When and how did the form slump begin?

[Fluffy]

I think the $1M missing players is catching up with us.

We are playing with too many niggling injuries and have been playing way over what we should be, seriously how bad are other teams going if we can be 3rd that late in the season starting with such a handicap?

Whether we can freshen up and recover enough is the question.

 

[weev]

Agree we miss Taura, but the payments controversy has changed the team's vibe. Even if it's total bull**** it might make players suspicious of their peers and managers. The scandal at the core, suggests favouritism or dodgy dealings.

This witch hunt has had the desired effect (yep it's a conspiracy) of destabilising the club. The crap this team has to deal with is pretty relentless: match throwing and then accusations of dodgy payments undermine the playing group's reputation and those running the club.

It's the straw that breaks the camels back. But we can recover, and refind that mojo.

 

[Little Grubber Kick]

Agree we miss Taura, but the payments controversy has changed the team's vibe. Even if it's total bull**** it might make players suspicious of their peers and managers. The scandal at the core, suggests favouritism or dodgy dealings.

This witch hunt has had the desired effect (yep it's a conspiracy) of destabilising the club. The crap this team has to deal with is pretty relentless: match throwing and then accusations of dodgy payments undermine the playing group's reputation and those running the club.

It's the straw that breaks the camels back. But we can recover, and refind that mojo.

The fact of the matter is that the 'media' learnt full well in 2014 how a campaign of continuous innuendo and fake news successfully tore the wheels off, went from certain Minor Premiers (and bookies were paying out on it) and then the BS campaign started and certain 'less than intellectual giant' players bought into it fully and we pretty well collapsed in a smouldering heap until the last ditch stand against the dogs.

However back to this year, the first big blow was Taufua, and then Sironen was devastating, all the other BS is just salt in the wounds.
Without these 2 our lack of depth has been fully and painfully exposed with Wright and Brown both starting yesterday.

Only way forward is to jettison the Wright / Brown failed experiments (Parker and ANYBODY) and some real tough leadership behind the scenes to rebond (truth session anyone?)

 

[Deleted member 26876]

I don't know if anyone has noticed the team morale over the past month or so.

When we beat the dogs, the high fives, back slaps and general team feel was unreal. The boys looked happy and were playing as a unit. But seeing the boys even at the Tigpies game, I could sense a difference with the group. Maybe it is fatigue, but it is clearly different. There maybe something going on or something that has happened to interfere with the once highly noticeable close knit playing group.

I also think the way we were beaten by the officials & Riff did not help matters and we have looked flat and disjointed ever since.

As well as opposition teams dissecting our style of play, finding our weaknesses and working out how to beat us. Kapow has worked his butt of this year and has given so much, but he has been targeted a lot lately, we need another Kapow to share the load. Kelly was going o.k. early on, but he gets targeted also and is shut down before he can get a run on. Our line speed is slow and we are loosing the battle of the ruck. Let alone how we miss so many tackles and allow too many offloads.

We needed to improve or change our game plan somewhat especially after we were towelled up last week and we simply did not do anything different today. And of course we do not have great depth either, so once we conceded some injuries, we just could not fill the spots with first grade standard talent.

So what has happened is anyone's guess, but our team morale, ability to minimise offloads and missed tackles is a problem and has become increasingly noticeable over the past month. That and our lack of depth (we need forward punch and people that can tackle) and not changing or even slightly adjusting our game plan because if it no longer works, we should not keep doing it......!! (Maybe we should spend more time on defence in games, getting repeat sets and then the attack can flourish?)

And with out sugar coating it IMO we will get flogged again next week and maybe in each and every remaining game if we don't address some of the above points.

It is extremely disappointing to see the difference in our team in the last few weeks, from when I thought we could have a chance in getting to at least week two of the finals to now thinking we may possibly miss the top 8 altogether.

Just came on here to type the exact thing, where has the enthusiasm gone manly!!!

 

[eaglebuzz]

If the issue is day games then Barrett is going to have to figure out how to fix it or we'll miss the finals. The Panthers are looking for a spot in the 8 and it will be us or the Dragons to give it to them.

 

[Peter C]

Interested in people's ideas as to the possible cause of our recent woeful form. Could it be:
We were punching above our weight and just ran out of legs?
Coincided with Kapow drop in impact?
DCE non origin selection?
Sironen injury?
Salary cap witch hunt?
Talk if Baz to dogs?
Bozo Hawaii trip?
Something else altogether?

Yes, we were punching above our weight for a while , culminating with that win against Cronulla, struggled against Penrith, Warriors and Tigers as were only playing at 85-90% of our potential.
The reality of our squad became evident against the Dragons and Melbourne who were both carving us up at will at both in the middle and on the edges, and unable to stop their offloads and second phase play.
Our problem now is failure to recruit quality players, when we had guys like Glenn Stewart, Lyon and Matai, it didn't really matter if we slow centres and wingers as we could overcome the opposition with skill rather than pace, now we have neither.
Guys like Winterstein , Brown,Wright and Jono Wright have been around a long time without ever nearly setting the world on fire, they've always been OK type players, now they're still OK type players only a lot older, we would have been better off not trying to extract the optimum value out of these players and rather buy a couple of younger guys with potential.

