Rd16: Parra v Penrith GAME DAY THREAD @ Bluebet Stadium 2/7/21

[Poupou Escobar]

How could I forget his name. I apologize. How did the origin star studded team (south’s) fair against the rookies of Penrith in the preliminary final? So much for having an advantage, aye?

They lost by two goals.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We don't have a game breaker like Turbo. We're a different team.

Papali'i? Merkin has become an elite forward. Top five in the game.

 

[hineyrulz]

Papali'i? Merkin has become an elite forward. Top five in the game.

A fully fit Paulo is as well IMO.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I read your stats link and one showed everything of what I am trying to say.

I've been banging on about our attack and it's lack of shape/structure. The fact that we're ninth on the list for decoy runs shows how poor our shape/structure is compared to the top 2 sides.

1. Storm - 879
2. Panthers - 826
9. Eels - 578

The Panthers use around 15% more decoy runs than the third best (729), and the Storm 20% more than the third best.

Given we've played the same amount of games as these two sides, the Panthers used decoy runners 43% of the time, and the Storm 52% more than us.

The Storm have 3 players in the top 4, and 4 in the top 20, for individual decoy runs. We have none in the top 20.

We need to get some attacking structure/shapes that use more decoy runners. This is the area of the game I'm talking about why we need improvement with our attack. This comes down to the coaching staff who in charge of the attack, but also is a large part about 1% effort areas of the players executing it on the field, it has very little to do with talent of the players available on the field. Just get your arse into position and do the job.

Is it just a coincidence that Panthers and Storm are well ahead of the field in this competition, and with this one particular stat they are also streets ahead of everyone else? This is not really a causation statistic that occurs because of other factors (e.g. tries are caused by generally other factors than the actual crossing the line and placing the ball down). Get our decoy runners at the levels to that of the Panthers and the Storm and we will beat any team.

We don't have the toiling forwards for making a lot of decoy runs. What we do have though is hard working backs, which is why we have a lot of support runs.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

A fully fit Paulo is as well IMO.

He doesn't do it often enough. He never has.

 

[hineyrulz]

He doesn't do it often enough. He never has.

I thought he did most of last year, he's form has been down this year i don't think he's been 100% fit.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I thought he did most of last year, he's form has been down this year i don't think he's been 100% fit.

He was definitely better last year, but 2020 was really the outlier for him. 2021 his form is back in line with previous seasons. He isn't elite, but is still very good, and offers a point of difference to many forwards. He's still good enough for Origin, but if they'd picked someone else I'm sure the scorelines would've been about the same.

 

[IFR33K]

They lost by two goals.

But but but they had more origin players.

 

[hindy111]

Tries off kicks are still worth 4 points right?
And if you have the ability to (1) kick to a precise location (2) have the chasers there to pressure the catcher (3) have the skill to get the ball back and score from it, isn't that a valid form of attack?

Or should we just ignore that aspect of the game? Rep selectors always look for halves with a good attacking kicking game, why is that?

People are not ignoring this. They are suggesting that the only way we are able to score isnt off smart attacking play where we can open up a defense but off a lottery. You do understand the difference right?
Papali'i try was nothing planned or great. Just a casual bomb with a solid chase. The fullback decided not to try and catch it, the bounce favoured us. We scored.
Sivo try was a high ball, Blake being tall managed to bat the ball back, it got to Sivo and we score.

Worth the same points? Yeah sure are. But they are only scored with some element of luck to them and no real gaurantee it will work another time.
Very different then a grubber kick that catches someone out of position or for example JAC from 80mtrs out. They are smart plays. Well drilled.

Hoiking the ball high into the air and hoping for a favourable bounce or an opposition error isn't exactly rugby league. Its more a stain in our game if ask me. The only skill involved is the height and placement of kick. And yes this does require skill but its bloody boring and a shitty way to accumulate points if ask me.

If people are unable to see this then they are very one eyed.

 

[hindy111]

FFS when Storm were scoring eleventy tries a game off Cronk kicks, the guy was a genius. Or JT tries off kicks when he/Cows were on fire.

Nek minute it’s the Eels and we suck.

What type of kicks? Smart grubbers? Kicks catching the defense out?
Or just putting it high into the air and have tall guys chase and try and bat it back not forward and the winger catch it and score while defense is scattered?

 

[Kornstar]

Adam Reynolds would have nailed that kick easily.

Mitch just needs to spend the extra hour each night practising at the local oval.

break into the switch box like we used to do to keep the lights on until he’s finished. But you have have to remember to turn them off or the jig is up due to neighbours.

