vs Roosters

[Blair]

It was always inevitable that the Penrith will deliver the lethal blow to our season

We can beat Penrith, heck, if it comes down to that bring it on!

 

[Philip_Smith007]

I thought the team had moved past that lone wolf mentality, seems not.

It was pretty bad when the season started out, the opposition were laying into Tomkins with cheap shots and his teams mates sort of stood around and shrugged.

A shame because Tomkins is one guy who is clearly trying out there

I wonder about tall poppy syndrome, due to his high pay cheque.
I know I have higher expectations because of it.

 

[WithTheDawn]

We can beat Penrith, heck, if it comes down to that bring it on!

Pretty good result from here if we can get to that game and control our own destiny. Anything could happen from there. Comes down to the Eels v Knights game really (and assuming we can manage to beat the Titans).

 

[Rich102]

From the team efforts over the last 3 weeks, and the disinterested look on the players faces while Cappy was giving his half-time talk, can I assume the team is looking for a change of coach?

 

[Izz]

Think ima jump all the way on the Panthers' bandwagon now.

From the team efforts over the last 3 weeks, and the disinterested look on the players faces while Cappy was giving his half-time talk, can I assume the team is looking for a change of coach?

I think Cappy has made a few strange tactical decisions the last few weeks. While i do want to see TL at hooker, i didn't expect to see it until next season, and i certainly didn't expect to see Townsend get dropped with 3 games to go.

But more than that, i'm wondering if he's got his training regime out of whack. Seems the last three weeks have been pretty light at training, and the results and overall player attitude/energy attest.

And also, i think a lot of these guys have been carrying niggling injuries for half the season and they're nearly out of juice. Whether some of that is the result of changing coaching/training regimen partway through the season, and the new coach having a very different idea of what constitutes hard work to the old coach, or just the impact of a faster, higher-impact overall game this season (and lack of quality depth to cover), i don't know.

Or maybe they're just sooking because they don't like the coach any more *shrug*

Also, speaking of depth, what does Peyroux need to do to get a run?

 

[JJ]

Everyone has niggling injuries though, that can't be used...

McFadden has made some strange decisions, what I'd like to know is the rationale behind them - it seems that TL is so invaluable that he has to be in the team, but the team has (and continues) to function best with Friend at 9 and Townsend at 6, and I don't see any reason to believe that TL is or can be better than either of them... we do need a long term hooker, but I don't think it can be TL. If it's because he's a good bloke and a leader, have him running the water with Wiki. That being said, I can't say he doesn't try hard, he's just not a terribly good player in this league

 

[Izz]

Everyone has niggling injuries though, that can't be used...

It's less the niggling injuries than the lack of depth to cover the niggling injuries (though i didn't really focus on that in my last post), so guys have been forced to play through stuff they might usually get a week off to let heal. Even so, we've used a lot of a players this season, and a fair few of those haven't been up to it (surely Matagi has only played every game because we don't have any real prop cover).

We could've done with keeping Locke, perhaps, though given how he didn't really want to play, maybe not.

 

[tangalife]

Everyone has niggling injuries though, that can't be used...

McFadden has made some strange decisions, what I'd like to know is the rationale behind them - it seems that TL is so invaluable that he has to be in the team, but the team has (and continues) to function best with Friend at 9 and Townsend at 6, and I don't see any reason to believe that TL is or can be better than either of them... we do need a long term hooker, but I don't think it can be TL. If it's because he's a good bloke and a leader, have him running the water with Wiki. That being said, I can't say he doesn't try hard, he's just not a terribly good player in this league

He was fantastic last year. This year injuries haven't allowed him to really gain some consistency. I would be willing to see how he goes next season before making this call.

 

[JJ]

He was fantastic last year. This year injuries haven't allowed him to really gain some consistency. I would be willing to see how he goes next season before making this call.

Sorry, I think he was ok last year... and he's been rubbish this year.

He can be ok again, and seems like a good bloke - but he is not (and never was) the answer at 6... and at 9 he might go ok, but Friend is clearly better, and a better fit given the bunch of lazy f**ks that inhabit the forward pack and bench

 

[tangalife]

I have to disagree though that he was 'brilliant' last year. He was patchy as hell for the first third of the season, then pulled it together and was consistent and solid at best. Wasn't really suited to the halves and never did anything particularly amazing.

You know he came runner up Warriors player of the year right?

In a team that was pretty dodgy and pea hearted last year he was out there giving 100%. He is not an out and out half but did everything else right. He's never going to be flash but hes going to do alot of work most other halves dont.

 

[vvvrulz]

You know he came runner up Warriors player of the year right?

In a team that was pretty dodgy and pea hearted last year he was out there giving 100%. He is not an out and out half but did everything else right. He's never going to be flash but hes going to do alot of work most other halves dont.

Hey no question about his attitude and work ethic, he was mentally miles ahead of the others last year.
But he's just not a great player imo, certainly hasn't done enough to dislodge Townsend

 

[tangalife]

i can agree. Im worried this injury may have set him back a little, ala Rapira.

 

[JJ]

It has, for sure... but at his best he's still only a decent 1st grader imo, and probably only a back up 5/8. Townsend is only that too, imo but has done well this year, and the team generally looks better with him there

The mystery to me is why he seems essential in the first 17, to the point where pretty consistent performers (Friend and Townsend) have been bumped to accommodate him, and on both those occasions he's offered SFA