Team v Storm

[sup42]

I’m not convinced it’s fixed- there’s actually a genuine incentive for this fixture to be competitive, and it was in the earlier years when we had a good team. We used to win it regularly in the Cleary years

Aussies love a one sided contest, it feeds the narrative that Origin and all the money locked up in their control of the game is the best form of the code.

They are the only country in a proper sport to have their own reffs in every single world cup.

That is actually cheating before you even hear the first whistle in any sport it would be an outrage.

I would love them to try it on at the Olympics with the same arguments they use to justify Aussie Reffs in League...they would be the scandal of the decade and laughing stock, but they wouldnt feel an ounce of shame because having sand paper in your pocket or a Sombrero for Cap, or peptides is a cultural norm.

 

[sup42]

Rooster also play ANZAC day. So there is some hope.

The way I look at it is we need two from three games to be a Rugby league fairy tale story.

If we can get two from three, we would have beaten top four clubs to claim our legitimate spot in the top four against three legit top four clubs in a row.

It would be a lot easier to cherry pick that outcome by playing the super clubs spread over a bunch of games.

But we do not have that option.

We have the hardest run in the NRL to face now and in a continuous gauntlet like a dress rehearsal for an NRL finals series where we are lower eight finishers, forced to play the best of the best in a row against finals specialists like Melbourne, Penrith and Eastern Suburbs.

It is mission impossible to be fair, no one who understands the NRL would expect after one off season under a new coach like Webster, that a miracle turn would see a poor club suddenly able to win two out of three against the competitions giants.

No one does.

It is like imagining the Titans or the Tigers having a happy off season and rolling two out of the three best teams in the world...it just does not happen.

Which is why I hope we set ourselves up by beating the Storm, if we beat them...then we only need one win from two games to go top four for real...and on our current form we are good enough to win one from two against the best of the best.,,,we could really do with the confidence boost of beating Melbourne to set us up for the next two steps on the ladder.

 

[Tongue]

Kosi needs to stay at home for this game.

This was Kosi's next game vs Melbourne, only 3 months later.

 

[Tongue]

Hmm. No Egan. And Asofa back. Nasty.

 

[Leber]

I really like the fact that they have given Egan another week. Good for player welfare.

 

[hitro]

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

This was Kosi's next game vs Melbourne, only 3 months later.


View attachment 72802

Couldnt give a sh1t what hes done since. The way he gave up that Anzac night should of seen his contract ripped up there and then
Pea heart

 

[nswarrior]

Couldnt give a sh1t what hes done since. The way he gave up that Anzac night should of seen his contract ripped up there and then
Pea heart

Come on bro, we all make mistakes and drop the bundle occasionally. It’s how you come back from it that matters

 

[Leber]

Couldnt give a sh1t what hes done since. The way he gave up that Anzac night should of seen his contract ripped up there and then
Pea heart

Otukolo was pretty shit that game aswell if memory serves.

 

[nswarrior]

Surely we have a chance in the this game the way the team has been going

 

[sup42]

Come on bro, we all make mistakes and drop the bundle occasionally. It’s how you come back from it that matters

It looked as though Kosi had a mental break down that game.

Being unprepared for a stage like that and letting your family down will do that to greenhorns that should probably never have been thrown into that game in the first place.

Plenty of young guys never come back from that. You just never see them play FG again.

I do not think it is a courage issue. I think he had a crisis of confidence and fell apart in a very public way and stopped functioning.

Clubs are meant to protect Greenhorns from that type of exposure.

The Anzac game is a circus and even our most experienced players have serious confidence issues in that one game on that stage.

Stage fright.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

It looked as though Kosi had a mental break down that game.

Being unprepared for a stage like that and letting your family down will do that to greenhorns that should probably never have been thrown into that game in the first place.

Plenty of young guys never come back from that. You just never see them play FG again.

I do not think it is a courage issue. I think he had a crisis of confidence and fell apart in a very public way and stopped functioning.

Clubs are meant to protect Greenhorns from that type of exposure.

The Anzac game is a circus and even our most experienced players have serious confidence issues in that one game on that stage.

Stage fright.

Yep and as I’ve touched on earlier Kosi had a particularly steep learning curve to navigate, the guy had pretty much been an overweight park footballer working in a warehouse at the start of the season and got elevated to first grade in a very short and unexpected time, in the middle of the Covid pandemic. No wonder a white hot Melbourne in an “event” game was a bit much for him.

 

[Rich102]

Fox Sports' Power rankings.

4. WARRIORS

Last week’s rank: 8th (up four spots)



Analysis: The Warriors bounced back from a disappointing loss to the Knights to beat the Cowboys 22-14 and cement their top four spot.

In years gone by the Warriors would concede this type of game with key spine players Wayde Egan and Te Maire Martin sidelined, but Dylan Walker and Freddy Lussick filled the void and Shaun Johnson’s remarkable resurgence rolled on.

The Warriors have a horror record against the Storm in Melbourne, but if they can cause an ANZAC Day upset, Andrew Webster’s side are undoubtedly the real deal in 2023.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Especially as it’s leading into the Chooks at home, a game we’ll need to be on our best form to win

We are the fittest team in the NRL. The 5 days is a hard one but if any team this year is going to get over that, it's us. All teams we have faced this year have all tired out first. This is very noticeable vs Sharks comeback. So proud of our turnaround.

 

[Blair]

50-10 in 2018, without Johnson or Harris, we couldn't handle the occasion without them.

70-10 last year, without Harris. Ditto, we couldn't hack it. He was our rock, our leader.

This year I don't think we have that same fragility.

Last year was such a low bar. I remember giving Lodge the three points for a big tackle, late in the game, on a Storm forward taking the first hit-up. It 'reminded the recipient he was still in an NRL game'!

We were down about 60-10 at the time.

 

[nswarrior]

If we win this Wighton might sign with us.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

I really like the fact that they have given Egan another week. Good for player welfare.

Agree, but its going to hurt. Lets hope it pays off.

 

[Meth]

So, we just ditching vailea then?

 

[nswarrior]

So, we just ditching vailea then?

Maybe ditching Pompey if Vailea can improve his defence and professionalism

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Win

Maybe ditching Pompey if Vailea can improve his defence and professionalism

win-win I reckon, I’d take Pompey (solid but limited) over a flakey Vailea but if Vailea can achieve his potential then we’ll have a gun backline.
Rocco Berry might want to loook elsewhere now though, don’t see him making first grade again bar injuries.