How do we flip the script?

[Tommy Smith]

To take a quote from Cobra Kai which I've been watching lately, if we are to win from here then we have to flip the script.

I say this because the path we appear to be on looks terribly predictable. A tired, champion team that will soon be overrun.

I can see us scraping by the Raiders this week in a brutal tussle, and then being mauled by NAS, Tino, Welch, Kaufusi and Brandon Smith the week after.

So what, if anything, can Robbo do to change our fortunes?

I think Lam at halfback is one option. Tell him to play like Jahrome Hughes. Just run straight and hard and keep the defence honest unlike Flanno who the defence doesn't have to worry about.

Or how about something a bit more left field like SBW at 5/8 with Keary to halfback? Keary can play both sides of the field like in the GF.

Another option given how we've run out of steam after the first 15-20 minutes the last two weeks might be to start one or both of JWH & SST on the bench.

Start with Collins and Butcher and bring on our gun starters when we have been starting to gas. Sticky did this with Papalii in some of last year's finals and it worked a treat.

Whatever it is, I just feel as though Robbo has to take a risk and make a slight change. Nothing dramatic. (No Manu at hooker, though maybe that'd get him involved for once). I wouldn't mind Lussick on the bench to keep us playing direct up the middle; just run, run, run and feed SST and SBW with angles through the ruck.

Otherwise the rest of the finals series will play out to script, with us being bundled out in predictable fashion.

I'd like to see the following line up vs Canberra, with a bench designed for maximum impact to maintain the momentum in the ruck.

Teddy
Toops
Jmoz
Manu
Bmoz
Keary
Lam
JWH
Friend
Collins
Cordner
Crichton
Butcher

Taukeiaho
Liu
SBW
Lussick

[roosterchook]

I think it’s way too late to experiment now. We have had only a short season but haven’t been able to get our act together due to injuries and stupid resting policy which has only made our combinations and defense go really rusty. Chopping and changing positions is having an enormous destabilising effect. Resting players lost match toughness, fitness and combinations for which we are now paying a very high price. We play like strangers now not a team anymore.

[Yeception 7]

Like the SBW @6 idea

[Crab]

Go in as favourites ? worked a treat this weekend it's been a bookies nightmare lol

[Easts75]

IMO the only changes I would make pending fitness would be
Friend in for Lussick
SBW in for Butcher
Lam in for Flanagan
Yes I would roll the dice with goal kicking. I think we will get past the Raiders but we are going to need more than Flano offers to get past the Storm..I think Lam can offer something different. Just my opinion

[QWERTY]

IMO the only changes I would make pending fitness would be
Friend in for Lussick
SBW in for Butcher
Lam in for Flanagan
Yes I would roll the dice with goal kicking. I think we will get past the Raiders but we are going to need more than Flano offers to get past the Storm..I think Lam can offer something different. Just my opinion

Lam definitely has a better running game than Flanagan but also Keary hasn’t been running the ball much himself lately so maybe lam will help in that regard

[bondi.boy]

To take a quote from Cobra Kai which I've been watching lately, if we are to win from here then we have to flip the script.

I say this because the path we appear to be on looks terribly predictable. A tired, champion team that will soon be overrun.

I can see us scraping by the Raiders this week in a brutal tussle, and then being mauled by NAS, Tino, Welch, Kaufusi and Brandon Smith the week after.

So what, if anything, can Robbo do to change our fortunes?

I think Lam at halfback is one option. Tell him to play like Jahrome Hughes. Just run straight and hard and keep the defence honest unlike Flanno who the defence doesn't have to worry about.

Or how about something a bit more left field like SBW at 5/8 with Keary to halfback? Keary can play both sides of the field like in the GF.

Another option given how we've run out of steam after the first 15-20 minutes the last two weeks might be to start one or both of JWH & SST on the bench.

