saints 3 2 1s

[Valheru]

Top performance, especially in that first 20 when we looked a real class above. I thought Cronk had his best 20 minutes of the season in that first half, he was pulling the strings.

Latrell is special and has just gone to another level and teddy is really starting to shine.

The forwards also stood up and dominated their opposition.

Robbo will be rightly filthy with 2 of their tries but again, the match was well one by then but that laziness needs to go.

It seems only injuries will prevent us from having a good crack at the comp this year and squad management is paramount. Hopefully keary will be right in a few weeks or by finals at the latest. They are thinking MCL which is a good sign.

From here i hope they don't go minor premiership chasing like in 2015, anywhere in top 4 will do. In fact i hope at some point in the next 5 weeks we see a drop in performance due to ramping up the fitness regime for september. If they are still good enough to finish 1st then so be it.

3 latrell
2 teddy
1 cronk

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

That first 20, you just knew what the result was gonna be. The boys were on it today. 18 against us was a little disappointing but blips like that only help to keep the boys focused for the games ahead.

Before today I was feeling a sense of 2013 about this team but with Keary’s injury I’m worried that it’ll be more like 2015. We’ll need Cooper to step up these next few weeks.

Any idea who puts on the number 6, Val? O’Sullivan?

Hard to disagree with your three. Apart from his fug up with Teddy, thought Fergo had a great game too. Kept Saints worried every time he got hold of the ball. His kick for Teddy to score was superb.

3. Latrell
2. Teddy
1. Coops

 

[Valheru]

Before today I was feeling a sense of 2013 about this team but with Keary’s injury I’m worried that it’ll be more like 2015. We’ll need Cooper to step up these next few weeks.

Any idea who puts on the number 6, Val? O’Sullivan?

Yep either O'sullivan or they could go with matterson with teddy injecting himself in attack and have butcher come on to the bench.

Robbo said in the presser that he is in a brace but only precautionary and he expects him back "well before the semis" so fingers crossed.

 

[Captain Apollo]

3 points: Latrell Mitchell. Only ran for 88 metres (going by Fox Sports game centre stats) on 10 runs, but they were pure quality, resulting in 3 tries. He made Aitken and Nightingale look like they were in Under 7s witth how he treated them. Quality performance.

2 points: Sio Siua Taukeiaho. 13 runs for 149 metres, but most of them were in the first half when he bent the Dragons defensive line every which way. Helped set the platform.

1 point: James Tedesco. 2 tries, 1 try assist, and 16 runs for 238 metres. His speed in and around the ruck was class, and his work in the Cooper Cronk try was superb.

Honourable mentions: Blake Ferguson and Cooper Cronk.

 

[morley101]

3 Cronk
2 Tedesco
1 Mitchell

 

[muzby]

3. La Trel Michèl
2. Edward S. Co
1. Crooper Conk

 

[Headless Chook]

3. Teddy
2. Mitchell
1. JWH

 

[kbw]

2 points: Sio Siua Taukeiaho. 13 runs for 149 metres, but most of them were in the first half when he bent the Dragons defensive line every which way. Helped set the platform.

.

Alot were off the kickoffs too, he took the hit ups on every kickoff almost

 

[Bgoodorgoodatit]

3, Mitchel
2. SST
1. Cronk

Great performance and we look to be building nicely... would still like to see less of the completely geniused errors. ala Fergo taking out Teddy, Friend dropping it cold out of dummy half. Collins sprinting out of the line at nobody etc.

you're always going to make mistakes but we still seem to have a few too many of the ones we should be avoiding...

 

[Tommy Smith]

3. Teddy
2. Mitchell
1. Cronk

A lethal attacking performance. It was great to see the forwards dominate, too.

 

[H.H]

3 - Teddy
2 - Lattrell
1 - Cordner

Cords really impressed me with the variety he's starting to show in his game. Overall the attack is really starting to click.

Jeez these soft tries are shitting me though. Need to be sorted before we're genuinely a chance of taking this thing out.

 

[Lambretta]

Once again, there were strong performances right across the park
Keary was looking good again until the injury - that one has the potential to knock us off kilter

Latrell for 3 points
Tedesco for 2 points
Cronk for a point

SST, JWH, Cordner, Ferguson and Keary all deserve a mention

Lemon of the day award goes to Lindsay Collins
He was slow at marker for the first try and got himself all out of shape in the defensive line to allow Hunt to stroll over untouched. Then he sat on Keary and injured him. There were a couple of other errors in his game too such as sprinting off the line to tackle thin air. It seemed the harder he tried, the more errors he made. We all have one of those days the poor lad.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Lemon of the day award goes to Lindsay Collins
He was slow at marker for the first try and got himself all out of shape in the defensive line to allow Hunt to stroll over untouched. Then he sat on Keary and injured him. There were a couple of other errors in his game too such as sprinting off the line to tackle thin air. It seemed the harder he tried, the more errors he made. We all have one of those days the poor lad.

