Round 17 v Bulldogs - Game Day Thread

[hineyrulz]

While I agree with some of the points about our props being poor especially in the second half, our forwards were pretty good in the first half.

In the second half we were going ok until KE makes 3 or so errors in a row, gifting them a try and giving them momentum and a massive lift. From there it was all the dogs, who were playing for the season and we did well to hold on.

Additionally the dogs were pretty much perfect around to ruck in the second half according to the ref .....

KE doesn't go for that stupid f**ken intercept the game probably isn't that close. Momentum is hard to stop at times.

BTW also while dogs haven't won many games they have given a few of the top sides like the storm/Roosters/Brisbane/sharksa good run for their money.

I thought we were very poor straight from the whistle the second half, the Dogs made 70m that first set. BA said as much in the presser.

 

[Djay]

He's not the best we've got, but he's in our top 17. He's a great defender and he makes slightly more metres per run than Nathan Brown. 8.7 vs 8.5...so realistically it's the same.

What he needs to work on is fitness. Often he makes a buttload of tackles and can't back up with the ball. That's where guys like Brown have him covered. Brown just goes all day, Alvaro certainly tries but he can't match Brown.

Plus he definitely puts his hand up for runs when no other merkin will and sometimes gets smacked as a result. I love Brown, but how many times did he take the first hit up in the second half tonight when we needed it compared to Alvaro? You could argue that he also gets found out on those initial runs...personally I think that a senior prop should be taking those, not Brown or Alvaro.

I've kept my mouth shut about Alvaro for a bit now, I wouldn't even compare him to Brown regardless of the stats, Brown is on another level and should be playing Origin, Alvaro wouldn't be in my 17 when we are fully fit no way. His not shown enough to fill the gaps but he isn't gonna get us to that next level plain and simple.

Browns impact on a game is massive, every week week in week out his carting it up twice a set and is bending the line. We need another one like him and we would be infinitely better instantly. That is what we need, his been sensational but having both Mannah and Alvaro hampers us, one is alright but we need someone else it's so obvious.

Imagine him carting it up and then another one, we would be so much better for us.

 

[parra pete]

Unbelievable....

 

[Forty20]

Just planting his front foot with a great big step forwards sir! Nothing to see here...

 

[PARRA_FAN]

I must admit it was an ugly win, but weird we didn't make too many mistakes just didn't make too much ground getting out of trouble, it was like they were so fatigue they couldn't get .

Although the Bulldogs don't offer anything in attack, I thought our defence wasn't too bad.

Brown kept us in the game and gets better every week, definitely the buy of the year for us, but he's been mentioned as the buy of the year overall. Exactly what we needed with when Wicks left.

Matagi had one of his better games too, a few strong runs kept us in the game and I think he's probably suited off the bench after the first 20 minutes.

I think Moeroa should start ahead of Kenny Edwards. I like Kenny's passion but lately he's had the mistake in him with poor handling and discipline.

As for the refereeing, I only saw the replay of the no penalty try when I get home as it wasn't shown at the ground. I can sort of understand why they didn't award a penalty try as the ball did bounce off the post, but not by much. Id say Moses would've got there.

And I'm not surprised we hardly got a penalty the amount of the times the Bulldogs were off side and held down too long was ridiculous. Perenara has always had it in for us. I swear I heard on the ref's mic to check for French's try, even though he was the kicker.

 

[Glenneel]

Mannah is a worry, the dude has dropped off a cliff, but Alvaro is our best defensive prop quite easily and can make metres. He's not the problem.

No Alvaro is not our problem but not our solution either. A park average player imo. We need bigger bodies that bend the line and have an offload in them and need more than Evans. Also a bit of mongrel in them would be a bonus.
Look what Brown brings, not a big body, but his mongrel gets him almost 200m every match. He needs help, big help, otherwise he'll be ground down by the effort and offer nothing, much like the rest of the pack.

 

[Kornstar]

How f**king dumb are reporters? Asking about Moses's rough start with the Eels when we have won 4 from 6 games with him.

Brad put him in his place too!

 

[Glenneel]

Well like I said earlier today, if Gubb is replacing Windscreens he's an upgrade....don't get me wrong, I don't rate him all that highly, but we do need basic back ups given ours are all off contract. We don't know what we're offering. Certainly he won't be a top 17 prop, unless he takes Mannah's spot.

