Dont give a f**k about 3 2 1s when our season's done, but my thoughts.
Very poor bench usage. Was obvious before the game even started that Tupou on the bench is a pointless tactic at best, self-sabotaging at worst. Our forwards were dominated and our backline lacked effectiveness due to being 3 centres down on the start of the year (Latrell covering wing, SKD punted and Manu dropped. For what it's worth Manu carved up for Wyong from what I saw, despite the loss.
The team lacked effectiveness and penetration.
Pearce played the same solid but lacking creativity game as the rest of the post Origin season, peaking with the nice short ball to Cordner. A key point has been even despite this he has been creating good room for Keary and the outside backs - Cowboys expected and shut this down hard. We made it easier for them by playing 2 forwards in the centres.
The forward pack was beaten. The stats aren't good reading there. Taumololo was immense, every time he ran close to the try line it sucked in defenders and our slow wide defence couldn't react to Morgan on the next play. This is what Pearce and JWH should have been doing. Instead it was being done to us.
That said - all of that taken into account and we are still in a position to win this game, though tight. The killers, in the end, turned out to be 4 mistakes which either threw away our own momentum or accelerated theirs.
Latrell's 2 kicks out on the full after they scored, and Ferguson's 2 identical handling errors after we scored. Add to that Gordon's amateurish ball snatch and tripping over his own feet on TMM's break. These were finals pressure errors. Chokes. Those 3 players all contributed good things but these were the mistakes that turned the tide.
We were poor all year and in the end got what we deserved. It was obvious from April-May that we lacked a killer instinct, a 4th or 5th gear, and were getting by on grit and freak plays when we should have been dominating games. Not once did we see an 80 minute performance. We couldn't even put away the Tigers with the effectiveness that some very poor Roosters sides have managed over the years. Every time there was a bigger prize on the line, like a shot at first place, we mentally collapsed. We should have covered the Cowboys comfortably. Make no mistake, this was a choke. This team is far closer to 2016 than 2013, despite the ladder position.
Where to from here? I'm not gonna hang Pearce and Friend or anyone else out to dry. We have one of the most talented rosters in the comp going into next year and anything less than a Grand Final will be considered a failure.
What is clear though, is tactically we need a revamp. Robinson and Pearce have run with a predictable attacking strategy that while usually effective has two major faults. Firstly, when we're up, we don't have enough variation to land the killer blows and put a score on. This, combined with our trademark complete lack of discipline, means we end up in close games that we should win comfortably far too often. A lot of this comes down to the kicking game and the under-use of our backline. We looked most effective when we gave Latrell and Tupou early and frequent ball. This is our x-factor combination.
A lot will hinge on Robinson, Pearce and Friend working together to rethink the way we attack. I don't think it's a stretch to say it will have an impact on all their careers going forward.
Robinson has to be disappointed with how we ended up. Another similar season and questions will be asked.
Pearce should have won Origin and should have played a Grand Final and on the back of that made the World Cup squad, instead here we are.
Friend is on the fringe of that squad but unless he adds to his game and improves his deicision making in the next season or two will never reach the potential people have predicted of him since he was young.
