2020 Finals discussion thread

[The Who]

Hindsight is a perfect thing isn't it. Its easy to be right after the fact.

Agreed, but everyone knows you should have two NRL-standard hookers in your 30-man squad. This was poor judgement from our officials.
The Blade Runner was recovering from a serious shoulder injury and likely to miss a large chunk of the early season. This was known, not hindsight.
And also the tactic of having two quality hookers in your 17 was also a proven formula for success. Not hindsight.
Other clubs knew this. Take The Faders as an example. When Hodgson's season ended they still had two quality hookers in their squad so his absence was no barrier to them making the final four.

 

[HoldenV8]

Agreed, but everyone knows you should have two NRL-standard hookers in your 30-man squad. This was poor judgement from our officials.
The Blade Runner was recovering from a serious shoulder injury and likely to miss a large chunk of the early season. This was known, not hindsight.
And also the tactic of having two quality hookers in your 17 was also a proven formula for success. Not hindsight.
Other clubs knew this. Take The Faders as an example. When Hodgson's season ended they still had two quality hookers in their squad so his absence was no barrier to them making the final four.

Agreed. That's why I said that what we did wrong was not having a back up in place. We really put all our eggs in the Fainu basket and it blew up in our faces before the season even kicked off.

 

[davohan123]

Agreed. That's why I said that what we did wrong was not having a back up in place. We really put all our eggs in the Fainu basket and it blew up in our faces before the season even kicked off.

I agree with everthing you said api while I miss him we put our options at 9 with fainu not knowing he would go onto his church dance and be charged.

as you said we missed a genuine 9 this year.

 

[davohan123]

What did show last night whatever you think of him as a person and your views of him at manly you can’t deny that Tbaz has got the panthers humming in attack and is one of the reasons they are looking so good this year.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

I wonder how Ivan the Imperceptible feels about Trent the Gent getting the bulk of the coaching credit for Penrith’s season?

 

[bSw]

Aside from the obvious advantage the week off gave storm and panthers, one thing was very telling over the weekend: 1. Raiders up and in defence failed miserably as the outside men for storm were quicker and more dominant. 2. Panthers effective slide defence completely starved the rabbits' usually dangerous edge attack. I think these were perfect examples of understanding the capabilities of the players in your team, against the players in the opposition. Parker, Taufua, Elliot, a lame Thompson, Gosiewski, Waddell, and an inexperienced Hopoate, Funa, and Harper... these edge players will get beat every time against their opposites if defending an up-and-in style. Solution: New players, and/or new style

 

[The better Robbo]

Yep didn’t adjust. Panthers did a good job on Souths defending out wide

100%
Panthers seemed to adopt more of a slide defence to counter Walker sweeping out the back. I said in another thread the whole up and in defence doesn't work as a defensive structure... there is still a time and place for it but not as your "go to" every time

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

100%
Panthers seemed to adopt more of a slide defence to counter Walker sweeping out the back. I said in another thread the whole up and in defence doesn't work as a defensive structure... there is still a time and place for it but not as your "go to" every time

We have SUCH a long way to go to catch up , hope it can be done pre season kickoff because if not we are behind the 8 ball even before the first tackle is made.

 

[mave]

We have SUCH a long way to go to catch up , hope it can be done pre season kickoff because if not we are behind the 8 ball even before the first tackle is made.

Or in our case.... "before the first tackle is missed"

 

[ALinda]

Agreed. That's why I said that what we did wrong was not having a back up in place. We really put all our eggs in the Fainu basket and it blew up in our faces before the season even kicked off.

Spot on and I fear next season will be similar. Let's face it, the majority of it could well be over before Fainu's back, if he's back, and that's on the legal side of things. Then even so, who's to say he's going to be fit, and stay fit after all his shoulder issues.

Yes, we've put way too many eggs in the Fainu basket and our chances of success aren't going to improve until such time as we have another decent hooker.

 

[40 nil]

Sad news - South Sydney & Origin forward Ethan Lowe forced to retire after recurring neck injuries. He played 143 NRL games

Transfer Centre: Neck injury forces Origin forward to call time on career

Transfer Centre: Neck injury forces Origin forward to call time on career

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Sad news - South Sydney & Origin forward Ethan Lowe forced to retire after recurring neck injuries. He played 143 NRL games

Transfer Centre: Neck injury forces Origin forward to call time on career

Transfer Centre: Neck injury forces Origin forward to call time on career

www.foxsports.com.au

It’s a bloody tough game !!