And honestly the way poor Timmy is going Gubb wouldn't be a downgrade there

Shit if Gubb is what we are looking at our pack will NEVER improve. I'm fast losing faith in BA and his sometimes shit recruitment! Foran and Watmough being 2 of his best!

 

[84 Baby]

And where are our f**king bomb blockers? Every other team sits chasers on their ass. And we really need them if teams are going to pepper French with bombs

 

[84 Baby]

Shit if Gubb is what we are looking at our pack will NEVER improve. I'm fast losing faith in BA and his sometimes shit recruitment! Foran and Watmough being 2 of his best!

And Gunco and Brown and Moses

 

[Djay]

How f**king dumb are reporters? Asking about Moses's rough start with the Eels when we have won 4 from 6 games with him.

Brad put him in his place too!

They're so clueless honestly, his been consistently good for me, the Canberra game he was a bit iffy but other then that his been awesome for us, what a buy and I bet they won't sing his praises for how good his defence was either, smh.

 

[Kornstar]

Shit if Gubb is what we are looking at our pack will NEVER improve. I'm fast losing faith in BA and his sometimes shit recruitment! Foran and Watmough being 2 of his best!

You know we've won 9 games this year so far right? The doom and gloom is weird.......

 

[Kornstar]

They're so clueless honestly, his been consistently good for me, the Canberra game he was a bit iffy but other then that his been awesome for us, what a buy and I bet they won't sing his praises for how good his defence was either, smh.

Well he misses some tackles you know? You only buy halves for defence otherwise they're worthless!!!!

I think BA needs to be sacked tbh!

 

[Eelementary]

I must admit it was an ugly win, but weird we didn't make too many mistakes just didn't make too much ground getting out of trouble, it was like they were so fatigue they couldn't get .

Although the Bulldogs don't offer anything in attack, I thought our defence wasn't too bad.

Brown kept us in the game and gets better every week, definitely the buy of the year for us, but he's been mentioned as the buy of the year overall. Exactly what we needed with when Wicks left.

Matagi had one of his better games too, a few strong runs kept us in the game and I think he's probably suited off the bench after the first 20 minutes.

I think Moeroa should start ahead of Kenny Edwards. I like Kenny's passion but lately he's had the mistake in him with poor handling and discipline.

As for the refereeing, I only saw the replay of the no penalty try when I get home as it wasn't shown at the ground. I can sort of understand why they didn't award a penalty try as the ball did bounce off the post, but not by much. Id say Moses would've got there.

And I'm not surprised we hardly got a penalty the amount of the times the Bulldogs were off side and held down too long was ridiculous. Perenara has always had it in for us. I swear I heard on the ref's mic to check for French's try, even though he was the kicker.

He did - he wanted to check if Moses (who was fractionally ahead of French at the time) was offside, even though French regathered the ball...

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

I know that we had a total lack of go-forward last night, epitomised by the fact that we barely got out of our 30m in the second half, but...does anyone else think that Norman did f**k all throughout the game? Moses, at least, put his body on the line and appeared to be having a dig throughout the game, and he did win it for us in the end. I was asking all game, however, where the f**k Norman was.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Perenara has always had it in for us. I swear I heard on the ref's mic to check for French's try, even though he was the kicker.

I thought that was fair enough. A bit of his foot may have been in front of the ball when he kicked it.

 

[eel01s]

I don't know why you are worried about a trip, obviously the NRL aren't.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I know that we had a total lack of go-forward last night, epitomised by the fact that we barely got out of our 30m in the second half, but...does anyone else think that Norman did f**k all throughout the game? Moses, at least, put his body on the line and appeared to be having a dig throughout the game, and he did win it for us in the end. I was asking all game, however, where the f**k Norman was.

Norman did a few good kick chases and a couple of tough runs but you're right, he mostly did f**k all, while supposedly auditioning for Origin.

 

[Forty20]

You know we've won 9 games this year so far right? The doom and gloom is weird.......

Korny is the most reasonable pessimist on here so when he is laying down the law about doom and gloom whinging you know it is for real.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

I know that we had a total lack of go-forward last night, epitomised by the fact that we barely got out of our 30m in the second half, but...does anyone else think that Norman did f**k all throughout the game? Moses, at least, put his body on the line and appeared to be having a dig throughout the game, and he did win it for us in the end. I was asking all game, however, where the f**k Norman was.

Norman's been a bit off since the Cowboys game. He wasn't too bad against the Dragons but really didn't seem like he was there last night. I don't know if he's still injured or not.

Thank goodness we had Moses last night.