This IS the ideal lineup v's NZ Warriors

[ism22]

Hastings WAS and always has been the chosen kicker but has been carrying a quad injury. Robbo has not stuffed up in the goal kicking department as many on here are suggesting. His first choice kicker is hampered by injury.

That said, he tried kicking last week and did not demonstrate anything too hot.

MOST teams have 3 or 4 decent kickers!!! Examples:
- Souffs lost Reynolds... they could still convert!
- Raiders used another dude on his first game when Croker wasn't available
- JT's never injured, but Cowboys have many options...
- Manly can use Lyon, DCE, Walker, Taufua... all are serious kicking options.

Question - why don't we have more than 1 serious option? All it would take is a few guys to rock up 30 minutes early to training and muck around, kicking a few conversions with Joey, Freddy or Fitzy (heck all of them 1-on-1 for each player) going 'square up... nah look down for longer... you're hitting it with the wrong part of your boot... good but it went wide because [insert reason]'. We have the coaching staff and we deal in 1st grade players. Mitchell was actually really good, but he was spinning the ball the wrong way, so it floated away from the posts rather than curling in - other than that, he's looked more promising than anybody else. If I were him I wouldn't get bummed by criticisms - I'd tell Robbo I want some 1-on-1 coaching 30 mins before training each day, from 1 of 3 expert kicking coaches. I'm sure all 3 would oblige in the interests of their club winning.

It's a farce - ANY half + SOME centres/back rowers who play NYC or NSW cup SHOULD be damn good kickers. 1st grade? IMO it's sorta assumed knowledge that ALL halves can convert properly... and most players should know how to at least make a serious attempt at converting.

Edit: and if people (I'm thinking Nikorima, Hastings, Mitchell [yep you too Pearce - how about you learn to convert by the time you get back], Maubs, Guerra and Fergo) can't convert, maybe they should spend a week with Rip Taylor teaching them how to do it? Because people in his team CAN convert...

[Double]

It's just a poor coaching oversight ism simple as that. Also you need to take the task seriously if you want to become proficient... not just rock up and kick a few conversions.

[Guest]

So the ideal line up against a big Auckland Warriors team is to put two defensively weak players in Joe Burgess and Joseph Manu who has not even played NRL first grade yet along side each other and to shift Isaac Liu to the edges. This is not the ideal team.

[Bigchook]

You are correct. There is a lot of over reaction to our start of the season but the truth is that everything that could possibly have gone wrong has gone wrong and our coach is dealing with it in the best way possible. We will finish the season in much better shape than we started.

I didnt know you were capable of being positive. But yes massive over reactions. Cordners injury and Pearce's suspension have thrown huge spanners in the works. We wouldn't be 0-4 if we had those two in the team regardless of opinion on Pearce.

[stephenj]

just keep- your bloody head down follow through, yoiu can look up when its gone over the crossbar! never aim outside the posts even in a gail! yes i used to toe poke but they still went over

[Mickie Lane]

I think they will start with Guerra at 5/8 again.
Fergusson has been left clutching at thin air every game this year & SKD crabbing in off his wing has to be addressed. Every team is carving that edge up.

[Guest]

I didnt know you were capable of being positive. But yes massive over reactions. Cordners injury and Pearce's suspension have thrown huge spanners in the works. We wouldn't be 0-4 if we had those two in the team regardless of opinion on Pearce.

I am not the person who is bagging out our team or our coach or our players unlike many of our fans here nor am I the person who believes that season 2014 and season 2015 were failures so I do not understand why you can't believe I can be positive because I am very positive about this team. It is a rough start and we are in a hole but we have been unlucky as well. We will come out of this better.

[Double]

So the ideal line up against a big Auckland Warriors team is to put two defensively weak players in Joe Burgess and Joseph Manu who has not even played NRL first grade yet along side each other and to shift Isaac Liu to the edges. This is not the ideal team.

I'm loathe to bust up a winning combination but I'll make an exception on this occasion...

If the Burgess/Manu combination isn't a more potent attacking weapon than the (defensive=not!) pairing of Tupou/Elliot then I'll eat my hat. And it's time for Robbo to bust open some comfort zones with Liu.

[Headless Chook]

I'm loathe to bust up a winning combination but I'll make an exception on this occasion...

If the Burgess/Manu combination isn't a more potent attacking weapon than the (defensive=not!) pairing of Tupou/Elliot then I'll eat my hat. And it's time for Robbo to bust open some comfort zones with Liu.

You're making the mistake of comparing NSW Cup/U20's form to NRL form. If Robinson doesn't think Burgess and Manu are ready I'm inclined to trust his judgement