Actually he wasn't slow at marker at all, considering we only had one marker, Collins was back on the goal line. His error was that when Hunt stepped he took the fake and went inside when Hunt step back to the outside which is what caused the hole to open which he scored from.

As to the Keary injury, shit happens. To even mention it implies he somehow set out to do it, which he didn't, Keary got caught up in a gang tackle and Collins came down on top of him. It was an accident pure and simple.

I'm not saying Collins had a great game, just offering a little perspective, especially in relation to the Keary injury as people are carrying on at ridiculous levels about it as being Collins' fault.

 

[muzby]

I'm not saying Collins had a great game, just offering a little perspective, especially in relation to the Keary injury as people are carrying on at ridiculous levels about it as being Collins' fault.

Not saying Collins had a bad game, but if you can keep him on for 80 mins next time we play you, that would be awesome

 

[Lambretta]

Actually he wasn't slow at marker at all, considering we only had one marker, Collins was back on the goal line. His error was that when Hunt stepped he took the fake and went inside when Hunt step back to the outside which is what caused the hole to open which he scored from.

As to the Keary injury, shit happens. To even mention it implies he somehow set out to do it, which he didn't, Keary got caught up in a gang tackle and Collins came down on top of him. It was an accident pure and simple.

I'm not saying Collins had a great game, just offering a little perspective, especially in relation to the Keary injury as people are carrying on at ridiculous levels about it as being Collins' fault.

I am not implying the Keary injury was Collins fault at all - it was pure bad luck. But it seemed he was involved in nearly everything that turned to pooh on the day. Some days you're the pigeon, other days you're the statue - valuable lessons will hopefully be learned

Collins was slow for the Hunt try and he wasn't in position properly - he should have marked up square and not turned sideways. It was the back of the half and fatigue played a part and the lack of markers didn't assist him. It's going to happen in first grade with young players who aren't used to the pace or the physicality of the game. I am not having a go - I genuinely felt for the lad.

It wasn't a major drama as we were solid across the park and soundly beat the Dragons. Its always good to get a stinker game out of the way when you win. That way you have the consolation of the team winning.

 

[Captain Apollo]

I am not implying the Keary injury was Collins fault at all - it was pure bad luck. But it seemed he was involved in nearly everything that turned to pooh on the day. Some days you're the pigeon, other days you're the statue - valuable lessons will hopefully be learned

Collins was slow for the Hunt try and he wasn't in position properly - he should have marked up square and not turned sideways. It was the back of the half and fatigue played a part and the lack of markers didn't assist him. It's going to happen in first grade with young players who aren't used to the pace or the physicality of the game. I am not having a go - I genuinely felt for the lad.

It wasn't a major drama as we were solid across the park and soundly beat the Dragons. Its always good to get a stinker game out of the way when you win. That way you have the consolation of the team winning.

I re-watched the game last night. As I stated earlier, Collins was not at marker at all. He was back defending on the goal line. The player who was supposed to be at marker, but was standing off to the side in a half hearted attempt to get to marker was Isaac Lui. It was not Collins lack of speed per se that lead to the Hunt try, it was his inability to adjust when Hunt stepped off his right foot, ads Collins had overcommitted to jamming up and in whereas Hunt stepped off his right foot towards the outside, which is where Collins had been.

So yes, Collins was responsible for letting the try in, but Lui had a small role as well by not getting into marker properly either.

One thing I will give Collins credit for, when he dropped the ball in the second half from the goal line drop out, he had the presence of mind to kick the ball backwards before it hit the ground. Yes he lost territory, but at least it averted a turn over.

Edited: Corrected factual error.

 

[Valheru]

On the Keary injury, given he will be back for finals (hopefully sooner), his injury should have 0 affect on us.... if Cooper Cronk is worth the money we are paying him.

From here, he should be more than capable of taking the reigns and ensuring at least 3 wins from the last 5 which would see us finish in the top 4.

 

[H.H]

It was Liu mostly at fault for that first Hunt try - poor old Lindsay copped all the blame but it was only marginally him.

Liu was caught up with Sims in the ruck carrying on with rubbish when he should have just retired to marker. Had he done that, the gap would not have been there. As he didn't. there was a large hole for Hunt to step into which 1:1 with Collins is a mis-match every day of the week.

 

[Lambretta]

I re-watched the game last night. As I stated earlier, Collins was not at marker at all. He was back defending on the goal line. .

Apologies, by using the words marked up, I have made you think I thought he was at marker
He was on the goal line, but wasn't standing straight. He turned sideways. Had he been straight on he could have gotten to Hunt

But as H said, it was mainly Liu's fault for being an ineffective at marker

But my original point stands. Almost everything that went to pooh on the day, had a touch of the Collins about it. He just seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. More bad luck than anything.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Oops, yes it was Lui at marker and not Tetevano. My bad.