Round 13 - Dolphins

[Inisai Toga]

It was just such a poor read between our most experienced players; poor communication i dont know. Makes you question how they train…. Just a bad look so close to the line without a hand on him…?

 

[Phantom V]

The Dolphins were simply much better than Saints and deserved the win. They reminded me of the Saints during the Bennett years. Simple effective footy. Hardly any errors, defence was great and forwards getting past the advantage line.

The ref starved the Saints of possession for about 20 mins which contributed to them being so gassed. Up until then it was tight. Apparently Carr mentioned something in his press conference about the inconsistencies by the ref which I have not seen yet but heard from someone. If so how refreshing having a coach from Saints say something about the refs.

The Saints were lucky to make 30 meters a set. How can any half play on the back of that? The forwards really did them no favours in laying a platform. Amone was getting a lot of ball. He is not really justifying his selections week in and week out. Not sure what the story is there. This season is all about giving these young kids more game time in the NRL and then to re-assess. Bagging these kids each week won't help. 2019 Penrith had a team full of kids - Edwards, Chrichton, Luia, To'o, Cleary, Leota, Kikau, Martin, etc. They finished 10th. Griffin left in 2018. It took a year post Griffin to get these kids playing their natural game again. As Gus said, he coached the footy out of them. Once they got 50 games under their belts they excelled. Bud and Sloan should be closer to that 50 game mark by now but have been blocked hence their delay in hitting their straps. Bud's 3rd year and played his 10 game yesterday. Sloan's 3rd year and yesterday was game 24. Amone is up to game 44 so he should definitely be playing much better.

Sloan is copping a bagging but he really did not have many opportunities to do anything last night. Super coach Bennett put a plan in to nullify the kid and it worked. Watching Buller at the Tigers though you can't help but wonder why he has taken off like a house on fire in a struggling team and Sloan hasn't. I never even heard of Buller until now where as Sloan was getting wraps deluxe from all over the place as the next big star. The experts must surely see something in Sloan to make them feel that way. I suppose the Tigers pack is playing a lot better than Saints are so that makes it easier for Buller. Saints backs are on the back foot most of the time. Hardly much 2nd phase play or quick play the balls out wide.

Isn’t it ironic? We have the Dolphins come into the comp

The Dolphins were simply much better than Saints and deserved the win. They reminded me of the Saints during the Bennett years. Simple effective footy. Hardly any errors, defence was great and forwards getting past the advantage line.

The ref starved the Saints of possession for about 20 mins which contributed to them being so gassed. Up until then it was tight. Apparently Carr mentioned something in his press conference about the inconsistencies by the ref which I have not seen yet but heard from someone. If so how refreshing having a coach from Saints say something about the refs.

The Saints were lucky to make 30 meters a set. How can any half play on the back of that? The forwards really did them no favours in laying a platform. Amone was getting a lot of ball. He is not really justifying his selections week in and week out. Not sure what the story is there. This season is all about giving these young kids more game time in the NRL and then to re-assess. Bagging these kids each week won't help. 2019 Penrith had a team full of kids - Edwards, Chrichton, Luia, To'o, Cleary, Leota, Kikau, Martin, etc. They finished 10th. Griffin left in 2018. It took a year post Griffin to get these kids playing their natural game again. As Gus said, he coached the footy out of them. Once they got 50 games under their belts they excelled. Bud and Sloan should be closer to that 50 game mark by now but have been blocked hence their delay in hitting their straps. Bud's 3rd year and played his 10 game yesterday. Sloan's 3rd year and yesterday was game 24. Amone is up to game 44 so he should definitely be playing much better.

Sloan is copping a bagging but he really did not have many opportunities to do anything last night. Super coach Bennett put a plan in to nullify the kid and it worked. Watching Buller at the Tigers though you can't help but wonder why he has taken off like a house on fire in a struggling team and Sloan hasn't. I never even heard of Buller until now where as Sloan was getting wraps deluxe from all over the place as the next big star. The experts must surely see something in Sloan to make them feel that way. I suppose the Tigers pack is playing a lot better than Saints are so that makes it easier for Buller. Saints backs are on the back foot most of the time. Hardly much 2nd phase play or quick play the balls out wide.

