Round 2 vs Souths

[Reflector]

Was listening to the radio before the game started. They were saying that the Illawarra has the best football nursery in the world. If that’s true, then why is our team so fuxking shit?

Best football nursery in the world-

Apart from Penrith, Parramatta, the Sutherland Shire and the Hunter Valley, I assume...

 

[maestro1]

I think people need to get past the expectation that experienced = perfect. Cook, Guthos and Val aren't perfect. No one is. They will make mistakes. That is a fact. The fact that Val missed so many conversions, Cook kicked the ball out and then got caught on the last and Gutho missed Marmezoulos on the tryline ALL in the SAME game is just bad luck. They all had really good moments in that game as well. Sometimes it's just the Footy Gods are against you. It didn't help that Klein made sure that souths had every opportunity to get the maximum amount of opportunities in that last 15min. The "forward" pass from Liddle was so line ball........The Storm players must have fell on the ground laughing when Klein called it forward. That is every pass from dummy half for the Storm for 2 decades.

 

[baggygreen man]

Ilias appears struggling under weight of expectation... a run in the Cup might be what he needs.

Post this after at least 6 games. The guy is coming off a season out of league, new expectation. He needs to be given confidence not added pressure. Flanno saw this by foning the kid and apologising for his heat of the moment comments in the post match presser.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

Best football nursery in the world-

Apart from Penrith, Parramatta, the Sutherland Shire and the Hunter Valley, I assume...

it’s the riff…daylight second…then everyone else. Illawarra is no where near the best.

 

[Rocket Rod]

I think people need to get past the expectation that experienced = perfect. Cook, Guthos and Val aren't perfect. No one is. They will make mistakes. That is a fact. The fact that Val missed so many conversions, Cook kicked the ball out and then got caught on the last and Gutho missed Marmezoulos on the tryline ALL in the SAME game is just bad luck. They all had really good moments in that game as well. Sometimes it's just the Footy Gods are against you. It didn't help that Klein made sure that souths had every opportunity to get the maximum amount of opportunities in that last 15min. The "forward" pass from Liddle was so line ball........The Storm players must have fell on the ground laughing when Klein called it forward. That is every pass from dummy half for the Storm for 2 decades.

I agree with all of above. That forward pass from Liddle was flat and is always ruled fair. If Holmes wasn’t off with boot we win. The game against Dogs they scored off a blatant forward pass = 6 points. Holmes off with boot again if not we would’ve won, whether overall we deserved to it doesn’t matter.
Im sure Holmes will return to his 80% soon, just footy gods not smiling on us.
Yes we need to improve a lot like most sides, new combos etc. We should see at halfway mark where we are at. Relax after all we have vastly improved our flair to score some spectacular tries. I have a feeling Sloan will develop into a first class winger he was a shining light in an unfortunate day.

 

[Victoire]

Seated near me at WIN was the trashiest foul-mouthed bogan bitch of a Souths supporter, yet somehow that was still not the worst part of the day. Terrible.

 

[hewi]

Seated near me at WIN was the trashiest foul-mouthed bogan bitch of a Souths supporter, yet somehow that was still not the worst part of the day. Terrible.

Did she have any teeth

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

it’s the riff…daylight second…then everyone else. Illawarra is no where near the best

This is from a 2024 SMH article (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/th...-numbers-staving-off-afl-20240712-p5jt2r.html)

Top 10 areas - junior rugby league registered club participants:

1. Brisbane - 13,649
2. Penrith - 8342
3. Hunter - 7516
4. Gold Coast - 6697
5. Central Coast - 5532
6. Canberra - 5163
7. Parramatta - 5072
8. Sunshine Coast - 5021
9. Cronulla - 4937
10. South Coast Group 7 - 4330

The much vaunted Illawarra Region as a rugby league nursery is a complete myth. It's rubbish. It's worth less than Cronulla.

 

[sammymills]

Flanno expecting a bit much from a guy to ice one in only his second game with us. Still feeling his way and having to learn to play with a new halves partner. Flanno there were years of experience in the three new recruits to get us the win but they too came up short. I watched Ilias closely in the full replay, he is a talker, I like this. He pulled off plenty of good plays, from the money pass for Sloans second, chip for our third, grass cutting tackles, to tidying up mistakes, such as Cooks in goal fumble. Expect improvement from Lachlan Ilias once he settles into his role.

my favourite play was him smashing Jye Gray. That little prick gives me nightmares.

