Team vs Saints

[Jake the snake]

INU is in doubt for Monday, look for Reddy to come in to replace him.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


INU did the Same Injury last year. And he was out for something like 6 weeks from memory.

 

[sooperdooper]

Shift reddy to FB and hayne to the wing in my eyes...

 

[Stagger eel]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


INU did the Same Injury last year. And he was out for something like 6 weeks from memory.

I think we'll no more on saturday or sunday.

 

[Stagger eel]

Shift reddy to FB and hayne to the wing in my eyes...

yeah..I can live with that.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Hages has got the side spot on.

Bubba at his best would go into the side in front of Ian maybe???

People suggesting Cordoba and Wagon should not be there are simply uneducated and need to watch a hell of a lot more football IMO. - Especially when the opposition have the ball!!!

Well said

 

[The Engineers Room]

It's not just the players it is the lack of creativity in the teams attack. Paulo would make a difference but we need to stop going one out and appealling for penalties and try and play a more attacking style of football. If we insist on trying to break teams up the middle there needs to be more variation and bodies in motion.

 

[cardinal]

It's not just the players it is the lack of creativity in the teams attack. Paulo would make a difference but we need to stop going one out and appealling for penalties and try and play a more attacking style of football. If we insist on trying to break teams up the middle there needs to be more variation and bodies in motion.

Lets not hang ourselvs on one game, against the storm it was wet, cold and slippery believe me I was there. Both teams played to the conditions. In the 4 games before that against the broncos, manly, bulldogs and sharks we have scored 102 points, so I think our attack is going fine.

 

[goboggo]

Junior or Weller ain't going to be playing unless there are injuries.

I'd have no probs with Cannings in for a backrower but I can see the logic in the selection.
Cannings improves our go-forward but weakens our defence.

I'd say in a big game there is a greater likelihood of Wags or Robbo or Ian improving their go-forward (through sheer determination) than there is of one of the younger blokes instantly being able to defend to first-grade semi-final standard.

But Hages needs to think about how we were battered and bruised at the end of last year - you can't keep playing second-rowers in the front row and expect them to keep winning.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Cannings back for the Broncos game - we are going to need to stand up to them physically, and it will be a good chance to take some heat off the backrowers.

 

[Hurriflatch]

having only 1 prop on the bench hurt the team against Melbourne and I think it might do the same here.

Wags covers people's arses in defence poor defenders like Timmy and Eric get found out a lot more when Wagon isn't in the side.

Not sure who to drop though and thats the problem Hagan faces sure Paulo deserves to be in the side but who makes room for him?

Dropping Cordoba is useless as you are still left with only 1 prop on the bench
Ian has been quite impressive in recent weeks and has done nothing to deserve being dropped
Mateo offers too much in attack
Wagon - See Above
PJ - On a rotation with Riddell
Honestly if a gun was held to my head and I had to put Paulo in the top 17, Robinson would go, nothing against him personally but that's who I'd pick for the reasons listed

 

[Maroubra Eel]

I agree with everyone above. We need two props on the bench.

 

[Hellsy]

Are prems playing at Wollongong as well??
Sorry if this has been asked already

 

[The Colonel]

Nope - Prems play at Newcastle on Friday night at 5.30pm, Flegg have the week off.

Curtain raiser is a local game.

 

[Hurriflatch]

Ok, trip up to Newie to see Reggies and then see the Knights fans burn their jerseys

can't wait :lol:

 

[The Engineers Room]

Lets not hang ourselvs on one game, against the storm it was wet, cold and slippery believe me I was there. Both teams played to the conditions. In the 4 games before that against the broncos, manly, bulldogs and sharks we have scored 102 points, so I think our attack is going fine.

It isn't just the points it is the extra work that the opposition has to do in defence that stops them attacking.

 

[cardinal]

It isn't just the points it is the extra work that the opposition has to do in defence that stops them attacking.

I am sure you know what you mean :sarcasm:

 

[Pazza]

dropping cordoba, now i've heard it all

 

[The Engineers Room]

I mean what I said. If the other team has more to contend with whilst they defend they will have less impact when they get the ball. It is a physical and a mental thing that happens to players that have to work hard in defence.

If we refuse to test the opposition we may score points through defensive lapses and tries from kicks but against the better defences we will struggle to score. The irritating thing is that the first half of the Manly game we were good and in patches against the dogs but in the last two games we have not shown anything that leads me to think we can beat the top sides. Melbourne were poor last week which is the only thing that made that game close.

 

[Suitman]

Melbourne were poor last week which is the only thing that made that game close.

Agreed. They did what they had to to win.
There is no doubt that they can step up several notches if required.

Suity

 

[Hurriflatch]

and with the fact that a few people including Hagan and a couple of players have come out and said that they were preparing for the Melbourne game 2 weeks ago and weren't as switched on as they should've been against the Sharks in my mind makes the loss the the Storm unacceptable, they basically admitted sacrificing the 2 pts against the Sharks and then failed to get the win over the Storm

 

[Bigfella]

I know this sounds weird, but my impression is that Hagan didn't really care about the result on Friday.

Before the game he said something like "We want to see where we are" and "Whether we can beat melbourne, I don't know?".

I found the tactic of kicking so early in the count, for no obvious purpose, as more one of testing our own defence.

He seemed more than happy with the effort and not concerned by the actual loss.

He seems to be cool with finishing anywhere from 3-6, and more interested in getting us playing with a certain level of intensity.

It's interesting, and I really think he has us where he wants us to be.

And as for the prop situation, I agree the weakness in our team is a lack of quality props. But the salary cap requires you to have a weakness. Some have it in outside backs, others in halves, some in depth.

You have to play to your strengths and adapt. We can't change our squad much - only Weller, Junior and Cannings are options to come up and none of them demands a spot ahead of others at this stage. Luckily they are all up to the job if needed through injury.

let's see how it goes. One thing though - if we lose to Dragons we are NOT anywhere near where Hagan, or we, want us to be.