Trial form cause for concern? Or just teething problems?

[R&WTILLIDIE]

The Charity Shield is more than a trial. Just ask players current and past.

This will give us some guide as to what to expect in terms of player selection.

We haven’t won a charity shield since 2012...we’ve been rubbish every season since 2012...I think you’re spot on

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

Its fairly common knowledge that unless your forwards lay a platform your backs, in particular your halves struggle and in part I agree..... its also important however that your halves control the structure of the game which in turn lifts the rest of the team including the go forward by everyone.......sadly in Hunt and Norman I cant see this happening

 

[Dragonslayer]

My thoughts:

For the opening 10 mins we were pretty competitive, basically a battle between each 20m line.

Then.............

Once they scored (and we didn't) from a pretty basic shift play, you could see the heads go down, confidence straight out the window. Further exemplified by how easily they scored the next 4 tries, most scored on the back of simple errors.

So.......
Defense is a big issue right now. Looking at the tries scored against us, we simply didn't number up and there was someone out of the defensive line and from what I could see it was one of the halves. Can this be fixed before round 1, huge task i believe.

At this stage you would think we are in for a very long season.

 

[mickeylane]

Defense is the problem - our attack looked ok actually .
Sad to say Sims is a shadow of himself, Kerr what a waste of a frame he’s so ineffective .

I would trial Bird at 5/8 at least he’s unpredictable and a good Defender ..on a side note recruiting Widdop wouldn’t be a waste of time for next 2 seasons to play 5/8

 

[Blood Shot Eyes]

My thoughts:

For the opening 10 mins we were pretty competitive, basically a battle between each 20m line.

Then.............

Once they scored (and we didn't) from a pretty basic shift play, you could see the heads go down, confidence straight out the window. Further exemplified by how easily they scored the next 4 tries, most scored on the back of simple errors.

So.......
Defense is a big issue right now. Looking at the tries scored against us, we simply didn't number up and there was someone out of the defensive line and from what I could see it was one of the halves. Can this be fixed before round 1, huge task i believe.

At this stage you would think we are in for a very long season.[/QUOTE

Your correct in saying and Its a common trait with us now and been there for the past 8 or 9 years as soon as a scoring opportunity fails for us and the opposition score down go the heads.......same with if a player drops the ball or causes a penalty he does bugger all to make up for it.....

 

[boardlumps62]

So there is a thought they were out of puff after 10 minutes. If that's the case have these boys been doing any conditioning. If not why not I would have been flogging them. Or is that the plan bring them through slowly.

 

[possm]

So there is a thought they were out of puff after 10 minutes. If that's the case have these boys been doing any conditioning. If not why not I would have been flogging them. Or is that the plan bring them through slowly.

I've said in another post that the coaching staff have been flogging the boys to the extent that they were leg tired and could not physically put in place the things they learned during the off-season. I imagine now that the coaching staff will lighted the load and prepare the boys for round 1.

I'd be very surprised if we saw a repeat of what the boys delivered last night.

 

[Dragonslayer]

I see our opponents for round 1 also lost their trial game yesterday, giving up a 12 - 0 lead.

 

[BBTB]

Two trial games with mostly reserve graders in each of the teams. The game against the Rabbitohs Saturday week, will be a better guide of how the team is shaping up ahead of round 1.

Saturday come and gone.... What are you thinking now?

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Defense is the problem - our attack looked ok actually .
Sad to say Sims is a shadow of himself, Kerr what a waste of a frame he’s so ineffective .

I would trial Bird at 5/8 at least he’s unpredictable and a good Defender ..on a side note recruiting Widdop wouldn’t be a waste of time for next 2 seasons to play 5/8

I would definitely play Bird at 6 round 1 given Macca isn’t up to playing 80, nor is Bird and our pack sucks. We can’t afford to have a centre and hooker on the bench. We need two middles a utility who will fill in at lock and in the backs in case of injury and Clune. Clune can give Macca a rest before and after half time for 20 minutes and slide into 5/8 to cover Bird when he has a spell.

 

[boardlumps62]

I've said in another post that the coaching staff have been flogging the boys to the extent that they were leg tired and could not physically put in place the things they learned during the off-season. I imagine now that the coaching staff will lighted the load and prepare the boys for round 1.

I'd be very surprised if we saw a repeat of what the boys delivered last night.

How fit they are will show when the comp gets started. I'm hoping they are fitter than last year so we can actually compete in the second half. I can't understand leg tired surely the trainers are professionals and they should be somewhere near their peak.

 

[TruSaint]

I see our opponents for round 1 also lost their trial game yesterday, giving up a 12 - 0 lead.

Yep, but we conceded 9 tries.

Its not that we lost mate, its the manner of the defeat.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Yep, but we conceded 9 tries.

Its not that we lost mate, its the manner of the defeat.

They fisted us and tore out our soul.

 

[BBTB]

I've said in another post that the coaching staff have been flogging the boys to the extent that they were leg tired and could not physically put in place the things they learned during the off-season. I imagine now that the coaching staff will lighted the load and prepare the boys for round 1.

I'd be very surprised if we saw a repeat of what the boys delivered last night.

Hope ur right

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

H

Hope ur right

He isn’t we are just rubbish.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Yep, but we conceded 9 tries.

Its not that we lost mate, its the manner of the defeat.

Absolutely.

But take a look at the 'highlights' of their trial game.
https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/02/27/match-highlights-sharks-v-bulldogs/

Some very familiar 'things' wirh regards to the way we played yesterday.
I suspect both the Dogs and Sharks to be bottom 8 sides this year.

In perspective we played the arguably competition favourites.

 

[Miller was a legend]

I see our opponents for round 1 also lost their trial game yesterday, giving up a 12 - 0 lead.

Did you see that trial game? Not just highlights.

the second half was full of second stringers for both sides. Not much to go off for round one

A far cry from the 9 try debacle.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Did you see that trial game? Not just highlights.

the second half was full of second stringers for both sides. Not much to go off for round one

A far cry from the 9 try debacle.

One positive is that South’s are twice the side the Sharts are and we have to at least be a touch better so going off that maths you guys should only put 4 tries on us.

 

[Miller was a legend]

One positive is that South’s are twice the side the Sharts are and we have to at least be a touch better so going off that maths you guys should only put 4 tries on us.

I have said this on our forum.

the Sharks consistently gain field position and create great opportunities. Problem is they consistently also fail to convert those opportunities and create scoreboard pressure.

that's why the Dragons can get them.

 

[getsmarty]

Yep, but we conceded 9 tries.

Its not that we lost mate, its the manner of the defeat.

Agree, although we hold the ball for starters and we don't concede half of those tries....as most were scored directly from us turning the ball over...