Vs Tigers

[Auckland4ever]

Something positive though regarding our defence. Both Tupou and Manu made a very good up and in today, which is no big deal, unless you're a Warriors fan. Bluey probably drilled them for the Tigs trying to go around them. Hurrel did a good one too if I recall correctly.

Yeah, I thought we were generally pretty good defensively for most of the match in some fairly tricky conditions. If Marshall had an off night with his kicking game, we'd all likely be in a somewhat happier frame of mind right now.

 

[Aragorn]

Yeah, I thought we were generally pretty good defensively for most of the match in some fairly tricky conditions. If Marshall had an off night with his kicking game, we'd all likely be in a somewhat happier frame of mind right now.

how did you come to this conclusion?

we were 10-0 up at half time which meant they scored 24 points against us in 40 mins of football.... and some of those tries were soft eg Manu feeble attempt at tackling Utai....

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

A4E is the voice of reason as per usual. The problem tonight was a lack of intent on attack to turn the good stuff we were doing into points. Honestly, we don't look any different to how we did under Cleary. We are wasting set after set just taking 5 hit-ups and kicking and we are allowing our "dominant" forward pack to get smashed because our attack is so predictable coming out of our own end. We have the players to score points and make breaks if we can be brave enough to move the ball against such obviously compressed defences, instead we go 20 metres on 5 one-out plays with every runner getting swarmed by 5 or 6 defenders. ffs, count numbers and play some football.

Manu won't be dropped. Maybe if he was lethargic generally, but far from it he was actually really fired up tonight, as he has been for the last month or so. So he pulled a shocker with a kick along the ground- that's always been a possibility with Manu. Ho hum. Nothing new. He still runs and hits harder than any other player on the park and you still take him or leave him. We've been taking him for the last 8 years and I fail to see what's changed.

 

[Fast Eddie]

People really expect Vatuvei to be dropped? Be realistic, he would have been dropped 3-4 times every season his whole career otherwise.

I'm supirised how someone like Inu doesn't get afforded the same luxury by coaches and most fans, I guess it's because he doesn't look like he's trying as hard.

They should have put 20 on them in the first half alone, too scared to play attacking football. Looks like Mateo has been told to put the offload away. I'm glad Bluey got those 'defensive structures' fixed though...

 

[Auckland4ever]

how did you come to this conclusion?

we were 10-0 up at half time which meant they scored 24 points against us in 40 mins of football.... and some of those tries were soft eg Manu feeble attempt at tackling Utai....

Their opportunities were mostly from kicks which led to repeat sets & tries. You could argue that we didn't defend our line to the conditions I guess, but seemed to me that we did a decent job in limiting their attacking options for the bulk of the match.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Lets be honest, the Tigers were very average. To only be up 10-0 at the half was a crime.

Our goal line defense is still extremley brittle imo.

 

[Aragorn]

Their opportunities were mostly from kicks which led to repeat sets & tries. You could argue that we didn't defend our line to the conditions I guess, but seemed to me that we did a decent job in limiting their attacking options for the bulk of the match.

Other than Benji, the rest of that Tigers backline had nothing on us yet we failed to put them away... we should have buried them in the first half...

 

[_addict]

I don't mind us taking the hit-up. I do agree that we shouldn't make it so easy for the defence though. I'd like to see more than just one up, and I'd like to see it run like we're intending to run through a brick wall if needs be.

Above all, why, oh, why were we not moving up in defence. Tigers made easy metres, and Benji had time and space to do whatever he damn well pleased.

Lastly Brown's chicken wings were mentioned. Earlier in the game I noticed at least one crusher and neck extensions on us. I've always liked Galloway's effort for his team, and he served them well again, but by getting away with quite a bit of grubby stuff.

 

[_addict]

Their opportunities were mostly from kicks which led to repeat sets & tries. You could argue that we didn't defend our line to the conditions I guess, but seemed to me that we did a decent job in limiting their attacking options for the bulk of the match.

That's about right. I thought that the wings, particularly Tupou needed to read the kick behind the line a bit better and adjust. Fishiiahi played well on the whole, but if I was to make any criticism of his play it would be that he didn't read and cover Benji's kicks particuarly well either.

