Much improved peformance on past weeks

[Arties Pie]

To be frank I feel our defence on the edges isn't what it was earlier in the season and most people are just frustrated that the coach won't make the necessary change of dropping SKD to reggies.

[bondi-boy]

Our team is too small.
Look at the 'monsters' we were trying to tackle all night.

With all the possession, 5 metres in defence, and penalties they were granted, they won.

Usual penalties against us to start the match so we have to tackle ourselves to a standstill in the first half while the opposition is fresh and can score tries against us.

Maubs should be on the bench, with a big huge massive forward defending our line for the first 20 minutes.
Warriors don't score that first try, we win.

We really only looked like going anywhere when Moa came on.
A 6-Moa pack is what we need.

[bondi-boy]

To be frank I feel our defence on the edges isn't what it was earlier in the season and most people are just frustrated that the coach won't make the necessary change of dropping SKD to reggies.

Replaced by who, though?
Most of the other backs we tried last year were poor tacklers.

[Arties Pie]

Replaced by who, though?
Most of the other backs we tried last year were poor tacklers.

SKD can't pass, kick, hold the ball, break the line, read the opposition's attack or tackle, whoever they would be put there couldn't do a worse job. The guy is an absolute liability in all areas, it has been said Oldfields defence isn't much better but he still wouldn't have all those same deficiencies as SKD. We tolerated SKD's errors because of his try scoring / creating abilities but that has long gone he needs to recapture those qualities and he wont do it in first grade.

[Guest]

I just thought we were really unlucky tonight, we pretty much dominated them in every department except the scoreboard. Unlucky that Mini & SKD blessed us with their blunders in the same game, usually they have the common courtesy to do it in separate games. In all seriousness though I thought;

- Our go forward was a lot better, Kennedy has backed up his performance against the Eels with another good one, making metres after contact with every hit up. Moa is back and that's probably and understatement, he's BACK! LOD was very impressive I thought especially in the early exchanges and FPN has been good off the bench all season for us and that hasn't changed.

- The slight structure change of SBW to lock in attack and Guerra to lock in defence worked wonders. SBW looked the best he has all year imo, I know that's a big statement given some of his performances this year but he looked a threat every time he had the ball. It meant that our props had to up their workrate through the middle but they more than stepped up I thought(Kennedy 140m, O'donnell 107m, Nuuausala 150m & Moa 112m).

Just like after Round 1 the panic merchants are out; even Roboo hasn't escaped criticism but on the performance alone I reckon we looked good. Some definite positives to take out of that on both individual/team development imo.

Scanning this forum though I'm probably on my own...

I'm totally with you Rooster 6. I thought there were a lot of good signs.

We should of won that game five times over but obviously bombed quite a few opportunities.

Of course it's good to win every game but it just doesn't happen. Hopefully we'll get it right and win the important big games at the end of the year.

It baffles me how people think we're out of it. We are coming third! I know I would of taken that if you offered it up at the start of the year.

Still a long way to go people. Personally I don't think we're at the level of the Storm and the Bunnies, yet, but we've got a pretty good team, that has the potential to improve, and definitely the potential to beat those top teams.

Try and enjoy the ride

[elo]

Questionable as I didn't feel the Warriors played as well as they have the past 3 weeks, they only had 5 offloads all night, missed nearly 20 tackles more than us and pretty much just sat around waiting for us to implode and we obliged.

We needed to select another big man on the bench, Guerra and Mortimer were always going to be invisible in this matchup.

[Guest]

Given how even this competition is, we were always going to have a bit of a slump.

Apart from Parra and Wests, there aren't really any easybeats.

Manly and Melbourne have had downturns, but are both clubs with players who have experience in maintaining success for 26 weeks, and getting in and out of form slumps. We know they'll deal with it. Souffs should have one too, hopefully - but they have the game's best in Inglis and arguably the games best forward in Burgess, who are good no matter what.

For our players, and coach, these are new waters. It is up to them to shake off a little bit of a mid season rust, and probably post-Origin, come good.

But we should be very happy that this mid-season slump is our biggest concern, given the mediocrity of the past couple of years.

[stephenj]

of course getting a fair go from the refs would have helped us enormously, youll notice the top two teams get a bit more than a fair go regularly, so who do we have to pay to get that too?

