Yea lads!! Bloody great to get a decent win against a quality Newcastle side and what a game it was! A really, really enjoyable game to watch as it was fast flowing and quite close at times. It was a pretty good performance from our boys tonight, not perfect, but pretty good and it was really good to see.
When we used the ball in attack, we looked friggin brilliant and our free-flowing footy was awesome. The start was very fast with those two quick tries and every set play we did tonight looked really slick and caused havoc for the defence. I think tonight we struck the perfect balance between finesse with the ad-lib, free-flowing moves/set plays and the power game as the forwards were really making metres and allowed everyone else to play like that. I will be honest that I was a little disappointed we went into our shell for that period there though and once we hit the front, we kind of stopped attacking. This is what let the Knights back into the game and we can't keep doing this against other teams or we'll pay big time. It wasn't until the Sio bombed try that we kicked back into gear and from then on, it was just the brilliant way it had been earlier. The completion rate was bloody awesome too which went a long way towards getting the win.
Defence gets the pass mark but it could've been a lot better. We missed some soft tackles tonight which should have been made and lead to line breaks, some of these line breaks led to tries when they swung it to the other side of the field. Sliding in defence at times is still an issue and there was a period of the game there where the Knights were really coming and the line speed was almost non-exsistant, this needs to be addressed. I also think we gave Ponga far too much space at times. A lot of these times, our line just hung off and waited for him to weive his magic which he did a few times to make us pay. We should've been up in his face imo trying to limit his time. Still, I know they missed all those conversions but we held them to 18 which is a pretty good effort.
Johnston: So good. Man, he chimed in well at the back, he really picked his moments and was identifying opportunities really well and this led to him having a hand in some great tries off sweeping set plays. I also liked him popping up through the middle in this game as he did for that line break he made, it's a shame the pass for Crichton went astray as he probably would've scored. Kick returns and postioning were very good also, a top performance.
Graham: Has showed improvement from last year already. Looked really determined and had a very strong running game coming out of our own end. How good was it to see the kid get his first ever try in the NRL?!!
Inglis: Was good. He looked really fast and dangerous tonight, everytime he touched the ball, he just looked sharp and really troubled their defence at times with his strong runs coming out of our own end and close to the line. Defence was allgood apart from that missed tackle for Mata'utia's try. Awesome to see him cross the stripe too just to ice the game, that was a great site. One thing I will say though is that I still want him more involved.
Gagai: Much improved from last week. He fixed up his defence and didn't have too many dramas this week which was good. Of course, as always he was dangerous in attack and was breaking plenty of tackles. It was so friggin good to see him finally score in the mighty Red and Green, and that must feel great for him. Like GI though, I think we stil need him more involved.
Jennings: Not bad at all. Did a lot of work coming from our own end and I just love his runs, always with purpose and intent. It shows as he started our sets really well tonight. Finished off a nice backline movement very early on and he was safe under the high ball.
Walker: Pretty good. It's awesome that he's even out there considereing his mother passed away during the week and he put on a good show for her. Looked really dangerous for much of the game as always with his probing runs. He's such a good orchastrater down that left edge because he has the licence to play what's in front of him. It's clear to see our set plays can vary and evolve based on what Cody sees and it's him that determines that, that showed tonight. In saying that, at times I though his pass selection and option chosing could've been a littlie better.
Reynolds: Was also pretty good. Reyno is certainly growing in confidence and it's showing as he's playing more direct and even when he goes out the back, he's taking the line on as we saw tonight which holds up the defence a bit and gives his outside men a bit of space and a lot of options. His kicking game is also returning! Had the ball on a string like the good old days apart from a couple of kicks. Good to see Reyno hopefully returning to form.
T.Burgess: A nice game from him. This is the performance he's consistently turning out and it's exactly what we need from him. Just put ya head down and pump, pump, pump. That's what he did every run tonight and he busted out a few good stinits. Really layed the platform for those around him to work with and he did a great job.
Cook: Imo, that is up there with one of his best games this year too. Just so instrumental in our win. Crisp passing to get the forwards coming onto the ball and I've noticed he's been starting to give some long passes from the play-the-ball, especially tonight. This already bets 3-4 defenders and gives those outside him space. Cookie's running game was brillaint too. As always, he kept defenders honest and as soon as he saw a marker out of place bang, he's off. Loved his try, that was just pure acceleration and determination.
G.Burgess: Much the same as Tom's comments, a really good performance and George put in a big effort and tried really hard. The twins have had a clear change in attitude this year and it's paying off. Last year, they'd sort of trot to the line where as now they're running really hard and playing with aggression.
Sutton: Continues to wind back the clock and did the same thing he's done all year. He got through a lot of work and it was all quality with some nice runs. Him, GI and Cody are forming a deadly combination. I'll admit, I though Sutto was past it but he's honestly been one of our best this season, I'm loving it.
Crichton: Was good. A strong running game and he had a lot of them which is good to see. He was better defensively and him, Reyno and Gagai seemed to comunicate better tonight. Could've scored off AJ's break if the pass was a bit better but oh well. I'm just waiting for the moment he bursts through off one of those Reynolds short balls.
Murray: Almost every game, I just sit there in awe of him. He's not massive but has a massive heart and work ethic. The work he got through tonight was first class, chewing through the metres with a massive work load, slowing down the ruck and those textbook chop tackles, just wow. This kid is special.
Doueihi: Not really much to sy as he came on late but it's interesting to note that he played dummy half, what's everyones thoughts on that? Did Cookie just come off for a rest or was he injured?
Clark: As I seem to say every week, just did his job and that's all we need. I actually love his impact off the bench as he's always a bundle of energy when he comes on.
Nicholls: Probably his best game of the year as he really went looking for work. Haven't looked at stats so I don't know how many runs he had but it seemed to be a big step up from his normal role. Still, he was a real work horse and did a great job.
Tatola: His impact wasn't actually as noticable tonight but I think that's because of Nicholls stepping up. In any case, Tatola still did nothing wrong and did well actually.
All in all, I'm happy with that. Still a lot to improve but it's just another step in that right direction.
It's especially good considering the week I've had, feeling okay because of it right now.
