Positives to come out of the game

[Guest]

IMO the positives massively outway the negatives in this game. Teams have been using a compressed defense against our toothless attack to get soft victories against us. We now have:
- Friend back to give us some speed at dummy half. Extra metres and forces a compressed defense.
- Some big forwards like Masoe to bend the line. Extra metres and forces a compressed defense.

Still not good enough to win games as we have lacked an x-factor to punish a compressed defense. Enter one Todd Carney at 5/8th. We now have enough speed to stretch a compressed defense. Mark my words, today is a good day for this club my friends :-)

[TheLoneRooster]

dice, you're doing better than me being able to see positives so soon after that gut wrenching loss. well done mate.

[elo]

I'd rather have the 2 points

[Guest]

Mate, I had a woody in the first half at our halves ability to stretch the opposition defense despite the conditions. Linnett and FPN running wide adds some extra dimensions as well.

Forget the scoreline, forget the two points. Good days ahead.

[Guest]

We were the better team. That rubbish first try decision, and the terrible lack of commitment by Graham in all three of Locke's tries are what cost us the game.

Our forwards, in particular Myles, Ryles, Masoe and Kennedy, dominated their more experienced pack with relative ease. FPN was a bit quieter but still played well, Morbs and Leilua were their usual mobile and dangerous selves, Friend and Koops were solid. Carney and Pearce were a tad inconsistent but put together some magic, Perrett and SKD both played very well with high involvement, no problem with Linnett either.

[Guest]

today is a good day for this club my friends :-)

Could've ****ing fooled me.

[Juggler]

NOT good at all. Unless we break our inconsistent streak we are headed for a loss against the phone chuckers. NOT GOOD.

[The General]

Positives?

Um if I ever need someone choked I know which team to ring.

[Guest]

Geez. Remind me not to have a beer with you lot after a game.

Think about all the games we have watched where all the opposition did was compress their defense to suffocate our inept attack. Now think about how many times we had the Warriors stretched out wide today. If conditions were dry we would have lapped them.

Good days ahead.

[Hawkeye]

Positives to come out of the game

We made money by playing an away game in the opponents back yard !

.....guess we made them look silly !

[Geohood]

I too feel like there's good days ahead but today was gut wrenching

[Guest]

I was happy with the way we play but I am shattered with the loss.

[Guest]

I too feel like there's good days ahead but today was gut wrenching

Exactly. When we win my excitement is usually tempered by my heart telling me we don't really have a competitive team. Today the reverse happened. I am upset with the way we lost. However, for the first time in a long time I can see the beginnings of a very competitive team.

Anasta and Minichiello are wasted money. I would never have said that previously. That is $700-$800k to spend on Dugan and one or two decent speedsters to replace our slow backline. Tell me this team can't beat the top teams:
Fullback - Dugan
Wingers - Graham and possible replacement for Perrett
Centres - Linnett and possible replacement for SKD
Halves - Pearce and Carney
Hooker - Friend
Front Row - Ryles and Masoe
Second Row/lock - Myles, FPN, M Aubusson

That still leaves us with future stars like JWH, Symonds, and Kennedy.

We have the seeds of a good young attacking team and with depth. Open your eyes.

[BUDDY]

Geez. Remind me not to have a beer with you lot after a game.

Think about all the games we have watched where all the opposition did was compress their defense to suffocate our inept attack. Now think about how many times we had the Warriors stretched out wide today. If conditions were dry we would have lapped them.

Good days ahead.

For once in my life I agree with dice. I was totally gutted by the result but was rapped with how our attack looked with Carney/Pearce. The wet weather was the only reason NZ were close enough in the end. A no try, two tries inches from the touchline and an arsey try in the end. It was just one of those days we seem to have too regularly where the bounce of the ball was against us. Our forwards aimed up, our attack looked sharp in those conditions. Good days ahead.

But one thing today showed is that our main recruitment for next year should be a strike centre and a big fast wing or two.

[Guest]

Exactly. When we win my excitement is usually tempered by my heart telling me we don't really have a competitive team. Today the reverse happened. I am upset with the way we lost. However, for the first time in a long time I can see the beginnings of a very competitive team.

Anasta and Minichiello are wasted money. I would never have said that previously. That is $700-$800k to spend on Dugan and one or two decent speedsters to replace our slow backline. Tell me this team can't beat the top teams:
Fullback - Dugan
Wingers - Graham and possible replacement for Perrett
Centres - Linnett and possible replacement for SKD
Halves - Pearce and Carney
Hooker - Friend
Front Row - Ryles and Masoe
Second Row/lock - Myles, FPN, M Aubusson

That still leaves us with future stars like JWH, Symonds, and Kennedy.

We have the seeds of a good young attacking team and with depth. Open your eyes.

You say we have the seeds of a good young attacking team, yet you want to keep Graham over Perrett, and get rid of SKD?

Graham can find the line, but that's it. He's past it. Perrett is underrated, even by the supporters of this club. The Warriors dictated their entire kicking game away from him because they know how good his returns and dummy half running are.

SKD is an extremely promising centre. For all his faults, he's big, strong and fast. Hell, today I even think I saw him draw and pass.

You're right, that there are many positives to be taken out of today's game. We were by far the better side, and if we can play that way on a dry day, we'll touch up a lot of sides. Luck was against us.