One of my favourite pastimes is reading the apologists for DCE and how he can do no wrong. It's always amusing.
He definitely got run through by Lane for one of their tries. He rushed out from marker and allowed Brown to step inside him down the short side for their second try. It was a "lucky" try granted, but if you are going to do that play you need to make the tackle. I also think he got the numbers wrong on their first try and dragged everyone in, but that happens (just a little too often by him). When Gutherson scores he does the opposite, stays out and doesn't push in to cover Koula when he goes in. They are decisions that you have to make as a defender, and he just made a couple of bad ones last night. So he didn't let in all 7 but had a hand in a couple.
One thing I was always willing to defend DCE on was his defence. That is no longer the case. Our right edge has been leaky for a few seasons now and he is the common denominator.
Hmm well explained, so I actually went and took another look
So DCE is definitely to blame by getting run through by Lane. Here it is
He got isolated 1:1, he actually brings the big guy down but Lane was able to unload at the very last instant, gutho got a lucky bounce, leads to try. I'll buy that one.
But here is Gutho's try.
Lane is Koula's man, Haumole moves out to help and in the 2nd pic you can see Haumole has tackled Lane but even with both Koula and Haumole on him Lane pops a perfect unload to Gutho who sprints away. Look Lane is a big guy, 6'6" and has been poking his nose through and offloading all season. He's become quite a weapon.
But the first one is DCE's fault and the second one is also DCE's fault? What?!!
Even the eels first try, they had a clear 5 on 4 overlap, Manly had absolutely no-one covering the middle so our 4 couldn't slide out, Sivo was left open. Doesn't the fault lie with the lack of cover coming across?
Just my take, but these examples do not deter me from my suspicion that there's sometimes a tendency to just blame DCE for whatever!