Performance

[gronkathon]

Unit if word on the street is true Brown will be a Bulldog by weeks end.

Chisolm really dissapointed for BRET Saturday but is a viable bench option.

Would prefer Utai to the bench and Reddy to the wing if anything personally

 

[macnaz]

Gibbs looked good, I think he played more minutes than any other prop, and given the conditions and his good performance, shows why the Tigers fans were so dirty that the club released him.

The tigers fans behind the post gave him a good aplause when he was taking his position for a kick off, it was really good to see them show their respect for him

 

[macnaz]

Unit if word on the street is true Brown will be a Bulldog by weeks end.

Chisolm really dissapointed for BRET Saturday but is a viable bench option.

Would prefer Utai to the bench and Reddy to the wing if anything personally

Hmmm Reddy ,, doesnt look real quick these days ? I prefer some pace. Anyone know how John Grant went?

 

[madunit]

Unit if word on the street is true Brown will be a Bulldog by weeks end.

Chisolm really dissapointed for BRET Saturday but is a viable bench option.

that is all very disappointing to hear. Failing those two, I'd be bringing in Koroibete next then, ahead of Reddy.

Would prefer Utai to the bench and Reddy to the wing if anything personally

I think with Moltzen's hand the way it is, someone who can play as a half and as a threequarter/fullback would be a better bet at this stage, until his hand is right again.

Utai should start or not play at all imo.

 

[Shanghai Charlie]

I think Utai did play well but still lacks what is needed for a winger, I find it a waste of Benjis long pass only to find a guy without the pace to capitalise. Beu altho also slow always has a special knack of scoring. The sharks did find a few gaps on the fringes that maybe Gibbs used to plug but im sure they will work on that. I have a lot of faith in moltzen playing half but yesterdays effort really has me worried, I think Humble could fill the position if needed but please dont put Moltzen to 1. It was great to see 2 fullbacks attacking the ball for a change.

Humble let two bombs bounce. It was the only blight on his game.

 

[Dragon Slayer]

My thoughts on the game was that Jared Maxwell was man of the match.

He had a hand in everything....

 

[gronkathon]

Grant, Schirnack and Brown all did not play for BRET so cant give you an update on the big fella

 

[hybrid_tiger]

I wouldn't be making any big changes personally. It is only round one.

I would however like to see Utai on the bench and Reddy start on the wing. Manly have a great kicking game and will target Utai under the high ball.

I think the loss of Tedesco is going to be significantly worse than most people think. Yes, he is a rookie, but the kid was clearly something special and was EXCELLENT under the high ball. None of our other fullback options appear to be (esp. now with Brown gone). Humble played well but he let two bombs bounce and that is again going to be an issue.

I think you need a quality 1, 6, 7 and 9 to win the comp. We have a 6 and a 9, but huge question marks over the 1 and 7. I think Humble is a good, solid player and I will give him a chance to cement his spot but I personally believe you need a classy fullback to win the comp and I'm not sure he is that person. Tedesco clearly was.

As for Moltzen, well I'll give him some time and cut him some slack due to his injury and the heat (even though it was the same for all players out there) but if that is what he is going to produce then we are in big trouble. My issue with him at half has always been the same, he does not have the attributes of a quality half: next to no kicking game, no organisational skills.

If you look at almost every highlight of Moltzen in FG, these have always almost often been the back of his support play. Whether it is a set move with Marshall after a scrum, or him chiming in as a ball runner from fullback. The issue is he doesn't provide enough support to Marshall and Farah when we need him to take some pressure off them.

My other concern is that when the game is on the line and we are in an arm wrestle he is invisible. This is not the first time. In the second half when the game was there to be won, our #7 was nowhere to be seen and left it all up to Robbie, who was completely exhausted, and Benji. This isn't good enough. IMO he is a luxury player who goes missing when it gets tough.

 

[Kazai Princess]

Devastated for Tedesco </3, Tommy looked good back there though he made a good tackle to stop a try and always got to the ball on the full and ran it back hard, i guess he should keep the fullback spot unless Reddy is going to take it now?

We looked crappy but we still won, thats always been a sign of a good team

 

[macnaz]

Humble let two bombs bounce. It was the only blight on his game.

Yep thats true. By the way, how old is Tedesco ?

 

[macnaz]

Bring back mighty mouse

 

[Mader45]

What's the go with the set play off the scrum where Moltzen feeds it and then rushes back through the play when Farah throws it to Lawrence? I know Benji said the field was heavy from the rain and it might have slowed the move down, but every time they did it I thought Farah was going to throw the ball at Moltzen. Plus it was incredibly predictable after doing it 50 times in a row.

