Team V Storm 5 Day Turn Around

[WithTheDawn]

How good is having a Friday night game? This is great. Only downside is it clashes with a ripper Canes / Chiefs game in the rugby. Still should be a fun time having a few drinks and watching the games, will have to stay out and celebrate and watch the following game if we manage to win.

Speaking of which, our performance tonight should speak volumes. I'm tentatively going to be ok if we lose a close grindy one and keep up pace with he Storm. They are just about as good as it gets, so I see it as a decent sign if we look competitive. If we can beat them then maybe this year won't be so bad after all.

Considering our horrendous first round record, when is the last time we won the first two games? If ever...

 

[TheDMC]

I think they are coached not to

I think you are right R&S. And I also think that is why we start games so slowly. We lack initial intensity. Why would they coach this? Only reason I can think of is so that they don't run out of steam like the Kiwis used to after the opening 10 minutes of carnage. But they don't need to go to that level of batshitness, just work the feckers over and drive them back.
Fox or Nine (whoever showed last night's game) have a new stat on each hit up, for meters made post contact.
If they collate this stat during the season for and against for each team, I'll bet my six houses that the warriors will have the worst defense in this regard over the course of the season.

 

[Blair]

Watched the very entertaining, and intense Roosters v Dogs game last night. Made me ponder when was the last time the warriors went apeshit on defense smashing players back as both sides did last night? Can't recall, its been years.

Perhaps the Chooks and Dogs have more forward depth than us right now? If we go mad in defence and lose any one of Matulino, Mannering, Hoffman or Lillyman then we tend to be in the sh*t.

 

[Rich102]

Apparently Manu has been dropped off the bench.

 

[WithTheDawn]

Never thought I'd see the day Ken kept Manu out of the team. I'll be surprised if he isn't seriously found wanting tonight. Honestly, just chip it behind him every time.

 

[Cold Roses]

Apparently Manu has been dropped off the bench.

And Clarke to debut. Serious lack of impact and grunt off that bench though. Lisone and Lillyman are going to have to get through a ton of work to get us some momentum.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Never thought I'd see the day Ken kept Manu out of the team. I'll be surprised if he isn't seriously found wanting tonight. Honestly, just chip it behind him every time.

ken was probably our best player with mannering

 

[Penrose_11]

ken was probably our best player with mannering

Let's agree to disagree on that one. Just because Ken ran 100+ meters and didn't drop the ball (maybe once??) surely doesn't meen he was our best. If he managed to run around his outside market, or a least attempt it, and if he scored a try, then yes probably in our top few, but he's not playing as a winger. Does that come down to coaching and instructions? Yes. Still will never be in my best player list until he plays as a winger.

 

[Big Marn]

Let's agree to disagree on that one. Just because Ken ran 100+ meters and didn't drop the ball (maybe once??) surely doesn't meen he was our best. If he managed to run around his outside market, or a least attempt it, and if he scored a try, then yes probably in our top few, but he's not playing as a winger. Does that come down to coaching and instructions? Yes. Still will never be in my best player list until he plays as a winger.

20 Games, 2 tries. For a winger thats pretty shit. Circumstances against him as the team he is in was going pretty shit? Don't think so. How hard is it to find a fijian winger? Theres heaps of them in NZ Rugby.

 

[Leber]

ISP team currently smashing the dogs

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Let's agree to disagree on that one. Just because Ken ran 100+ meters and didn't drop the ball (maybe once??) surely doesn't meen he was our best. If he managed to run around his outside market, or a least attempt it, and if he scored a try, then yes probably in our top few, but he's not playing as a winger. Does that come down to coaching and instructions? Yes. Still will never be in my best player list until he plays as a winger.

Fair enough.
Our other winger was mud as well