Round 7 vs Roosters

[The Damo]

To me, the most concerning aspect was the lack of intent shown by a group of forwards representing what many think is the best pack in the NRL.

There were far too many instances where the Chooks made (on average) 70 metres per set of six yesterday. This is unacceptable.

Yeah I agree, they needed to aim up more in defence in the first half. I also think it took us till the second half to start slowing down the play the ball the same way the roosters were in ge first.

 

[The Damo]

Graham in particular was cooked. He was falling off tackles, slow to cover and laying out of sets like there was no tomorrow towards the end of the 2nd half. This is the first sign of fatigue starting to set in amongst the forwards. Graham needs to be rested more and play shorter stints. Mary needs to utilise his bench better and get rid of Lats for a more dynamic forward. I’d be playing a 4th forward on weeks when we have a short turnaround.

I actually think graham was lucky not to get pulled for HIA after he hit Cronk on one of his kicks.

 

[LINESPEED]

Having Latimore & Ravalawa on the bench was like going into a war with a pop gun. No impact and poor utilisation of the bench. Roosters bench was the complete opposite....it had youth, versatility and energy plus Aubusson as probably the best & most experienced Mr Fix it player in the NRL. Our bench was a 50% after thought!

Sadly it’s all about lack of coaching IQ

& a weak personality that hasn’t the balls to make the right calls

Shame on you Brian & Bruce

 

[j0nesy]

Having Latimore & Ravalawa on the bench was like going into a war with a pop gun. No impact and poor utilisation of the bench. Roosters bench was the complete opposite....it had youth, versatility and energy plus Aubusson as probably the best & most experienced Mr Fix it player in the NRL. Our bench was a 50% after thought!

Spot on

 

[True_Believer]

FMD you really do not get what this place is all about.
If what the coach says in the post game interview means nothing then why have the interview in the 1st place and wouldn't it be fair to say the coach should be honest in what he says and take ownership of the result instead of putting all on the players.
If I don't like what he says then I make comment on it or if I don't like what you say I make comment on that.
I do not attend this place for some communal hugging unless of course we are all seeing our team play at the best it can week in week out and there is nothing much to improve on.
My point in the posts you latched onto is that some teams are professional to the hilt and work hard to be the best every week and some get caught up in making excuse after excuse after excuse which is what we get.
How many times can coach say we need to execute better before you finally get the shits with it and for me today there was a game to be won and it would have been a defining moment and yet again the moment passed us by and coaching quality and intelligence cost us dearly.
We needed to be up for the contest from the get go and we were not and then we need to seize the moment and we didn't do that either and this bum's tenure is littered with this instances.
You say we have things to fix which is good but somehow you are sucked into thinking coach can do it and it is f**king obvious he can't.

Actually, I do get what this place is all about (your response reeks of it). And thankfully, I don't have that same outlook. Enjoy.

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

I agree with Rufes Rex on his summation of the game and in particular his comment on McGregors post match interview...stop making excuses for yourself and the team in general with remarks like thats what happens when you play the best team in the world.....yesterday the Roosters didnt play like the best team in the world...granted we had little possession in the first half, they had all the luck and at times we were screwed over by the refs inconsistant interpretations, but that aside they should have been up by 20 at least in the first half....our boys showed a lot of courage to claw themselves back into the contest after a poor start and a 5 day turn around but once again the best team in the world should have and would have put us to the sword....Ive said it time and time again we have no shape to our game and at times look devoid of basic football structure......and lastly it doesnt help imo when McGregor persists in selecting players like Latiimore and Aitken that add very little to our 17

 

[The Damo]

I agree with Rufes Rex on his summation of the game and in particular his comment on McGregors post match interview...stop making excuses for yourself and the team in general with remarks like thats what happens when you play the best team in the world.....yesterday the Roosters didnt play like the best team in the world...granted we had little possession in the first half, they had all the luck and at times we were screwed over by the refs inconsistant interpretations, but that aside they should have been up by 20 at least in the first half....our boys showed a lot of courage to claw themselves back into the contest after a poor start and a 5 day turn around but once again the best team in the world should have and would have put us to the sword....Ive said it time and time again we have no shape to our game and at times look devoid of basic football structure......and lastly it doesnt help imo when McGregor persists in selecting players like Latiimore and Aitken that add very little to our 17

I get the sentiment, but it’s a fact the Roosters are the best team. So far this year it’s them up top and daylight second. And they tried to put us to the sword, they were blowing us away in the first half but couldn’t convert it into points they way they wanted too. And there’s gotta be some credit to us for that. The selections sure don’t help though. Surely once Korbin is back he’ll drop latimore. Should do it now for Kerr or Timm or even Allgood, but I don’t reckon he will.
I do think our attack is starting to look better though, we created just as many problems for their defence as they did ours, they just had a lot more time in good ball to do it.

 

[Belta]

Spot on

There’s been a few instances in recent games where we have had teams on the ropes but failed to execute basic opportunities (the Rav and Pierra fiasco just another instance) All I could think of was imagine the coach had the nous to put a speedster like Field on the bench. Instead of the mentioned fiasco we’d have Peirra to Field and shut the gate on your way out. Living in a world of delusion really is a good thing.

