vs knights

[vvvrulz]

I think it is pretty clear this is not a top 8 team.

- Our best prop should be playing 2nd row
- Our other props apart from Lillyman lack any impact and go forward
- Bukuya should probably pack his bags and get ready to head back to sydney
- We actually looked better with friend on the field than Leaulai, that is pretty bad in itself
- Tomkins is playing like a plod
- It is arguable currentl if the team has infact improved under mcFadden or if it is just the same old story year after year after year after year, no matter the coach

Dont worry we wont beat the Roosters next week

its official

SEASON OVER

Believe it or not I actually agree with some of that.
The other props really aren't showing up other than Lillyman

Leulaui offered nothing out of dummy half, which is interesting given how he was talked up as a gun hooker. Tomkins has gone back to his frustrating rocks and diamonds self, pulled off some good plays along with a few howlers.

Don't get your constant gripe with Bukuya though, he didn't do anything wrong out there.

What really cost us in the end was Mateo reverting back to a walking penalty... and how bad is Fusitua on defence, absolute rubbish

 

[vvvrulz]

If Tomkins wasn't playing we would be soundly humiliated

Tomkins undid all his good work with some basic rubbish errors
Its a shame because it was looking like he was undoing all that

 

[Iron Lion]

Believe it or not I actually agree with some of that.
The other props really aren't showing up other than Lillyman

Leulaui offered nothing out of dummy half, which is interesting given how he was talked up as a gun hooker. Tomkins has gone back to his frustrating rocks and diamonds self, pulled off some good plays along with a few howlers.

Don't get your constant gripe with Bukuya though, he didn't do anything wrong out there.

What really cost us in the end was Mateo reverting back to a walking penalty... and how bad is Fusitua on defence, absolute rubbish

I was a fan of Bukuya's at the sharks, at the warriors he really is unsuited to our playing style. At the sharks he feed off the work his brilliant forward pack did, took advantage of other players brilliant lines which kept the opposition scrabbling in defense, he had a real edge to be dynamic. At the warriors he does not have this luxury. Our backs run it up before our forwards runs, and when the forwards do run - our lines are pretty much straight hit ups with no real danger or threat. Basically Bukuya has become a simple one dimensional player here with no edge. And unfortunately a undersized one also.

Worst is the pressure is on him to perform from management and his job is pretty hard to do that with our current set up.

Tomkins is a similar story, he would be a real superstar at the roosters, Manly, Rabbits. They have the structures and lines which would allow him to play to his true core strengths. forwards do their jobs well and proper from prop to 2nd row. He had structure at Wigan and was brilliant, he doesnt have it here - so he plays like a plod because his key men dont give him anything to work with. Sure his pace is gone but not his footy smarts. I bet he is regretting coming here.

Look how rubbish Johnson was tonight and Townsend tries his heart out but he is no ball running tactician.

 

[vvvrulz]

Look how rubbish Johnson was tonight and Townsend tries his heart out but he is no ball running tactician.

Agree. Johnson was rusty as hell which I guess can be forgiven having a couple of weeks off, and Townsend really needs a firing Johnson to feed off.

But the game was lost all over the place, we just aren't clicking anymore and its a real worry

 

[JJ]

Sad when we miss Nielsen...

Sorry, with the errors he continually makes, Tomkins wouldn't be a superstar in any NRL team - he was ok tonight, but some huge errors again - same with Leuluai, just ok - Friend's just a better hooker atm... I know some (notably sup) unconditionally love them both, but I am not feeling it

Funny how much love McFadden's getting - he's playing Matulino in the edge leaving us weak in the middle, he's playing Henry at centre... at the end of the day, we're still miles behind where we were when Clearly was shafted - I am pretty disappointed tbh - we're a middle of the table team, with some players that are talked up hugely by the fanboys that simply don't deliver consistently at the level required in this comp...

 

[MKEB...]

Those second-man moves to the right side, these last couple of weeks have looked disjointed for a couple of reasons.

- Johnson coming back today rusty and underdone.
- Sharks and Knights knew that they didn't have the spectre of Hurrell running barrelling at them giving Tompkins more space and options.

Benry is at best a makeshift centre, sure he will have trained there for a few weeks; but a natural centre he is not. Fusitua is defo not helping defensively. A couple of great finishes aside, Fusitua is not First grade standard yet.

Matulino IMO needs to play closer to the ruck. I don't think he is mobile enough for the second row. Taken today for me to really notice that.

Bakuya to me, just doesn't look fit and healthy.

At this stage, there is little separating either Friend and TL or The Chad and TL. All have there good points and bad. I got a bit of a shock though seeing Friend making dummy half metres at will.

