Thank christ that this competition contains the Eels and Sharks...

[Coraki_kid]

I think Carney needs to be moved to centre...he never gets the ball on the wing because Monas does'nt seem to wanna pass the ball. The only time Carney gets the ball is dummy half runs. I still think hes our most destructive back we have and therefore should be getting the ball alot. I still think Dugan needs to be dropped. His attacking ability and support play isnt up to Nrl standard. Milne has to be brought back in. He runs the ball hard and is excellent at being there for those timely offloads.

My team
1. Milne
2. Graham
3. Croker
4. Carney
5. Monas

 

[Green Machine]

I hope Logan is back next week. All the forwards play better on the back of his hit ups. Tilse will be better for the run. I miss Milne bringing the ball back. Dugan is not ready for first grade yet,

 

[shear_joy9]

Dugan is not ready for first grade yet,

sorry but you are completely wrong.

dugan has been a standout in every one of the games he's played. Amazingly solid in defence and is showing glimpses of a dangerous attacking game. Against the dogs he was getting more and more involved in attack and is improving every week.

fullback is dugan's position. end of.

 

[shear_joy9]

it really doesn't matter who plays on the wings, they are never given the ball in the opposition half.

should just put the better defenders there.

 

[Timbo]

Dugan's a Ben Hornby like fullback, happy to chip in with the kicking and playmaking. Showed it on the weekend and was v.good.

Mark him to go nowhere.

 

[mongoose]

it really doesn't matter who plays on the wings, they are never given the ball in the opposition half.

should just put the better defenders there.

Agree. Our problems stem from our poor attacking structure, not our wingers. We are playing like the elliot days, no bodies in motion, not much decoy running, no offloads. Basically no support. Campese is trying to pull rabbits out of hats. However before all this can happen out forwards need to their jobs better.

 

[Green Machine]

sorry but you are completely wrong.

Mate, you don't have to apologise

dugan has been a standout in every one of the games he's played.

I wouldn't say outstanding

Amazingly solid in defence and is showing glimpses of a dangerous attacking game.

Yes good defence, I haven't seen a line break yet.

Against the dogs he was getting more and more involved in attack and is improving every week.

He got monstered back into the in goal on Sunday. I don't think he has filled out enough to play first grade

fullback is dugan's position. end of.

Fullback is his position, but he needs to be eased into first grade

 

[Brimmer]

Dugan made 180 odd meters on the back of a pretty average forward pack. This kid is a real talent. Give him some time I think he has the potential to be anything.

I'd say the reason why there were not a lot of offloads was because of the cold, wet conditions. Furner did say before the game that it was all going to be about field position. They probably just stuck to their instructions.

I just wrote this in another thread but we desperately need a game breaking halfback. When we can settle that area down we will start winning games.

Miller has been crap ever since he done his knee.... Thompson is not much better. Both these guys from what I've heard and read are real team players and do so much around the club. Unfortunately that's not going to win us too many games. We need some mongrel in our squad.

 

[Dazraider]

Duggan is so safe at the back and he backs up in attack, he is one that must not move from fullback.
I dont think plum is the answer for the average defence , thats a whole team effort, what is going on with Thurling, thats a player we need back in the team and try Vidot

 

[DRAGONZ_RULE]

Must admit that it is funny reading some of you guys serving it up to Croker and Dugan ..

Dugan scores 2 tries a game in the NYC, but his attack isn't up to NRL standard? I think you are all expecting him to translate his brilliant attack at NYC level straight to the NRL .. when all he's basically had the chance to do so far is defend when your line gets broken and the opposition come racing down the park. Maybe not ready for goalkicking yet as stated earlier in this thread, but how any of you could be saying that the clear standout in your team over the last month (apart from Campese, obviously) should be dropped back to the U20s is astounding.

And then you have Croker, who is making 20 tackles a game - more than every other outside back at the Raiders - and 10 hitups as well ... not to mention his missed tackle count is pretty low as a proportion of tackles made for a centre, and he's the equal leading tryscorer for Canberra this year.

But hey, keep bagging them .. I'm sure the Dragons would be happy to pick up Croker with Cooper probably leaving in a couple of seasons .. and Dugan could come play fullback, we'd shift Boyd to the wing following Dell's retirement, and life would be even better

 

[Raidersrawesome]

Agree. Our problems stem from our poor attacking structure, not our wingers. We are playing like the elliot days, no bodies in motion, not much decoy running, no offloads. Basically no support. Campese is trying to pull rabbits out of hats. However before all this can happen out forwards need to their jobs better.