Start with Collins and Butcher and bring on our gun starters when we have been starting to gas. Sticky did this with Papalii in some of last year's finals and it worked a treat.

Whatever it is, I just feel as though Robbo has to take a risk and make a slight change. Nothing dramatic. (No Manu at hooker, though maybe that'd get him involved for once). I wouldn't mind Lussick on the bench to keep us playing direct up the middle; just run, run, run and feed SST and SBW with angles through the ruck.

Otherwise the rest of the finals series will play out to script, with us being bundled out in predictable fashion.

I'd like to see the following line up vs Canberra, with a bench designed for maximum impact to maintain the momentum in the ruck.

Teddy
Toops
Jmoz
Manu
Bmoz
Keary
Lam
JWH
Friend
Collins
Cordner
Crichton
Butcher

Taukeiaho
Liu
SBW
Lussick

We can't drop our ace goalkicker.
Flanno ran in support as Keary went left and Morris scored.
We start games, play well for 20 minutes, score tries, get in front...then go to sleep and start making mistakes...dropped ball, dumb passes, missed tackles, and end up losing.
We're not alone...every losing team this round did exactly the same thing.
What can we do?
Chain our wingers to the sidelines, for starters.

[dice]

Defence needs to be fixed. I don't think you fix it replacing one small and inexperienced half with another. Absolutely first thing that needs to be done is drop Sitili. Use Maubs and Crighton to protect Flanno. You could go the extra step of dropping Flanno and sharing the 5/8th role but I can't see it happening.

[Johnny Tobin]

I like your idea of Collins starting and SST on the bench.

[zac]

i'd keep flanno. while he's not a ball running match winner he does have a beautiful passing game, kicks well and defends okay.

we lost by 1 pt v the minor premiers at their home ground and i don't think we need to panic. above all we need to defend better and jake coming in should go a long way to fixing that.

no doubt winning 3 finals games in a row is harder than winning 2 but if we win this week and get through unscathed we'll be on an equal footing.

angus is in great form and i'd like to see him play 80. that should help plug the right side.

[mattyh]

Chain our wingers to the sideline, for starters.

I actually agree with you

[Arties Pie]

Chain our wingers to the sideline, for starters.

I actually agree with you

Not only that make Manu watch how he played last year and tell him to find what he has lost as he's a shadow of his former self.

[ism22]

i'd keep flanno. while he's not a ball running match winner he does have a beautiful passing game, kicks well and defends okay.

we lost by 1 pt v the minor premiers at their home ground and i don't think we need to panic. above all we need to defend better and jake coming in should go a long way to fixing that.

no doubt winning 3 finals games in a row is harder than winning 2 but if we win this week and get through unscathed we'll be on an equal footing.

angus is in great form and i'd like to see him play 80. that should help plug the right side.

Yep bingo.

The Riff basically went berserk for ~25 minutes, chopped us up and (IMO) had a bit of luck from the refs as well (e.g. dropped ball hitting Keary not being a knock-on + pass from Crichton to Cleary around the back of a defender somehow not being forward).

We just need to switch off what the 'experts' are saying and believe in ourselves. I mean it's no coincidence that as soon as the Riff stopped listening to Gus, their performance lifted.

It'll be tough but there's a probability we'll play the Drizz with an injured Munster + a suspended Smith. THAT would put us in the box seat for a premiership IMO.

[JAF]

I like your idea of Collins starting and SST on the bench.

It worked for the GF last year! Also allows us to keep the momentum going.

Having Jake back this week will make a massive difference and improve our defence in the middle.

[Henry P is a cheat]

I agree with Collins starting and SST on the bench. Would go with this:

1. Teddy
2. Tupou
3. JMoz
4. Manu
5. BMoz
6. Keary
7. Flanno
8. JWH
9. Friend
10. Collins
11. Cordner
12. Aubusson
13. Crichton

14. Lussick
15. Liu
16. SST
17. SBW

Tupouinua the unlucky one to miss out.