 

[RED73V]

I think people need to get past the expectation that experienced = perfect. Cook, Guthos and Val aren't perfect. No one is. They will make mistakes. That is a fact. The fact that Val missed so many conversions, Cook kicked the ball out and then got caught on the last and Gutho missed Marmezoulos on the tryline ALL in the SAME game is just bad luck. They all had really good moments in that game as well. Sometimes it's just the Footy Gods are against you. It didn't help that Klein made sure that souths had every opportunity to get the maximum amount of opportunities in that last 15min. The "forward" pass from Liddle was so line ball........The Storm players must have fell on the ground laughing when Klein called it forward. That is every pass from dummy half for the Storm for 2 decades.

I understand your logic and don’t expect perfection as a die hard supporter. As you stated experience is everything in the clutch moments and the backend of games. Bearing this in mind there was no leadership from these experienced players who have hundreds of games under their belts. I thought they lost direction and more than likely didn’t stick to the game plan under pressure. This is those players most valuable assets in tight games, knowing how to stay calm and focused on their roles in the team and lead by example. I know we are only 2 games into the season but these qualities have not been evident yet. Just really disappointing

 

[Victoire]

Did she have any teeth

Sufficient to claim the plural "teeth", I guess. Her main outbursts were shrilly yelling for Souths to "FLICK IT TO THE F**KIN WING".. and I'm like stfu you dumb bitch there are kids here and besides Jye Gray is carving us right through the middle just fine. Seriously though, we let this game go astray as easily as this mole's childhood did

 

[maestro1]

I understand your logic and don’t expect perfection as a die hard supporter. As you stated experience is everything in the clutch moments and the backend of games. Bearing this in mind there was no leadership from these experienced players who have hundreds of games under their belts. I thought they lost direction and more than likely didn’t stick to the game plan under pressure. This is those players most valuable assets in tight games, knowing how to stay calm and focused on their roles in the team and lead by example. I know we are only 2 games into the season but these qualities have not been evident yet. Just really disappointing

It happens to the best of them. I'd rate Adam Reynolds as one of the best game managing halfbacks of the last decade and even he got it wrong in 2023 GF. I'd start to worry if Guthos, Cookie and Val shit the bed in close games habitually like Ben Hunt used to for us. I think that if Guthos, Cook and Val find themselves in 10 close games this season, they'll deliver as a leadership group in at least 7 of those games.

 

[maestro1]

This is from a 2024 SMH article (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/th...-numbers-staving-off-afl-20240712-p5jt2r.html)

Top 10 areas - junior rugby league registered club participants:

1. Brisbane - 13,649
2. Penrith - 8342
3. Hunter - 7516
4. Gold Coast - 6697
5. Central Coast - 5532
6. Canberra - 5163
7. Parramatta - 5072
8. Sunshine Coast - 5021
9. Cronulla - 4937
10. South Coast Group 7 - 4330

The much vaunted Illawarra Region as a rugby league nursery is a complete myth. It's rubbish. It's worth less than Cronulla.

South Coast Group 7 doesn't include the Illawarra comp which has iconic clubs like Wests, Dapto, Port Kembla, Collegians, Thirroul, Helensburgh, Corrimal, Wollongong juniors. So you would need to at least double that number. It is definitely not a myth. The Illawarra and South Coast is a massive junior Rugby League area.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Campbell Graham has pretty much won Souths 2 games in 2 weeks they had no business winning. If he wasn’t playing yesterday I think CT would’ve scored another hat trick. Rock solid in defence.

Campbell Graham was very good in defence out wide and was a huge contributor to their win.

I thought up to the 60th Minute Saints really played well to withhold a huge amount of six again close to the line and a penalty try from Badger just could not resist but to give to Souths to make her day. Gray could have regathered it easily after Sloan or whoever touched him but he fumbled it. Badger was the person in the VAR a few years ago against Manly when the ref sent it upstairs to check for grounding and she said the exact words "The player grounds the ball, no try" and left everyone confused. She simply should not ref Saints games as she has a clear bias. Of course she would allow that try to Souths. I did not think it would come back to bite but it sure did. And Souths were constantly getting 6 again for tackles that Saints were defending for "inside the 10" when they were on the line? How is that possible so many times?

