Round 11 v Rabbitohs 22 May 2015

[Eelementary]

Everyone was saying the exact same thing about Watmough. He is in career worse form and lost is origin spot for the first time in years. I'm predicting the same to happen to Scott.

1. Despite all the naysayers, Watmough is not playing poorly - particularly in defence.

2. Scott defends on the edges, and that's where we need most help.

 

[Eelementary]

Foran is a great signing but sorry I just can't get enthused about adding Scott to BA's other signings. Signing up all these over 30 players brings back too many nightmares of Arthur's last tenure at Parra under Kearney when they signed the likes of Hick, Walker, Whateria and Webb. Yeah, that worked out for us.

Are you serious? Are you honestly comparing a current Blue and integral part of the Blues machine in Scott to blokes who were lucky to get one game of Origin, just because they're all a similar age?

Now I've heard everything.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

1. Despite all the naysayers, Watmough is not playing poorly - particularly in defence.

2. Scott defends on the edges, and that's where we need most help.

Is that because our edge defenders are shit? Or is it because they all bunch in? And are they coached to do that?

 

[Eelementary]

Is that because our edge defenders are shit? Or is it because they all bunch in? And are they coached to do that?

I've no idea tbh.

I have, however, noticed that our edge defenders need help dominating in defence - they have trouble putting attackers down one-on-one, and Scott is excellent at this if nothing else.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Sports science. It's why Hindmarsh can't dance, or something.

 

[strider]

what about the other edge?

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

I've no idea tbh.

I have, however, noticed that our edge defenders need help dominating in defence - they have trouble putting attackers down one-on-one, and Scott is excellent at this if nothing else.

They sure do. But the other night I wondered if we might not be better off not putting the player down. The opposition get a few metres but the defence gets time to get back. As long as they don't offload. (A funny one was when Morgs came in as the the third tackler, and when he hit he removed a tackler and allowed an offload).

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Is that because our edge defenders are shit? Or is it because they all bunch in? And are they coached to do that?

Takairangi and Pauli are ordinary on the left and Sandow and Moeroa are ordinary on the right.

And by 'ordinary' I mean below average for their position in the defensive line. You would expect Pauli and Moeroa to improve with experience but they'll never be as good as Beau Scott. And Foran is the best defensive halfback in the game along with Cronk and Sutton.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Takairangi and Pauli are ordinary on the left and Sandow and Moeroa are ordinary on the right.

And by 'ordinary' I mean below average for their position in the defensive line. You would expect Pauli and Moeroa to improve with experience but they'll never be as good as Beau Scott. And Foran is the best defensive halfback in the game along with Cronk and Sutton.

Yep. The description of Taka and Pauli's defence is pretty fair. And for Sandow and Moeroa it's generous. Sandow is bad. Tepai too, but he will get better. I'm excited about Scott. I think he's the Watmough we needed.

 

[Noise]

They sure do. But the other night I wondered if we might not be better off not putting the player down. The opposition get a few metres but the defence gets time to get back. As long as they don't offload. (A funny one was when Morgs came in as the the third tackler, and when he hit he removed a tackler and allowed an offload).

The ideal way to do it is to wrestle them while they are standing for as long as possible and as the ref is about to say held put them on the ground on their back. We just hold them up letting them offload or put them straight on the ground and they have a quick play the ball or lay on them flat (Moroea and Mannah are shocking for this) giving away a penalty

 

[BennyBoy]

But unlike Watmough, Scott and Foran, Chris Sandow was unproven in first grade. He was just a young, exciting player with plenty of potential. Likewise Lussick and Hopoate.

Make sure you're comparing apples with apples. Senior recruits with 100+ NRL games aren't the same as 22 year olds with only a couple of seasons under their belts, who aren't the same as 17 year olds who have never signed a senior contract. The only place you'll get value is in the first and third categories. It's the middle category that is likely to f**k your salary cap. The reason is you know what you're getting with the proven first grader, while the unproven teenager doesn't count under your top 25 cap (unless you're f**king mad).

My point was it is all well and good for you to outline your forward predictions and entertain us with your insights but reality is, and results of our last 8 years of good planning, prove it rarely turns out that way. None of your logic covers the fact that you are just hoping to get that outcome.

 

[BennyBoy]

Are you serious? Are you honestly comparing a current Blue and integral part of the Blues machine in Scott to blokes who were lucky to get one game of Origin, just because they're all a similar age?

Now I've heard everything.

Yeah that's exactly what I was doing :roll: :crazy:

 

[souths_pride]

So do you reckon Stewart will be at your club for 4-5 years? Do you reckon Maguire thinks so?