 

[jeffdragon]

I agree with Rufes Rex on his summation of the game and in particular his comment on McGregors post match interview...stop making excuses for yourself and the team in general with remarks like thats what happens when you play the best team in the world.....yesterday the Roosters didnt play like the best team in the world...granted we had little possession in the first half, they had all the luck and at times we were screwed over by the refs inconsistant interpretations, but that aside they should have been up by 20 at least in the first half....our boys showed a lot of courage to claw themselves back into the contest after a poor start and a 5 day turn around but once again the best team in the world should have and would have put us to the sword....Ive said it time and time again we have no shape to our game and at times look devoid of basic football structure......and lastly it doesnt help imo when McGregor persists in selecting players like Latiimore and Aitken that add very little to our 17

Weren't we criticized for being too structured in the last few years.
Not playing what's In front of the them.

 

[Old Timer]

Actually, I do get what this place is all about (your response reeks of it). And thankfully, I don't have that same outlook. Enjoy.

Then why don’t take up your own suggestion you made re coach
“If you don’t like what I say don’t read it”

 

[Overseas dragon]

1 dufty 2 Periera 3 lomax 4 lafai 5 pearson 6 norman 7 hunt 8 Vaughan 9Mcinnes 10 Lawrie 11 Frizell 12 sims 13 Host
14 Graham 15 luiliau 16 field 17 Kerr ......my impression of yesterday's game Aitken needs to be sent to Toronto with Mary's other love child, Ravalawa needs at least another season to learn the art of wing play .Unfortunately Mary will never learn always a high school coach should never have been handed the keys to the locker room. Unless it was to paint it.

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

Weren't we criticized for being too structured in the last few years.
Not playing what's In front of the them.

Yeah I take your point but thats why I termed it basic structure not necessarily structured full stop....at times we just need to get the basic structure to our game right..ie as in basic opportunities

 

[dino1]

sack mcidoit

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

I get the sentiment, but it’s a fact the Roosters are the best team. So far this year it’s them up top and daylight second. And they tried to put us to the sword, they were blowing us away in the first half but couldn’t convert it into points they way they wanted too. And there’s gotta be some credit to us for that. The selections sure don’t help though. Surely once Korbin is back he’ll drop latimore. Should do it now for Kerr or Timm or even Allgood, but I don’t reckon he will.
I do think our attack is starting to look better though, we created just as many problems for their defence as they did ours, they just had a lot more time in good ball to do it.

You have no argument from me they are the bench mark team and currently the best team in the world....but my point was tbey didnt perform like the worlds best yesterday for whatever reason....therefore based on yesterdays performance McGregor shouldnt use it as another one of his post match excuses....hes not doing our blokes any favours trust me

 

[Gareth67]

I hope L plate constructively unloads on the refs first half performance. I’m not holding my breath though.

He needs to buddy , thar them refs gave the crooks a saloon passage to a victory with some absolutely atrocious decisions that I have seen on a footy field. The beggar gave them 18 straight tackles and a couple of penalties for good measure - as I said simply atrocious !

Still , as we have all recognized there were so many fundamental errors from our boys in the game that it not present would had turned defeat into victory . Loved Paul Vaughan’s big bust up through the middle but the poor fella simply fell over his own big feet - nothing really went right for the Dragons in this game , but they will regroup and come back bigger and better .

 

[LINESPEED]

There’s been a few instances in recent games where we have had teams on the ropes but failed to execute basic opportunities (the Rav and Pierra fiasco just another instance) All I could think of was imagine the coach had the nous to put a speedster like Field on the bench. Instead of the mentioned fiasco we’d have Peirra to Field and shut the gate on your way out. Living in a world of delusion really is a good thing.

Exactly my sentiments
We’d win that game if Jai was there
That kid’s copped such a raw deal

My take is that we should’ve won that game well despite the errors:
1. Lafai just needed another determined half stride & he was over, considering his size & momentum. He seemed to curl up & submit
2. We score under the post in a legitimate challenge for the ball, but have a 12 point turnaround as Zac is knocked off the ball by a Rooster in the air with his shoulder into Zac!
3 Aitkens’ forward pass picked up when 2 Rorters’ ones weren’t.( NB & FFS Don’t throw a pass if it’s going to go forward)

So the score could’ve been 18-0 with 37% possession with a bit of luck (even with some poor first half linespeed)

Anyway that’s after rewatching 30 mins of the first half
A few ifs yes

But the missus is calling
And she who must be obeyed ....

 

[jeffdragon]

sack mcidoit

Then what do you say about Cleary Siebold Brown and co, who are going crap atm.

 

[Gareth67]

Also noticed the trainer calling to the bench very early in the game after Ben Hunt went down injured with what appeared to me be something to do with his hand .

I thought at the time that he was calling for a replacement, however Ben continued to play on apparently injured at that early stage - thus his handling errors became worse as the match progress .

I know that he was eventually replaced in the latter stages , but our goose was well and truly cooked by then . I just hope that this was not another ‘ Korbin Simms episode ‘ with a player remaining on the field when he should had been replaced with an fully fit player ?

 

[Dragonsamy]

Having Latimore & Ravalawa on the bench was like going into a war with a pop gun. No impact and poor utilisation of the bench. Roosters bench was the complete opposite....it had youth, versatility and energy plus Aubusson as probably the best & most experienced Mr Fix it player in the NRL. Our bench was a 50% after thought!

Couldn't agree more Coffs but I have the feeling that Mary just pick 17 players that he wants and then thinks about the bench. Well most of astute coaches are using their bench as a weapon.

 

[gitano]

I actually think graham was lucky not to get pulled for HIA after he hit Cronk on one of his kicks.

I thought this too, it embiggens everyone to get the HIA