 

[hindy111]

There was a few other moments between a win and a loss. Lane dropping it after getting tackled 1v1, would've resulted in a quick ptb in penrith's half. Gutho throwing an intercept, the short ball was on and Waqa likely breaks the line. Sivo centimetres away from one of the best put downs you'll ever see. Papa not watching the play and letting may score. Opacic not being able to hold onto an intercept he read perfectly.

Those are just the ones I can come up with currently. Putting a win or loss down to one play or one player oversimplifies an 80 minute game.

Yes. And Penrith had bad things also.
Staines letting the ball bounce. Dropping about 6 balls in first half. Two awesome tackles on Kikau.
We had chances and made errors. They had chances and made errors. That's footy.
But they didn't steam roll us either. Id be more concerned if I was a Panthers fan then an Eels fan.
We are imo not in top gear and working things out. Mahoney will add so much to our attack. We still need to work out Dunster wing spot and also our forward rotation.

I would still consider Waqa on the wing. Marata to centre and W.Smith on the bench. Then work on some game plans where Will is 5/8 and Brown shifts to centre.

W.Smith is very unpredictable. Just like Cartwright. It isn't just annoying for fans to watch but also opposition coaches cause they have no idea what the hell they are going to do.
25 mins from each could change a game. Maybe for better, maybe for worse but the bigger the risk the bigger the reward.

 

[hindy111]

We'll play them in week two after Penrith lose in week one.

I hope we get to play them again. I dont see it.

 

[hindy111]

Our attack is much more fluid with Reed, and Reed had a stronger kicking game.

I'd be happy to have Joey on the bench as an impact hooker once Reed is back, though - Joey has played quite well.

I felt a moment that changed game also was Lussick 40/20 attempt. We had no ball and where gassed. It was a good idea but we where rolling forward nicely that set. I think it was just after the 3rd tackle. I remember thinking LIVE had we taken two more good hit ups we are over halfway and win the field possesipn battle which hadn't had for 15mins at an important point of game. In end a poor chase and by memory Too runs 20mtrs.

 

[hindy111]

Yep. Merkins who think our attack is a problem are off their heads. We are playing to our strengths and scoring plenty. But our need to compress in defence puts a lot of pressure on our edges.

We need to mix things up mate. This is what confuses others and makes it hard to defend against.
I like those early Kicks D.Brown did. It may not come off but it makes the winger nervous.
Spreading the ball inside own half also keeps the defense worried.
I do not think we are that far off. And I prefer losing these games now so we can make the little adjustments needed.
What will Panthers do? I reckon play the same if met again. We are the ones who will change and this may get the next time we play......

 

[Bandwagon]

Penrith = brilliant attacking team, full of energy, best halves in the game.

Parra = awful attacking team, slow, useless, both halves should be dropped

Yet surprisingly both teams have scored 79 tries this year

Yeah but Kicks!

FUGGIN KICKS I TELLS YA!!!!

 

[Noise]

I hope we get to play them again. I dont see it.

Penrith? We play them again at Bankwest in the last round.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

But but but they had more origin players.

Penrith had 22 games, Souths had 25. So not much difference. In our game against Souths (with no Mennings or Ferguson) we had a grand total of 1 Origin game in our lineup.

 

[lucablight]

People are not ignoring this. They are suggesting that the only way we are able to score isnt off smart attacking play where we can open up a defense but off a lottery. You do understand the difference right?
Papali'i try was nothing planned or great. Just a casual bomb with a solid chase. The fullback decided not to try and catch it, the bounce favoured us. We scored.
Sivo try was a high ball, Blake being tall managed to bat the ball back, it got to Sivo and we score.

Worth the same points? Yeah sure are. But they are only scored with some element of luck to them and no real gaurantee it will work another time.
Very different then a grubber kick that catches someone out of position or for example JAC from 80mtrs out. They are smart plays. Well drilled.

Hoiking the ball high into the air and hoping for a favourable bounce or an opposition error isn't exactly rugby league. Its more a stain in our game if ask me. The only skill involved is the height and placement of kick. And yes this does require skill but its bloody boring and a shitty way to accumulate points if ask me.

If people are unable to see this then they are very one eyed.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. We are absolutely relying on luck rather than skill to score tries a lot of the time.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

some element of luck to them

Field position + quality kicking + quality kick chase aren't luck. That's why some teams score plenty more from kicks than others do. And of course there's an element of luck. That's why we don't score every time.

But May's and Koroisau's tries also included an element of luck. Papali'i usually makes that tackle, and most of the time we don't leave a big gap up the middle for players to stroll through. Luck plays a role in every try. How did Penrith even get the ball so close to our line in both instances? I guarantee there was an element of luck on both occasions. Players don't usually drop the ball near their own line or throw intercept passes on half way.