Team vs Knights

[Penrose Warrior]

Knights have 3 bench props while we have none.

Is Webby hoping their backs will get injured or something? If it becomes a battle of the forwards or one of our props goes down we are f**ked.

I guess he's hoping to run them off their feet. As I often say, I don't know league strategy at all but it is certainly an interesting one when we have no real size on the bench. It didn't work last week, from what I saw (although a lot didn't work last week).

Do I remember that being an Ivan thing when he was at the Warriors, not a lot of size on the bench? Or was it a Kearney thing?

 

[Leber]

I guess he's hoping to run them off their feet. As I often say, I don't know league strategy at all but it is certainly an interesting one when we have no real size on the bench. It didn't work last week, from what I saw (although a lot didn't work last week).

Do I remember that being an Ivan thing when he was at the Warriors, not a lot of size on the bench? Or was it a Kearney thing?

Ivans weird thing was his obsession with playing second rowers at centre but he seems to have outgrown that.

 

[Benek]

SJ sounds optimistic but still touch and go for Saturday. Here's the latest club update:

"Shaun has progressed well this week undergoing various training scenarios. He trained well this morning by himself. Tomorrow SJ will not train with the team to enable him to have the best preparation for Saturday."

But journos reporting that he "still has some boxes to tick" before he plays.

 

[Mr Angry]

Do they have those hyperbaric chambers in NZ? He should be in bubble all week sucking oxygen.

 

[Rich102]

Yes, there is one at Devonport naval base that they use for divers with the bends.

 

[nswarrior]

Yes, there is one at Devonport naval base that they use for divers with the bends.

Well, what are we waiting for. Get him in there

 

[hitro]

Well, what are we waiting for. Get him in there

Zinzan was in there to get right back in the day

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Webster changed to this ridiculous little man bench and seems determined that it's right. Reminds me of some of Tim Sheens ridiculous benches in his last years coaching Benji.

I agree with the wastage of bench. This is one thing I love about Cleary over Webster. His bench timings and selections have been superb for Penrith. He also had our rotation going well when he was head coach with us.

On the other side Webby has taken us to Top 4 so he knows what he is doing and now has that extra prop added. He's learning

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Surprised there is no Volkman - so it’s either SJ/TMM or Walker/TMM

He's got a NSW prelim to win to get the juniors into the GF?
Probably be too mean to place that pressure on Volkman.

 

[Rich102]

I guess he's hoping to run them off their feet. As I often say, I don't know league strategy at all but it is certainly an interesting one when we have no real size on the bench. It didn't work last week, from what I saw (although a lot didn't work last week).

Do I remember that being an Ivan thing when he was at the Warriors, not a lot of size on the bench? Or was it a Kearney thing?

This is what I thought his thinking to be.
But in tight games, as the Penrith game was, when we are struggling to score points, it is too costly to carry small forwards.
It is more stamina draining for a small man to be constantly defending than it is for a big man and he won't have the energy late in the game to attack..

 

[Philip_Smith007]

When the captains run?
When do we know if SJ ruled out?

 

[hitro]

When the captains run?
When do we know if SJ ruled out?

Captain's run tomorrow (friday) if Shaun participates ok then he's playing

https://www.nrl.com/news/2023/09/14/webster-confident-ahead-of-d-day-for-sj/

 

[Matua]

No Volkman on the reserves is either silly (rivalling only two props in the team in silliness) or suggests SJ is 100%. I hope it's the latter.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

No Volkman on the reserves is either silly (rivalling only two props in the team in silliness) or suggests SJ is 100%. I hope it's the latter.

Lack of props is a big concern.
SJ been training away fron squad, so don't think he is 100%.
No Volkman may suggest a unwillingness to move away from a plan as things evolve.
Or
Webster sticks to his word of trusting players to get the job done who have done it before.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Webster interview:
All signs he (SJ) will physically be able to do it, confident he will play. If he doesn't we are well prepared, we have trained without him so we know what it looks like.
Plan B everyone is going to have to find out, I'm just not going to give the opposition what our plan is, it will be something the boys are familiar with and they have done at training this week, everyone will have to wait, the boys have done the reps in practice, we are confident.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Captain's run tomorrow (friday) if Shaun participates ok then he's playing

Heard he won't be there if NRL tonight is correct. If he can't compete in that, how is he going to handle a finals game?

 

[Meth]

No Volkman on the reserves is either silly (rivalling only two props in the team in silliness) or suggests SJ is 100%.

or both

No harm at all in naming Volkman on the extended bench just in case, right?

Not doing that indicates that he is absolutely committed to Walker/Martin as a backup. Volkman is green and not ready to control a final as a half but at least he can kick a ball.

 

[Blair]

Heard he won't be there if NRL tonight is correct. If he can't compete in that, how is he going to handle a finals game?

'Torn calf' is how they reported the injury on last night's ABC news. It was the first time I'd heard it described like that. It put it in perspectve, it sounded more serious than 'strained calf' or something similar.

Same injury, different words, and I'm less confident he'll play.

 

[Blair]

or both

No harm at all in naming Volkman on the extended bench just in case, right?

Not doing that indicates that he is absolutely committed to Walker/Martin as a backup. Volkman is green and not ready to control a final as a half but at least he can kick a ball.

I know a final is more intense than a regular season game, and it's a big change from reserve grade, but what we shouldn't underestimate is our participation in the NSW Cup again this year.

Volkman is much more ready with it than without it.

 

[Matua]

Lack of props is a big concern.
SJ been training away fron squad, so don't think he is 100%.
No Volkman may suggest a unwillingness to move away from a plan as things evolve.
Or
Webster sticks to his word of trusting players to get the job done who have done it before.

Shouldn't the Or be an and?