SJ.

[Thatwasnthighref]

Never expected to be in this position. Even when Volkman left I still thought we had plenty of halves depth. Injury toll for so many teams has been brutal.

 

[Meth]

I don't really agree. We're f**ked without SJ - no CHT (who is coming off a hiatus out of the game completely) no Metcalf, TMM is doing nothing, and the NSW Cup halves are too green.

I really feel like Webster has no choice if he wants to win games. A crocked, not training SJ is still the best option, albeit not ideal

Yep, that's all true. We are better with Johnson than we are with any of the available options. I guess I'm just highlighting that a half that can't train is not sustainable. I don't think its being treated as seriously as it should be and, as highlighted, we are so in the dark about it.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

I don't really agree. We're f**ked without SJ - no CHT (who is coming off a hiatus out of the game completely) no Metcalf, TMM is doing nothing, and the NSW Cup halves are too green.

I really feel like Webster has no choice if he wants to win games. A crocked, not training SJ is still the best option, albeit not ideal

A crocked SJ hasn't helped us win the last 3 games that were all winnable. The gamble didn't pay off and would he have been 100% or near it vs Knights if rested for 2 games?
Hindsight is a beautiful thing tho.

Also starting to get a Souths feeling/vibe with a team full of talent not performing.
Is their preferentially treatment going on that is splitting the camp?

 

[Penrose Warrior]

A crocked SJ hasn't helped us win the last 3 games that were all winnable. The gamble didn't pay off and would he have been 100% or near it vs Knights if rested for 2 games?
Hindsight is a beautiful thing tho.

Also starting to get a Souths feeling/vibe with a team full of talent not performing.
Is their preferentially treatment going on that is splitting the camp?

Yeah, that's a perspective I can understand - maybe if they didn't play him, he would've returned to health quicker. But this is a results based industry - unfortunately by dropping a few games early that we should have won, resting SJ for eminently winnable games like the Drags, Titans etc just wasn't an option when there's no depth past our injuries.

You're right, it didnt pay off but I doubt a fully fit SJ makes any difference in Newcastle, either. We were putrid in the wet.

I don't think there's any unrest in our camp. Honestly, I think it's a mix of injuries, but mainly game plan and being coached too predictably. Maybe now we realise last year was a lot of skill, but also good luck with the draw, close results, very few injuries, riding the confidence wave and the public love etc.

Bearing in mind too, we never threatened to beat a top 4 side last year (Brisbane lite excepted in Napier) so we weren't exactly high flyers with all that stuff going for us. I thought we'd get better...but we haven't.

 

[Meth]

You're right, it didnt pay off but I doubt a fully fit SJ makes any difference in Newcastle, either.

honestly, it may have, over the last month. Have been getting excellent field position. Just can’t convert it because we are predictable, flat and out of sync

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Apparently we’ve come to the table with a better offer so the Roosters thing ain’t happening. Remains to be seen whether throwing increased coin at 34 year old Shaun is wise…

 

[SpaceMonkey]

SJ can’t make much of a difference to the current dogs breakfast no matter how good he is.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I thought he tried his heart out today. OK he missed a couple of tackles early but was clearly playing hurt, was targeted but kept going.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

“I don’t know if he’s good for next week,” Webster said.

“He battled on at halftime, it was a tough conversation. He wanted to go on. He said, ‘I want to go and fight here’, and I’m really proud of him, the way he wanted to do that.

“If there was going to be an issue there I would not want him. If it’s going to end up a ruptured pec I would not have him on the field but he’s very sore at the moment. It started hurting him when he was passing the footy.”
It leaves the Warriors short on playmaking options, with Chanel Harris-Tavita no guarantee to return next week from a calf injury.
Webster said Harris-Tavita was a “maybe” for the Panthers game but will “definitely” return the week after.
“Then we’ve got a bye. So hopefully he’s back soon but he might not be,” added Webster.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Apparently we’ve come to the table with a better offer so the Roosters thing ain’t happening. Remains to be seen whether throwing increased coin at 34 year old Shaun is wise…

His body is starting to let him down.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

His body is starting to let him down.

He’s always had issues with his calves and hammies so it’s not really surprising. Hopefully if the pec forces him out for a few weeks it gives the legs time to properly recover.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

He’s always had issues with his calves and hammies so it’s not really surprising. Hopefully if the pec forces him out for a few weeks it gives the legs time to properly recover.

Yea certainly hope so.

Clutching at straws here but also hoping TMM being on the ball next week (assuming he's our only other option at 7?) wakes him up a bit too.

Gees this is a rough ride.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

His body is starting to let him down.

Yeah I think it's bad business. We're going to end up signing a guy for 2025 based on 2023 form.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Why don't we see a shared responsibility of TMM and SJ on 5th tackle plays?
It's always SJ unless forced by poor positioning and it goes to somebody else. Now hes injured and we are forced to change it because we poorly managed SJ injury.
Imagine if we just used SJ as a secondary playmaker as he heals and we could unlock other players attacking ability for the betterment of the whole team.

We look done for in season 2024 and we only in Round 11.

Prove me wrong Wahs.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

From what I've seen I literally don't know if TMM can kick it more than about 40 metres. CHT is the same and honestly Metcalf isn't much better. The short kicking game can be worked on but I'm genuinely not sure if we have anyone other than Johnson in the squad with a proper long kicking game.

 

[JJ]

His body is starting to let him down.

happens to the best of us

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

From what I've seen I literally don't know if TMM can kick it more than about 40 metres. CHT is the same and honestly Metcalf isn't much better. The short kicking game can be worked on but I'm genuinely not sure if we have anyone other than Johnson in the squad with a proper long kicking game.

This is why I have been selecting Farr the past few weeks. He has a good long boot on him and actually looks like he can do something TMM or CHT couldn't conjure up. Lets just put some juniors in for a crack. We gonna get a hiding anyway.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Why don't we see a shared responsibility of TMM and SJ on 5th tackle plays?
It's always SJ unless forced by poor positioning and it goes to somebody else. Now hes injured and we are forced to change it because we poorly managed SJ injury.
Imagine if we just used SJ as a secondary playmaker as he heals and we could unlock other players attacking ability for the betterment of the whole team.

We look done for in season 2024 and we only in Round 11.

Prove me wrong Wahs.

Firstly it's Webbys plan to play everything around SJ.
As Manu said as well, TMM can't kick distance by the look. But there is no excuse inside the 30m for TMM not to be calling plays.
All the eggs are in one basket at the moment and after a hole appeared in it a few weeks back, it wasn't fixed and the basket got dropped last week!
I also hope to be proven wrong, but 2024 was over when we lost to the Dragons!

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

Am I the only person questioning the duty of care about leaving SJ on? Man couldn't even hold his arm up normally.
No wonder he got targeted with the chicken wing

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Am I the only person questioning the duty of care about leaving SJ on? Man couldn't even hold his arm up normally.
No wonder he got targeted with the chicken wing

I think I saw an interview that SJ refused to come off. I know that can always be overruled, and you do make a very good point.

And whilst I cannot know whether Keary specifically targeted him, it was somewhat of a coincidence that it was that arm, and on a player who had been seen to be struggling with an arm/pec/shoulder.

And also ridiculous that the Bunker saw it and saw no issue, yet Keary ends up with a $2000 fine. Pathetic, actually. It was clear as day a chicken wing