We have a very very good team but.....

[clint]

We need an attacking strike weapon.

I never post on the forum these days, but i do constantly read and I need to vent.

After being at the ground yesterday, watching the match again on replaying, watching all of our games this year and really thinking about the situation overnight, i honestly think we have a very good team.

However I guess i'm stating the obvious, we need one big time attacking player, be it a gun half or fullback or something.

Ricky has the side committed and pumped up virtually every week, they all seem to put in 100%, they have pretty much the best defence in the comp, but it's not just that, they really hit hard. In my opinion they are so much a better team under Ricky than under Raper, proven by the for and against despite not being any higher on the ladder and remember it's pretty much the same cattle.

But obviously when we keep being beaten by 2 bloody points we clearly lack a killer punch.

Add a Thurston, Inglis, Bowen even a Slater to the side, just one of them, I honestly believe we'd go bloody close to winning the comp. Those four sets on our line in defence yesterday were fantastic, the work of a top team.

But obviously we can't put sides away.

To me we play with the intensity that the Roosters had when they won the comp and we making grand finals. The one difference they had the superstar player in Fittler and I can't see us signing or finding the superstar player who will make a difference anytime soon.

 

[imasharkie]

The team kept the doggies main attacking weapon quiet yesterday.
All the talk pre game was SBW this, SBW that............
matter of fact he spent a lot of time on the bench because he couldn't perform his magic on us like he has to other teams this year.
IMO it's the reason why the Dogs looked ordinary in the first half, SBW did nothing. Came on late in the 2nd half and lost the ball in the tackle only to see some gumby pick the ball up and fall over the line.
We were the better side for a majority of the game only to lose to a lost ball in the ruck which should have been pulled up by the ref.

 

[Danger]

IMO Kearney is just that strike weapon we are missing, its no coincidence that our points have dried up considerably since he has been injured.

 

[samshark]

Clint, you make a few good points but you are wrong about one big thing.
WE DO NOT HAVE A VERY GOOD TEAM.
We are severely lacking in the key positions - 1, 6, 7 and 9. Thats is why our attack is sh*t, that is why we cant put teams away and that is why we cant win the close games.

Kearney will help but alone wont be enough. IMO the club has fugged up big time because they should have or should now go into the market instead of resigning Kingston, Kimorley and Simmons. These guys are just not good enough.

 

[Danger]

Well, i'd put him at fullback, he was sparking our attack well when playing there, put Misi & Brown on the wings... Drop Simmons.

Kearney was making line breaks all over the place when before he was injured, in fact i still think he's in the top 5 or something in the league even though he's been out for a few weeks (i could be wrong on that), i dont think he alone is the answer, but the fact he is not playing is making a BIG difference in our attack.

 

[clint]

It's easy to say, but add Thurston to our team and we'd a lot better than the Cowboys are with him, same for Lockyer and the Broncos. Kearney will be great to have back but it won't be the difference between winning the comp and not.

 

[fizman]

My concern is this. We know what we need, but we have NOT signed the appropriate player. Why? Ricky said we are a couple of strike players short, so where are they?? Why haven't we signed them

 

[DJDL]

Well, i'd put him at fullback, he was sparking our attack well when playing there, put Misi & Brown on the wings... Drop Simmons.

Surely you jest. Simmo has been great since his return and Misi was bloody horrible while he was in firsts. He did about 3 good things in his first match and was lauded on here at the messiah for about a month before everyone started to see just how crap he is.

There is no way you can argue, based on Simmo's form since his return, that Misi is a better option.

I'd play Kearney at 7, Bird at 6, Dykes left right out and Noddy at 9 when he returns.

 

[Dragon Slayer]

We need an attacking strike weapon.

I never post on the forum these days, but i do constantly read and I need to vent.

After being at the ground yesterday, watching the match again on replaying, watching all of our games this year and really thinking about the situation overnight, i honestly think we have a very good team.

However I guess i'm stating the obvious, we need one big time attacking player, be it a gun half or fullback or something.

Ricky has the side committed and pumped up virtually every week, they all seem to put in 100%, they have pretty much the best defence in the comp, but it's not just that, they really hit hard. In my opinion they are so much a better team under Ricky than under Raper, proven by the for and against despite not being any higher on the ladder and remember it's pretty much the same cattle.

But obviously when we keep being beaten by 2 bloody points we clearly lack a killer punch.

Add a Thurston, Inglis, Bowen even a Slater to the side, just one of them, I honestly believe we'd go bloody close to winning the comp. Those four sets on our line in defence yesterday were fantastic, the work of a top team.

But obviously we can't put sides away.

To me we play with the intensity that the Roosters had when they won the comp and we making grand finals. The one difference they had the superstar player in Fittler and I can't see us signing or finding the superstar player who will make a difference anytime soon.

Clint what you are saying is so true.

We just haven't had the killer blow in us to put teams away. We've lost by 6 points or less on numerous occasions this year after leading most of those matches by a reasonable margin. But reasonable or average doesn't cut it in the NRL if you want to be at the pointy end of the table.

We need a game breaker, hell even a couple to just compete with sides like Melbourne who have them in abundance.

Ricky seems to think Blake Green and Karl McNichol could be what we're missing. I sure hope so! I also hope there's some money left for one of these Panther cast offs who could help fast track what we need.

If we had a player like Wesser I'm sure we would've buried a few of the sides we lost to by under 6 points for sure!
​

 

[Frenzy.]

