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Guys were tired from last week and a game like this was bound to happen,but from past experience we can't use that as it is an excuse....Would not make too many changes as what would that say to the playing group that would have had us well in the top couple of sides with a win?Panicking and ringing the changes now is not needed,give it a coupe of weeks more.There were 2 glaring issues that I saw from yesterday and they were both Des' doing.
Playing Garrick at 1 was a huge mistake,out of position and no heart/hustle,Elliot should have been fullback(no Turbo but makes smart decisions and is in position and backs up well,not great vision I agree),Funa should have been centre and people forget that he has been switched from left to right wing which is not an easy thing but made a couple of poor tackles.
Second was bringing on Marty and Gosiewski to replace AFB and Keppie,could not understand that and it seemed to co-incide with our slide to mediocrity.Why no Paseka?People bagging Gosiewski playing as a 95kg prop?Guy is an edge backrower who can cover centre,give it another week,but can see the calls for Cust to get more time at 9,not overly impressed with Levi so far.
 
Manly were tired from the previous week, and the fade after 10 mins was disappointing. Letting tries in before and just after half time is a worry.

Things can be improved with some positional changes, lots of sensible suggestions above.

Cust showed enough footy brain to show he can be a dummy half.

Elliot is a much better prospect at fullback. Boyle in for Paseka.
7 day turn around.. that's no excuse.
 
Guys were tired from last week and a game like this was bound to happen,but from past experience we can't use that as it is an excuse....Would not make too many changes as what would that say to the playing group that would have had us well in the top couple of sides with a win?Panicking and ringing the changes now is not needed,give it a coupe of weeks more.There were 2 glaring issues that I saw from yesterday and they were both Des' doing.
Playing Garrick at 1 was a huge mistake,out of position and no heart/hustle,Elliot should have been fullback(no Turbo but makes smart decisions and is in position and backs up well,not great vision I agree),Funa should have been centre and people forget that he has been switched from left to right wing which is not an easy thing but made a couple of poor tackles.
Second was bringing on Marty and Gosiewski to replace AFB and Keppie,could not understand that and it seemed to co-incide with our slide to mediocrity.Why no Paseka?People bagging Gosiewski playing as a 95kg prop?Guy is an edge backrower who can cover centre,give it another week,but can see the calls for Cust to get more time at 9,not overly impressed with Levi so far.
Some fair points made with the team. I think Elliot is easy to defend against as he has no passing game. Goes ok at centre and reliable at the back, I would like to see Albert get a run while Tom is out, you never know until you’re given a go. The unknown may fail, but it’s worth a shot.
 
Guys were tired from last week and a game like this was bound to happen,but from past experience we can't use that as it is an excuse....Would not make too many changes as what would that say to the playing group that would have had us well in the top couple of sides with a win?Panicking and ringing the changes now is not needed,give it a coupe of weeks more.There were 2 glaring issues that I saw from yesterday and they were both Des' doing.
Playing Garrick at 1 was a huge mistake,out of position and no heart/hustle,Elliot should have been fullback(no Turbo but makes smart decisions and is in position and backs up well,not great vision I agree),Funa should have been centre and people forget that he has been switched from left to right wing which is not an easy thing but made a couple of poor tackles.
Second was bringing on Marty and Gosiewski to replace AFB and Keppie,could not understand that and it seemed to co-incide with our slide to mediocrity.Why no Paseka?People bagging Gosiewski playing as a 95kg prop?Guy is an edge backrower who can cover centre,give it another week,but can see the calls for Cust to get more time at 9,not overly impressed with Levi so far.
100% agree with this analysis.
Fingers crossed Suli comes back next week. Then I’d consider switching Cust and Levi. Cust strikes me as the kind of guy that doesn’t care where he plays and he has the body type for 9.
 
In the off-season he had back surgery for bulging discs, then an infection following that. So, not surprising he looks underdone.
I think he will come good, but he might need some time on the sidelines in the meantime.
Jestski showed late last year what he can bring to the team. Clearly underdone so I assume he is being selected in order to get him match fit faster than just training could achieve. Still looks a couple of weeks off full fitness but hopefully comes good soon.
 
I think the selection issue will come down to this: let's give guys like Schuster a go now, not wait until it's too late in the season.
We need to see how our promising juniors cope with the step-up of class at some stage, and I'd prefer it be done now. The longer these players have without a match will make it harder for them when they are finally called up.
Best case is that they play well and become permanent members of the top 17.
Worst case is that they fail and we are forced to return to our 'reserves', such as Elliot, Waddell, Boyle and Froggy. But even then there is a silver lining:
1. the juniors have tasted First Grade and learned what they need to do to make it permanently to the NRL
2. the coaching staff will know what our best 17 are, for the immediate future at least, and
3. we fans will be more realistic with our calls to promote Shoe, Hoppa Jnr, Ben Turbo, Zac Saddler, Luke Metcalf etc...
 
