Vs Panthers Finals

[Blair]

Re Ken v Manu. Unfair really, but there's no way The Beast passes back inside to his fullback instead of crashing into the defence for the first hit-up.

As Zero said, it's also the moment Roge got injured. I hope Ken learns a lesson from that.

 

[flippikat]

On a positive note I do feel like this is like 2001 all over again, we made playoffs for the first time and then were blown away by the Eels in the first round of the finals. We made the finals when many expected us to get the spoon, the young guys will be better for it, we will be better for the experience next year, but please no Kata and end this experiment with the short kickoffs, it did not work tonight.

Spot on. We've turned a corner - finally. I can see a good few years coming up, just refine what's been started this year.

As bad as the loss was, it's a huge part of the learning curve, just like 2001.

 

[Big Marn]

Re Ken v Manu. Unfair really, but there's no way The Beast passes back inside to his fullback instead of crashing into the defence for the first hit-up.

As Zero said, it's also the moment Roge got injured. I hope Ken learns a lesson from that.

i would say no as he did the same f**king thing last week, but with less severe consequences.

 

[Alan Johnson]

The Blair offload and Maumalo pass to RTS were maddening in their predictability. In both cases you could see them coming a mile off and as a spectator you knew they were the wrong decisions, but you hoped against hope they would hold onto the ball. Deep down you knew they were always going to pass.

 

[Mr Angry]

If anyone can bear to watch.

58 mins to 64 mins sums up the difference.

Warriors work it out from thier end, Green puts in a clearing kick, the chase is just poor, just sad for a elimination final.

Some stuff happens then inithe 63rd Penrith are working the ball out, they clear and a farging wall of Panthers show up as the Warriors trot back on side.

Is it coaching? I refuse to believe the coach does not instruct them chase. They just do not do not, on field leadership perhaps, not sure, but the attitude in those minutes says something is missing.

That said you have to carry Kata too, he is so poor a defender he does not even get mistackle stats, you have to actually touch the guy with the ball. He can tackle, he cannot defend, give a young guy a chance next year.

 

[Blair]

Spot on. We've turned a corner - finally. I can see a good few years coming up, just refine what's been started this year.

As bad as the loss was, it's a huge part of the learning curve, just like 2001.

Yes the 2001-thing is a good analogy. One difference though is I'd suggest our 9-10 players with finals experience was a lot more than 16 years ago. We should've done better in our only finals game in 2018.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Turning point was the offload by Blair, this was followed by Maloney's 40/20, it was all Panthers from there. I couldn't care less if I never saw Kata in a Warrior's jersey ever again, he can piss right off. On a positive note I do feel like this is like 2001 all over again, we made playoffs for the first time and then were blown away by the Eels in the first round of the finals. We made the finals when many expected us to get the spoon, the young guys will be better for it, we will be better for the experience next year, but please no Kata and end this experiment with the short kickoffs, it did not work tonight.

Short kicks offs work if there is effort.
We got lazy on it.
Not sure if SK can see Kata'e faults, but Smith needs to get in his ear and move him on ala Hurrell.

 

[Matua]

.

That said you have to carry Kata too, he is so poor a defender he does not even get mistackle stats, you have to actually touch the guy with the ball. He can tackle, he cannot defend, give a young guy a chance next year.

I don't actually understand how Kata is a protected species in this team. Kearney is nuts to keep selecting him and then defending that selection when asked straight up about it.

As you note he can't defend and I assume because he can tackle he doesn't get Hiku like spotlight on him. And he's as thick as pigshit. Two penalties in a row for the same thing. Man I'm glad he's Tongan, if he was running around in a Kiwis jersey I'd give up altogether.

We didn't even need to give a young guy a chance, we have Beale and Hiku, they should have been starting every week.

If you didn't already have the Mr Angry sewn up I'd try and change my name.

 

[flippikat]

Yes the 2001-thing is a good analogy. One difference though is I'd suggest our 9-10 players with finals experience was a lot more than 16 years ago. We should've done better in our only finals game in 2018.

Not necessarily so.

Remember the only two in the squad who have played finals for the Warriors before are Mannering and Johnson. All the other "star signings" may have finals experience, but that's with different clubs.

