Rd6: EELS v Tigers GAME DAY THREAD @ Accor 10/4/23

[Noise]

Off-field leadership, management of staff and contribution to strategic decision-making, along with other execs/managers in the club. He also does the pressers, which makes idiots think he's responsible for every decision the club makes.

Are you liking what Hodgson brings?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Source ?

Sure, you go first. I'd love to see a source that he blamed Waqa Blake for our early season form. Maybe he blamed Sean Russell for being unavailable?

 

[Incorrect]

We have always struggled against nippy merkins through the middle. It's why Souths kill us.

It would be good if the coaching staff recognised and addressed this no?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So maybe we should keep our better defensive hooker on

Maybe he wouldn't be better defending against two fresh starters?

 

[hindy111]

Fixing it would mean getting rid of Paulo, who is part of the furniture now. I'm sure the club would get rid of the coach before him.

I don't think so. We lost JNR to Canberra for a few years plus when he is suspended. BA seems happy to play a guy like Grieg who is far worse.
I think we may need to tap Hodgson on the shoulder. He looks weak and slow. Maybe give him untill rnd 10. BA is increasing HANDS minutes so is aware. But Hands bar being strong in defense and ok passing has offered nothing to the attack at all. Zero. I'm not as convinced as others seem to be that he is the answer. I want to see some craftiness. To be fair he has probably been told to keep it simple.
We also need another back and Prop.
Russel/Simmonson combo would be ok worse case.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Fang is spewing..

 

[Soto]

We seemed to play even more conservative if at all possible when we had our biggest lead.
Poor Dunster and Penisini had shockers in defence and it was like it was the first time they've played together.
Let's give credit to the Tigers too. They saw a weakness and kept working it.
That winger Tupou is a beast. He runs with determination and not lazy hitups waiting to get belted. He makes u tackle him.
I actually think the Tigers will get it together once their guns, Koroisau, Bateman, Papalii, Utoikamanu with good support from Staines, Tupou, Brooks and Toa click. Brooks is ok when he's the support not the main man. It has to start with Koroisau for them. One thing they have got is fitness. They have only lost 1 second half.
We will be much better with Junior back, Lane playing more games and more Hands less Hodgson.
I would be dropping Makatoa and Murchie and bringing in Junior and Doorey or Moretti.
Bench of Hopgood, Greig, Hands and Doorey/Moretti is much better than what we had today. I've tried to like and support Makatoa's inclusion but it's got to stop now. He offers zilch.
Moretti looks promising with good leg speed, attitude and workrate. Don't think Doorey should've been dropped regardless

 

[TheCrowe]

So for those that missed the post match Dunster rolled his ankle last week and only got one training session in on Saturday. I think we can give him another chance. Not many alternatives.

 

[Legal Eel]

As soon as you name a single player you’re looking for a scapegoat and not seeing the game objectively. Our biggest issue today was unforced errors (a matter of luck, imo). Our second biggest was our right edge defence, which is a team problem.

That means Hodgson is definitely our biggest problem - because you know nothing about rugby league

actually, what am is saying? If you disagree with something publicly, it means deep down you actually agree with the proposition - but your contrarian troll persona means you must oppose the point!

 

[Incorrect]

Maybe he wouldn't be better defending against two fresh starters?

Maybe he wouldn't be as bad as the old bloke competing with Doueihi for holder of worst ACL's in the comp? Maybe there is a God? Maybe you don't actually believe the stuff you post? Lots of maybes...no definitive evidence on any count...

 

[84 Baby]

They deserved to win and if Staines doesn't drop that ball I reckon they do.

On that though, that was clutch play by Gutho. He put that dropout exactly where it needed to be. If certain other players did it, people would be raving about the kick, not the drop

 

[84 Baby]

That means Hodgson is definitely our biggest problem - because you know nothing about rugby league

actually, what am is saying? If you disagree with something publicly, it means deep down you actually agree with the proposition - but your contrarian troll persona means you must oppose the point!

Can you honestly say you aren’t obsessed with Pou?

 

[Noise]

Maybe he wouldn't be better defending against two fresh starters?

Agreed. He’d be good coming off the bench for reserve grade.

 

[Incorrect]

So for those that missed the post match Dunster rolled his ankle last week and only got one training session in on Saturday. I think we can give him another chance. Not many alternatives.

Ankle injury aside, the way he was dropping off tackles at first contact was alarming. As @strider pointed out to me earlier, Burton would give Waqa nightmares next week with is huge boot, so do we give Haze another chance? Might as well flip a coin....

 

[Incorrect]

On that though, that was clutch play by Gutho. He put that dropout exactly where it needed to be. If certain other players did it, people would be raving about the kick, not the drop

And Gutho set up that last try for Sivo perfectly also. My god, what a debacle of a team we would be without him.

 

[Happy MEel]

Maybe he wouldn't be better defending against two fresh starters?

Was our middle struggling prior? At least assess the situation. Arthur’s “solution” didn’t really work. It hasn’t consistently.

 

[TheCrowe]

Ankle injury aside, the way he was dropping off tackles at first contact was alarming. As @strider pointed out to me earlier, Burton would give Waqa nightmares next week with is huge boot, so do we give Haze another chance? Might as well flip a coin....

Its pretty slim pickings. If Lumelume didnt have major brain explosions Id prefer him. At least he has some pace and puts in.

 

[Stevie]

I’m disappointed with the lack of hip drops from our side. It’s like we don’t even care.

 

[84 Baby]

It would be good if the coaching staff recognised and addressed this no?

This makes Hodgson even more troubling. He doesn’t cover the props for the problem but also he is being exposed by the same players.

 

[DaveMc]

I don't think so. We lost JNR to Canberra for a few years plus when he is suspended. BA seems happy to play a guy like Grieg who is far worse.
I think we may need to tap Hodgson on the shoulder. He looks weak and slow. Maybe give him untill rnd 10. BA is increasing HANDS minutes so is aware. But Hands bar being strong in defense and ok passing has offered nothing to the attack at all. Zero. I'm not as convinced as others seem to be that he is the answer. I want to see some craftiness. To be fair he has probably been told to keep it simple.
We also need another back and Prop.
Russel/Simmonson combo would be ok worse case.

I don’t think having a hooker who can just distribute and make his tackles is such a bad thing with this squad structure. Just give good service, and when the remainder of your spine is Moses, Brown, and Gutherson, that’s good enough.

It‘s why the Hodgson signing always struck me as being a bit weird. Arthur has always preferred dummy halves that just distribute. My biggest concern with Hodgson coming in (beside injury risk) was that he’d end up overplaying his hand and deprive Mitch of good ball. That hasn’t happened too much yet, but everything else with Hodgson has been more of a problem.