Rd 3 2024: Parra v Manly GAME DAY thread @ Commbank Stadium March 24th

[hindy111]

Huh ? The Dogs did what ? They were scoreless for 65 minutes. So they scored one try - that's not exposed dude.

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They had 4 shots at our red zone.Two tries ( 4+4 =8 basic mathematics) and another time they had the overlap but Hutchinson went himself. He passes they score. Better halfback passes.

 

[Gronk]

They had 4 shots at our red zone.Two tries ( 4+4 =8 basic mathematics) and another time they had the overlap but Hutchinson went himself. He passes they score. Better halfback passes.

No one try was a winger try in the 65th minute. The other was from an offload by a rampaging Kikau who freed up an arm and Crichton fell over the line.

"Shots" at our red zone means nothing. Every team have shots.

f**k you are stubborn.

 

[hindy111]

No one try was a winger try in the 65th minute. The other was from an offload by a rampaging Kikau who freed up an arm and Crichton fell over the line.

"Shots" at our red zone means nothing. Every team have shots.

f**k you are stubborn.

Ok our defense is rock solid. No improvement needed.

 

[emjaycee]

Ok our defense is rock solid. No improvement needed.

Not sure anyone actually said it was rock solid.

 

[hindy111]

Not sure anyone actually said it was rock solid.

Our defense is atrocious mate. Unsure what some are seeing when watching us play. We are getting opened up far to easily and its been happening for years. Any side with pace throw 2 or 3 long balls and burn us out wide.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Tuilagi is great with ball in hand but he seems like a defensive liability even playing second row.

He was the one who was out of play for the soft Waddell try. He was pulled straight away, with Matterson coming back on to right edge forward for the final five minutes.

Interestingly, Tuilagi and Paulo (quality attacking players) both played a single, fairly short stint; Paulo played 31 minutes and Tuilagi 23. The forwards trusted to defend our narrow lead at the end were Lane/Matterson at edge forward, and Hopgood (61 minutes), RCG (55 minutes) and Ofahengaue (40 minutes) in the middle.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Different views. If your backs can make powerhouse meters with strong carries the forwards can take less hit ups and are more fresh in defense.

Ofahengaue doesn't make a lot of runs, so he is fresh in defence. He only made eight runs in 40 minutes. By comparison, Moretti made six runs in less than half that time, and Paulo made almost a run every two minutes.

Issue 101 is Sivo runs like a cat most the time, Gutherson has no power and Simo/Harper the same.
Penisini has some nuts and Russels getting there.

Sivo is good enough. He averages 120m+ every year. Penisini and Simonsson both averaged over 130m last year. As you say, Russell is getting there. Regardless of what we do with our outside backs we need to improve our middle defence. Reducing Paulo's minutes seems to have helped. Ofahengaue has enabled this.

But compare it to Penriths back 5 or Roosters or Canberra's as examples.

Sure but we have better forwards than all those sides, and better halves than most of them. Why would you expect better outside backs as well?

Simmonson 400k? What are you smoking. 200-250k Max.

$400k is average salary, and based on last year's form he is an average NRL centre.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

If you have the time I’d recommend listening to the comments about our edge defence by former Eels premiership player John Muggleton here. He gave some very insightful thoughts on how we operate there

Which minute does it start? I'm a busy man and don't place a lot of value on the opinions of 80s forwards when it comes to modern edge defence.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Why are sides like the Storm,Roosters,Penrith able to defend these plays far better?

Maybe because they're able to fit more talent under the salary cap?

 

[84 Baby]

Our defense is atrocious mate. Unsure what some are seeing when watching us play. We are getting opened up far to easily and its been happening for years. Any side with pace throw 2 or 3 long balls and burn us out wide.

But it doesn’t happen to any other team?

 

[hindy111]

Ofahengaue doesn't make a lot of runs, so he is fresh in defence. He only made eight runs in 40 minutes. By comparison, Moretti made six runs in less than half that time, and Paulo made almost a run every two minutes.

Sivo is good enough. He averages 120m+ every year. Penisini and Simonsson both averaged over 130m last year. As you say, Russell is getting there. Regardless of what we do with our outside backs we need to improve our middle defence. Reducing Paulo's minutes seems to have helped. Ofahengaue has enabled this.

Sure but we have better forwards than all those sides, and better halves than most of them. Why would you expect better outside backs as well?

$400k is average salary, and based on last year's form he is an average NRL centre.

We don't really have better forwards then Penrith or Canberra do we? Very good packs. I'd say we can match theirs.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

They had 4 shots at our red zone.Two tries ( 4+4 =8 basic mathematics) and another time they had the overlap but Hutchinson went himself. He passes they score. Better halfback passes.

So why did they have so few shots at our red zone? Just unlucky? Defence occurs through the entire length of the field, and is supported by ball control. There's no point saying our red zone defence is shit and that's all there is to it. Every team has to prioritise addressing strengths and weaknesses. Our solution to defensive shortfalls is to control the ball and kick long. Because that's what suits our roster.

