but playing in the humidity in Townville gets to a lot of teams. It had either been raining or the ground staff had done their trick of watering the ground to boost the humidity. Be nice to see the boys in a Sunday avo game in the sun and on a fast track.

 

[64 Dragon]

If there's a team in this comp that "doesn't turn up" every week it's the Cowboys. They'll come back down to earth pretty quick IMO.

Bit late for us! But we need to turn up every week.

 

[Minh]

The Cowboys were brilliant in the first 20 minutes playing a very expansive game, with quick play the balls, with the new anti wrestling campaign in full swing any slight hold down will be penalised it kind of resembles a game of touch footy and the Cowboys were a little too good for us and caught us napping again. 3 of our 4 losses we have been behind by 20 odd within the first 20 minutes or so. We have to be prepared for teams who turn up and throw the ball around early in the game, not panic and start playing catch up footy too early in the game and turn over possession. It was a combination of our errors and the Cowboy's brilliance.

 

[emack]

Thanks boys!

Great insight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ghostface]

I posted in another thread that against the bigger cowboy forwards Merrin needed to start. Our forwards were butt raped in the first 20 mins, Weyman in particular looked to be lethargic. Ah well... We played an in form Cowboys team who on their day can beat anyone. I'll have the panic button on stand py if we lose to the Panthers in the upcoming round.

 

[trudge]

Mez needs to get to his play the ball quicker.

Rather than holding up three defenders and slowing the play - he could missile more perpendicular like Weman and Mannah landing on his stomach.

 

[jenninga]

That's about it. Not saying it would have changed the result on Friday but to have our best forward and (arguably) our most valuable player at the moment off the field for the first 20 is just insane to me. Weyman and Hunt are too similar - just solid metre eaters. They rarely dominate opposition props and we have lost the jump in a bunch of games this year because our forwards have not been up to it early. Price generally reacts and shoves Merrin on when things are going rough but by then the damage is done. I know they worship the ground Hunt walks on at the club but the loyalty does not match up to reality.

Hunt has been great for us,hits hard and is consistent.Our problem in the forwards is that we don't have hard running Backrowers out wide.Our props are great ,wingers and fullback terrific,halves have their moments but backrowers and centres give us problems.Coops apart that is.
we don't have a Williams or a Prithchard to strike fear in our attack.

 

[st.phil]

Mez needs to get to his play the ball quicker.

Rather than holding up three defenders and slowing the play - he could missile more perpendicular like Weman and Mannah landing on his stomach.

Disagree - the tackle goes for longer but his play the ball is generally quick as he stays on his feet. He contests the ruck as opposed to diving into the opposition. He also has an elite presence - he's never psyched out. Gets more metres, offloads and creates uncertainty / provides variation. The robotic times are coming to an end my friend...get with the times!

 

[moik]

Merrin seems to be the hardest player in the entire NRL to actually put on the ground. He regularly drags 3 or 4 defenders upfield.
I hope he never changes that style of play.

 

[TheRev]

I dunno, id have to pull out a stopwatch, but generally as impressive as it looks (and handy close to the tryline), getting to ground and playing fast is absolutely lethal in todays game.. catching the defence on the backfoot and making ground is like taking candy.