Good luck to the Dolphin’s for their win, however I’m not a fan of expansion in the NRL if it mean’s established clubs like ours, that have to go through a rebuild, have to settle for reserve graders or also ran players to join our club. Not enough talent in the comp at the moment for any more teams in my opinion.

 

[baggygreen man]

Watched Sloan close up esp at First Reciever
Was sharp elusive and offerred good service wide till BIRD stymied the attack
Wouldnt get rag dolled as much at 6
What do we have to lose ?? Perhaps Amone to 1

Been saying the same dd. The bloke has ball skills utilise them. Amone at 1 is interesting. Be plenty of room for him to move at the back. How is he under the bomb tho and organising the defensive line. Still worth a crack., nothing to lose with our season done and dusted.

 

[Dragon David]

"Without really experienced people anyone would find the situation very daunting."

I agree with this statement you made justa. It will be an extremely tough row to hoe when the really hard bits get in the way.

 

[jay mac]

I recall a number of years ago Ricky Stuart saying something about Jamie Soward along the lines of "great touch footy player, but he's scared of the physicality of our game". I've been a huge fan of Tyrell Sloan being promoted to the top squad, but feel like he's very much in this category. His reluctance to cop the contact is reflected in his kick return metres, which are an average of 17.5m per game over the past 4 rounds. With the lack of go-forward in this team at the moment, this is a huge disadvantage compared to the likes of Dylan Edwards who is regularly getting 100m per game. It means our forwards our needing to make extra metres to get back on side, and the flow-on effects to our go-forward are evident for everyone to see.

 

[Outlaw Pete]

My interest wayned in the sport with this expansion. Not enough playing talent to support it and not enough referring talent to support it.

 

[dungay dragon]

You do him a disservice. He is week in week out our best player, our workhorse, he cant make every bloody tackle, there are 12 other blokes in the team. Last four games he has made, 45, 37, 40, 44 tackles, I think there is a 50 plus one during the season too. Do admit tho with all his cred his low hit that had him binned and on report was a bit of a brain explosion.

Well said
had it not been for his 61 tackles in 70 mins , god knows what the score woudve been.....
why cant we experiment with some of the nsw cup boys such as the Manly twins , Lui Toso and young Russell . Worth a try .

 

[Dragon David]

I recall a number of years ago Ricky Stuart saying something about Jamie Soward along the lines of "great touch footy player, but he's scared of the physicality of our game". I've been a huge fan of Tyrell Sloan being promoted to the top squad, but feel like he's very much in this category. His reluctance to cop the contact is reflected in his kick return metres, which are an average of 17.5m per game over the past 4 rounds. With the lack of go-forward in this team at the moment, this is a huge disadvantage compared to the likes of Dylan Edwards who is regularly getting 100m per game. It means our forwards our needing to make extra metres to get back on side, and the flow-on effects to our go-forward are evident for everyone to see.

Agreed jay.

 

[justadragon]

Watched Sloan close up esp at First Reciever
Dont know what he was doing there but anyway.......
Was sharp elusive and offerred good service wide till BIRD stymied the attack
Wouldnt get rag dolled as much at 6
What do we have to lose ?? Perhaps Amone to 1

Like your plan DD, maybe Amone at 3 , Lomax at 1, Hunt 9, trial Sloan and Sully in the halves, if that dosent work , then Hunt back to 7 Sully 6 and Sloan on the wing, anything is worth a shot, as you said what do we have to lose.

 

[Dragon David]

Isn’t it ironic? We have the Dolphins come into the comp

Good luck to the Dolphin’s for their win, however I’m not a fan of expansion in the NRL if it mean’s established clubs like ours, that have to go through a rebuild, have to settle for reserve graders or also ran players to join our club. Not enough talent in the comp at the moment for any more teams in my opinion.

...and in a few years time there will be 18 teams, wtf, and you know that the 18th team will get the better players and a decent coach to have a good start to their inaugural year so that the decision by the ARL would have been the right call and not to be embarrassed. We will again be starved of any useful player coming onto the market.

Unless we can get the right personnel in our establishment who have the capacity and drawing power to get the better players we need, then we will just meander along for years to come.

But in saying all of this, the Dolphins are doing really well under Bennett and I'm glad for them.

 

[baggygreen man]

Liddle was great hence why he did get extended yet his game time dropped significantly shortly after that. Like Lomax he did not get a reason for his dropping either.