 

[HoldenV8]

Spot on and I fear next season will be similar. Let's face it, the majority of it could well be over before Fainu's back, if he's back, and that's on the legal side of things. Then even so, who's to say he's going to be fit, and stay fit after all his shoulder issues.

Yes, we've put way too many eggs in the Fainu basket and our chances of success aren't going to improve until such time as we have another decent hooker.

What people forget at times is that everything starts with the dummy half. If their service isn't good, if they make wrong decisions on where and who to pass it to, when and where to run etc, it has a big flow on effect for the rest of the attack. Our dummy half play this year with Levi and Croker was 3rd rate at best.

And unless something changes, until and if Fainu comes back, we only have makeshift dummy halves and that is not usually a good thing. Not everyone is a Michael Monoghan who can change positions from half to dummy half and make it work.

 

[Technical Coach]

100%
Panthers seemed to adopt more of a slide defence to counter Walker sweeping out the back. I said in another thread the whole up and in defence doesn't work as a defensive structure... there is still a time and place for it but not as your "go to" every time

The problem is the autopilot nature of outside defenders coming in when not necessary, not so much the up and in structure itself. Sliding should always be an option and more so now with the 6 again rule and speed of play stripping defence numbers more easily.

With the slower wrestle game of the past up and in had plenty of time to get in the faces of the opposition and make the right choices, now there needs to be more of a balance and thinking on the go which requires some sliding at times.

How often do you see wingers for example coming in to help the centre when the opposition attacking player is covered anyway, it is brain dead decision making based off "this is what is drilled into me i can't escape the clutches of our up and in laws and think for myself"

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

The problem is the autopilot nature of outside defenders coming in when not necessary, not so much the up and in structure itself. Sliding should always be an option and more so now with the 6 again rule and speed of play stripping defence numbers more easily.

With the slower wrestle game of the past up and in had plenty of time to get in the faces of the opposition and make the right choices, now there needs to be more of a balance and thinking on the go which requires some sliding at times.

How often do you see wingers for example coming in to help the centre when the opposition attacking player is covered anyway, it is brain dead decision making based off "this is what is drilled into me i can't escape the clutches of our up and in laws and think for myself"

How hard would it be to coach that out of them ( after using the old method for so long )??

The reason I ask is , as I suspect , we are largely going to have the same team as this year so aren’t they just automatically going to do the same thing ?

 

[mickqld]

I agree with everthing you said api while I miss him we put our options at 9 with fainu not knowing he would go onto his church dance and be charged.

as you said we missed a genuine 9 this year.

Has anyone in the club seriously questioned why this guy was at some church dance which was obviously used as a predetermined gangsta confrontation when he's supposed to be recovering from a major shoulder reconstruction and THEN actually has the brain dead idea to somehow get involved in the melee.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Has anyone in the club seriously questioned why this guy was at some church dance which was obviously used as a predetermined gangsta confrontation when he's supposed to be recovering from a major shoulder reconstruction and THEN actually has the brain dead idea to somehow get involved in the melee.

I don’t think the club hold their hands 24/7 !!

But maybe with these gangsta types they should!!

 

[mickqld]

I don’t think the club hold their hands 24/7 !!

But maybe with these gangsta types they should!!

I know the club isn't a babysitter but seriously. It's the question of judgement to be there when he obviously knew what may go down. Putting himself in a situation that he knew may end in confrontation.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

I know the club isn't a babysitter but seriously. It's the question of judgement to be there when he obviously knew what may go down. Putting himself in a situation that he knew may end in confrontation.

That’s kids for you , full of bravado and piss & wind!!

 

[eagleron]

That’s kids for you , full of bravado and piss & wind!!

The club should take a leaf out of Bellyaches book, he lets the young blokes with attitude know straight up that they can pack their bags and move on if they don't drop that s*it and conform to expectations, allowing players to do the gangster thing on social media only ends ugly, take Fainu and AFB for example, whether they're on the field playing or on social media, they're still representing club and should act accordingly not carry on like d*ckheads embarrassing the club and its supporters