 

[Snake]

I think the $1M missing players is catching up with us.

We are playing with too many niggling injuries and have been playing way over what we should be, seriously how bad are other teams going if we can be 3rd that late in the season starting with such a handicap?

Whether we can freshen up and recover enough is the question.

Interesting you say this because I can confirm that this is exactly how the coaching staff see things.

We are in a unique position given our salary cap shortfall due to Snake and Matai...the talent is simply not spread wide enough across the 17. When you have a talented roster, you will still fall into a slump at some stage, but there are usually a select few who will carry the load and get you through the slump with the damage somewhat minimised...Manly on the other hand, rely on 17 players being "up" and at their best in order to compete.

With so many either inexperienced and/or moderately talented players in our roster, it's showing at the moment when the chips are down. That, and as you said, the guys playing busted that just cannot give 110% at the moment due to physical ailment.

 

[joeboy]

Interesting you say this because I can confirm that this is exactly how the coaching staff see things.

We are in a unique position given our salary cap shortfall due to Snake and Matai...the talent is simply not spread wide enough across the 17. When you have a talented roster, you will still fall into a slump at some stage, but there are usually a select few who will carry the load and get you through the slump with the damage somewhat minimised...Manly on the other hand, rely on 17 players being "up" and at their best in order to compete.

With so many either inexperienced and/or moderately talented players in our roster, it's showing at the moment when the chips are down. That, and as you said, the guys playing busted that just cannot give 110% at the moment due to physical ailment.

Coaching staff should not be making excuses especially in light of our last two performances. Missing tackles, line speed, intensity and attitude should be inherent in any player who has made it as far in grade as all players in our squad have. There isn't really an excuse for how we have played this past two weeks, and if you have heard the reasoning behind it from the coaches, then I gather the players have too, hardly the way to get the best out of what we DO have, not what we don't.

What we do have is a team that should not be playing how we have been. I can take a bad loss, but then we committed exactly the same errors against the storm as we did the dragons. One performance can be considered an aberration, twice in a row is cause for concern.

 

[Snake]

Coaching staff should not be making excuses especially in light of our last two performances. Missing tackles, line speed, intensity and attitude should be inherent in any player who has made it as far in grade as all players in our squad have. There isn't really an excuse for how we have played this past two weeks, and if you have heard the reasoning behind it from the coaches, then I gather the players have too, hardly the way to get the best out of what we DO have, not what we don't.

What we do have is a team that should not be playing how we have been. I can take a bad loss, but then we committed exactly the same errors against the storm as we did the dragons. One performance can be considered an aberration, twice in a row is cause for concern.

Beating the players with a stick doesn't work either. Look, you can pretend that these guys are just a bunch of spoon fed babies that are immune to reality or you can understand that they have brains just like you and I, and they can work things out for themselves. These guys aren't dumb and they aren't children that can be easily manipulated either. They have even more insight than you and I on what goes on and how it all works.

It's also not as if Barrett calls an urgent team meeting and tells the players not to stress that they are underperforming and just to chalk it down to the cap. Join the real world Joe.

 

[joeboy]

I agree with all that, I wouldn't be as vocal as I am if completing the fundamentals, addressing errors from previous weeks and maintaining attitude were present but we are capitulating and it's sad to see. I don't mind losing bravely, it's surrendering meekly that gets me.

The sheer volume of missed tackles in two weeks speaks to the lack of attitude, not missing players, not salary cap.

I'm in the real world my friend, and I'm calling it as I see it, and it hurts to see it and to say it.

 

[Snake]

I agree with all that, I wouldn't be as vocal as I am if completing the fundamentals, addressing errors from previous weeks and maintaining attitude were present but we are capitulating and it's sad to see. I don't mind losing bravely, it's surrendering meekly that gets me.

The sheer volume of missed tackles in two weeks speaks to the lack of attitude, not missing players, not salary cap.

I'm in the real world my friend, and I'm calling it as I see it, and it hurts to see it and to say it.

Fair enough mate...I feel your pain but unfortunately there is not much we can do about it at our end other than turn up next week and cheer them on against the Rossters!

Fingers crossed they put in an effort that does the jumper proud.

 

[joeboy]

That's exactly right and all we can ask for, it's just not what I've seen last two weeks.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

I hope that TB can get the boys to regroup. Whilst some have talked of over achieving I don't agree. I think this playing group is very talented. A couple of the lads are busted and we are down on confidence. But I believe in them and they will make the 8!