Trial v Sharks

[Iamback]

Hook will be fine. Cut the bloke some slack.

Coaching is about 20% of it
The talent of the rookies is the best thing they have going for them.

Parra is going to make the 8 and push top 4 with the worst coach in the comp.

Neither are going to win the comp but neither are 13 other clubs

 

[Iamback]

Imagine being beaten by the Dragons with Josh Mcguire in the halves. lol@Parra

Was worth sticking around for at the ground.
Love a good Parra loss

 

[Original Name]

Don't rate at all. He's very slow

I don't see how speed is the be all and end all. He's not going to score a 60 metre try off a line break but most of our first choice team backs wouldn't either. He's quick enough to do his job.

Hopgood needs time. Can't see him getting the vacant bench spot on that.

Looking at what you'd want to see signs of out of trials I think he did pretty well. Was our most physical in defence, lead the line speed the most, got through the most work, did some reasonably good ball playing, felt like his play the ball speed was pretty consistently good. Even had some gamesmanship to fox the ref "only playing at the hand" and get a knock on from Talakai.

Don't see why errors in a trial game would be an issue. Ivan can just tell him fix it up and if it isn't fixed up in like a month or two drop him. If someone else wanted a bench spot they should have tackled and tried harder than Hopgood.

 

[Iamback]

I don't see how speed is the be all and end all. He's not going to score a 60 metre try off a line break but most of our first choice team backs wouldn't either. He's quick enough to do his job.

Looking at what you'd want to see signs of out of trials I think he did pretty well. Was our most physical in defence, lead the line speed the most, got through the most work, did some reasonably good ball playing, felt like his play the ball speed was pretty consistently good. Even had some gamesmanship to fox the ref "only playing at the hand" and get a knock on from Talakai.

Don't see why errors in a trial game would be an issue. Ivan can just tell him fix it up and if it isn't fixed up in like a month or two drop him. If someone else wanted a bench spot they should have tackled and tried harder than Hopgood.

Next week will be the good guide given it will be the same bench role.

Defence he was good. Won't be needed to make 35 tackles or won't get long minutes though.

I haven't watched the replay but at the ground. Henry was great off less minutes and good numbers both sides of the ball.

We are likely talking about the 4th bench game. So very limited minutes you want the player who makes the best impact per minute.

That is where things like penalties conceded, errors, metres per run come into.

We don't have mins played today but Ivan will

On Metres gained alone.

Henry and Geyer are jersey players had more metres than Hopgood

As did Susino who is a Ron Massey Cup player

Not only did those 3 gain more metres.
All had a tackle bust to Hopgood's 0
And had an error each

The starting side picks itself. Whether Cleary plays or not is really the only doubt.

Leinu will be a bench prop
Sorensen will be too but does Ivan play him only as a prop or a bit of both?

Where he plays is key to the bench make up and is why I don't think there are any answers after today.

Next week you will see the starting pack come off around 20-30 mins. Then you will see how Hopgood or Smith or even Salmon goes in a little 10-15 min stint. In a comp game like for like situation.

That then is best way to work out the rest of the bench

 

[hindy111]

Its a trial. The worse thing about our game was that Haze Dunster may of done his ACL.

What I seen was the Dragons wanted it more and Parra tuned out.
A 9-2 penalty count against, 43% possesion but still missed less tackles, made more line breaks. Broke more tackles and made more meters.

On Penrith Geyer looks good but probably needs time. Deff an NRL player for sure.
Turuva looks small but skilfull.

 

[tripster]

I was impressed by Salmon. I haven't seen him play second row before, but I thought he was very good. His ball playing and his short kicking game were also very useful skills in a second rower.

I think all the guys who played 80 minutes yesterday are those who are first in line to likely end up in the 17 - Staines, Hopgood, Tago and Salmon.

 

[hindy111]

On the Parra forum we would joke for years about Salmon
He should play second roe
And now he is playing 2nd row.

 

[Iamback]

On the Parra forum we would joke for years about Salmon
He should play second roe
And now he is playing 2nd row.

We are doing what elite sides do

 

[DinkyDi]

 

[murraymob]

Yeah I watched he was ok I just don’t get why he’s never going to play half in a real game so why do it

There was a early injury .he said in a interview after game and it just ended up that way

 

[The_Frog]

On Penrith Geyer looks good but probably needs time.

Thought I was watching NRLW when he was running to score. Except he's got a mo. Carrying a bit of condition, as they say in horse racing.

