Pushing shit uphill

[witty92]

Witty, 20 ****ing points....do you understand that? What planet are you living on...we will win the spoon this year, and you are saying we can easily fix the basics? Did you see the crap pass to Jones ankles that led to their 90 meter try? Oh and why couldnt any of our backs run that fast?

We CANT do the basics, because we dont know HOW TO and WE DONT LEARN.

Yet you make teh stupid comment that we can easily fix that? Its taken 12 rounds and we havent fixed it. Have you been watching anything. Sorry about the abuse, but I cant tolerate mediocrity loving twats.

Mate i don't love mediocrity...but im a shitload happier with it then the rubbish we played against Penrith and Newcastle. Sure i'd love a win and love them to get the basics right but i'm not expecting miracles after 12 rounds of shite. I'm an optimist so i'm hoping we can develop on how we played last night, and i think it was a decent effort keeping all other games in mind

[Guest]

Melon has a point. It is the basics that are the biggest issues.

Albeit, I was impressed by the general kicking game of Anasta and Pearce last night, and with Todd Carney coming over, that will only improve. I would like to see Friend kicking a bit more, however, but his service is far better than James Aubusson's. I would like to see Friend running a little bit more too.

Perrett and Kenny-Dowall were again outstanding, but I prefer Perrett at fullback and Kenny-Dowall on the wing. Much better balance that way IMO. Jones showed what he can do when he is given good ball on his side, as his skills as a 5-8 allowed him to create space for SKD to do his thing. Like I have said before, he has a bit of Jamie Lyon/Ryan Girdler/Matt Gidley in him, in that I doubt he will be the best linebreaking centre, but he might set up plenty for such as good finisher as SKD.

O'Meley was good, Paea and Shack were okay, Myles and FPN needed far more gametime however. I like the look of Symonds too, he has MUCH more value than Kouparitsas as a running ballplaying forward. Sa had a nice one too. Mason was very poor, didn't even make 30 metres I think.

Simple things cost us the match. Fundamentals that professional footballers shouldn't make. The talent is there now, it is obvious, and many players showed the heart and skill to pull off some magic plays, but they need to cut the crap in between. Wrapping up the man with the ball, and mastering the one-on-one tackle better, is very important.

Next week, if Mitch Aubusson is back:

Sam Perrett
Luke Towers (I think it is time he got a go)
Mitch Aubusson
Ben Jones
Shaun Kenny-Dowall
Braith Anasta
Mitchell Pearce
Mark O'Meley
Jake Friend
FP Nuuausala
Setaimata Sa (but have him working out wide on the fringes)
Nate Myles/Shane Shackleton
Craig Fitzgibbon

Jordan Tansey
Tom Symonds
Shane Shackleton/Nate Myles
Lopini Paea

Mason did not cut it this week, really. Soliola would probably come in for Symonds when he returns, and I definitely think we should be looking at re-signing Towers and Cherrington, who are two WHOPPING talents.

[Guest]

Melon we need a centre, a good hooker and a good ball playing back rower. I feel the club has some potentally good players but gee there is a lot of rubbish. I agree that we are spoon bound.

Now everyone knows my thoughts on Pearce, but i thought he was ok last night

Pearce would solve our hooking problems, it was no coincidence his best 2 kicks were from dummy half, thats where we should start, everything play starts with the hooker, friend is way to slow, solve the hooking role by putting pearce there, next would be jones to halfback, he isnt a centre.

This may come from left field but i would put cherro in the cntres, big strong, good defnder, can break the line and offload, sure he may be a little slow but no slower than what we already have.

Sa into the back row, last night was alot better, but he is a backrower.

[Guest]

You say Friend is too slow for hooker,yet you want him as a halfback?Geez,that would be sure to spark them!

[Guest]

I was happy with the loss last night. For the first time in ages I watched a game where I had some hope right up until the 10 minutes or so. We can't turn around the way we have been playing in the blink of an eye but last nights performance would have beaten a few other teams in the comp.

it was great to see some conviction and urgency. We did a hell of a lot of the basics right. We made some silly mistakes but a lot of teams make those. We sort some of them out and we will be a lot more competitive.

The boys will be able to take a bit of confidence out of that game and it gives them something to build on to next week.

[c_q]

To all those hanging shit on our halves/hooker:

Are you serious with this or do you just like to get on the bandwagon with other band-aid supporters ?

