Team vs Dogs Named

[Guest]

Perhaps the Braith situation should be treated like the Ricky Ponting one.

Performance brings protection.

[Rooster Rampage]

I think one of our biggest weaknesses got highlighted on Sunday. If a team plays the same style of defence that Manly did, and we can't shift the ball quick enough or play short one off the ruck stuff i.e close to the dummy half, then we are going to get caught out big time having Anasta and Maubs in the backrow. It's something we have to improve on and/or adapt to to be in with any chance this season. That means running slightly further away from the ruck if we are doing one out stuff, or having forwards steaming on to the ball two off the ruck. With Maubs and Anasta in the pack, we can't bash and barge our way through a pack playing the way we did on Sunday. We just don't make enough metres or tire them enough with three bash and barge forwards (Myles and our bookends). Unless we are playing brilliantly.

yup, but what can you do besides move maubs, as i said before there's no way in hell smithy will move braith...

[Burnt Rooster]

Pearce

I am just about over how good Pearce is, or is going to be, everytime we have needed him to step up, or NSW has, he has been found wanting. Sure he is young, but has alot of experience now, for a young bloke, and he is just not cutting the mustard for me. The perfect example was last years Grandfinal, again, wasen't seen of Nobby's, good halfbacks and 5/8's take charge, and make things happen, he rarely does, Foran played him off a break last Sunday, in a virtual reserve grade side. Carney obviously needed a game in the reserve grade to find his feet, he was all at sea, but he will soon be back to his best.

Cheers.......Burnt Rooster

[Guest]

I am just about over how good Pearce is, or is going to be, everytime we have needed him to step up, or NSW has, he has been found wanting. Sure he is young, but has alot of experience now, for a young bloke, and he is just not cutting the mustard for me. The perfect example was last years Grandfinal, again, wasen't seen of Nobby's, good halfbacks and 5/8's take charge, and make things happen, he rarely does, Foran played him off a break last Sunday, in a virtual reserve grade side. Carney obviously needed a game in the reserve grade to find his feet, he was all at sea, but he will soon be back to his best.

Cheers.......Burnt Rooster

Gees that's harsh. Pearce set up two tries from great passes. It difficult for a halfback to impose his will when we can't hold the ball past the second tackle!

The week before he got three dally m points.

[Guest]

I am just about over how good Pearce is, or is going to be, everytime we have needed him to step up, or NSW has, he has been found wanting. Sure he is young, but has alot of experience now, for a young bloke, and he is just not cutting the mustard for me. The perfect example was last years Grandfinal, again, wasen't seen of Nobby's, good halfbacks and 5/8's take charge, and make things happen, he rarely does, Foran played him off a break last Sunday, in a virtual reserve grade side. Carney obviously needed a game in the reserve grade to find his feet, he was all at sea, but he will soon be back to his best.

Cheers.......Burnt Rooster

I've never understood the crap Pearce cops on here... he is consistently one of our best week in week out - either he plays well, along with the rest of the side, or he's the only one putting in when the effort is crap.

Last week, he threw two fantastic passes to set up two of our tries, and tried hard all day, but noone went with him.

The week before, he was best on field.

[Guest]

I am just about over how good Pearce is, or is going to be, everytime we have needed him to step up, or NSW has, he has been found wanting. Sure he is young, but has alot of experience now, for a young bloke, and he is just not cutting the mustard for me. The perfect example was last years Grandfinal, again, wasen't seen of Nobby's, good halfbacks and 5/8's take charge, and make things happen, he rarely does, Foran played him off a break last Sunday, in a virtual reserve grade side. Carney obviously needed a game in the reserve grade to find his feet, he was all at sea, but he will soon be back to his best.

Cheers.......Burnt Rooster

You're kidding right? We would've lost against Souths if Pearce didn't play so well and hold the side together.

Now you are smashing him for not standing up when our pack was clearly outplayed?

Thurston is probably the only halfback in the comp I would swap him for.

[Guest]

Smith loves his favourites...

I hope this Watts character is better than the pig...

Ryles must be taking the p*ss...this guy is like a STA bus driver ....goes through the motions, nothing more , gets his pay and goes home.