Said the same at the time Slippery. Totally bewildering being firstly benched then dropped.. I think like you a case of Griffin playing favorites with Mbye. When Liddle runs and penetrates and with the three amigos also prominent we actually look a decent footy team.

 

[justadragon]

...and in a few years time there will be 18 teams, wtf, and you know that the 18th team will get the better players and a decent coach to have a good start to their inaugural year so that the decision by the ARL would have been the right call and not to be embarrassed. We will again be starved of any useful player coming onto the market.

Unless we can get the right personnel in our establishment who have the capacity and drawing power to get the better players we need, then we will just meander along for years to come.

But in saying all of this, the Dolphins are doing really well under Bennett and I'm glad for them.

The only reason we are expanding is to keep up with the AFL, and guess what the AFL has got it all over the NRL and they are still struggling with player talent, look at NM and WCE. We should have remained how we were and strengthened our position until the time was right in a few years. Now they are talking about bringing in another team before 2027 because the Dolphins were such a huge success.

 

[Dragon David]

Said the same at the time Slippery. Totally bewildering being firstly benched then dropped.. I think like you a case of Griffin playing favorites with Mbye. When Liddle runs and penetrates and with the three amigos also prominent we actually look a decent footy team.

Hook the crook and his merry men. When you play favourites instead of playing the best for the team, it kills the dynamics and as a result, it's bye bye to the Hook the crook.

Liddle should never have been dropped and that is why Hook was dropped.

 

[baggygreen man]

61 tackles in 70 mins

Wow, this is incredible even for the human tackling machine. And one poster called him ''a liability''. God help us if he is suspended for that silly below knee tackle...

 

[jay mac]

Agreed jay.

Would love them to make a play for Blake Taaffe to give us another option there. He's off contract at end of 2023

 

[Parko1310]

Captain Jack De Belin was a liability.

His defensive read for that Nicholls try was as bad as you'll ever see. If Tyrell Sloan made a read like that we'd be calling for his head, but De Belin is supposed to be our defensive leader. He didn't even get close enough to miss the tackle! Dreadful. And then to follow it up with a penalty and a sin bin was unforgivable. Aside from that his "ballplaying" is a Paul Gallen-esque handbrake to the attack. Move him out of lock permanently please.

Mate I understand the conjecture during the week about de Belin being captain. I myself am undecided on that matter in and of itself. But don't let that agenda against him skew the truth. That was Bird's tackle, he completely overran the play for seemingly no reason. Watch it again.

 

[Mojo]

Mate I understand the conjecture during the week about de Belin being captain. I myself am undecided on that matter in and of itself. But don't let that agenda against him skew the truth. That was Bird's tackle, he completely overran the play for seemingly no reason. Watch it again.

Exactly as I saw it.
Bird repeatedly does this. He basically sprinted past the attacker that he should have been marking, which created a huge gap, and there wasn't even another attacking player in the background that he needed to focus on.

 

[Draginzaaar]

I recall a number of years ago Ricky Stuart saying something about Jamie Soward along the lines of "great touch footy player, but he's scared of the physicality of our game". I've been a huge fan of Tyrell Sloan being promoted to the top squad, but feel like he's very much in this category. His reluctance to cop the contact is reflected in his kick return metres, which are an average of 17.5m per game over the past 4 rounds. With the lack of go-forward in this team at the moment, this is a huge disadvantage compared to the likes of Dylan Edwards who is regularly getting 100m per game. It means our forwards our needing to make extra metres to get back on side, and the flow-on effects to our go-forward are evident for everyone to see.

Dylan Edwards gets more like 200M per game. He catches the ball and runs fast to the defence then does his jig.

 

[baggygreen man]

Dylan Edwards gets more like 200M per game.

Good numbers but he is 26/27 with plenty more experience than Sloan, plus is in a top four team.

We were in touch at half time, then within minutes after due to our slow sliding defense and Feagai leaving his wing exposed we were out of it. Being scored against just before the break and just after is a criminal offense in footy.

 

[Dr Fruitbasket Returns]

Well, we’ve got rid of Griffin. Ryles is pushing to get rid of Haran. Now we face the other sobering process of disassembling this clown car of reserve graders and building a competitive first grade team from scratch. If it is Ryles he’ll need that five years.