Jestski showed late last year what he can bring to the team. Clearly underdone so I assume he is being selected in order to get him match fit faster than just training could achieve. Still looks a couple of weeks off full fitness but hopefully comes good soon.
As smokin joe says above, very big ask to have him as a middle bench forward
 
CUST in my opinion is a natural footballer..In the games he played in last year he definitively created opportunities a crafty little player...Yes he took some wrong options and had a few issues in deference which is to be expected but id rather that then do nothing and just throw inside passes to back rowers...To me it seemed he has bulked up heaps since last year.

Id start him at 5/8 this week.
 
Des seems pragmatic enough to make changes, but probably does not want to drop players after 1 or 2 bad games. That sort of thing does not build team spirit or cohesion.

Throwing rookies in at the deep end, when the team does not look very settled, is also a bit risky, I would have thought.

Not going to say Des gets it right all of the time... but I am prepared to back his decision most of the time given the troops we have available.
 
Metcalfe/ Hoppa
Taufua
Parker
Suli
Garrick
Cust
Chez
Taupau
Croker
AFB
Thommo
Siro
Jake

Schuster
Boyle
Keppie
Waddell/ Olokoatu

Dropping Levi, Gosiewski, Elliott and Paseka.
I think it's time to get some of these young guys in there. Hoppa or Metcalfe to Fullback, I'd maybe lean towards Metcalfe as he has more ball playing in him than Hoppa but if Hoppa is fit them he must be close to selection
 
Metcalfe/ Hoppa
Taufua
Parker
Suli
Garrick
Cust
Chez
Taupau
Croker
AFB
Thommo
Siro
Jake

Schuster
Boyle
Keppie
Waddell/ Olokoatu

Dropping Levi, Gosiewski, Elliott and Paseka.
I think it's time to get some of these young guys in there. Hoppa or Metcalfe to Fullback, I'd maybe lean towards Metcalfe as he has more ball playing in him than Hoppa but if Hoppa is fit them he must be close to selection
Can you get that list to your brother and ask him to book an appointment with Des so it can be submitted?
 
left field.

Pick Hoppa to oppose Best in the centres. Junior rep colleagues will go at each other tooth and nail all game and cancel each other out.
 
Not having Fainu is starting to hurt this team. DCE is struggling with these muppets around him like crocker and Levi in key positions, then you take out our other 3 biggest attacking line breaking players in Tom, Walker and Suli - can see its going to be tough
Do you really think Fainu would improve the effectiveness of our go forward from straightness, to a lack of short passing variation from the forwards, go forward explosiveness that is direct and trying to hit through the line, just by darting out of dummy half and offloading with a shortened 10mtrs—no way in hell.

DCE devoid of ideas with less time to think due to average at best service from Fainu and his defensive weaknesses would make the problems worse.

Shortening up our service from dummy half with predictable lead runner passing with all the injuries we have in the back line is a disaster waiting to happen.

At Full strength and playing direct at speed is where Fainu can take advantage, he doesn’t lay the foundations to that he improves the output when our general performance is at a good level.

Ps not used to replying on a phone while fishing so if the reply is too compressed to make sense of I apologize.
 
Do you really think Fainu would improve the effectiveness of our go forward from straightness, to a lack of short passing variation from the forwards, go forward explosiveness that is direct and trying to hit through the line, just by darting out of dummy half and offloading with a shortened 10mtrs—no way in hell.

DCE devoid of ideas with less time to think due to average at best service from Fainu and his defensive weaknesses would make the problems worse.

Shortening up our service from dummy half with predictable lead runner passing with all the injuries we have in the back line is a disaster waiting to happen.

At Full strength and playing direct at speed is where Fainu can take advantage, he doesn’t lay the foundations to that he improves the output when our general performance is at a good level.

Ps not used to replying on a phone while fishing so if the reply is too compressed to make sense of I apologize.
At Full strength and playing direct, I agree. I loved the Api/Faniu combination for this reason.

I think Levi is a dumb hooker. He passes late to DCE in traffic, or dummies to him on the 5th tackle 5 metres out. He goes himself on the 4th tackle when they are set for a blind side raid.

He does not engage the opposition defence, he just passes leaving it to DCE. Faniu is a way smarter footballer, its why we won so many games last year when Tom and Turbo were out. He is able to hold the defence up, knows when to run, when to pass, has a good fend and an off load!

But the biggest benifit i see is how DCE, Faniu and Turbo combine on the filed, they are more in sync. Obviously is all comes off the go forward first particularity Marty and especially AFB!

 

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