RD8 V Cowboys 1300 Smiles Stadium

[Casper The Ghost]

What is very very clear for me is the new rules make it a much faster game in all areas of the game for 80 minutes so unless we get very heavy wet weather we need to change our approach to this game with our forwards.

We need faster forwards and this means bringing more youth through now so its good bye Fui. What experience we lose with Fui we make up with a faster more powerful forward - what we lose on the swings we gain on the roundabout.

In comes Jnr Paulo and we need to start blooding other young forwards who can play much faster for longer periods than any of our current forward pack.

Rotate them every 15 minutes or so this helps to condition these players in short 15 minute bursts - no more lazy Pauli Pauli playing longer minutes cause he is tired or not used to staying focused at this level of intensity and physical exertion.

This also means giving Peats a break for 10 minutes too.
Put Mau at hooker during Peats Break.

If we don't start making these changes we will continue losing control of the ruck game after game and this won't help at the end of the season. It's better we have an armada of big young forwards coming on and off for 80 minutes now to compensate for this major weak area of our game.

Hope you are listening BA & co....

 

[Y2Eel]

Completions/sets 20/34 (59%)

errors 15

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So who do you replace him with in the Top 25? Because I'm guessing from everything you have dribbled about Top 25/Second Tiers we have already used more than our fair share of Second Tiers players by round 8 to be bothered of blooding someone new.

I don't understand the question. Your clarifying statement has done the opposite of what I assume you've intended.

Fui could be replaced by Terepo, Gower, Paulo (Jr), Tanginoa, Mossop and now Lasalo. Does this answer your question?

 

[Chipmunk]

He and Tonga also made the hit ups the forwards refused to early in the game. Lots of work to recover from and have an impact. Hoppa is going fine

Couldnt agree with you more at all mate. I think people who were expecting Hoppa to be a world beater this year are kidding themselves

 

[tresurehunt]

id like to see ryan morgan come back into the side

 

[bartman]

My earlier comment aside, 4 wins from 8 rounds is a good foundation for the squad to focus on some strengths and now hopefully start to address it's weaknesses.

If the squad and staff are good enough, we will continue in this vain and win 12 from 24 matches, which is usually enough to make the finals.

 

[hineyrulz]

How can BA choose Lasalo? It like SK all over again. Surely Jnr Paulo should get his spot back.

Gower was our middle half this week. He did good. Get rid of Seph Paulo

Junior Paulo was just about the best forward on the field against the bronco's and should have kept his spot in the 17 since then. Besdies Mannah he is easily our best prop IMO and will only get better.

 

[SDM]

Shutup Casper

 

[Chipmunk]

I don't understand the question. Your clarifying statement has done the opposite of what I assume you've intended.

Fui could be replaced by Terepo, Gower, Paulo (Jr), Tanginoa, Mossop and now Lasalo. Does this answer your question?

Is Paulo a Top 25 player?

I doubt Mossop was any chance of taking the field to replace Fui this week, or anytime soon.

If a player is seriously sittiing in the 20s and in the top 25 (Tanginoa), even you must agree that the coaching staff must need to think he needs ALOT more time.

As for Terepo and Gower...How do you replace a player with a player already in the 17?

If we're going to drop Terepo before Fui, then the coaching staff have more of an impression of Fui than yourself,

 

[Bazal]

Junior should play in place of Sefa. Lussick to lock, Junior on the bench. IMO. Fui did defend well early on tonight

 

[yy_cheng]

Junior Paulo was just about the best forward on the field against the bronco's and should have kept his spot in the 17 since then. Besdies Mannah he is easily our best prop IMO and will only get better.

Considering that NQ looked massive against us and their forwards just rolled and rolled.

Mannah is making some stupid errors or giving penalties at really bad times.

I am looking forward to Mossop.

10. Mannah
9 . Peats
8. Mossop
11. Mau
12. Lussick
13. Gower

14. Edwards
15. Junior Paulo
16. Pauli
17. Peni

 

[Chipmunk]

My earlier comment aside, 4 wins from 8 rounds is a good foundation for the squad to focus on some strengths and now hopefully start to address it's weaknesses.

If the squad and staff are good enough, we will continue in this vain and win 12 from 24 matches, which is usually enough to make the finals.

Ive seen enough in the first 8 weeks, from all teams, to suggest we could easily win more than 12 games this season and make the Top 8.

I've also seen more than enough, from all 16 teams, to suggest that we stilll are not that far away from getting the wooden spoon.

I've still got no confidence in this team week to week.

 

[yy_cheng]

I've got a bad feeling Ben Smith will walk back into the team

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Do you think the refs will notice when we make 30 interchanges?

 

[Eelementary]

i didn't think it was that bad. Not anywhere near bad enough to crack it over after a bad loss anyway.

Whoever said the players would be mentally flat picked it. The tone was set from the first try when the kick that ricocheted went to it and I think it was gower just stood there watching.

Very crap result on the surface but 4/8 is where I like to see my teams sitting this early in the season (obviously happier if they are doing better). The team is significantly better than at any time over the last two seasons.

If I were Arthur's' I'd be telling them to have a couple of days off or of light training after tomorrow's recovery then before getting to it have the players look back at the first 8 weeks and being honest with each other about what they did well, what they did poorly; what was so so and how they think personally they could have done it better. Then getting to work on getting it done.

Mate, I saw plenty of shit calls go against us tonight.

I'm not saying we were screwed, but I am saying the refs handed the Cowboys several attacking opportunities on a silver platter.

 

[Y2Eel]

Why did Lasalo play?

 

[hineyrulz]

I've got a bad feeling Ben Smith will walk back into the team

Or Limp.

 

[hineyrulz]

What about the penalty against Norman for the one on one strip??? They scored straight after that BS penalty.

 

[bartman]

I've got a bad feeling Ben Smith will walk back into the team

I'd forgotten he even existed, but now you mention it I fear that you're right.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Is Paulo a Top 25 player?

Yes.

I doubt Mossop was any chance of taking the field to replace Fui this week, or anytime soon.

That's ok. I doubt Fui will get dropped before he's played 200 NRL games anyway.

If a player is seriously sittiing in the 20s and in the top 25 (Tanginoa), even you must agree that the coaching staff must need to think he needs ALOT more time.

I think the main reason he's playing under 20s is because he's eligible. If he played NSW Cup it would take game time away from an over 20 backup player. Both him and Pauli have played NRL and NYC this year without playing NSW Cup.

As for Terepo and Gower...How do you replace a player with a player already in the 17?

In that case, Fui could be replaced in today's 17 by Mossop (eventually), Allgood, Paulo or Tanginoa. Or Gower could start in the prop rotation and Fui could be replaced by Smith (eventually), Edwards (eventually), Loko (eventually) or another edge forward option (Santi or someone from outside the top 25 like Ualesi or Moeroa).

If we're going to drop Terepo before Fui, then the coaching staff have more of an impression of Fui than yourself,

I'm sure they do. As I said, I'm surprised Fui even started the year in first grade. A few other blokes must have plenty to work on. Or we're trying to get him to 200 games.