R5 // Cowboys 28-2 Knights @ 1300SMILES // Mon 7.00pm

[Jono078]

I don't think he's ever really been a 100m a game forward though. We just have have him for aggression and defense really.

Something was lacking tonight, but I still believe we can be a top contender with our top squad.

Dobson tonight looked like he tried too hard to keep his spot when Mullen returns next week.

Gidley is heartbreaking to watch these days. You love him for what he offered us once upon a time. But now he'll do something good for 10 minutes then the rest of the game is so ordinary and hurts the team.

 

[Jono078]

The most concerning thing I've been thinking of (last week excepted) is that Bennett came here two and a bit years ago and said he was going to work on our consistency. Forget about winning the comp because we're not even in the same country as those that are genuine contenders. We're still as consistent (or inconsistent) now as we were when Bennett arrived here at the end of 2011.

Sure there have been mitigating circumstances contributing, but it'd be nice to at least see some signs.

/emo post.

Now, lets get to Canberra and knock them off next week.

Really, really poor time to bring up consistency with what's transpired over the last fortnight.

We are a far more consistent team now than we were pre Bennett. Not many teams win more than 3 in a row these days.

 

[Nuffy]

I think the same and was thinking about this the other day - but a club like Cronulla has had bad luck for 40 years. The Bears had it for a thousand. Unfortunately there is no time period where the forces of the Universe decide 'That's enough sh*t for you.' It could be a year - or forty!

All i know is I want it to stop...

Mate, the thing is that some clubs are turning their fortunes around in 2-3 years, we should frankly be in the same boat with the changes we have made re coach and personnel but there is something wrong in our makeup.

 

[Noname36]

I hope nobody is expecting miracles when Mullo comes back. He'll probably be a bit underdone for a while.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Smith saved 2 tries alone tonight. He is not a metre eating forward especially tonight when we had f**k all ball

Stats, especially attacking ones, mean sfa in games like tonights

 

[Swarzey]

Not expecting miracles, but a lift in our attack and sure as f**k these performances being a thing of the past by Origin.

 

[Jobdog]

Mate, the thing is that some clubs are turning their fortunes around in 2-3 years, we should frankly be in the same boat with the changes we have made re coach and personnel but there is something wrong in our makeup.

Our training facilities are better now than they were five years ago, but that's about it. We don't seem to be a club that's run overly "well". It wasn't the case prior to HSG, it's not really the case with HSG, and who knows what it will be like if/when Wests take over.

 

[Apey]

Let's hope we don't play the Cowboys into form.

god damn it.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Speaking of origin. At least our team will not be affected during origin weeks.

 

[Dave_]

I hate to heap so much pressure on Mullo but if he doesn't fire instantly, our season will be over before you know it. The pressure is seriously on him and although it shouldn't be, he's the only one that can help us.

 

[Nuffy]

Really, really poor time to bring up consistency with what's transpired over the last fortnight.

We are a far more consistent team now than we were pre Bennett. Not many teams win more than 3 in a row these days.

I'm not sure we are any more consistent, I thought Bennett's win ratio was worse than Stone's.

I also thought that the Alex issue would provide them with something extra to play for, the playing group certainly made that point. The engagement announcement and the movement to Sydney for Alex are positives and I thought the group would want to add to the good news and give Alex something further to cheer about.

 

[Jobdog]

I hate to heap so much pressure on Mullo but if he doesn't fire instantly, our season will be over before you know it. The pressure is seriously on him and although it shouldn't be, he's the only one that can help us.

For five weeks teams down the bottom of the ladder have been saying "it's a long season" and while it is, if we don't click into some sort of gear soon we'll be halfway through the season and firm for the spoon. Then we'll be playing catchup more so than we are now and no one wants to do that for half a season.

 

[Nuffy]

I felt we were hard done by with a lot of decisions. Just one of the those nights where we got pulled up for every single little incident and blatant call was ignored (The strip, Aku being taken out, a few high shots).

No question we typically get screwed by the refs but I am all out of sympathy for the club.

Most coaches would do their nut about getting screwed, Bennett just shrugs his shoulders.