They are never going to be effective, playing behind a beaten forward pack every week. Playing behind the slowest play of the ball every week. 75% of our possession is coming out of our own half for god's sake. What would you like them to do ? Take a hit up instead of the forwards ? Spread the ball laterally and start going sideways ? Please.

Pearce was inches away from 2 40/20s and Friend would of got one had it not been for Robertson's brilliance.

How come SKD doesn't get criticised for giving away the dumbest penalty of the game ? Or getting palmed off like a school girl by a player which he is much bigger than who ended up streaking away 90m ?

Or Jordan Tansey who can't make a tackle to save his life or do the most basic thing in playing the ball.

People were so quick to praise Pearce and Anasta when our forwards were playing well last year yet are so quick to jump on their throats when we are losing.

A quick congrats to Jake Friend, who deadset was the heart of our defence last night. Made 40+ tackles, played with a lot of grit. Ran out of dummy-half every limited opportunity given to him. Roosters really need to stick by this little bloke.

You have hit the nail on the head. With the change to 2 refs this year, dominance in the tackle, both in attack and defence is even more crucial.

If you are in possession, getting tackled on your knees is the goal. This gives more chance of a quick play the ball and opportunities for darts out of dummy half at a back pedalling defensive line and the penalties that ensue when the markers have'nt got back into position. I don't recall many games this year where we have won the penalty count.

In defense, the goal is to get the ball runner on his back. This leads to slower play the balls and gives the defensive line more time to get set. Hence, metres are harder to gain and our playmakers have less time and less field position to put on the razzle dazzle.

I can't remember a game this year where we have won this ruck battle. Last night, I reckon Manly put us on our back about 75% of the time and we were lucky to get them turned over about 25% at best.

Our coaches and players know about this problem. Ogre spoke about it on TV after the game and Freddy just talked about when the ABC replayed his after game interview and Artie is talking about it now on the ABC.

It comes down to the dreaded wrestle. I don't know if our Club has a wrestling coach. If they don't, they need to get one ASAP. If they do, it needs to be worked out if our players are getting taught the right techniques or not. If they are, we have to endure the tough times until our players can compete better. If they aren't, well things have to change ASAP.

Our other problem is injuries in the backs. Injuries to Mini, MAubs and Soli has resulted in some rookies getting blooded before their time. I don't think we have put the same back line on the paddock in successive games this year. This makes it hard to develop defensive combinations. Poor bomb catching and poor defense out wide has cost us dearly this year.

As for the rest of the season, I don't think we can make semis, so I can accept some short term pain in exchange for (hopefully) some long term gain. If Freddy thinks the Club will benefit long term by giving some more young blokes a crack, he should go for it.

Cheers everyone, go the mighty Roosters.

[Guest]

You say Friend is too slow for hooker,yet you want him as a halfback?Geez,that would be sure to spark them!

Read again spanner, JONES to halfback, some people only read what they want to beleive

[Guest]

Read again spanner, JONES to halfback, some people only read what they want to beleive

well,I certainly did not want to believe that shit Rusty.Pearce is our half for the next four years.Get used to it.

[Guest]

well,I certainly did not want to believe that shit Rusty.Pearce is our half for the next four years.Get used to it.

hence more spoons

[Guest]

Waiting for Pearce to live up to his so called potential is akin to leaving the porch light on for Harold Holt! (sorry Jack).

[Guest]

Waiting for Pearce to live up to his so called potential is akin to leaving the porch light on for Harold Holt! (sorry Jack).

How long do you give him? He is hardly a veteran of the game.

[Guest]

How long do you give him? He is hardly a veteran of the game.

This is his 3rd season!

[Guest]

Yeah i know, why isn't he breaking the line at will or perform flick passes at will?

Get real mate, with the forwards going the way they are, his only job is kicking us out of trouble.

Some people expect miracles.

[Guest]

How long do you give him? He is hardly a veteran of the game.

for a reported 400k a year, he should already have done it

[novice chook]

This is his 3rd season!

Yes, and he's just turned 20 years of age. Don't blame the kid because he was thrown in at the deep end too early and still has a bloody lot to learn.

Also recognise that the coaching staff we've had in recent years have done their best to stuff up the careers of more than one of our halves. They appear to have no idea on how to get the best out of them.

Provide Pearce with a good mentor, not to mention a half decent coach and game plan, and watch him improve.


NC