Hard to be critical

[Johnny Tobin]

It is very hard to ne critical of the side.

There are a heap of players not ready for first grade that have been put in there because of injuries.

At the start of the year we all named our best run on sides.

Last night, only two backs from them were there - BJ and Carney.

And only two forwards, Ryles and Friend. Possibly three with FPN who most of us would have on the bench.

Add to that the fact that the referees were totally biased. Some of the penalties against us were a joke and the penalties we did not get were also a joke.

It is tough to be critical of a side that is mostly second-grade players.

If anything, I am proud of their defense over the last few weeks.

That's the season but I am not about to cut my wrists.

Having said that, Anasta and Carney have to some explaining to do.

[Horry]

I am with JT on this one.

[Guest]

i think they are trying really hard but there are no easy games in NRL and they are even harder if you go to the gunfight with a water pistol

[Guest]

Carney looks like he rather be anywhere else - I'm starting to think maybe he is as much of pea-hearted, self centered wanker as everyone claims.

As for Anasta, he's not an NRL standard 5/8. He's not an NRL standard player in any position, but certainly not at 5/8.

He has one play - the left short side rush. It worked last night.

But to be a first grade 5/8, you need waaaayyyy more strings to your bow than that

There are just too many aspects of his game that are not up to first grade standard

No team will ever be effective in attack with him at 5/8

[Guest]

I don't classify BJ as an outside back. People are incorrectly linking him to our success last year when in fact he went like a busted ass in both games he filled in for Graham. He is part of the problem. BJ went ok last night as a backrower, but yet again his lack of speed let us down out wide.

Carney threw a beautiful pass to Mataka who butchered a certain 6-pointer. Carney tried the same pass and it was dropped again. He lost all confidence in our outside backs after that. I don't blame him at all for what happened last night.

[Guest]

Top post JT, couldnt agree more. The young players are having a dig and i respect them for that. Whats our injury toll now ? 13 or something i think.

Melbourne are the best coached team in the league ... i'd love us to get Bellamy. They could put a fair dinkum team full of monkeys out there and Bellamy would coach them to a comp. How good did Melbourne play last night ? For a team full of kids they played like veterans thanks to Bellamy.

And yes i'd like to hear a please explain (or a pauline maybe ? ) from Mr Carney especially. Braith has an excuse, he's just feeling the grind after so many years in the game ... time to go to England. I'm wondering if Todd even cares anymore.

[Guest]

I don't buy Bellyache as the game's greatest coach - he had the blues for a couple of years and did NOTHING....Goose egg...and the only reason he's been successful at the Sturm and Drang is because the club treated the paper the salary cap was written on as toilet paper they wiped their arses on.

If he came here, I don't think he would do more than make us competitive. Which admittedly is an improvement on what Smith's doing but I wouldn't want the shitty behavior that comes with him like that F Bomb last night which I suspect wasn't a one off.

[Guest]

I don't buy Bellyache as the game's greatest coach - he had the blues for a couple of years and did NOTHING....Goose egg...and the only reason he's been successful at the Sturm and Drang is because the club treated the paper the salary cap was written on as toilet paper they wiped their arses on.

If he came here, I don't think he would do more than make us competitive. Which admittedly is an improvement on what Smith's doing but I wouldn't want the shitty behavior that comes with him like that F Bomb last night which I suspect wasn't a one off.

You're saying that you suspect that Bellamy's use of the F word last night has happened before?

So you suspect that when he swore last night ("That's a ****in' penalty"), you're saying that you suspect that wasn't the first time he's sworn at a game?

[Guest]

I don't classify BJ as an outside back. People are incorrectly linking him to our success last year when in fact he went like a busted ass in both games he filled in for Graham. He is part of the problem. BJ went ok last night as a backrower, but yet again his lack of speed let us down out wide.

Carney threw a beautiful pass to Mataka who butchered a certain 6-pointer. Carney tried the same pass and it was dropped again. He lost all confidence in our outside backs after that. I don't blame him at all for what happened last night.

He looked very impressive taking the ball up last night. Hopefully Smith realises one day that he isn't a winger

[Vasco]

You're saying that you suspect that Bellamy's use of the F word last night has happened before?

So you suspect that when he swore last night ("That's a ****in' penalty"), you're saying that you suspect that wasn't the first time he's sworn at a game?

Can I ask, why were you banned under your previous name?

[Guest]

OMG, you again

strange...

[Guest]

It's not that hard to be critical JT, even if you want to be constructive.

1 - We have produced the same rubbish in attack for months despite having the majority of our first graders available.
2 - Our lack of discipline has reached new levels of incompotence and it's the regular first graders who are the culprits.
3 - We simply cannot hang onto the bloody ball.
4 - We show no signs of regaining any confidence.

I don't share the idiotic view that they are all shit players and need to be replaced. Certainly Riddell, Anasta, Ryles, Mini and Graham should be shown the door, but you can't argue the team is playing like crap and show no signs of digging their way out of it.

If we were Souffs it would be funny.

Chook.

[Guest]

Carney looks like he rather be anywhere else - I'm starting to think maybe he is as much of pea-hearted, self centered wanker as everyone claims.

As for Anasta, he's not an NRL standard 5/8. He's not an NRL standard player in any position, but certainly not at 5/8.

He has one play - the left short side rush. It worked last night.

But to be a first grade 5/8, you need waaaayyyy more strings to your bow than that

There are just too many aspects of his game that are not up to first grade standard

No team will ever be effective in attack with him at 5/8

2004 bulldogs premiership winning side...

[Guest]

It's not that hard to be critical JT, even if you want to be constructive.

1 - We have produced the same rubbish in attack for months despite having the majority of our first graders available.
2 - Our lack of discipline has reached new levels of incompotence and it's the regular first graders who are the culprits.
3 - We simply cannot hang onto the bloody ball.
4 - We show no signs of regaining any confidence.

I don't share the idiotic view that they are all shit players and need to be replaced. Certainly Riddell, Anasta, Ryles, Mini and Graham should be shown the door, but you can't argue the team is playing like crap and show no signs of digging their way out of it.

If we were Souffs it would be funny.

Chook.

I agree with Chook.

I think that Smith needs to do some explaining. Even a reserve grade outfit like Melb looked structured. Our attack has looked unstructured all year, and that is with the seasoned FGer's there

[Guest]

I agree with Chook.

I think that Smith needs to do some explaining. Even a reserve grade outfit like Melb looked structured. Our attack has looked unstructured all year, and that is with the seasoned FGer's there

Carney hasn't been there all year. He may be there in body, but certainly not in mind and spirit.

This would have an impact as most attacking plays developped would either centre around him or at least involve him.

That said, I still don't understand what has happened to our attack. Round 1 (with Carney not playing), we had plenty of bodies in motion, players running angles, running at holes, Pearce directing play nicely. Where did it go? Surely Smith didn't tell them to STOP doing that?!