It's pretty rare for a group of players to go all the way to a premiership in their first shot together.. and often there's some less-than-memorable finals campaigns by squads who have gone on to forge dynasties just a few seasons later.

This mis-fire will be a huge learning opportunity for the club.

 

[TheDMC]

Geez Johnson is copping it in the nz media... I’m a fan of his but can’t help feel that he deserves it !

 

[vvvrulz]

Geez Johnson is copping it in the nz media... I’m a fan of his but can’t help feel that he deserves it !

Johnson is going to cop most of the heat, but somehow Kata, Ken and Blair won't get much attention and 8 forget that neither Green nor Luke had good nights either.

It was a collective failure against a side that played an impeccable second half.

Our only hope really was to be 12-2 at half time when we had the tide our way and ride the waves that came after for a close finish. As soon they leveled up in that first half we were pretty much gone once Cleary and Maloney took over. It was all in that stupid 20-30 min period, you can't have 10 bad minutes in finals football.

 

[Blair]

Geez Johnson is copping it in the nz media... I’m a fan of his but can’t help feel that he deserves it !

Rightly so. I'm a big fan of the phrase 'million dollar elephant'. I heard it here first!

 

[Big Marn]

if any more of the players or coaches say they are going to "learn from this or any variation "take learnings", etc, im just going to barf in the corner. Im sick of them saying that. Its just a throwaway line they always have for the media and just a f**king copout.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Johnson is going to cop most of the heat, but somehow Kata, Ken and Blair won't get much attention and 8 forget that neither Green nor Luke had good nights.

It's the money side of things, if Kata was on the million a year contract he would be hung out.
Halves like Cronk, Munster, Maloney drag their team out of trouble, get their hands on the ball, make something happen.
SJ is in the same pay bracket, probably more than Maloney and Munster, who seem to put in more effort, take on the line, make the smart plays, set up the plays.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

if any more of the players or coaches say they are going to "learn from this or any variation "take learnings", etc, im just going to barf in the corner. Im sick of them saying that. Its just a throwaway line they always have for the media and just a f**king copout.

Agree, be a bit pissed off with it all, admit mistakes. But it's all to PC these days.

 

[vvvrulz]

We shouldn't lose sight also that we lost RTS almost right away.

That was more than an SJ level of injury, it was probably Stacey Jones level, the moment he was off our chances basically halved.

Apart from being our captain, he's hands down our best player and would have certainly made a difference in getting us out of our half, saving a couple of goal line drop-outs and possibly even scrambling to save at least one of the Penrith tries.

Add his performance and I strongly believe that, while we might not have won, it would have been a closer ball game.

 

[Matua]

We shouldn't lose sight also that we lost RTS almost right away.

That was more than an SJ level of injury, it was probably Stacey Jones level, the moment he was off our chances basically halved.

Apart from being our captain, he's hands down our best player and would have certainly made a difference in getting us out of our half, saving a couple of goal line drop-outs and possibly even scrambling to save at least one of the Penrith tries.

Add his performance and I strongly believe that, while we might not have won, it would have been a closer ball game.

We were already on the slide even with RTS on. The pack was done.They were walking back after every kick.

A bunch of those things you mentioned might have helped but, and I don't know if it was because I was there and could see all the off the ball stuff, we just weren't in it.

 

[JJ]

RTS alone couldn't do much - they were rampant - their talent is very real, no mistake - I hope that they continue like this now, clearly they needed rid of Griffen but the timing was a shocker

 

[vvvrulz]

I don't think we would have won with RTS, as you say, but I'm convinced it would have been a more even ball game.

Why our forwards heads keep dropping though I have no idea, that's where someone like Blair needs to be bringing some mongrel but he's the worst of the lot.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

We shouldn't lose sight also that we lost RTS almost right away.

That was more than an SJ level of injury, it was probably Stacey Jones level, the moment he was off our chances basically halved.

Apart from being our captain, he's hands down our best player and would have certainly made a difference in getting us out of our half, saving a couple of goal line drop-outs and possibly even scrambling to save at least one of the Penrith tries.

Add his performance and I strongly believe that, while we might not have won, it would have been a closer ball game.

He does a lot of talking at the back as well.
Not sure what it sounds like at the game, but sideline commentator (Alana I think) said there was no talk in defense by Warriors.