Other NRL Games

[ouryears]

Reading comprehension mate. I said Top 4, and also wrote that post while Souths game was in progress, but they struggled for much of the game, as we did against Eels, and came away with the biscuits.

Broncos aren't a Top 4 team so I'm not sure why that's even relevant to my comment, but hell, they struggled too

Rep round wrecking havoc on a lot of teams

You are just making excuses for Saints poor performance vs hapless Eels.

The past month has been poor for us, the next month is looking the same.

Report back July 31st.

 

[BennyV]

I think half the problem is that JT continued to play this year.
Obviously, there must be discontent at the club.
Things just don't happen for no reason.
The sooner JT has a year off and then comes back as an assistant of sorts, the better.

Green has proved that your only as good as the cattle you have when they're peaking.
Nows he's sliding back down the hill without brakes.
Another year or so, he'll bottom out and have to start again.

Everything goes in circles.

JT isnt the problem, but he is representative of the problem.

There was an article a few weeks ago that put my thoughts on the Cowboys into brilliant words (although I can't find it). Basically, they are tired! Green, as well as management, is attempting to always do what he's always done so he can always get what he's always got. He had great success in the first few years with Cowboys and he's trying to keep mimicking it, from the players to the game plan. Hell, they even kept Coote and were willing to lose Ponga just to trying and keep that 'winning' formula together.

But like any team (like any business or endeavour) its known that change brings success and when we are looking at footy teams, where players generally have 5 years or so at their peak (at best) you need to refresh your roster, refresh your style and refresh your mindset. Bellamy is the master at it, refreshing his players and playing around his core group. Roosters also did it brilliantly, copping 1 poor year in 2016 after 3 minor premierships, and coming back into second last year and now making a run for the top. Green has failed to do this. ANd make no mistake, Cowboys are just as cashed up as Roosters, but their downfall for recruitment is remote location.

Green should use this down year to refresh his roster, start really bringing through replacements for JT, Scott and so on. Maybe even Granville and Cooper (again, they lost Brandon Smith recently). Keep Morgan, Taumololo, Hess and a few others as a core and rebuild. Quickly.

Think about it - everyone raves about how brilliant is was to make a GF after losing JT. Maybe they made that GF BECAUSE they lost JT - it forced Green and the team to change their style, forced MOrgan to step up and try something new. And it worked. And now, they are trying to go back to what worked in 2015, rather than build on last year.

 

[The Damo]

JT isnt the problem, but he is representative of the problem.

There was an article a few weeks ago that put my thoughts on the Cowboys into brilliant words (although I can't find it). Basically, they are tired! Green, as well as management, is attempting to always do what he's always done so he can always get what he's always got. He had great success in the first few years with Cowboys and he's trying to keep mimicking it, from the players to the game plan. Hell, they even kept Coote and were willing to lose Ponga just to trying and keep that 'winning' formula together.

But like any team (like any business or endeavour) its known that change brings success and when we are looking at footy teams, where players generally have 5 years or so at their peak (at best) you need to refresh your roster, refresh your style and refresh your mindset. Bellamy is the master at it, refreshing his players and playing around his core group. Roosters also did it brilliantly, copping 1 poor year in 2016 after 3 minor premierships, and coming back into second last year and now making a run for the top. Green has failed to do this. ANd make no mistake, Cowboys are just as cashed up as Roosters, but their downfall for recruitment is remote location.

Green should use this down year to refresh his roster, start really bringing through replacements for JT, Scott and so on. Maybe even Granville and Cooper (again, they lost Brandon Smith recently). Keep Morgan, Taumololo, Hess and a few others as a core and rebuild. Quickly.

Think about it - everyone raves about how brilliant is was to make a GF after losing JT. Maybe they made that GF BECAUSE they lost JT - it forced Green and the team to change their style, forced MOrgan to step up and try something new. And it worked. And now, they are trying to go back to what worked in 2015, rather than build on last year.

This pretty much nails it I think. They’d built such a formidable team and high standard of play, He / they obviously thought they just had to keep doing it, and it’d bring the same success. I still think Green is an excellent coach, but this year does reflect poorly on his ability to adapt mid season.

 

[since77]

JT isnt the problem, but he is representative of the problem.