You are so correct , last year we had players in motion , running a heap of angles the defenders didnt know what was happening , this year it is not there , we are one dimentional. we are relying on the kick way too much , lets run the ball.

On Dugan he is in FG to stay , he is a class act and his attack will improve each week , he is beating the 1st defender nearly every time.

 

[sydraider]

Why the hell would you want to drop Dugan?? Man I got to get me some of these shrooms you people are on, I think he is doing well and improving with every game.

Whats the go here? Lately it seems some of you blokes expect these kids to be world beaters after only a handful of games. I thinks this lot of youth making grade is the best we have had for quite some time, massive potential imo, you gotta take the losses and let them develop.

Considering, Campo was on one leg with the flu, Mc crone was playing his first game, I think we did ok.

 

[Rikidio]

I think McCrone was good on debut and will improve even more and quickly with more games.

I would like to see Graham or Milne back in the side. I would personally drop Carney for one of them. He's good but just lacks the spark that he showed last year. Some game time in a lower grade would fix that.

I saw the game live on the weekend and I honestly think that if we keep working on our defence then their is no reason we can't win convincingly with the side we fielded on Sunday.

 

[Mr. Snrub]

CANBERRA RAIDERS V PENRITH PANTHERS
CANBERRA STADIUM, SATURDAY MAY 2, 7.30PM
1. JOSH DUGAN
2. ADRIAN PURTELL
3. JARROD CROKER
4. JOEL MONAGHAN
5. JUSTIN CARNEY
6. TERRY CAMPESE
7. JOSH McCRONE
8. DAVID SHILLINGTON
9. GLEN BUTTRISS
10. SCOTT LOGAN
11. JOE PICKER
12. BRONSON HARRISON
13. ALAN TONGUE (C)
14. TRAVIS WADDELL
15. NIGEL PLUM
16. JOSH MILLER
17. DANE TILSE
COACH: DAVID FURNER
TOYOTA CUP
CANBERRA RAIDERS V PENRITH PANTHERS
CANBERRA STADIUM, SUNDAY MAY 2, 5.15PM
1. DRURY LOW
2. GRANT HETHERINGTON
3. JOE BOBBIN
4. MATT WARD
5. STEVENAUGHTON
6. MICK PICKER (C)
7. SAM WILLIAMS
8. MATT BRITT
9. MATT McILWRICK
10. TODD GRACE
11. JARRAD KENNEDY
12. MARK NICHOLLS
13. SAM MATAORA
15. MITCH KENNEDY
16. ZAC MERRITT
17. MARK APPLETON
18. DYLAN PAYNE
COACH: ANDREW McFADDEN

 

[Raidersrawesome]

Im not happy with the backline , we are struggling for strike power and not to make changes there is disappointing.

 

[Chachi]

The only change I'd consider is replacing Carney with Milne or Graham.

 

[sydraider]

If I were to make changes, It would be Milne in for Carney. I havent seen or heard anything about Graham recently, can anyone fill us in on how he has been playing up there?

 

[shear_joy9]

you can make numerous changes to backs and I doubt it would have much effect. The problem isn't the players, it's the tactics. The backs are not receiving early, quality ball. I think we need to see campo spreading the ball alot earlier ala late last year.

Currently the back four only see the ball from dummy half in their own half and desperation opposition 20 plays.

 

[Sydney_Raider]

If I were to make changes, It would be Milne in for Carney. I havent seen or heard anything about Graham recently, can anyone fill us in on how he has been playing up there?

Apparently Graham was good two weeks ago but then very quiet last weekend and there was some talk Milne got injured and didn't play the second half last week, which explains why Furner is sticking with the current backline.

Just watched the replay of the Bulldogs game and it is blatantly apparent that it wouldn't matter who was in the backline if our forwards are as soft as they were on Sunday. Apart from TLL and Tilse, to a lesser extent, they were pathetic. No go forward at all. Hopefully Logan will lead the way against Penrith but why not bring in Joyce to add some raw enthusiasm to the pack. I don't think at any stage this season we have been able to field our best and most balanced pack and bench. By the way, I am still waiting for Picker to have any real impact on our left side this season. IMO has been very disappointing.