Round 3 V Bulldogs

[OldPanther]

Well someone will need to debut, i like Peachy but not at 6.

Leave him for the bench utility. We kind of need it.

 

[tripster]

Now to a different Cleary hope Nathan is not out for to long, who will Hook pick in the halves? TMM, Moylan, Cartwright? Oh wait, they're all gone.

Gus on Channel 9 just said that early indications for Cleary were 6-8 weeks out.

That’s massive if so.

Probably also means that he doesn’t get picked for Origin, given he won’t have enough games under his belt by the time the first game rolls around.

 

[franklin2323]

So we have 10 or so injuries? Sigh. You might be right about buying someone.

We also can debut someone. Early in season. Luai played in the world cup. Should be enough for 1 or 2 weeks to get some game time. Egan is just great so why not.

Phillips
Jed
Waddell
Ellis
May
Cleary
DWZ
Browne
McKendry
Hetherington (suspended back next week)

All unavailable.

Katoa played a WC semi. He gives the option to move Wallace or Peachey. Also can play there himself less hassel that way

 

[franklin2323]

Gus on Channel 9 just said that early indications for Cleary were 6-8 weeks out.

That’s massive if so.

Probably also means that he doesn’t get picked for Origin, given he won’t have enough games under his belt by the time the first game rolls around.

Merrin missed 4 with the same injury. Though I think we be cautious with him

 

[tripster]

Phillips
Jed
Waddell
Ellis
May
Cleary
DWZ
Browne
McKendry
Hetherington (suspended back next week)

All unavailable.

Katoa played a WC semi. He gives the option to move Wallace or Peachey. Also can play there himself less hassel that way

It is a sensible suggestion. I guess it depends whether or not we want to try disrupting the spine the least. Subbing one player in for Cleary and leaving Wallace in place disrupts the spine the least. I am not sure what is more important however, given that Katoa has excellent service.

Is Katoa a reliably 80 minute player yet?

 

[franklin2323]

It is a sensible suggestion. I guess it depends whether or not we want to try disrupting the spine the least. Subbing one player in for Cleary and leaving Wallace in place disrupts the spine the least. I am not sure what is more important however, given that Katoa has excellent service.

Is Katoa a reliably 80 minute player yet?

No but could do part of the game with Peachey. Like tonight Peachey roamed. May is back next week. Depends how many weeks he takes to get up to speed.

 

[OldPanther]

No but could do part of the game with Peachey. Like tonight Peachey roamed. May is back next week. Depends how many weeks he takes to get up to speed.

Sounds like we have a few options at least. Not panic stations? My anxiety can't handle injury curse years haha.

 

[franklin2323]

Sounds like we have a few options at least. Not panic stations? My anxiety can't handle injury curse years haha.

I rate our juniors. Maloney can play half. Worst case we use Egan or Luai. I guess depends on how long Cleary and May are out for.

The good news is no one will give a chance. I am more confident when we pay $4 to win than $2. Means Gus will be more involved this week too

 

[cain3y]

Gus on Channel 9 just said that early indications for Cleary were 6-8 weeks out.

That’s massive if so.

Probably also means that he doesn’t get picked for Origin, given he won’t have enough games under his belt by the time the first game rolls around.

If that's the case i wonder if cleary's stocks will fall and we can buy at a lower price.

 

[OldPanther]

I rate our juniors. Maloney can play half. Worst case we use Egan or Luai. I guess depends on how long Cleary and May are out for.

The good news is no one will give a chance. I am more confident when we pay $4 to win than $2. Means Gus will be more involved this week too

As long as they fix up the starts. Conceding no points in the second half will become invaluable.

T-Bae shouldn't be too far off right? It's been since September last year.

 

[herbert henry1908]

If Cleary is out for 6-8 weeks we may as well go the positive selection route in Luai.

 

[Exsilium]

If Cleary is out for 6-8 weeks we may as well go the positive selection route in Luai.

Seems the best option

 

[franklin2323]

As long as they fix up the starts. Conceding no points in the second half will become invaluable.

