R2 // Knights 20-26 Raiders @ Hunter // Sun 6.30pm

[K-Man]

Embarrassing.

I will call it now that we will be in the bottom 8 this year.

I agree. Call it timing our run last year if you want, but I think we have and will continue to go backwards this year. I'd say about 10th based on what I've seen so far.

There is absolutely nothing in our forward pack. Nothing. Who would you even pick out as an opposition coach for any special attention. Not one threat exists in that pack or the bench, and our injuries aren't even in the forwards yet.

Name any team in the comp without at least 2 forwards you would pick ahead of all ours. It's impossible. And most teams would have 3.

We will win games when we complete above 80% of our sets and win the penalty count. Some of those wins will be blowouts when everything goes our way. Most of them will be at home.

We will lose every game where we complete below 75% of our sets because we don't have any brilliance to make up for it. We will also still lose games even when we are disciplined.

 

[Swarzey]

So much meh tonight. No concern given our fit 17 is worlds better than what we've had to field tonight. Minto was a little underwhelming, but I didn't see anything that convinces me that he shouldn't be there next week except perhaps moving him to no6 to make room for Mamo.

It sucks that we struggle so much without Mullen, but the fact is you remove any lead halve in any team and they struggle in almost all areas of the game. The news earlier of him returning in two/three weeks should make this period a lot easier to handle.

But to put a line through us already? Put the razors down. Raiders are a one man team, we'll trump them in a few weeks time.

 

[perverse]

We need a new forward or 2, no doubt about it. Willie is past it. Rochow is average. McKinnon is stupid.

Snowy was better today - needs more match fitness after missing the whole off season, though. Houston was good in the runs he made, too.

 

[slotmachine]

Great post again k-man.

It's funny, I wouldn't say anyone has a bad game individually. Perhaps Dobson getting burnt by Milford twice. They all played to their level.

It's all so vanilla though. And if we're not disciplined enough to keep teams under ~14 points (or they make a ton of errors) life is going to be tough.

Half the team is off contract at the end of this season, time for a bulldogs style clean out.

 

[K-Man]

I thought the enthusiasm was very good at times, our forwards seemed to be getting the better of the raiders for long period of times. It just seems we are a dumb football team. Things like everyone looking clueless under the high ball, every second pass from DH is flat or forward to a marked man, and we rush up to bash em up in 3/4 on 1 tackles yet no one wraps an arm around the ball carries arm to stop offloads.

Just the small 1 percenters we don't do that ruins the 75% we do get right. And i mean that has been the case under Bennetts entire reign. Constant niggling issues/problems that really outdo any good the side or an individual does.

But really whoever our spine is made up of at the moment just aren't up to it. Roberts is good, but Gidley, Dobson and Minto are just rubbish.

Without Boyd and Mullen the side is incredibly boring, flat and unorganised. The hooking role will crippled our entire season.

All of that, and especially the bold. All exactly why we are going to struggle this season. That, and the fact other teams have definitely added something in attack. We haven't.

 

[Dave_]

Time to go:

Gidley
McKinnon
Waddell
Uate

I feel terrible for Gidley but sadly I agree. Especially Waddell.

 

[perverse]

Clydsdale needs to come through now, and needs to be good.

 

[Burns]

We're still going to be a middle of the table team aren't we ? The finish we has last year was just us waving the Buderus wave.

I'm pretty worried about next week. Melbourne are going to be out for revenge.

 

[aqua_duck]

Rochow is a solid forward but make question is how high is his ceiling? We need a Papalii or a Taumalolo type backrower who can break tackles and punish in defence

 

[perverse]

Agree. Missing a strike backrower and a big prop. I think Rochow is at or close to his ceiling already.

 

[slotmachine]

Rochow is a solid forward but make question is how high is his ceiling? We need a Papalii or a Taumalolo type backrower who can break tackles and punish in defence

i think we've seen it. joel edwards mkII?

solid describes the team really. and if we're not going to take any chances, make mistakes and miss tackles, well, thats not a recipe for winning games.

 

[aqua_duck]

i think we've seen it. joel edwards mkII?

Maybe, we just seem to have too many of these solid workman type forwards like Rochow, McKinnon, Houston and I'd even include Jeremy Smith in this category, we need someone who offers something a little different

 

[K-Man]

Great post again k-man.

It's funny, I wouldn't say anyone has a bad game individually. Perhaps Dobson getting burnt by Milford twice. They all played to their level.

It's all so vanilla though. And if we're not disciplined enough to keep teams under ~14 points (or they make a ton of errors) life is going to be tough.

Half the team is off contract at the end of this season, time for a bulldogs style clean out.

Thanks, and I agree with you on this. The majority of our very impressive wins last year were built on both of these things. We capitalised well on any performance that wasn't up to scratch. If a team started poorly and looked disjointed, we made them pay. But despite the late-season charge I just wasn't overly impressed with us as a football team, and I couldn't see where we would go to a new level this time around.

The thing for me is I'm not going to change my mind about our capabilities after every single match. I know we will have our good days, we'll hold the ball and we'll win comfortably. It won't change my opinion, we're not good enough at the little things to compensate for our lack of class.

 

[slotmachine]

Last season with Buderus; 10 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses
Without; 3 wins, 9 losses.

If you didn't know better, you couldn't have picked which dummy half was our captain and among our highest paid players, and who was a guy on minimum contract plucked out of reserves.

 

[perverse]

I don't know how much longer Wayne can keep Gids in the team.

 

[Johns Magic]

Rochow is a good bloke to have in your 17 but I wouldn't want him as a starting second-rower.

One player I would look at who is on the scrapheap and looking to move is Ben Murdoch-Masila. I genuinely think we could get him for a dirt-low price and I think he could add something we are missing if he gets his head screwed on. He has a bit of Fifita about him for mine.

Failing that, I'm pretty sick of waiting for Korbin Sims to get his shot.

 

[slotmachine]

Maybe, we just seem to have too many of these solid workman type forwards like Rochow, McKinnon, Houston and I'd even include Jeremy Smith in this category, we need someone who offers something a little different

100% Even Cuthbo without the offload is plain jane.

 

[Noname36]

Anyone that's still bitching about what Boyd does for us needs to watch tonight's game. Mullo aside, we would have won easily tonight with Boyd there. Our set plays looked flat without him playing his role and you could tell he was missing when we defended.

That's not a knock on Minto. The kid seems to have a good footy brain (his pass to Uate and his kick for a repeat set) but I certainly think he has more halfback than fullback skills based on that performance.

 

[Dave_]

i think we've seen it. joel edwards mkII?

solid describes the team really. and if we're not going to take any chances, make mistakes and miss tackles, well, thats not a recipe for winning games.

Edwards shat all over Rochow tonight but that was probably one of his worst for us. He looks strong when he runs good lines and is heaps more mobile and quicker than Edwards and his one trick pony style. I think every side needs a Rochow type player but the trouble is we have about 4 or 5 of them.

Need more Fifita........

 

[K-Man]

Maybe, we just seem to have too many of these solid workman type forwards like Rochow, McKinnon, Houston and I'd even include Jeremy Smith in this category, we need someone who offers something a little different

I remember saying pretty much exactly that two years ago and I definitely said it before round one last year. Nothing has changed. Bennett is where the buck stops and in my mind he has not recruited effectively for the modern game. You just can't grind your way solidly to a premiership. There's too much talent in the game for that now.