If you keep allowing yourself to get screwed, then the refs will oblige every day of the week.

 

[Nuffy]

Our training facilities are better now than they were five years ago, but that's about it. We don't seem to be a club that's run overly "well". It wasn't the case prior to HSG, it's not really the case with HSG, and who knows what it will be like if/when Wests take over.

My point is that we have Bennett and a far better roster overall yet we aren't really seeing an enduring benefit from that.

Re the management of that club, its hard to say but I can't believe that Mids had the CV to be ready for such a role, we needed a better operator to navigate the politics of the NRL.

 

[Whats Doing]

Smith saved 2 tries alone tonight. He is not a metre eating forward especially tonight when we had f**k all ball

Stats, especially attacking ones, mean sfa in games like tonights

He has being doing SFA most of the year in attack. The modern day 13 is a support for your 2 props. It is one of the reasons we have little go forward as there is no punch after Mason and Snowy.

Tariq Sims completed 28 tackles, 13 runs and 103 metres.

That is putting up your hand and supporting your props.

 

[Jobdog]

My point is that we have Bennett and a far better roster overall yet we aren't really seeing an enduring benefit from that.

Re the management of that club, its hard to say but I can't believe that Mids had the CV to be ready for such a role, we needed a better operator to navigate the politics of the NRL.

Yeah I know mate, I'm agreeing with you.

Maybe our expectations were too high when Bennett came here and the issues with the club go far deeper than a change of coach.

 

[Dave_]

For five weeks teams down the bottom of the ladder have been saying "it's a long season" and while it is, if we don't click into some sort of gear soon we'll be halfway through the season and firm for the spoon. Then we'll be playing catchup more so than we are now and no one wants to do that for half a season.

Exactly. All this "it's a long season" bullsh*t is something that's said by losers to try and console themselves after losses such as this one. It doesn't matter how many games are in the season, if the care factor isn't there now, it sure as fu*k won't be when your 2 from 12.

I know the players are dealing with alot right now but there's no excuse for performances like that and if they keep it up it'll be a season wasted when there was so much hope after the back end of last year.

 

[Noname36]

I'm not sure we are any more consistent, I thought Bennett's win ratio was worse than Stone's.

I also thought that the Alex issue would provide them with something extra to play for, the playing group certainly made that point. The engagement announcement and the movement to Sydney for Alex are positives and I thought the group would want to add to the good news and give Alex something further to cheer about.

Honestly the emotion surrounding the Alex thing was only ever going to spur them on for that one week...two tops. You just can't play off emotion long-term. You burn out...and they did. Coming down from the emotion of last week's game they didn't just land gracefully, they plummeted head first into the ground, destroying everything in sight. The types of errors they were making seemed to come from a place of lack of focus to me. I'd hazard a guess their heads aren't in the right place and unfortunately it's hard to tell if/when they ever will be. There's no quick fix to it either. They've lost a mate. I'm sure they know they have to focus on the footy but that's easier said than done. So yeah, I don't think it's fair to say they didn't want to give him something to cheer about. The way I see it they've cared so much it's hit them hard.

 

[Joker's Wild]

He has being doing SFA most of the year in attack. The modern day 13 is a support for your 2 props. It is one of the reasons we have little go forward as there is no punch after Mason and Snowy.

Tariq Sims completed 28 tackles, 13 runs and 103 metres.

That is putting up your hand and supporting your props.

I think Tariq played the 80 while Smith was off for a long period with Korbin playing lock

Comparing their stats is pretty pointless given that and the contrast between the two sides as a whole

I guess I just look at what our players do differently than most and judge from that. Smith has never been that kind of player

 

[Apey]

No joke, when Kurt opted for the two points I said to myself "24-2 by half time". It's getting to the point I could stop supporting us it makes me that angry. P#ss off Bennett.

:lol: When someone texted me to say we'd taken a penalty goal to go up 2 - 0 I joked back we'd lose 30 - 2. So close. It just doesn't work for us.

Didn't catch all the game, but seemed to be a shocker on our part and a dud refereeing performance.

Gidley was Gidley, and Boyd was f**king weak on some of the Cowboys tries.