[Guest]

I thought our pigs were great. LOD's first stint was great as well as Moa when he came on. LOD is making some people eat humble pie right about now. He has stood up with JWH gone.

FPN, well he was MOM for mine along with SBW. You can tell he is playing for a contract.

Pearce and Maloney, apart from some good play early in the second half were terrible. Some of the options Pearce took were bewildering.

[Guest]

Moa was outstanding. 112 metres in 25 minutes, not to mention that try assist and him putting Lillyman on his arse twice. Made more metres than LOD in half the time. Once he's fully fit and we have JWH back we will be massively improved.

If you'd have asked if I'd take 3 wins out of 5 against Manly, Storm, Cowboys away, Warriors and Eels without JWH and Moa I'd probably have taken it. Of course it's a ridiculous way to look at it but oh well. Melbourne went on a run of losses and crap form this time last season but they showed as long as you make the top 4 and hit some good form post Origin leading into the finals you can go far. Not saying we'll win but if we can do that who knows!

We are still 3rd place, 3 points ahead of fourth and 4 ahead of fifth and lets be honest, Manly have been in worse form than us, even Souths haven't been at their best the last 3 games.

If Sam Moa was outstanding then what does that make the established players who are constantly criticized such as Frank-Paul Nu'uausala who gained 150 metres and made 23 tackles for 1 missed and Martin Kennedy who gained 140 metres making 24 tackles and missing zero?

[stsae]

If Sam Moa was outstanding then what does that make the established players who are constantly criticized such as Frank-Paul Nu'uausala who gained 150 metres and made 23 tackles for 1 missed and Martin Kennedy who gained 140 metres making 24 tackles and missing zero?

I knew MK would get it from the grassy knoll again.

I thought our forwards aimed up last night again. We spent a lot of time rolling down the field and attacking in their 20 and our playmakers struggled to deliver.

Our backs especially the 1/2s were ordinary at best.

And The Bros were good. They frustrated us. They knew our backs can't play panic ball. They knew we'd implode.

Elliot knew.

[Roostarz]

Moa was outstanding. 112 metres in 25 minutes, not to mention that try assist and him putting Lillyman on his arse twice. Made more metres than LOD in half the time. Once he's fully fit and we have JWH back we will be massively improved.

If you'd have asked if I'd take 3 wins out of 5 against Manly, Storm, Cowboys away, Warriors and Eels without JWH and Moa I'd probably have taken it. Of course it's a ridiculous way to look at it but oh well. Melbourne went on a run of losses and crap form this time last season but they showed as long as you make the top 4 and hit some good form post Origin leading into the finals you can go far. Not saying we'll win but if we can do that who knows!

We are still 3rd place, 3 points ahead of fourth and 4 ahead of fifth and lets be honest, Manly have been in worse form than us, even Souths haven't been at their best the last 3 games.

If Sam Moa was outstanding then what does that make the established players who are constantly criticized such as Frank-Paul Nu'uausala who gained 150 metres and made 23 tackles for 1 missed and Martin Kennedy who gained 140 metres making 24 tackles and missing zero?

He was great too, I was more pointing out the fact the Moa did all that in 25 minutes. FPN was there for 45-50 from memory. Still very good.

[Guest]

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[bondi paul]

I knew MK would get it from the grassy knoll again.

I thought our forwards aimed up last night again. We spent a lot of time rolling down the field and attacking in their 20 and our playmakers struggled to deliver.

Our backs especially the 1/2s were ordinary at best.

And The Bros were good. They frustrated us. They knew our backs can't play panic ball. They knew we'd implode.
Elliot knew.

I agree with your comments - our backs do panic - Robbo has us playing so shallow whilst the warriors were up in the 10 slowed the play the ball - we had no plan b or leadership from the half. SKD reminds me of Terry Fahey bad hands no brains and hero to villan player. Watching SKD is depressing he had ability once but has lost it and for me he could cause poor team morale as his team mates I think would be tired of covering for him whilst also frustrated by his ineptness.

[born_a_rooster]

our execution has been poor the last month. we are coming into games expecting to score at will with the strike power and x factors we have in our team... we are not building pressure like the top two teams

manly will take 3rd spot if we dont change this problem and string a few wins together soon