There was an article a few weeks ago that put my thoughts on the Cowboys into brilliant words (although I can't find it). Basically, they are tired! Green, as well as management, is attempting to always do what he's always done so he can always get what he's always got. He had great success in the first few years with Cowboys and he's trying to keep mimicking it, from the players to the game plan. Hell, they even kept Coote and were willing to lose Ponga just to trying and keep that 'winning' formula together.

But like any team (like any business or endeavour) its known that change brings success and when we are looking at footy teams, where players generally have 5 years or so at their peak (at best) you need to refresh your roster, refresh your style and refresh your mindset. Bellamy is the master at it, refreshing his players and playing around his core group. Roosters also did it brilliantly, copping 1 poor year in 2016 after 3 minor premierships, and coming back into second last year and now making a run for the top. Green has failed to do this. ANd make no mistake, Cowboys are just as cashed up as Roosters, but their downfall for recruitment is remote location.

Green should use this down year to refresh his roster, start really bringing through replacements for JT, Scott and so on. Maybe even Granville and Cooper (again, they lost Brandon Smith recently). Keep Morgan, Taumololo, Hess and a few others as a core and rebuild. Quickly.

Think about it - everyone raves about how brilliant is was to make a GF after losing JT. Maybe they made that GF BECAUSE they lost JT - it forced Green and the team to change their style, forced MOrgan to step up and try something new. And it worked. And now, they are trying to go back to what worked in 2015, rather than build on last year.

Spot on. Great analysis.

 

[Crush]

Gotta say, Penrith looked very very good tonight. They were on fire.
Warriors on the other hand are back to old ways, back to no look flick passes etc.

 

[aquiin]

Gotta say, Penrith looked very very good tonight. They were on fire.
Warriors on the other hand are back to old ways, back to no look flick passes etc.

They were good but the referees looked after Penrith like you wouldn’t believe.

 

[jeffdragon]

Hasnt mitch rein dropped off after leaving us.
From penrith to titans .

 

[ouryears]

This pretty much nails it I think. They’d built such a formidable team and high standard of play, He / they obviously thought they just had to keep doing it, and it’d bring the same success. I still think Green is an excellent coach, but this year does reflect poorly on his ability to adapt mid season.

They were good but the referees looked after Penrith like you wouldn’t believe.

Broncos won
Storm won
Even Canberra won!!
Penrith won

We lost and let in 52 points.
We blame origin but 3 of the above teams all have origin players out.
Says it all, it’s called the BIG the slippery slide.

To oblivion.

 

[BennyV]

Hasnt mitch rein dropped off after leaving us.
From penrith to titans .

Nope, he was always that shit. Reserve grader who, on his day, could rise to the levels of fringe first grader, maybe even bench hooker to relieve an actual hooker for 20 minutes a game!

We are the only club dumb enough to play him as a first string hooker at all, let alone with him 150 first grade games.

 

[Coffs dragon]

What's clearly apparent is that teams like Panthers, Storm & Broncos have an array of backup players with size and speed. Dragons are lacking in this department and will only take a few injuries to be totally exposed.
Whilst it's great to give 29 year old virgin halfbacks their 1st NRL game and move club iconic wingers to the forwards engine room.....it reeks of desperation & lack of confidence in our younger back up.
Pray for no Origin injuries or we'll be phucked on the downward slippery dip.

 

[Dragonslayer]

What's clearly apparent is that teams like Panthers, Storm & Broncos have an array of backup players with size and speed. Dragons are lacking in this department and will only take a few injuries to be totally exposed.
Whilst it's great to give 29 year old virgin halfbacks their 1st NRL game and move club iconic wingers to the forwards engine room.....it reeks of desperation & lack of confidence in our younger back up.
Pray for no Origin injuries or we'll be phucked on the downward slippery dip.

I will add this.
Our "back-up" players seem to be poorly motivated, poorly coached and ill prepared for 1st grade duty.
Resigned to the fact the the head coach will always pick his favourites even though they may get selected in the 21 each week. I wonder how many opposed sessions they participated in where they were part of the 1st grade team. I'm not talking about 1 week either.
Moving Nighty to the forwards anx keeping him there was akin to lunacy, especially with other options available.
I also think Head is doing a piss poor job as reggies coach. Hus duty as transition coach is to prepare them for a call up. He seems more interested in running the water bottle in 1st grade.
Interestingly, both 1st grade and Reserve grade were both in the game with 12 mins to go.
Both fell apart.
Is there a lesson to be learnt there?
Absolutely, but i doubt our coaching staff will see it.