 

[gronkathon]

Bring back mighty mouse

Oh good lord no

 

[madunit]

Set play.

Look like you're creating an overlap on one side, force the defence to go that way to cover for it, then go the other way, catch the defence flat footed.

 

[lingard]

I wouldn't be making any big changes personally. It is only round one.

I would however like to see Utai on the bench and Reddy start on the wing. Manly have a great kicking game and will target Utai under the high ball.

I think the loss of Tedesco is going to be significantly worse than most people think. Yes, he is a rookie, but the kid was clearly something special and was EXCELLENT under the high ball. None of our other fullback options appear to be (esp. now with Brown gone). Humble played well but he let two bombs bounce and that is again going to be an issue.

I think you need a quality 1, 6, 7 and 9 to win the comp. We have a 6 and a 9, but huge question marks over the 1 and 7. I think Humble is a good, solid player and I will give him a chance to cement his spot but I personally believe you need a classy fullback to win the comp and I'm not sure he is that person. Tedesco clearly was.

As for Moltzen, well I'll give him some time and cut him some slack due to his injury and the heat (even though it was the same for all players out there) but if that is what he is going to produce then we are in big trouble. My issue with him at half has always been the same, he does not have the attributes of a quality half: next to no kicking game, no organisational skills.

If you look at almost every highlight of Moltzen in FG, these have always almost often been the back of his support play. Whether it is a set move with Marshall after a scrum, or him chiming in as a ball runner from fullback. The issue is he doesn't provide enough support to Marshall and Farah when we need him to take some pressure off them.

My other concern is that when the game is on the line and we are in an arm wrestle he is invisible. This is not the first time. In the second half when the game was there to be won, our #7 was nowhere to be seen and left it all up to Robbie, who was completely exhausted, and Benji. This isn't good enough. IMO he is a luxury player who goes missing when it gets tough.

As a Parramatta supporter and a Tom Humble admirer, my (outlandish) suggestion would be: Benji Marshall to 7, and Tom Humble to 6. Humble is a specialist five-eight (and terrific goal-kicker). He`s not really a fullback - although I`m sure he won`t let you guys down there. At Parramatta he was chopped and changed all over the place and never got to play even two consecutive games in the same position. Did you notice how many times yesterday that he came in around the ruck and provided a link to the backs? That`s his specialty.

 

[macnaz]

I certainly did notice that!! It was almost as if he could see no one (Moltzen) doing it so took over.Thats a player with a good footy brain.

 

[Tiger05]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Fulton. I thought he was very solid yesterday and did a heap of clean up work in defence. Scrappy performance but it is only round 1 and the heat was almost unbearable. Same team next week with humble at fullback and reddy and brown putting pressure on ayshford and utai over the next month or two!

Yeah - Fulton was very good. He has some pace for a back rower, he runs great lines and defends like a champion.

Utai is also real good but his height on the wing is a worry.

 

[Tiger05]

We have a 6 and a 9, but huge question marks over the 1 and 7.

I agree with this completely. The thing is I think Moltzen was starting to look like a fullback last year. Tedesco looks a better prospect from his limited time on the field in that position though and assuming he comes back then he should probably get that spot.

Moltzen prior to his time at fullback last year though did look good in the halves. Maybe give him some time.

As for Humble - personally I was impressed. He looked quality. To me he has to fill in at either 1 or 7.

The issue is though you need quality players in those positions and we don't have consistent quality there.

 

[Kazai Princess]

Did anyone else notice that Robbie was one of the first ones to get to Benji after the field goal and fell over with him on the ground?

Doesnt seem like much but that made me really happy to see after the rumours of them havin a falling out off the field

 

[Tiger05]

As a Parramatta supporter and a Tom Humble admirer, my (outlandish) suggestion would be: Benji Marshall to 7, and Tom Humble to 6. Humble is a specialist five-eight (and terrific goal-kicker). He`s not really a fullback - although I`m sure he won`t let you guys down there. At Parramatta he was chopped and changed all over the place and never got to play even two consecutive games in the same position. Did you notice how many times yesterday that he came in around the ruck and provided a link to the backs? That`s his specialty.

I've never seen him before but he looked good.

I'd have no problems with that suggestion although I would keep the 6 on Benji's back because if you give him the 7 jumper there is too much noise. Let them mix it up with Benji playing out wide and in tighter when it suits, put Moltzen back at 1 and see how it goes.