 

[LeagueNut]

It was five tries each - just saying.

 

[Benek]

5 tries each flattered the Warriors. Knights looked the much better team.

 

[tangalife]

Tomkins undid all his good work with some basic rubbish errors
Its a shame because it was looking like he was undoing all that

Basic errors? Sorry his two drop balls were pretty shit passes. His only howler was the intercept to Leilua but to be fair Leilua showed great composure to set himself there

 

[sup42]

:crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:

The Tomkins comment was self effacing humor.

Making fun at my own expense.

Probably should have used this :sarcasm: before smileys were invented people read between the lines.

Seriously horrid game by all our spine bar Friend.

 

[JJ]

Thought you were serious... he wasn't atrocious... just ordinary imo, as were many...

Best game I've seen from Lousi, Mannering and Manu were good, Friend too

I've never understood the fetish for TL, just a honest type, never elite for mine... Lillyman needs help, I am questioning McFadden's tactics now I am afraid

 

[tangalife]

Townsend I think is the definition of an 'honest' type.

TL has never been a hooker, we never liked him when he played for the kiwis in that role. Gotta give him more game time there though.

 

[JJ]

Townsend is yes, but he's (IMO) a better ballplayer than TL...

TL was the definition of plod tonight... and has been all season tbh... not his fault, the injury of course - but I am blaming McFadden - TL should not have come into top grade until he had minutes under his belt... he looked good against Canberra, but in case anyone is not yet convinced, Canberra are monumentally awful...

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

The two areas we desperately need are hooker and prop.

Rapira just isn't cutting it either because he's playing injured or his constant injuries have just caught up with him.

Matagi still comes up with good runs, but his defense, not good at all.

52 minutes between them

As for hooker, don't know what the answer is. Neither are really up to playing 80, but neither of them have the explosiveness to be impact hookers. That's easily our biggest Achilles heel at the moment.

Really missed Seb's defense in the middle, the long season and change of ethic/culture might be starting to catch up with a few.

 

[Blair]

We're missing Fisiahi's sheer speed too.

 

[vvvrulz]

Hooker isn't the problem. While Friend doesn't set the world on fire, he's organised and solid for the full 80 most of the time. You get the odd bad moment but they're much rarer than its made out to be.

Leulaui looks undercooked and average, I still think he's surplus right now.
Yet to see any evidence as to why he removes Townsend or Friend

Prop is a problem. Rapira has had a couple of games now, he needs to start finding that same form again. Compared to last year Matagi has done mostly jack, looking like classic second year syndrome.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Hooker is a big problem.

Friend has a lot of heart, but he's not an 80 minute hooker. His service drops off as the game goes on. His shoulders are pretty worn and then throw in all the tackling and passing for 80 minutes.

On top of that are we supposed to rely on him for 80 minutes a game in 2015? There's only so much the body will take, especially when he's so often targeted by the bigger boys.

Friend, TL, Havilli - none if those guys really inspire premiership aspirations.

 

[vvvrulz]

Basic errors? Sorry his two drop balls were pretty shit passes. His only howler was the intercept to Leilua but to be fair Leilua showed great composure to set himself there

Crap passes agreed, but should have been at least caught. At worst it would have killed off the play but we should have still had the ball.

Tomkins also made a few great saves in defence to go with a couple of moments he was caught out on the wing and couldn't defuse the play. To be fair though Fusitua was *atrocious*.

All in all just an average day in the park, and we need more than that.

I'll give Tomkins this though, he is clearly trying his guts out week in and week out and that's really great to see. I'm a fan of his attitude and I hope things really click into gear at some stage

 

[vvvrulz]

Hooker is a big problem.

Friend has a lot of heart, but he's not an 80 minute hooker. His service drops off as the game goes on. His shoulders are pretty worn and then throw in all the tackling and passing for 80 minutes.

On top of that are we supposed to rely on him for 80 minutes a game in 2015? There's only so much the body will take, especially when he's so often targeted by the bigger boys.

Friend, TL, Havilli - none if those guys really inspire premiership aspirations.

This I can agree with, although I still don't think its the main reason we're playing crap
Ideally we need a hooker rotation with Friend as first choice.

But who else? Leulaui has done nothing really.
Havili showed promise, where is he now?

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

This I can agree with, although I still don't think its the main reason we're playing crap
Ideally we need a hooker rotation with Friend as first choice.

But who else? Leulaui has done nothing really.
Havili showed promise, where is he now?

Our NZ international hooker is in reserves and not really making much of a difference from the games I've heard on radio.

I don't think hooker is why we're playing crap I just don't see us being a premiership threat with what we currently have. What we have is good enough to get us top 8, even top 4 with luck, but IMO not a premiership.