One from Left field

[King Salvo]

Not saying this is the case but if your playing the top 2 teams and in all reality would have to play a game above the teams ability to even have some chance of winning would you be putting all on the line to win those games and maybe suffer physically and mentally for several weeks afterwards especially if you lose.

Or

Would you say look we are not going to win these games but lets not really embarrass ourselves or get injured or sent off etc and save ourselves for games we can win.

I don't think the Chooks can beat any of the current top 4 and maybe are saving themselves for games they can win.

It sure seemed that way tonight as Robbo wasn't going off in the box or the players talking much or looking perturbed during the game at game end.

Why use up your capital for games you wont win and save it for games you can

[roosterchook]

Its my opinion that we ceased being the team to beat after Souths put 60 on us. Losing players and new rookies, whatever, we are not in the same class as the top 4 anymore and can be rolled very easily by any one of them.
I think a great rooster era is over and it may be another decade before we see another one. Storm cheated the cap so we were the dominant team of the past decade not them. But now we are bowing out.

[BUDDY]

Robbo would have rested Teddy and Gus and maybe more if he was worried about self preservation instead of giving it a good crack.

[Roosterfarian]

Not saying this is the case but if your playing the top 2 teams and in all reality would have to play a game above the teams ability to even have some chance of winning would you be putting all on the line to win those games and maybe suffer physically and mentally for several weeks afterwards especially if you lose.

Or

Would you say look we are not going to win these games but lets not really embarrass ourselves or get injured or sent off etc and save ourselves for games we can win.

I don't think the Chooks can beat any of the current top 4 and maybe are saving themselves for games they can win.

It sure seemed that way tonight as Robbo was going off in the box or the players talking much or looking perturbed during the game at game end.

Why use up your capital for games you wont win and save it for games you can

I agree with your line of thinking Sal.

[King Salvo]

Robbo would have rested Teddy and Gus and maybe more if he was worried about self preservation instead of giving it a good crack.

All part of the plan to still play them - I think the Coaching staff realise top 4 is out of the question so if they can win enough games and jag 5th or 6th and get past the first week they then could play a team who maybe physical and mentally affected after the 1 vs 4 or 2 vs 3 game depending on whom they play.

Not saying they could go all the way though but it is food for thought

[Maxy Walker]

Really clutching at straws there king

[The Skeez]

Except for the seppo baseball term, I get the sentiment.

At times during the game I thought it would’ve been better for Tedesco to have a rest and play Manu at the back. James was frequently overplaying and I felt at times stifled our attack. This would’ve brought Suaalii into centre and Ikuvalu onto the wing.

Our forwards got dominated, so it didn’t really matter

[dice]

All part of the plan to still play them - I think the Coaching staff realise top 4 is out of the question so if they can win enough games and jag 5th or 6th and get past the first week they then could play a team who maybe physical and mentally affected after the 1 vs 4 or 2 vs 3 game depending on whom they play.

Not saying they could go all the way though but it is food for thought

Take a look at Parra's draw before writing us off for the Top 4.

[The Lip]

Take a look at Parra's draw before writing us off for the Top 4.

We couldn't make top 4 in the WNRL with that performance tonight.

We will not recover from that. King your theory is one of a desperate fan looking for reasons that are not there. Other than we are cooked!

[King Salvo]

We couldn't make top 4 in the WNRL with that performance tonight.

We will not recover from that. King your theory is one of a desperate fan looking for reasons that are not there. Other than we are cooked!

You never know though - I remember Wests doing this in 1977 and going through the motions in comp games and saving themselves for the Amco Cup Final vs the Chooks.

But you think though - to beat either Penrith or the Storm will take a near perfect game with full 100% effort from all players.

Even if you win that effort will tax players mentally and physical and may have an affect on the teams and individuals performance in future games, - maybe more taxing if you lose as well. The Chooks players would have to play above themselves one would say as well

Teams that have big build up for games are often flat the next game or games.

Target the games they can win is maybe the plan - that's 6 of the last 9 as they have 3 games still against the current top 4 - Riff/Vermin and Eels -which one would say they would not be expected to win

[Vasco]

I don't think the coach would allow a team to take it easy. The effort last night stunk.

The nightmare of the souffs game last year was revisited. It once again exposed a lot of weakness.

[roosterproud]

It was a team of pub 40 year olds verse a team of 20 year old athletes.

Ths storm played a fast game full of energy and speed. Like they have been perfecting for the last year or so. We looked casual

They run with ball with the intent of a fast play the ball. Knees elbows facing forward.
Us we run with the ball , put up a fight looking for pcm then get rolled on our backs facing the wrong way.

We kick on tackle 5, get pressure on the kicker and the kickers on his ass.
They kick on 5 with noone near them giving them plenty of time to pinpoint the kick.

The ref was a dik but we were responsible for that embarrassment. No excuses.

We need to change our game plan. Wingers taking up the first three hit ups. 1 off the ruck sh1t.

Urgency in attack and pressure

[ism22]

I think we adjusted our tackling style to minimise sin-bins/suspensions and it made it easy for the Drizz to make metres on us (particularly in the rain coz we couldn't wrap them up properly).

Still ended up with Fifita being binned but our roster will be largely the same next week... which is good.

[dice]

We couldn't make top 4 in the WNRL with that performance tonight.

We will not recover from that. King your theory is one of a desperate fan looking for reasons that are not there. Other than we are cooked!

I think you are underestimating the importance of Radley to this side, and how much improvement we have in us before the finals.

[King Salvo]

It was a team of pub 40 year olds verse a team of 20 year old athletes.

Ths storm played a fast game full of energy and speed. Like they have been perfecting for the last year or so. We looked casual

They run with ball with the intent of a fast play the ball. Knees elbows facing forward.
Us we run with the ball , put up a fight looking for pcm then get rolled on our backs facing the wrong way.

We kick on tackle 5, get pressure on the kicker and the kickers on his ass.
They kick on 5 with noone near them giving them plenty of time to pinpoint the kick.

The ref was a dik but we were responsible for that embarrassment. No excuses.

We need to change our game plan. Wingers taking up the first three hit ups. 1 off the ruck sh1t.

Urgency in attack and pressure

Yes gone are the days of the multiple hit ups and out the back with decoy runners and kick on the last - Now it's a couple of hit ups and move the ball left or right and even from side to side to run the defence around and ragged to avoid the wrestling/judo/jiu-jitsu defence and slowing down of the play the ball.

The game now is about speed with and without the ball - quick play the balls and ball movement with offloads and players in support etc and quick up in their faces defence line speed

Chooks need an attacking coach for sure as you need to play what's in front of you not the robotic structured game anymore as that won't cut the mustard.

As I posted elsewhere I was surprised when Robbo said that Fitzy and somewhat Kingy were in charge of the attack - Fitzy is the defence coach though - Bit like having a ex batsman (not an allrounder) as a bowling coach in Cricket.