Under 20s

[Vasco]

Now that the dust has settled from their exit I would like to get people's opinions on where this team goes from here.

There were plenty raps on many of the players and to be frank most disappointed when they were needed most.

Leading up to the finals the team was racking up big scores week after week.

They barely troubled the scorer in their two finals games.

Was it the tactics?

Did they get stage fright?

I believe we have an issue with the coach. Don't get me wrong, I believe Taylor could make a fine coach one day. My concern is that he may be a Brian Smith clone and will end up being a non winnner.

As a player, Taylor was the perennial non winner. Cast your minds back to 1997 when we played Norths in the semis. He kicked 3 field goals during the match but it wasn't enough to steer his team home.

We all know what he dished up for Parramatta in the 2001 GF.

Our club needs winners on board.

Do we persist with him?

What is the answer?

[Pass the Ball]

You probably know more about them than most..Didn't a lot of them come from SG Ball this year and are therefore going to be playing together in the 20's again next year..

They really lacked experience from what I saw of them in the finals. I must say I was quite underwhelmed after hearing such great things about them.

I will never forget that semi vs Norths. I was sitting in the North West corner of the SFS and Andrew Walker and Freddy were putting up these bombs in that corner for Matt Sears that were absolutely frightening....

[Vasco]

You probably know more about them than most..Didn't a lot of them come from SG Ball this year and are therefore going to be playing together in the 20's again next year..

They really lacked experience from what I saw of them in the finals. I must say I was quite underwhelmed after hearing such great things about them.

I will never forget that semi vs Norths. I was sitting in the North West corner of the SFS and Andrew Walker and Freddy were putting up these bombs in that corner for Matt Sears that were absolutely frightening....

Do you remember Walker's touch finder from a penalty which put us in the position for Lam's miracle field goal?

That was enormous. What a talent he was.

[Pass the Ball]

My claim to fame to this day, is beating Andrew Walker in the 100m at the Zone Athletics carnival on the South Coast...(Maybe 1984)...

[Johnny Tobin]

My claim to fame to this day, is beating Andrew Walker in the 100m at the Zone Athletics carnival on the South Coast...(Maybe 1984)...

Did he stop for a ciggie half way down the track?

[Yak]

I put the turn around in form down to a gross lack of experience in the forward pack (who were dominated in both finals games against much higher quality opponents than those that they'd dominated throughout the winning streak). I think the players that everyone has looked at as future first graders all played very well in both finals games. Of Evans, Moga, Lowe and Dumbrell, I thought Moga was the least dominant but for a 17 year old playing his first NYC who is the one expected to produce something out of nothing I thought he played very well against the sharks. Even when he was set on by 3 and 4 defenders he was making 10+ metres and still looked likely. After the first 15 mins of that game we had the ball on their line 2-3 times at most and produced one try to Moore and one no try decision to Blair. Very hard for Moga to do when he is marked like that behind a pack making only 30m a set. Teams in first grade can not afford to have 3 players moving in on one guy out wide, so I think anyone criticising Moga over his last game obviously did not get out to see many NYC games and are ill-advised when it comes to talking about rugby league.

Vasco, I understand where you are coming from when it comes to Taylor. But you have to consider the poor bloke played for Norths, perennial non-winners, was coached under Smith, obviously a renowned non-winner, and then had to coach a bunch of no-hopers at Souths, again long time non-winners. I consider him to be a very good coach and think he has been a victim of circumstance more than anything. I don't think any one of us is expecting to win the title next year especially with Smith in charge, so I think JT should be given full reign as defensive coach and then depending on how that goes move him into the top job (as hard as that is to say cos I have never like the bloke).

[Johnny Tobin]

By the way, I know Trew has a pretty low opinion of the coach after the loss on the weekend. I am sure he will share it with all eventually.

[Guest]

Taylor turned that side around and set a record in the process

Should we persist with him?

Of course we should

[Guest]

By the way, I know Trew has a pretty low opinion of the coach after the loss on the weekend. I am sure he will share it with all eventually.

lol

can't wait

[Guest]

lol

can't wait

haha yeah I will be holding my breath for that as well. I think I would prefer to hear a 2 hour comedy routine by Gould and Ray Warren.

[Vasco]

By the way, I know Trew has a pretty low opinion of the coach after the loss on the weekend. I am sure he will share it with all eventually.

Is he talking through his pocket?

[trewhella]

No Vasco,

I was on the sharks.
Was very interested in how our young boys went.

I believe the reason they lost came down to coaching.
For 10 weeks or more they played an expansive, second phase game.

They lose the first semi and after listening to Taylor being interviewed before the sharks game I backed cronulla.

Why?

He expained the semi loss on
A. Shooting ourselves in the foot
B. Not completing sets
C not playing semi final footy


So what did they focus on in game 2.
Exactly that!
They were cannon fodder.

That is poor coaching with no insight at all.

Piss him off he is another loser.

[John Corey]

You probably know more about them than most..Didn't a lot of them come from SG Ball this year and are therefore going to be playing together in the 20's again next year..

They really lacked experience from what I saw of them in the finals. I must say I was quite underwhelmed after hearing such great things about them.

I will never forget that semi vs Norths. I was sitting in the North West corner of the SFS and Andrew Walker and Freddy were putting up these bombs in that corner for Matt Sears that were absolutely frightening....

I was also sitting in the NW corner. What a great game. Did that go to extra time and it was a miracle we got there because we were down a fair bit? My recollection was we were pretty poor until the last 20 or so when the momentum completely changed? I remember rushing home to watch the replay but they cut the ending off because it ran o'time.

[Rooster_6]

No Vasco,

I was on the sharks.
Was very interested in how our young boys went.

I believe the reason they lost came down to coaching.
For 10 weeks or more they played an expansive, second phase game.

They lose the first semi and after listening to Taylor being interviewed before the sharks game I backed cronulla.

Why?

He expained the semi loss on
A. Shooting ourselves in the foot
B. Not completing sets
C not playing semi final footy


So what did they focus on in game 2.
Exactly that!
They were cannon fodder.

That is poor coaching with no insight at all.

Piss him off he is another loser.

lol what teams don't play an 'expansive game' in the NYC.

Our wins were on the back of ball control, massive go forward and great defence. Anyone who watched this team through their wins will back me up on this.

[stsae]

Watching it they looked like 1st grade for the last few games of the season.

They dropped a lot of pill and defended like young men posessed but in the end ran out of puff. Some of those kids were blowing hard in those last 15mins.

And credit to the Tardpoles, some very good footballers in that side. A bit of 1st grade experience too.

Overall I enjoyed watching the game, even forgot at times it was the 20s. Looked much better quality game than other 20s games I've been able to watch.