Game management in close games?

[The ticket]

This has been a great season so far and we have been really impressive, particularly putting teams to the sword. The thing that worries me most, however, is our record in close game so far this year. To date, in games we’ve played where the margin was 6 points or lesss, this is the form:

rd 1 - Panthers beat us 20-14
rd 2 - manly beat us 9-8
rd 8 - storm beat us 27-25
rd 10 - raiders beat us 24-20
rd 12 - we beat titans 18-12
semi 1 - panthers beat us 29-28

This obviously has a lot to do with the loss of Cronk (no shit Sherlock) but I cannot see that we have the game management needed in close games and I think that is our Achilles heel.

i really hope we can find a way to bully through but I think this may be too big a hurdle this year.

Thoughts?

[BenCumminsIsACheat]

There's an abundance of game management from referees who do everything they can to gift the opposition a win

[roosterproud]

Our drop kick at the end. Keary should have run it with a grubber to finish it off. He doesnt seem to have eyes up football in him anymore

[ROC181]

Our drop kick at the end. Keary should have run it with a grubber to finish it off. He doesnt seem to have eyes up football in him anymore

That’s funny! I was talking to a non Roosters friend yesterday telling him that a Thurston, Cronk or Smith would have realised that they were a little too far to kick it and he didn’t receive the ball properly to take the kick, would have reacted to the opposition players charge and would have changed it to either spreading the ball to the right or a small up and under, like Cronk used to do and that might have been a better option...

My friend thought I was a little too harsh on Luke, which I wasn’t. Luke’s great but to reach at the level of ‘immortal’, you need to have the ability to react when you’re in the back foot. Perhaps he’s still having problems with his injuries?

[Mickie Lane]

There's an abundance of game management from referees who do everything they can to gift the opposition a win

Give it a rest about the refs what the OP has pointed out is valid.

[Thirteen]

This has been a great season so far and we have been really impressive, particularly putting teams to the sword. The thing that worries me most, however, is our record in close game so far this year. To date, in games we’ve played where the margin was 6 points or lesss, this is the form:

rd 1 - Panthers beat us 20-14
rd 2 - manly beat us 9-8
rd 8 - storm beat us 27-25
rd 10 - raiders beat us 24-20
rd 12 - we beat titans 18-12
semi 1 - panthers beat us 29-28

This obviously has a lot to do with the loss of Cronk (no shit Sherlock) but I cannot see that we have the game management needed in close games and I think that is our Achilles heel.

i really hope we can find a way to bully through but I think this may be too big a hurdle this year.

Thoughts?

Luke Keary is our manger now. We aren’t lacking game
management. We are lacking dominance from our forwards.

[Thirteen]

There's an abundance of game management from referees who do everything they can to gift the opposition a win

Yet we managed to win the last two comps?

Were the refs on our side the last two years? Must have been.

Stop making excuses. Sure you’re not a Raiders fan?

[Easts75]

Give it a rest about the refs what the OP has pointed out is valid.

**** i grow tired of the contest whining about the refs. Apparently they have had an agenda against us the last 2 years and it hasn't stopped us.
i thought there was zero chance he was sending up Joey Lussicks effort as a try but he did...I wouldn't have

[King Salvo]

game management isn't the issue it's the leaking of points when the opposition has a run of possession that is hurting the chooks chances in games - 10 nil up game turned when bmorris was bundled into touch - panthers then put on 22 points in quick fashion with the run of possession they had and the chooks weren't able to stem the flow- been happening all season in many games but they have been able to wrestle momentum back most times- defence needs to hold up and be that moving organism that Robbo described it as.

[Johnny Brass]

Definitely missing Cronks calm head in those tense, pressure filled last minutes. We are also missing the length off latrells boot whether it be kick offs, drop outs or field goal attempts.
Unfortunately not much can be done for lack of length.

[King Salvo]

Definitely missing Cronks calm head in those tense, pressure filled last minutes. We are also missing the length off latrells boot whether it be kick offs, drop outs or field goal attempts.
Unfortunately not much can be done for lack of length.

kicking was poor vs Penrith- general play and attacking kicks - the Kicks for Toops were too short except for one when JMorris scored - BMorrris and Manu are also good jumpers for the attacking kick- need to improve on this and the defence for the Raiders game

[Johnny Brass]

kicking was poor vs Penrith- general play and attacking kicks - the Kicks for Toops were too short except for one when JMorris scored - BMorrris and Manu are also good jumpers for the attacking kick- need to improve on this and the defence for the Raiders game

We missed a trick by not kicking to Toops more over To'o. Agree on the kicks being too short I recall one which was like more like an in-between chip kick and didn't give him time to get up and compete.
We have an advantage in the air and have to exploit it more often.

[Rooster_6]

That’s funny! I was talking to a non Roosters friend yesterday telling him that a Thurston, Cronk or Smith would have realised that they were a little too far to kick it and he didn’t receive the ball properly to take the kick, would have reacted to the opposition players charge and would have changed it to either spreading the ball to the right or a small up and under, like Cronk used to do and that might have been a better option...

My friend thought I was a little too harsh on Luke, which I wasn’t. Luke’s great but to reach at the level of ‘immortal’, you need to have the ability to react when you’re in the back foot. Perhaps he’s still having problems with his injuries?

Cooper Cronks greatest field goal came from almost the exact same position, maybe a metre or two difference in it. Darren Lockyers great field goal in 2007 again came from almost exactly the same position, maybe a metre closer. To say they're immortals because they would've realised they were too far out is simply not true.

Every half would've taken that shot, there was very little wrong with the quality of the pass as well.

If anything Keary was let down by the set up and then just didn't execute. The play the ball was too straight it needed to be slightly off centre to the posts and he needed some forwards in front of him to create some traffic for the Panthers players who were putting pressure on.

[Thirteen]

Definitely missing Cronks calm head in those tense, pressure filled last minutes. We are also missing the length off latrells boot whether it be kick offs, drop outs or field goal attempts.
Unfortunately not much can be done for lack of length.

Unless of course you’re in the bedroom.

[dice]

Our drop kick at the end. Keary should have run it with a grubber to finish it off. He doesnt seem to have eyes up football in him anymore

The ball was touched. Who knows if it would have gone over?

I also thought Cordner could have charged down Cleary's attempt but turned to protect his head.