Forwards need to lift big time

[Guest]

or else we're gone.

How easy the Titans rolled out of their own end, but where were our guys bending back the line? Yes the injury to Masoe didn't help, but we're just getting owned in the middle

Just like last week, all they want to do is spin it wide.

The sad part is that for the first time in a long time, we now look ok when we do spin it wide. But they must do the work in the middle first.

I'd be putting Lopini on the bench, because at least you know he's going to stay in the middle and run straight. And more game time for Kennedy

And I'd be giving Myles at least a week off to get over whatever the hell is wrong with him

[Guest]

Our forwards were lazy. Period.

They didn't get back in the attacking line till the 3rd or soemtimes 4th tackle.

And that's not just 1 or two frowards. That was ALL of them.

Most the time Titan's were only defending against a 5 man attacking line. That is why we couldn't make any meters. Lazy forwards.

[Guest]

As I said in the other thread, it doesn't necessarily matter if they don't get involved until the third tackle but the trade off has to be that they have a huge impact with those runs.

At the moment it is low quantity and low quality which is the concerning thing.

[Guest]

Early in the year we were being led by charges from Myles, FPN and Ryles. All three of these guys have had a bit of a form slump in recent weeks.

Lets hope Brian Smith can fire them up again - FAST!

[Guest]

I'm certainly not an Anasta Basher, but Myles form slump seems to be consistent with his move back to prop.

Before we had a pack of:
13. Myles
12. Maubs
11. FPN
10. JWH/Masoe/Kennedy
9. Friend
8. Ryles

Now we have:
13. Anasta
12. Maubs
11. FPN
10. Myles
9. Friend
8. Ryles

This change to the pack has given us more potency out wide with Anasta's balls skills on the left edge (queue the usual suspects) but one less big bopper up front.

Maybe the answer is to use our bench differently to ensure the big boppers we have on the field are fresh. We are currently wasting on bench spot on Koups. Its time to take a risk on Friend playing 80 minutes and have a bench of JWH, Conn, Kennedy, Masoe.

[Guest]

I disagree. In the Saints and Titans games we were in a winning position midway through the first half and had the opportunity to control possession and tire the opposition forwards out. Instead of controlling possession, our playmakers have gone for gold at every opportunity trying to win the game by 1000 points, and in the process achieved the opposite of what we should have achieved in allowing the opposition to control possession and tire our forwards out with cheap turnovers and repeat sets.

Despite Pearce doing some wonderful things last night, I am mega-pissed that he doesn't understand the value of a grubber kick into the in-goal for a repeat set or a kick into touch to control the energy levels of both ours and the opposition forwards.

[elo]

The first pack is better....it's cruel but Braith isn't required in our team anymore.

[Guest]

Our forward pack has played this way all year, the only players to ever get close to 100m were Myles and Ryles due to their playing time.

We play to a gameplan that relies on d/h running by our back 5 and strong defence up the middle by our forwards.

It's an effective tactic because our forwards are fresher to bash the opposition and gives Carney and Pearce a tired line to run at.

Lets stop dancing around the fact that Carney and Perret cost us the game. 9 out of the teams 14 errors were committed by them, most in great attacking position or coming out of our half.

[Guest]

Our forward pack has played this way all year, the only players to ever get close to 100m were Myles and Ryles due to their playing time.

We play to a gameplan that relies on d/h running by our back 5 and strong defence up the middle by our forwards.

It's an effective tactic because our forwards are fresher to bash the opposition and gives Carney and Pearce a tired line to run at.

Lets stop dancing around the fact that Carney and Perret cost us the game. 9 out of the teams 14 errors were committed by them, most in great attacking position or coming out of our half.

you're kidding Mike

without the go forward Carney can't be effective, or as effective

teams like St George and the Titans must be beaten in the middle

[Guest]

Can't go forward without the ball. For a half to make 6 errors on top of some really poor decisions, is inexcusable.

How many times did he call for the ball early just to spin it wide?

[Guest]

I have been saying it all year. Where we keep getting killed is in the wrestle and on the ground. Look how the Titans scored their second try. Kennedy and FPN made the tackle and just fell off the tackled player. Friend then picked up the ball with no markers, they made a break and scored off the next tackle.

It's so frustrating because it's only the little things we are doing wrong. Our best footy is easily better than most sides. I mean look at last night. What the hell did Titans do other than complete their sets? We gifted them 3 of their tries. We also probably bombed 2 or 3.

Funny enough I think our defence has been really good the last 3 weeks, we aren't missing many tackles. It's just stupid mistakes the last 3 weeks that have killed us. We aren't playing that bad but we do need to win this week.

[Guest]

Can't go forward without the ball. For a half to make 6 errors on top of some really poor decisions, is inexcusable.

How many times did he call for the ball early just to spin it wide?

geez Mike, you're a hard marker

he's been a revelation at 5/8 and must surely be the player who gets most of the credit for getting us to where we are (or were)

he has one bad game (where he still looked pretty likely at times) and it's "inexcusable"?

forwads must stand up

[BUDDY]

geez Mike, you're a hard marker

he's been a revelation at 5/8 and must surely be the player who gets most of the credit for getting us to where we are (or were)

he has one bad game (where he still looked pretty likely at times) and it's "inexcusable"?

forwads must stand up

Agreed. We would be just in front of Melbourne if we didn't have him. He made one season's worth of errors in one game. It just wasn't his night. I like how whenever he makes a mistake he doesn't drop the f-bomb like everyone else. Just refocuses and gets on with it. Super star.

[Headless Chook]

I have been saying it all year. Where we keep getting killed is in the wrestle and on the ground. Look how the Titans scored their second try. Kennedy and FPN made the tackle and just fell off the tackled player. Friend then picked up the ball with no markers, they made a break and scored off the next tackle.

It's so frustrating because it's only the little things we are doing wrong. Our best footy is easily better than most sides. I mean look at last night. What the hell did Titans do other than complete their sets? We gifted them 3 of their tries. We also probably bombed 2 or 3.

Funny enough I think our defence has been really good the last 3 weeks, we aren't missing many tackles. It's just stupid mistakes the last 3 weeks that have killed us. We aren't playing that bad but we do need to win this week.

I tend to agree with you. I think we got a bit caught up in the hype after the Parra win and now we're trying to play champagne football on a beer drinkers budget! We need to start playing the percentages and just try and get to our kick. We seem to make a bit of space, get excited and try for the miracle pass, instead of hitting the deck finding elbows and knees and getting the quick play the ball. Sometimes, the try is socred the play after the half break but we try and convert every half chance into a try lately. Perrett's brain explosion is a perfect example.

[Guest]

I tend to agree with you. I think we got a bit caught up in the hype after the Parra win and now we're trying to play champagne football on a beer drinkers budget! We need to start playing the percentages and just try and get to our kick. We seem to make a bit of space, get excited and try for the miracle pass, instead of hitting the deck finding elbows and knees and getting the quick play the ball. Sometimes, the try is socred the play after the half break but we try and convert every half chance into a try lately. Perrett's brain explosion is a perfect example.

Listened to Pearce's interview on Triple M after the match. He said the exact same thing. Perfect example of this was the Titans final try. They took the tackle after making the break, then scored on the next play