Why I'm excited for tonight

[BrotherJim05]

While I'm very excited for seeing a number of our players taking on a tough team tonight, there is one reason in particular i'm excited.
Yes yes i'm very excited to see Brooks and Tedesco carry on their combo, see Woods and Galloway rip into the bunnies like old times...but there is one dude I am most looking forward to:

With all the hype around Brooks and Tedesco, we have all forgotten how hectic this bloke is....especially if Brooks can give him good service all night, Bunnies are in for a surprise or two.

 

[Matchball]

I think we have a chance to win. Our defence was great past week even though it was crap opposition.
Same intensity over 80 and we can do it but fatigue from Sunday could haunt us.

Tigers 1-12 is my bet.

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

I will be very pleased to sneak away with a win.

 

[madunit]

Lulia will be targetted. He's not as fast laterally in defence as Lawrence or simona. Inglis will run at his outside all night (as well as running at Brooks all night)

If Fulton doesn't play, then our key man tonight will be Paterson, as he will have to protect Brooks from some of the biggest pack of mobile forwards in the comp.

I'm not expecting a win. I'm hoping for a close game, thats all we need to be respectable.

 

[N.C.]

Talk of defence is premature.

Most worrying thing to come out of last week is that the Titans never challenged us close to the line. Bunnies will do that. They also have Greg Inglis to launch long-range at us down the centres - one of whom is Lulia, the other an attacking gun on return from surgery.

We're f*cked.

 

[hutch]

I think the souths backline is ordinary apart from inglis. Lote, Goodwin, reddy are duds, walker and merritt are average first graders, Reynolds is hot and cold. Their forwards are massive, the game will be won there.

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

And that's been the way it is for the last couple of seasons.

 

[bjm8]

We held on for an hour or so last time we played them. We are in a much better position now. And take Inglis out and look at their backline.

Could do this in a canter if our middle defence is strong and we can make metres.

Could get flogged too.

 

[Vic Mackey]

PeoPle have very quickly forgotten the dragons performance.

I too am excited to see how the kids Go up against a genuine powerhouse, however am also quiet scared that a nicely rested pissed off souths will come out smash an inexperienced tigers side who played in 43 degrees only 5 days ago.

If our forwards can hold theirs I'm confident we have enough points to scare them. I hope our forwards treat this game like a grand final. I'm sick of hearing/reading people talking about our small pack, we have a bench full of monsters and a decent sized starting pack. If they rip in against the burgii/teo etc I'll be confident of a good season ahead

 

[Old Time Tiger]

I'm excited as well.

Interesting comments re the souths backs, I do think that the Tiger backs can show them up with plenty of enthusiasm. No sure about them being better than the Tigers but that will be driven by the performance of the pack.

I think that one of their 'weaker' players is Sutton, he seems lost still in his new role and believe that a number of big runs at him and defence at him at start of game will benefit the Tigers.

Memo: B Anasta - do not, repeat do not, kick to G Inglis on full. Kick away from him, make him bend to pick up, make sure your outside men know that you are kicking on x tackle so that they are ready to chase.

 

[Radical Rat]

I'm worried about backing up 5 days after a 40 degree game. I think that is gonna f*ck us. Sh!thouse scheduling. I saw Carter b!tching in the paper about how much the Titans are struggling and they're not playing till Sunday night.

 

[BrotherJim05]

You are all missing the point. Simona is back.

We will never be able to go toe to toe with Souths defensively but we can win if we throw everything we have at them in attack.
Simona is by far the greatest attacking weapon we have, especially since he will be marking up against Reddy who I believe he will run laps around.

I know everyone goes on about the Souths pack, but Galloway, Woods, Tupau, Ava, Gavet and Sue is NOT a weak pack. They will be a handful for Souths defense and if we can create space for Brooks, Teddy and Simona, Nufo there is no reason we can't pummel them

 

[Magpie Tragic]

I think the souths backline is ordinary apart from inglis. Lote, Goodwin, reddy are duds, walker and merritt are average first graders, Reynolds is hot and cold. Their forwards are massive, the game will be won there.

This ^

 

[benched tiger]

LOL...Souths will run at Lulia and we will run at Reddy+kick to or behind Lote he cant catch and he turns slower than the Titantic did !

 

[Tiger05]

Simona is a gun. I hope he kills it out there. I'll be happy if we just play well.

 

[magpie guy]

LOL...Souths will run at Lulia and we will run at Reddy+kick to or behind Lote he cant catch and he turns slower than the Titantic did !

If we can hold them in the forwards then we should be looking at the overlap on Merritt's side all night. Merritt NEVER stays on his wing and always comes in. I think that is where we should be targetting. Merritt plays right from memory so Simona just needs to be getting the ball outside his centre and Richards will have a field day.

 

[madunit]

You are all missing the point. Simona is back.

We will never be able to go toe to toe with Souths defensively but we can win if we throw everything we have at them in attack.
Simona is by far the greatest attacking weapon we have, especially since he will be marking up against Reddy who I believe he will run laps around.

I know everyone goes on about the Souths pack, but Galloway, Woods, Tupau, Ava, Gavet and Sue is NOT a weak pack. They will be a handful for Souths defense and if we can create space for Brooks, Teddy and Simona, Nufo there is no reason we can't pummel them

And in the centres with more forwards around him, and lacking match fitness.

I am confident he'll play well, but I'm sure Souths will suffocate him defensively, I expect Sam Burgess to play at Lock for most of tonight, so he can rove around and run at Lulia, Simona and Brooks every chance he can.

Lulia is the concern, because he's about as quick as an old back rower and Sam does have a good step on him. I don't care if Lulia is pointless in attack tonight, I want him to play the best defensive game of his life, because he needs to.

Simona is smaller than Lulia but he's faster and that can help him get to attackers before they get too much momentum.

 

[Shanghai Charlie]

I think the souths backline is ordinary apart from inglis. Lote, Goodwin, reddy are duds, walker and merritt are average first graders, Reynolds is hot and cold. Their forwards are massive, the game will be won there.

Souffs backline is utter tripe. Take out Inglis and it is the worst in the comp.
Probably still is the worst with him in it anyway.

If we aim up in the forwards we win.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Wow.. 18 posts here on the game thread within a couple of hours...

Optomistic??

Its amazing what one win can do...

 

[macnaz]

Im praying their 18th man (ref ) doesnt give them the usual leg up they always seem to get week in week out. We are prone to give penalties without the added favoritism towards them on top. Im confident if we can battle on even if we are down by 12 we have to players to make to points up. Avoid the normal capitulation under pressure and we can win.