Kennedy needs to lift..i hope he is'nt taking tips from Ryles.

well put

[Guest]

yup, but what can you do besides move maubs, as i said before there's no way in hell smithy will move braith...

I think for this reason we need Jake to play 80 mins and have another forward on the bench

[Rooster Rampage]

I think for this reason we need Jake to play 80 mins and have another forward on the bench

Yeh, that's the only other way i guess, but i think the fact that we signed watts and then piggy shows that smith doesn't want jake playing 80 minutes, he wants to get a hard working 60 minutes out of him, instead of having him fall of in the last few minutes.

[Funky Chicken]

You make some good points.

I'm not into the Braith bashing like others but we do have better back rowers than him. That said we have to realise is that he isn't going to rack up 150metres like other back rowers. That is not his role or how our structure works.

I mean Maubs never runs for 150 metres it dosn't mean he is a poor player.
Braith adds value to the side as we saw in last years final series. He had the right balance of running and passing. The other day he was poor.

I agree 100% on FPN. It's a tragedy he starts off the bench and only plays 40minutes. When he is used as an edge forward he is brilliant. The improvement from 09 is remarkable.

Fitzy,

Good post, but therein lies the problem.

With neither Anasta or Maubs eating up metres, and Myles doing all the tackling/clean up we really only have two out of the forward pack left to try and eat up the metres. So if they are having an off day or being dominated by the opposition we go nowhere. This places immense pressure on our halves and others to try and come up with miracle playes to get us out of trouble, which often leads to mistakes.

Anasta is a luxury to the team, that we really can't afford. We need a 2nd rower who can roll the sleeves up and do the hard yards and help the pigs to get us on the front foot. Anasta could play in a dinner jacket most games. Gallen is a complete grub but I would prefer a player of his calibre and work ethic over Anasta everyday of the week.

Anasta is not the best 5/8 at the club and he is not in the top 3 backrowers. I really hope that re-signing Anasta (which I was not supportive of nor did I sign the petition) doesn't cost us a real star in Tom Symonds. That would be a crime of extreme proportions.

[Guest]

Fitzy,

Good post, but therein lies the problem.

With neither Anasta or Maubs eating up metres, and Myles doing all the tackling/clean up we really only have two out of the forward pack left to try and eat up the metres. So if they are having an off day or being dominated by the opposition we go nowhere. This places immense pressure on our halves and others to try and come up with miracle playes to get us out of trouble, which often leads to mistakes.

Anasta is a luxury to the team, that we really can't afford. We need a 2nd rower who can roll the sleeves up and do the hard yards and help the pigs to get us on the front foot. Anasta could play in a dinner jacket most games. Gallen is a complete grub but I would prefer a player of his calibre and work ethic over Anasta everyday of the week.

Anasta is not the best 5/8 at the club and he is not in the top 3 backrowers. I really hope that re-signing Anasta (which I was not supportive of nor did I sign the petition) doesn't cost us a real star in Tom Symonds. That would be a crime of extreme proportions.

with the comp as even as it is now, no team can afford the "luxury" of carrying a Braith

what a bad position the club has gotten themselves into over this

in reality, there is surely no way Braith is going to clog up a spot in the pack for all of this season and all of next

Braith has had a charmed run for a very long time, occasionally producing a decent few weeks of form, but more often than not dining out on his very early days at the dogs

as lucky as Braith has been, it'd be no surprise if either Pearce or Carney sustained major long term injuries, as such allowing Braith to move back into the halves - and destroying any chance we have of competing with the good sides in the process

and to lose a local junior like Symonds, who already is a considerably better player than Braith, would be nothing short of sickening

[Pass the Ball]

Looks like Anasta is in for a massive one this weekend..

[Rooster_6]

with the comp as even as it is now, no team can afford the "luxury" of carrying a Braith

We playing in a different comp to the one we played in last year?

[Vasco]

We playing in a different comp to the one we played in last year?

Todd Carney was the difference last year.

[Guest]

ITT: bandwagon muppets have a massive whinge 5% into the season...