T-Bae shouldn't be too far off right? It's been since September last year.

It's a hard one. We keep switching up the starters and 14-0 is bad but a few of those tries are more bad bounces etc. Yet in the 2nd half things like that kick tonight doesn't happen.

Round 4 or 5.

 

[franklin2323]

Seems the best option

Long term injury he is a must. Should be less than a month going on history

 

[Pomoz]

I don’t think it is a defensive issue, so much as it is poor decision making and errors (both in handing and penalties) early in games and usually in back to back fashion, resulting in us handover ball in good field position to opposition teams .

The tries have come against a weight of possession - I actually think the circumstances we have weathered in the first few weeks show excellent defence, particularly given that we are doing it against fresh opposition who are coming out of the sheds with energy.

One of the most important aspects of good defense is good fitness - that’s the only way you can make tackle after tackle consecutively. The other is good decision making - we seem to mostly be getting that right but could still do with better defensive decision making out wide.

Teams are not busting us in the middle.

Our weakness is mostly limited to Mansour’s edge. I’d hazard a guess that he is responsible for a significant percentage of the tries we have conceded this season. His positioning and inability to turn and chase is costing us. He has lost one foot of pace since his ACL injury and it is exposing him in defence

I agree and he wasn't a fast winger to start with.

 

[Exsilium]

Our timing in defence and attack is way off.
It’s solely due to the halves not having had enough time together. Lead runners and decoys are too flat but the halves are back.

Last year it was that everyone played too flat.

If Cleary is out for an extended period of time then we will benefit from Maloney’s experience.

 

[Pomoz]

Oh and dont get me wrong. Every player had great moments. But most had brain dead moments too.

The talent is so clearly there. But everyone is on a different page... or worse trying to be more than they are. Maloney should have settled us down . But we played a ehole se ond half thinking we needed to score every set. Clearydoes a better job at settling his boys down and picking the time to strike. Although his k tercrpt was the worst play of our game. He sees Morris rushing out and just pins the ears it's atleast s 6 point fecision.

I just can't agree with this and last seasons toiling in the red zone would back it up. I thought Cleary was very ordinary today, although he defended well. He was his usual hesitant self in attack which is why he threw an intercept. The pass was never on. The backline wasn't deep and the centre was too far away. He often looks quite lost in attack. He seems much better in broken play when he just goes on instinct. Maloney schemes and plans his way to create space. We need more of this. The two combined are much more effective.

I think we looked far better when Maloney controlled the team and did the tactical kicking. Cleary's tactical kicking is not that good yet. He just plays the bomb relentlessly. Maloney did a few short kicks every now and then, he played a brilliant kick when he saw Mbye wasn't in the fullback position and we got a penalty from it. You can see Maloney improving a little bit every week and he caused a lot of issues for the Dogs out wide today. If his timing improves just a bit more, we will start to score more tries. He offers more in attack than Cleary when it comes to ball playing, but is nowhere near as effective a runner.

It was a good battle in the forwards and it was good to see we stood up to them and didn't let the NSW pack dominate. Klemmer knew he was in a battle. JFH and CHN stood their ground well, so onya boys. CHN did 37 tackles which is a great effort for a guy on only $100k a year. Sorry MX, I couldn't resist that.

As for the backs, there were plenty of people on here rubbishing the Dogs backs on here, saying the Morris boys were past it. Well they are still faster than most of what we have (maybe Blake can catch them) and Josh Morris pounded out 226m. They owned us today.

 

[Pomoz]

We are just not that talented.

Or well coached.

Thanks for you input Chris. I agree on both points, but we are improving.

 

[Exsilium]

We will bounce back. Everyone relax

 

[Karnivayne]

1. Edwards
2. Chrichton
3. Blake
4. Whare
5. Mansour
6. Maloney
7. Wallace
8. Tamou
9. Peachey
10. RCG
11. Kikau
12. Yeo
13. Merrin

14. Egan
15. CHN
16. JFH
17. Leota