Tonights game

[Ian Martin tragic]

I blame it all on Fifi Box....

Get the defeat off your chest with a good whinge, fine, but remember who was playing. The inexperienced halves looked better earlier on this year when they had the more experienced outside backs, and edge of the ruck forwards, to play with.

Without them it's a very inexperienced set of backs.
They don't have the gamebreaker types from this year around at present (B Stewart, Lyon, Matai, Watmough) not to mention a beaver (whose loss we are still feeling in the back end of games especially).

If we can get most of our top line players on the field we should get back into it and continue the development of the playmakers. 

On the tits, I still fancy our chances of knocking them off in a finals game.

 

[DSM5]

Ian, it's good to read a sensible rational post.  However, what worries me is the lack of a game plan that one can see being developed out there on the park, and the reluctance by Hasler to use the full team in a game.  Why pick players and then not use them.  Seems very odd to me.  Is he losing it?

 

[Darren]

totally agree dsm5, the lack of a game plan worries me each time we play, there seems to be no 2nd plan, just head down, run and kick. No chips over the top, midfield bombs, anything to confuse the opposition.

 

[Jethro]

However, what worries me is the lack of a game plan that one can see being developed out there on the park

totally agree dsm5, the lack of a game plan worries me each time we play, there seems to be no 2nd plan, just head down, run and kick. No chips over the top, midfield bombs, anything to confuse the opposition.

That's pretty much what I was saying in the "Tonites performance" thread and DSM, as for Des possibly starting to lose it well, the Jury is still out on that one for me at the moment but I'm starting to lean a bit that way with our appearance of seemingly no game plan or set plays.  What do they do at training?  Do they do training to win games by practicing set plays etc. or just train to stay fit?

 

[Darren]

We have to give Des our support still. With Brett, Wolfie, Jamie and Matai out that is our whole backline. Robbo looks much better with those guys inside him etc. Des has tried Whare, Tony etc and now Hoppa. Foran and Hokko would be much better with the top 4 back. I will make my judgement when our team is full strength, unfortunately that will be 2011!!

 

[Ian Martin tragic]

I imagine there is a very explicit gameplan. And it's the usual thing; get down to their end, pressure, get some field position and try to apply the screws, put on some of those backline plays, get another set, etc.

No gameplan wins you a game. It's just alot of talk/diagrams on a whiteboard. Coming up with the good plays, the excellent kick and kick chases, not making crucial mistakes, having the ability to make a break when you really need one, etc., wins you games.

In the Tits game both teams were making stupid mistakes in the 2nd half. Eventually ours cost us the game; mostly the kick chargedowns. [Step 1 of gameplan: get down their end and apply pressure] Titans finally held the ball for a few tackles and scored the key try out wide.

hodko and foran can't really be absolutely counted on to follow and then capitalise on the gameplan at this stage, especially without experienced contributors doing some of the key things above when they are really needed.

hodko may or may not be worth the money being quoted on the grapevine; too early to say. But earlier this year I think he showed he can do his bit in what can be a very efficient attack and defensive line. Hoping we can get the personnel back on the park and get some momentum going.

GO AUSTRALIA!