Can't fix age and can't fix lack of experience overnight.
I think defence is attitude is just another commentator cliche that has found it's way into the vernacular to be honest
NO ONE in here knows the attitude of the players until they are in the bubble talking to them. You CAN NOT judge attitude from the beanbag you watch the box on or even being in the crowd. Their attitude is probably fine but their knowledge of defence, techniques in tackling, abilities to count numbers and read plays, their anticipation based on the former, lack of onfield leadership because Graham is almost last man standing after massive losses over 3 years with Prior, Ennis, Lewis, Gallen all falling off the perch. Josh Morris leaving us in the lurch as far as backs leaders. Leutele becoming a Canook. Maloney continuing his trajectory as a mercenary. Probably others. Townsend being out injured for the last month. Moylan chronically injured. Dugan, also left in the lurch in the backs and can only cover one side. Offset that with having blooded 14 rookies in '18, '19 and '20 source
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nrl-2018/transfers.html and it's much easier to understand why the defence is remedial at the moment. No point running out cliches, no point demanding instant change. This is a long haul. Eventually they get to where they have to be. It's not this year though so get the fekk over it.
By comparison, look at the table toppers. The Panthers have blooded 17 players in the same period. SEVENTEEN. They have also been fortunate enough to loan a bloke like Hetherington to a club to ensure he gets footy and continues developing. He also has become a leader in the Warriors pack.
I'd also point out that with first contact problems, the team is full of barely NRL hardened rookies and second stringers. Hunt has been the least criticised. Toby has copped it. Talakai has copped it. Wiiliams. Nikora. Big Sexy and Ronnie. Bubba. Even the bloody coach is a rookie. A huge proportion of what we criticise is because players have made fatigue errors on top of being inexperienced. That's a double edged sword. You need to be as fresh as possible for as long as possible to be able to concentrate and be able to learn. You don't learn under fatigue. You survive, best you can. First contact in defence is naturally the opposite of winning the ruck in offence by getting PCMs which are also down. The Sharks ALWAYS used to attack with their defence and defend with their attack. That's where the gritty reputation came from. That's not there this year and probably won't be for another few years
Oh, while I think of it, it's not the refs either. You play to the refs not get the shytes if they are perceived to be against you. That's another experience thing. Blokes in this team don't know the nuances of the refs yet. For all the whinging in here about set restarts and penalties and being looked at the wrong way there is nothing to be gained from the crying because most times, leave out howlers, the refs have been correct. Why, because the players don't know how to avoid those calls.
With fines still hanging over the team, $240,000 wasted on Xerri because he has to paid, a team full of kids, smallish sponsors, COVID bubbles, no home ground, seemingly delay problems in the building of Mecca it's a miracle and a great job that this team is, at the moment, looking at being semi bound.
I for one though won't be one bit surprised or upset if that arse drilling from Friday has done some head damage and we crash out of the 8 in double time. If that doesn't happen we all then know that the inner grit is still in there bubbling away just waiting for the time a million pennies drop and they figure it all out.
3-7 rebuild I'm calling.
Education over.