 

[BennyV]

I will add this.
Our "back-up" players seem to be poorly motivated, poorly coached and ill prepared for 1st grade duty.
Resigned to the fact the the head coach will always pick his favourites even though they may get selected in the 21 each week. I wonder how many opposed sessions they participated in where they were part of the 1st grade team. I'm not talking about 1 week either.
Moving Nighty to the forwards anx keeping him there was akin to lunacy, especially with other options available.
I also think Head is doing a piss poor job as reggies coach. Hus duty as transition coach is to prepare them for a call up. He seems more interested in running the water bottle in 1st grade.
Interestingly, both 1st grade and Reserve grade were both in the game with 12 mins to go.
Both fell apart.
Is there a lesson to be learnt there?
Absolutely, but i doubt our coaching staff will see it.

This is super key. As much as our head coach is a moron, our whole coaching structure is a failure founded on the same 'jobs for the boys' mentality that has for years prevented our club from taking its rightful place at the peak of the NRL food chain. Looking across our coaching staff the only bloke who has had anything even remotely close to a reasonable apprenticeship in a successful system is Collins. Mary, Head, Hornby and Young have only known this system that has made the Top 8 once in the last 6 years and applauds/rewards mediocre results like flopping to 9th on the ladder. Do any of them actually know what is required to be a successful coach, having never actually seen the inner workings of a successful coaching set up?

When Souths employ coaches, they spare no expense, being known to have sent both Maguire and Siebeld over to the states for coaching courses with professional sporting teams to see what is involved before handing them the reigns, then sinking money into maintaining a level of coaching competency. They actually provide a decent environment to promote success (in the 5-7 years).

But hey, our guy can paint the f**king gym!

 

[Bests Golden Boots]

With all the talk of “alternate playing strips” which bobble head at the NRL approved this combination last night?

 

[FlameThrower]

With all the talk of “alternate playing strips” which bobble head at the NRL approved this combination last night?
View attachment 21621

Considering how bad both teams played, perhaps it was better we don’t know who was who!

 

[Bests Golden Boots]

Considering how bad both teams played, perhaps it was better we don’t know who was who!

Well they should have taken the numbers of so the guilty could remain anonymous

 

[Coffs dragon]

A nil all Soccer match was better than that crap last night. To think our mob struggled to beat them two is more a concern!

 

[ouryears]

A nil all Soccer match was better than that crap last night. To think our mob struggled to beat them two is more a concern!

Sure is a concern.
Let’s see how Mary and Widdop motivate and lead the team this week.
Not confident.
If we lose, that’s it, change the captain on field and sack the coach.
Yes Crush, DA61, Crush and Alsgi, it could be time.

 

[hazzbeen]

Sure is a concern.
Let’s see how Mary and Widdop motivate and lead the team this week.
Not confident.
If we lose, that’s it, change the captain on field and sack the coach.
Yes Crush, DA61, Crush and Alsgi, it could be time.

ouryears if they cant get up for this , we are gone . This is the last chance for me , if they slide out of the top 4 sack the coach and all the the monkeys that are coaching . If they retain Mary after missing a top 4 spot we will be the laughing stock of the NRL .....

 

[ouryears]

ouryears if they cant get up for this , we are gone . This is the last chance for me , if they slide out of the top 4 sack the coach and all the the monkeys that are coaching . If they retain Mary after missing a top 4 spot we will be the laughing stock of the NRL .....

If we don’t beat the cowboys, we deserve to finish 9th to 10th.
And that will bring Mary down.
I hope we win and keep winning!

This game will be the year for us.
We must win this ....or it’s all gone.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

ouryears if they cant get up for this , we are gone . This is the last chance for me , if they slide out of the top 4 sack the coach and all the the monkeys that are coaching . If they retain Mary after missing a top 4 spot we will be the laughing stock of the NRL .....

Very poignant
Even though we are on 26 points and seemingly over the line for a finals spot, premierships are not won from 6th.
We keep losing and we will be behind the 8 ball come the finals.
There is such a log jam of teams on 24 points that should we slip up again we are not only out of the top 4 but also very difficult to get back in psychologically.
The Cowboys are a different proposition in front of their home crowd. They are at full strength except for Morgan and our record up there is woeful.