Is the only way to describe that effort last night. Was the team talk "We big, we strong, power = win"
We were content to just try and physical them out of the game, and had absolutely nothing else there, so bloody disappointing. Our pack absolutely dominated the match, but brains beat brawn last night. I hate to praise those pricks, but they played smart, controlled footy, well we went in kamikaze style.
The hits were great, but we went to that well far too often and telegraphed exactly what we were going to do and made it easy for them
Positives, a pretty short list
Robbo was far better at Fullback
Perry had his game of the season, he was outstanding
Our pack fronted up and dominated again
Negatives, list a lot longer
Orford, aside from his running game and kick chase, the rest of his game was horrendous
Discipline, I will have a bit more of a say about the refs further on, but it was **** again
Kite, really needed to stand up and was close to invisible for me
Ballin/L'Estrange, both were woeful and did nothing for the side last night from dummy half
Wolfman, positioning diabolical, cost us a couple of tries
Bani, although his running game went up a notch in the 2nd half, for a bloke his size, some of his game is too soft for me at the moment
1 thing I can't really fault them on, is their effort. Watmough is the classic example for me. He is busting his arse, all of his game is played at 100%, but at crucial times the execution is lacking, just like the side. Other I thought that visibly put it all in last night were Matai, Bailey, Perry and probably Robbo
So where do we go from here ?
Wholesale changes are still not the answer for me. In the backline, I read we may have McDonnell coming, so him into fullback, Robbo back to the wing and Bani on a plane to the Sunshine Coast. Irrespective of McDonnell's signing, Bani is not there next week for me, Siniula can have a game.
If we had a halfback I thought was good enough behind him, I would consider dropping Orford, but I don't see any positives in dropping him for next week. A young bloke would be eaten alive up in Brisbane.
To the pack. A couple of small changes could be made. King, although he performed OK for me last night, could be used to send the message out to the players and Rose could come in.
Hall, has played pretty well this season and would be bloody harsh, but I could live with Rodney starting in his place and either Tony Williams or JWH having a run off the bench to see what they have got.
Some will say Lyon to 6 maybe, no way for me. We need him in the centres, and I have no issue with Bailey's form at the moment, with the ball, behind Watmough and Matai, he is looking the most damaging
While I have praised the effort, I must have a crack at the attitude of some. Sure, it is ok to catch up with your mates and have a word after the match, but to see the smiles and laughing that I did after the match was not impressive at all, especially blokes that have bombed chances to win us the match or at least get us back into it. Mason and Anasta are much maligned on here, but look at them after the losses the past couple of weeks, you see them swearing away and looking gutted about things
I will be there watching again next week, but with zero confidence in a win or even getting close. Deep down I am hoping that attitude may see a surprise win, but I am doubting it and not expecting to see it
Our season has now hit the point where I suspect some of my mates are feeling sorry for me FFS, that is how bad it has got !!! They have had great joy in messaging me over the 1st 6 weeks but the last 2 they are going a bit softer, to the point this morning where 1 of them didn't even give me ****, was more trying to offer some words of wisdom
Now, to the refereeing. This 2 ref thing is absolute garbage, the wankers in pink killed the match last night. After about 20-25mins I considered tossing the match in because I couldn't cop some of the crap they were coming up with. Every time the game got going and looked enjoyable, the whistle blew for some absolute ****. The prime examples were the soft, soft penalites they pinged Kite, Blair, Matai and then the Hoffman hollywood one. De La Heras has no clue.
Anyhow, onwards and upwards, they could lose the next 12 in a row and I will still be sitting there watching the 13th ...
We were content to just try and physical them out of the game, and had absolutely nothing else there, so bloody disappointing. Our pack absolutely dominated the match, but brains beat brawn last night. I hate to praise those pricks, but they played smart, controlled footy, well we went in kamikaze style.
The hits were great, but we went to that well far too often and telegraphed exactly what we were going to do and made it easy for them
Positives, a pretty short list
Robbo was far better at Fullback
Perry had his game of the season, he was outstanding
Our pack fronted up and dominated again
Negatives, list a lot longer
Orford, aside from his running game and kick chase, the rest of his game was horrendous
Discipline, I will have a bit more of a say about the refs further on, but it was **** again
Kite, really needed to stand up and was close to invisible for me
Ballin/L'Estrange, both were woeful and did nothing for the side last night from dummy half
Wolfman, positioning diabolical, cost us a couple of tries
Bani, although his running game went up a notch in the 2nd half, for a bloke his size, some of his game is too soft for me at the moment
1 thing I can't really fault them on, is their effort. Watmough is the classic example for me. He is busting his arse, all of his game is played at 100%, but at crucial times the execution is lacking, just like the side. Other I thought that visibly put it all in last night were Matai, Bailey, Perry and probably Robbo
So where do we go from here ?
Wholesale changes are still not the answer for me. In the backline, I read we may have McDonnell coming, so him into fullback, Robbo back to the wing and Bani on a plane to the Sunshine Coast. Irrespective of McDonnell's signing, Bani is not there next week for me, Siniula can have a game.
If we had a halfback I thought was good enough behind him, I would consider dropping Orford, but I don't see any positives in dropping him for next week. A young bloke would be eaten alive up in Brisbane.
To the pack. A couple of small changes could be made. King, although he performed OK for me last night, could be used to send the message out to the players and Rose could come in.
Hall, has played pretty well this season and would be bloody harsh, but I could live with Rodney starting in his place and either Tony Williams or JWH having a run off the bench to see what they have got.
Some will say Lyon to 6 maybe, no way for me. We need him in the centres, and I have no issue with Bailey's form at the moment, with the ball, behind Watmough and Matai, he is looking the most damaging
While I have praised the effort, I must have a crack at the attitude of some. Sure, it is ok to catch up with your mates and have a word after the match, but to see the smiles and laughing that I did after the match was not impressive at all, especially blokes that have bombed chances to win us the match or at least get us back into it. Mason and Anasta are much maligned on here, but look at them after the losses the past couple of weeks, you see them swearing away and looking gutted about things
I will be there watching again next week, but with zero confidence in a win or even getting close. Deep down I am hoping that attitude may see a surprise win, but I am doubting it and not expecting to see it
Our season has now hit the point where I suspect some of my mates are feeling sorry for me FFS, that is how bad it has got !!! They have had great joy in messaging me over the 1st 6 weeks but the last 2 they are going a bit softer, to the point this morning where 1 of them didn't even give me ****, was more trying to offer some words of wisdom
Now, to the refereeing. This 2 ref thing is absolute garbage, the wankers in pink killed the match last night. After about 20-25mins I considered tossing the match in because I couldn't cop some of the crap they were coming up with. Every time the game got going and looked enjoyable, the whistle blew for some absolute ****. The prime examples were the soft, soft penalites they pinged Kite, Blair, Matai and then the Hoffman hollywood one. De La Heras has no clue.
Anyhow, onwards and upwards, they could lose the next 12 in a row and I will still be sitting there watching the 13th ...