 

[hindy111]

But it doesn’t happen to any other team?

Of course it does. But sides who go on to win the comp? No.
I mean it is going to happen now and then but not so easily.
Tighten our defense we can win comp this season.

 

[Hindmarshisgod2]

Ofahengaue doesn't make a lot of runs, so he is fresh in defence. He only made eight runs in 40 minutes. By comparison, Moretti made six runs in less than half that time, and Paulo made almost a run every two minutes.

Sivo is good enough. He averages 120m+ every year. Penisini and Simonsson both averaged over 130m last year. As you say, Russell is getting there. Regardless of what we do with our outside backs we need to improve our middle defence. Reducing Paulo's minutes seems to have helped. Ofahengaue has enabled this.

Sure but we have better forwards than all those sides, and better halves than most of them. Why would you expect better outside backs as well?

$400k is average salary, and based on last year's form he is an average NRL centre.

Reducing paulos minutes seems to have helped???? You were arguing against this for the past 3 seasons. So you admit you were wrong???

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Our defense is atrocious mate. Unsure what some are seeing when watching us play. We are getting opened up far to easily and its been happening for years. Any side with pace throw 2 or 3 long balls and burn us out wide.

With a couple of starting edge defenders unavailable that's what they should be doing. Do you expect teams shouldn't go any worse with members of their top 17 unavailable?

 

[hindy111]

So why did they have so few shots at our red zone? Just unlucky? Defence occurs through the entire length of the field, and is supported by ball control. There's no point saying our red zone defence is shit and that's all there is to it. Every team has to prioritise addressing strengths and weaknesses. Our solution to defensive shortfalls is to control the ball and kick long. Because that's what suits our roster.

I'm pointing out what it will take to go from fringe top 8 to taking the title. Our deficiencies and areas to improve. For me we need to work out this problem being edge defense. Fix that and we become one of the favourites. Don't and we get exposed my the better sides come finals.
Unsure why people get backs up against wall.

 

[emjaycee]

Our defense is atrocious mate. Unsure what some are seeing when watching us play. We are getting opened up far to easily and its been happening for years. Any side with pace throw 2 or 3 long balls and burn us out wide.

Any side with pace can do that to any other side in a lot of cases.
Roosters with Dom Young did the other night what Newcastle did when they had Dom Young last year.

Yes, our defence on our left edge is super shit at times, but not always.
Seems to me the structure we have is for the winger to jam in on the opposing centre and for our centre, Gutho and Moses/Dylan to slide across and use the sideline as a defender. This helps if the edge forward is able to cover the 3-in man.

This is working on our right because Russel is getting his reads right and has the pace to get in there, Penisini is covering the winger and Cartwright is working hard on his edge. Sometimes it doesnt work and Russel misses his mark and they score on our right hand side.

Our left hand defence has missed its mark a few more times than the right edge, but it does work lots of times too. In fact Sivo is on the sideline again at the moment not for tackling his opposing winger too hard, but for hitting the 2-in player by coming in hard and fast. If Lane can hold his opposition and help cover the 3-in player on that side, then the defence works.

If we were getting burnt everytime then the scores would be a lot worse than they are wouldnt they?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

But it doesn’t happen to any other team?

Every other team's "defense is rock solid. No improvement needed."

 

[hindy111]

With a couple of starting edge defenders unavailable that's what they should be doing. Do you expect teams shouldn't go any worse with members of their top 17 unavailable?

I've seen this for 10yrs. Its why sides with speed always trouble us. Even sides like the Titans due to having quick backs.

 

[hindy111]

Any side with pace can do that to any other side in a lot of cases.
Roosters with Dom Young did the other night what Newcastle did when they had Dom Young last year.

Yes, our defence on our left edge is super shit at times, but not always.
Seems to me the structure we have is for the winger to jam in on the opposing centre and for our centre, Gutho and Moses/Dylan to slide across and use the sideline as a defender. This helps if the edge forward is able to cover the 3-in man.

This is working on our right because Russel is getting his reads right and has the pace to get in there, Penisini is covering the winger and Cartwright is working hard on his edge. Sometimes it doesnt work and Russel misses his mark and they score on our right hand side.

Our left hand defence has missed its mark a few more times than the right edge, but it does work lots of times too. In fact Sivo is on the sideline again at the moment not for tackling his opposing winger too hard, but for hitting the 2-in player by coming in hard and fast. If Lane can hold his opposition and help cover the 3-in player on that side, then the defence works.

If we were getting burnt everytime then the scores would be a lot worse than they are wouldnt they?

It doesn't happen to the top sides. If we want to become one of them its what we need to fix. Part of issue might be Lane,Simmonson,Harper.... Lane is a bit slow covering. Harpers NSW CUP level. Simmonson is ok. Needs time at centre.