Surely you jest. Simmo has been great since his return and Misi was bloody horrible while he was in firsts. He did about 3 good things in his first match and was lauded on here at the messiah for about a month before everyone started to see just how crap he is.

There is no way you can argue, based on Simmo's form since his return, that Misi is a better option.

I'd play Kearney at 7, Bird at 6, Dykes left right out and Noddy at 9 when he returns.

Surely YOU jest.

Simmons is atrocious. He could of won us the game yesterday, put it to bed real early if he'd had an ounce of ticker and backed himself.

He stood back and let a prop defuse a bomb

He was ragdolled on more than one occasion.

He bypassed numerous gaps in favour of running away from the defence.

His ball carry is an accident waiting to happen.

His pass selection is just bullsh*t because he sh*ts himself and has NO CLUE when a pass is on or not.

His kick returns were meek.

His involvement was low

He doesn't know who to follow in attack and doesn't get himself into the right spot to back up.

He's as elusive as a log.

 

[spider]

He bypassed numerous gaps in favour of running away from the defence.

lol - are you throwing up oxymorons now captain?

i actually thought his involvment was high yesterday

 

[cheese]

I agree clint.

Our squad on a whole is right up there.

We just need more punch out of one or two positions.

Priddis at 9 with degois on the bench.

Kearney at 1. Supplies us another 5th tackle option, slateresque with his support play.

It's the 7 where we're lacking, and have been for f**king ages. Maybe kearney's the man, aslong as anyone other than that shyt merkin sthimmo is at the back

 

[Danger]

Surely YOU jest.

Simmons is atrocious. He could of won us the game yesterday, put it to bed real early if he'd had an ounce of ticker and backed himself.

He stood back and let a prop defuse a bomb

He was ragdolled on more than one occasion.

He bypassed numerous gaps in favour of running away from the defence.

His ball carry is an accident waiting to happen.

His pass selection is just bullsh*t because he sh*ts himself and has NO CLUE when a pass is on or not.

His kick returns were meek.

His involvement was low

He doesn't know who to follow in attack and doesn't get himself into the right spot to back up.

He's as elusive as a log.

Spot on, a few times yesterday if he backed himself and showed some balls, he would have made a few breaks, and we all know he's quick enough to finish it up if he makes a break, he just needs to back himself, thats his problem, he's a cat!!!

 

[Omnishark2]

Yes we do need more attacking strike power ... but the larger issue is the attacking structure we play with. Our structure needs runners in motion & variations that really challenge the defence, fast men backing up the offloaders, etc.

Unfortunately with Noddy running the show we have structure but it's completely predictable. It is so ingrained now, it will take a lot more than one week to overcome that habit. And the wet weather didn't help us to change our habits either.

We lost the game in the first half when we had all the possession but (surprise, surprise) not enough points. And that all comes back to our totally predictable attack. Which is why we took all those 2 pts deep in their quarter when we should have backed ourselves & gone for 6 instead.

Given his inexperience I though Watts went OK, although he faded badly in the 2nd half. Some of the chips were poor options, but again that comes back to trying to create something outside of our predictable attack. But every time I see Josh Lewis doing good things for the Titans, it reinforces my opinion earlier this year that we should have gone for him rather than Watts (or Soward). Lewis has a better long kicking game than Watts, can defend better than Soward, but most importantly, can create in attack & put guys through gaps.

Lewis & Blake Green would have been a fantastic halves pairing for the future. I guess we'll just have to live with Blake Green trying to feel his way in FG with handbrake Noddy beside him ...

 

[Quigs]

The reason SB Dubyah spent so long on the sideline was because he stuffed his shoulder up yet again doing one of his stupid shoulder charges.

The guys is brilliant at his best but his career wont last real long if he keeps testing his 22 year old shoulders against on coming brick walls. It is like the dickheads that try to punch dunny walls. Ive never met a dunny wall that has its fist plastered.

I agree with every thing said about Paris Simmons - the guy is a joke. And the joke is not funny anymore.

We lost because we did not score enough points. Fair enough. But the last two tries by the dogs could of gone anywhere. The kick was perfect. SBDubyahs pass out the back was more arse then class.

Thats league.

I enjoyed yesterdays game - it was refreshing for most of the time. Good to see some flair early on.

But that farkin Paris. Does he watch the replays to see how he dogs it.

We need three or four sniffers. Kearney is one. But that is where we are short. Got a few players looking to offload all the time - but there is no one there to give it too.

Arrr well, lets see what happens next week.

The highlight for me was seeing Noddy on the sideline. Not with the crutches mind you, but he was on the sideline.

Cheers
Declared Idiot #88
Quigs

 

[millersnose]

yes simmons is evil incarnate

however lets pretend we have a squad of 17 on deck for a moment

our low risk strategy of ball control and defence is not causing anyone any problems in defence in our opposition

simmo was about the only one following through after noted offloaders

coach has to take the blame

 

[Ausguy]

we dont have a very very good team..... we are fugged, the joke of the league ... over it

 

[30 Year Sharkie]

I think ther's some merit in these arguments. I think we DO have a better team than our ladder position would suggest. It just needs to gell better, but seeing as its been basically the same now for a couple of seasons, this shouldn't really be an issue

I agree one strike player would make the difference. Who knows, Watts may just develop into that player, but geez it would be nice to have a Thurston or a Lockyer right now...

 

[Snoop Shark]

If we make the 8 i think we will be gone in the first week. Already looking forward to next year!

 

[RockyShark]

...Noddy at 9 when he returns.

That's interesting - has he played hooker before? If he can do the kick-chase every week like he did in SOO II, that might be worth a try.