 

[Auckland4ever]

On the style of our attack, were it me coaching, I'd be looking to replicate Manly at their best last year. They had a great combination of lateral and forward movement in their attacking plays that often involved not a lot more than putting together a chain of short passes at the line. The beauty of short passing is that it is generally low risk and if every player in the side was encouraged to do it (i.e. as a link in a structured chain) we'd probably develop into a more cohesive attacking side that relied less on individual brilliance and athleticism.

 

[hitman82]

Lets be honest, the Tigers were very average. To only be up 10-0 at the half was a crime.

Our goal line defense is still extremley brittle imo.

Correct. At half time I was ranting and raving about how we should be up 20-0 and how the Tigers were going to come back and get us... and sure enough! A couple of errors and penalties and there we go; game over.

 

[Rich102]

Speaking of Manu. What really disappointed me was when he got one-on-one with his opposite with an open tryline he passed inside to Henry who was bundled into touch.
Manu has lost his feel for the game. Just going through the motions.

 

[Brando]

If Manu had a great game carting the ball up but a shit game near the side line and under the high ball/grubbers then give him a go in the second row and let us find a "traditional" winger.

And BTW I am totally gutted! That was our game to win at 10 nil grrrr!:x

 

[Warmess]

Manu was complete shit. He lost us that game the way Inu lost the storm game, the only difference isanu won't get dropped.

I didnt think Fish had too bad a game, considering the quality of the ground. Tbh I'd throw him on the wing for Vatuvei.

 

[tangalife]

Manu cost us two tries. Will probably go into low confidence mode again now.

Fish and Tupou gave away soft as line drop outs in the last 15 mins, diving onto the ball from outside the goal with barely any pressure. I put this down to a lack of confidence.

Johnson looked a bit too confident tonight, alot of switching directions that didnt really work BUT this was probably the busiest i've seen him and its good to see him take control and get more involved, been wanting to see this from Shaun for a while.

Hurrell was huge and Benji owned us

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Manu's error contributed to the last try but it didn't cost us it. Maloney's piss weak defence did that.

As I've said before, Manu's are confidence issues. Inu's are effort issues.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Nah. Manu's are "large, somewhat uncoordinated men find it difficult to catch rolling grubbers sometimes" issues. You take it or you leave it. I'm surprised he hasn't got more praise in recent weeks for how absolutely barnstorming his carries have been. I think the big change is not Manu but in people only seeing the negative because they have almost become blind to the positive.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Which is made worse by lack of confidence. When he was on fire in 2010-11, when fit, his hands were pretty well assured.

Seems to me like James Maloney is getting a pretty free ride here. He missed 6 tackles and went missing in the second half, then missed the tackle on Moltzen which was the difference. Is this because he's not a big Polynesian?

 

[Micistm]

People really expect Vatuvei to be dropped? Be realistic, he would have been dropped 3-4 times every season his whole career otherwise.

I'm supirised how someone like Inu doesn't get afforded the same luxury by coaches and most fans, I guess it's because he doesn't look like he's trying as hard.

They should have put 20 on them in the first half alone, too scared to play attacking football. Looks like Mateo has been told to put the offload away. I'm glad Bluey got those 'defensive structures' fixed though...

Fair points, can't argue. Another bummed out couple of weeks after watching your team completely ****ing blow it

 

[Warmess]

I'm surprised he hasn't got more praise in recent weeks for how absolutely barnstorming his carries have been. I think the big change is not Manu but in people only seeing the negative because they have almost become blind to the positive.

Personally, I'm not blind to the positive, but the positive he provides isn't what I want provided from a winger. We have forwards to put in those big runs.

Out on the wing we need a finisher. So far this season his ability to play wing has been entirely uninspiring at best. Take last night for example, he should have taken on Utai, or at least committed him before passing to Benry, neither of which happened. In weeks past hes taken one bomb, but mostly what we see is flukey attempts to bat the ball back, most of which don't come off at all.

Add this stuff in with his typically abysmal hands, inability to turn and chase a kick put in behind him and the fact that he cops so much attention nowadays his PTBs are slow as hell and he'll often get stripped and have it called a dropped ball. Those last things aren't something that he can really do anything about, but it should come in to discussions about his place in the side.

IMO he should do a Tony Williams, and Fish should come in and take his wing spot. We've seen what a revelation it has been for Tony Williams. Will it be the same for Manu? Who knows, but we may look back on it and lol@ourselves for persisting with him on the wing all this time. I know right now I'd prefer Vatuvei in the second rower over Lousi.