 

[snickers007]

Only early days, but we're shaping up to have another super competitive year in pretty much all grades.
Our NSW Cup squad is stacked, with players across all positions able to do the job at NRL level.
Flegg should be strong again - and will get even better once our gun SG Ball players join the squad.

I really hope we get full seasons in. We'll be looking at finals in at least 4 of 5 grades, and are a very good chance of silverware in all of them.


What's the deal with this weekend's trial against Parra? Is it just an NRL trial, or are we getting a Flegg & NSW Cup trial too?

 

[Iamback]

Only early days, but we're shaping up to have another super competitive year in pretty much all grades.
Our NSW Cup squad is stacked, with players across all positions able to do the job at NRL level.
Flegg should be strong again - and will get even better once our gun SG Ball players join the squad.

I really hope we get full seasons in. We'll be looking at finals in at least 4 of 5 grades, and are a very good chance of silverware in all of them.


What's the deal with this weekend's trial against Parra? Is it just an NRL trial, or are we getting a Flegg & NSW Cup trial too?

Matts look the only dud's. Top 5 now in lower grades but we should be in the top few teams

All 3 grades on Sat

 

[The Realist]

I don't see how speed is the be all and end all. He's not going to score a 60 metre try off a line break but most of our first choice team backs wouldn't either. He's quick enough to do his job.

Some people don't have the longest memories. Our 2020 GF loss was in part due to a lack of speed. It really is the missing dimension in our team. Last year we created lots of opportunities - even at the back end of our season when our attacking form was down - but we had a low conversion rate. Much of that was clunky execution but a chunk of that was we didn't have the speed to turn some of those linebreaks into tries the way the Storm, Manly and the Bunnies can.

Everyone keeps talking about the modern winger needing to make big metres taking hard carries. If that were so why not just chuck 2nd rowers with above average speed and agility on the wing then? I am okay with having one wing being a Mansour/To'o type player but not both. We then become one dimensional and easy to predict and defend.

Besides if we are sticking with Edwards there is your 2nd metre eater anyway. There is no need for 3 - otherwise what the hell are the forwards doing?

 

[Smug Panther]

Some people don't have the longest memories. Our 2020 GF loss was in part due to a lack of speed. It really is the missing dimension in our team. Last year we created lots of opportunities - even at the back end of our season when our attacking form was down - but we had a low conversion rate. Much of that was clunky execution but a chunk of that was we didn't have the speed to turn some of those linebreaks into tries the way the Storm, Manly and the Bunnies can.

Everyone keeps talking about the modern winger needing to make big metres taking hard carries. If that were so why not just chuck 2nd rowers with above average speed and agility on the wing then? I am okay with having one wing being a Mansour/To'o type player but not both. We then become one dimensional and easy to predict and defend.

Besides if we are sticking with Edwards there is your 2nd metre eater anyway. There is no need for 3 - otherwise what the hell are the forwards doing?

Mansour carried a pack of mostly bums but now we have a gun pack. Staines will force his way in if not picked for round 1

 

[Iamback]

Mansour carried a pack of mostly bums but now we have a gun pack. Staines will force his way in if not picked for round 1

That is it. Staines will know what Ivan wants but hard with no game time.

Taylan getting Covid basically means Staines will be on the wing come round 1

 

[soc123_au]

All we need from Staines as far as the tough carries go is being able to not be driven back on a kick return and get a half decent play the ball. He looked like he should pull that off based on yesterdays efforts.

Some people forget that his strengths are being the Ferrari, not the tractor.

 

[betcats]

What happened to Lindsay Smith did he pick up an injury during the week?

 

[CCJohnC]

.

What happened to Lindsay Smith did he pick up an injury during the week?

Held back for Parra Trial perhaps.

 

[WestyLife]

Some people don't have the longest memories. Our 2020 GF loss was in part due to a lack of speed. It really is the missing dimension in our team. Last year we created lots of opportunities - even at the back end of our season when our attacking form was down - but we had a low conversion rate. Much of that was clunky execution but a chunk of that was we didn't have the speed to turn some of those linebreaks into tries the way the Storm, Manly and the Bunnies can.

Everyone keeps talking about the modern winger needing to make big metres taking hard carries. If that were so why not just chuck 2nd rowers with above average speed and agility on the wing then? I am okay with having one wing being a Mansour/To'o type player but not both. We then become one dimensional and easy to predict and defend.

Besides if we are sticking with Edwards there is your 2nd metre eater anyway. There is no need for 3 - otherwise what the hell are the forwards doing?

Exactly this. You need some sense of balance.