Souths turned their fortunes around from perennial easybeats when they signed veterans Asotasi, Crocker and co to mentor the young players they poached from elsewhere. Even now they are still signing veterans like Tuqiri and Glenn Stewart. Clubs need a good mix of youth and experience and Parra has been short on the latter ever since a bunch of old quitters retired in the last four or five years. Plus we stopped poaching elite juniors when Smith left and only started up again in 2011.

No I don't think he will be at the club for the next four to five years - thats why I said it was a really strange sort of signing. However, like I said, I think he was bought more for his skills and playing ability than to add experience. Tuqiri, I believe, was signed simply because we needed a winger and we only had limited space available under our salary cap. In saying that, as an unexpected benefit, he may have had an influence on Alex Johnston's development but its hard to say that for certain without being there. As for Asotasi, when we signed him he was the best front rower in the world and at the peak of his career - he was at the club for a good 6 or so years.

In saying that, I do agree that you need experience but like I keep saying, you've got that! What you need is a coach who can nurture these youngsters and maybe one or two highly talented players who will be at the club for a good 5 years at least. I'm starting to think someone like Michael Potter would be ideal for Parra...

 

[Avenger]

Souths have been assisted by having one of the better number 7's in the comp with a great kicking game and arguably the best goal kicking ability in the comp. That once in a generation Pom called Sam Burgess also helped.

 

[Kornstar]

Can't fault you for that bro, getting a bit that way myself.

Just be like me and expect a loss every game.
That way you rarely get let down.

Tried that but then as the game unfolds they give me a ray of hope only to let me down again in the dying minutes. It's merciless.

Merkins get you back in every time.

I do expect to lose every game and then as BennyBoy said, they keep themselves in the game to get me to think they can win and then proceed to do the dumbest shit you can do on a football field to shatter us.......

 

[Poupou Escobar]

My point was it is all well and good for you to outline your forward predictions and entertain us with your insights but reality is, and results of our last 8 years of good planning, prove it rarely turns out that way. None of your logic covers the fact that you are just hoping to get that outcome.

It has already turned out that way. The following players from our Nolan-era 'academy' are contracted for next year:

Folau
French
Fuimaono
Lavaka
Matterson
Moeroa
Paulo
Radradra
Toutai
Twal

With the pending retention of Aloiai, Davis, Dockar-Clay, Goodall, Pauli, and Pritchard.

The oldest of these is Radradra, who is only 23 this year. His breakout season was 2014, when he turned 22. Of that list the only ones who are 22 this year are Junior Paulo and Vai Toutai. The rest are between 19 and 21 this year.

If you're expecting a bunch of young blokes in their late teens/early 20s to be solid first graders you know nothing about player development.

 

[Eelementary]

Yeah that's exactly what I was doing :roll: :crazy:

That's pretty much exactly what you did...

Beau Scott, at least in defence and aggression, is miles ahead of Hicks, Whatuira, Webb et al.

 

[BennyBoy]

It has already turned out that way. The following players from our Nolan-era 'academy' are contracted for next year:

Folau
French
Fuimaono
Lavaka
Matterson
Moeroa
Paulo
Radradra
Toutai
Twal

With the pending retention of Aloiai, Davis, Dockar-Clay, Goodall, Pauli, and Pritchard.

The oldest of these is Radradra, who is only 23 this year. His breakout season was 2014, when he turned 22. Of that list the only ones who are 22 this year are Junior Paulo and Vai Toutai. The rest are between 19 and 21 this year.

If you're expecting a bunch of young blokes in their late teens/early 20s to be solid first graders you know nothing about player development.

Seriously Pou, I do enjoy reading many of your posts but sometimes you over estimate your own opinion way too much.

Time will tell if all those listed become good first graders or whether they simply fade away like many promising youngsters before them. At this point of time, which is what I am going by, we are basically running last in every grade and as much as you want to pump them up they are not delivering on the field, yet. I'm not writing them off but as yet it is still just potential you're hoping will translate into outcome.

So as of this moment, based on current results, you have shown you know no more on player development than I do which is indeed SFA. At least you got that part right. :lol:

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Now you're blaming our table position on a bunch of 20 year olds? I might know f**k all but I certainly know plenty more than you about this. You've shown you're not even qualified to judge how much someone else knows. You should stick to gloating about our poor form.

 

[Twizzle]

yeh, it seems to be all the rage atm

I'm sure some people like it when we are shit so they have a genuine reason to whinge