Round 2 last year and Saints had scored a total of 5 tries. None in the second game against guess who's team? Yep Wayne Bennett. We should keep away from playing a Bennet team in round 2. Scoring 9 in 2 games (4 in game 1 and 5 game 2) shows the attack is improving. They actually look more likely to score now in the red zone than last year. At the 60 minute mark did you honestly see Saints losing this game? Liddle then gives away a forward pass when Souths look down and out. Arrow is off, and I noticed Campbell Graham looked gassed. That was a momentum killer. Saints were looking comfortable and then Souths somehow score another soft try and then the game just changed.

Saints looked like a really arrogant side to be honest in the end thinking they won this at the 60 minute mark and got absolutely humiliated by a depleted Souths. Their attitude really stinks. They did not go for a field goal because they honestly did not believe Souths would win. They were singing the team song in their heads. This is the team that conceded 40+ most games a season that thought that their defence is that much better than last year that they can hold teams out and grind a win? Since when? Seriously Saints need to appoint a new assistant coach for defence. The tries scored were extremely soft. If there is a swear jar, their should be a soft tries jar. If that was the case it would be over flowing from last year.

You look at the young chooks pack taking on the Panthers and see them give it a real crack. And then a young Raiders pack take on the massive Bronco pack and you wonder why the young Dragons boys are not brought on sooner rather than later? Couchman and Stewart were probably the 2 best. Surely Latu, Tonga or Egan cannot be any worse than Lawrie and Luc? Luc is so hot and cold but unfortunately mostly cold. I was hoping Flanno would change that in him but it is not looking likely.

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

South Coast Group 7 doesn't include the Illawarra comp which has iconic clubs like Wests, Dapto, Port Kembla, Collegians, Thirroul, Helensburgh, Corrimal, Wollongong juniors. So you would need to at least double that number. It is definitely not a myth. The Illawarra and South Coast is a massive junior Rugby League area.

And yet it didn't make the top 10. Illawarra is less than Cronulla.

 

[InFlannoWeTrust]

I thought Ilias went alright. Nice little passes in our tries; tackled really hard and kicked deep. More experienced players in our team made more errors than him that proved costly. I'd leave him where he is and let him grow in confidence.

Have to agree with this . I thought his kicking game was good. Got us out of our end fairly well with some long kicks which we have struggled with in the past.
There was enough experience with Gutho,Holmes,JDB, Sua, Luch to ice that game.
and they all didn’t live up to that !

 

[maestro1]

And yet it didn't make the top 10. Illawarra is less than Cronulla.

It didn't mAke the top 10 as they have only counted Group 7. YOUR list has left the whole of the Wollongong catchment out of the count. The Wollongong comp is the city and surrounds. Group 7 is from the southern boundaries of the Wollongong comp. YOUR list has more than halved our catchment. Is this not making sense.

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

It's not my list. It's the SMH list. They compiled it. I'm just presenting the figures as they stated them. If you have better figures, please provide them. People often state what a great junior nursery we have, but when you look for data, there's no evidence that this is in fact the case.

 

[TheRev]

South Coast Group 7 doesn't include the Illawarra comp which has iconic clubs like Wests, Dapto, Port Kembla, Collegians, Thirroul, Helensburgh, Corrimal, Wollongong juniors. So you would need to at least double that number. It is definitely not a myth. The Illawarra and South Coast is a massive junior Rugby League area.

100% I cant believe how many guns r coming thru down south (womens dominant also), and im only following the Steelers HM/SG sides... surely someone has those sort of numbers on tap?

There is a whole separate country competition which I dont follow because its too much footy for my brain, but they go by 'Illawarra South Coast Dragons' and has comps like Laurie Daley and Andrew Johns Cup.. we do really well in that also.. but other clubs have sides there too, including tigers, dogs, newcastle etc.. no idea how our numbers compare there.

Anyway I spent about half an hour trying to find the numbers without success.. doesnt seem public info, there was 1 article I couldnt access if anyone has a Daily Tele Subscription, you need to actually interact with the real page not the archive (LINK).

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

This is from a 2024 SMH article (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/th...-numbers-staving-off-afl-20240712-p5jt2r.html)

Top 10 areas - junior rugby league registered club participants:

1. Brisbane - 13,649
2. Penrith - 8342
3. Hunter - 7516
4. Gold Coast - 6697
5. Central Coast - 5532
6. Canberra - 5163
7. Parramatta - 5072
8. Sunshine Coast - 5021
9. Cronulla - 4937
10. South Coast Group 7 - 4330

The much vaunted Illawarra Region as a rugby league nursery is a complete myth. It's rubbish. It's worth less than Cronulla.

Time to de-merge and merge with Brisbane