Optimist/Pessimist pulse .. UPDATE

[Rocky]

Yeah I've been a huge supporter of the change in the coaching box. And we have seen mproved results until yesterday.

I don't know what to make of that game. Credit to the Knights they played well but if we were serious, we would have beaten them by 12 or more.

Main areas of concern

* The forwards just didn't fire. We know Jake and Haumole will give us consistent outstanding performances - and Paseka has really improved this year. But we need all of the other dudes to step up and offer starch in defense and metres in attack. That really fell off a cliff yesterday compared to the first few games.

* The selection of non-talent over talent. This has been covered in other threads, but Cooper Johns and Harper can't honestly be picked again. I'm happy to give Seibold the benefit of the doubt right now as Johns looked servicaeble and Harper maybe deserved one chance this year. But next week they can't be there.

* The Kaeo Weekes conundrum - what to do with this kid. If he was under contract for 3 years i would be less concerned with his current role. But 15-20 minutes as a backup hooker surely isn't going to keep him happy. And nor should it.
He needs to play bigger minutes and in a role that better suits his skills. I'm not really sure what the answer is here as Turbo, Schu and DCE are all locks for their positions. Will centre keep Weekes happy? I'd personally love to see DCE go to hooker, Croker to lock and Weekes to half back. But that won't happen.

Over to you Mr Seibold. You can talk the talk now let's see you walk the walk. Let's get creative as we have the talent.

 

[davohan123]

Yes, we do drop significantly, @Waz13 The coaching team needs to focus more on who is brought in to replace these players. Replacing Koula with Harper, while having Weekes in the seventeen, was an obvious mistake. Particularly, when Lawton didn't even make the seventeen....
Weekes in for Harper
Lawton in for Weekes

And I don't care who goes or has to get the tap on the shoulder but bring up gordan to our top 30 and play him at 9.

He is our x factor within and needs to be getting 1st grade experience.

 

[Eagles4Life]

It was apparent very early (and we all already knew) that Harper is not first grade quality. Was baffling how it took so long to put Weekes in.

And honestly calling a spade a spade here. Imo Weekes is not really cover for 9, he’s there in case Tom goes down. He should have seen plenty more minutes yesterday.

Forgot we lost Burbo yesterday to injury as well. At least forward stock wise we have sone options. We are thin in the backs.

Which is why we need Lawton in the seventeen somewhere at all times. He debuted in the NRL as a centre and also covers the halves, lock, back row and hooker spots. Lawton is a much better player than Harper, and would have done a superior job at centre than him if Seibold wanted to keep Weekes as his bench utility. This week there is no question that he has to be in the seventeen somewhere, and Weekes needs to play a minimum of sixty minutes as well. The number on his back becoming somewhat irrelevant....

 

[davohan123]

Yeah I've been a huge supporter of the change in the coaching box. And we have seen mproved results until yesterday.

I don't know what to make of that game. Credit to the Knights they played well but if we were serious, we would have beaten them by 12 or more.

Main areas of concern

* The forwards just didn't fire. We know Jake and Haumole will give us consistent outstanding performances - and Paseka has really improved this year. But we need all of the other dudes to step up and offer starch in defense and metres in attack. That really fell off a cliff yesterday compared to the first few games.

* The selection of non-talent over talent. This has been covered in other threads, but Cooper Johns and Harper can't honestly be picked again. I'm happy to give Seibold the benefit of the doubt right now as Johns looked servicaeble and Harper maybe deserved one chance this year. But next week they can't be there.

* The Kaeo Weekes conundrum - what to do with this kid. If he was under contract for 3 years i would be less concerned with his current role. But 15-20 minutes as a backup hooker surely isn't going to keep him happy. And nor should it.
He needs to play bigger minutes and in a role that better suits his skills. I'm not really sure what the answer is here as Turbo, Schu and DCE are all locks for their positions. Will centre keep Weekes happy? I'd personally love to see DCE go to hooker, Croker to lock and Weekes to half back. But that won't happen.

Over to you Mr Seibold. You can talk the talk now let's see you walk the walk. Let's get creative as we have the talent.

I can see weekes walking if we are not careful.
He can't just be playing 15-20 minutes a game at 9.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

I’m still very optimistic.

We looked at the first 9 rounds and expected the only win to be the Bye.

We’ve lost one game by 1 and had a draw and are sitting in 3rd spot.

And based on one not perfect game you all want to change to pessimists!!!

Well **** me!!!

 

[NREagle]

Yes, we do drop significantly, @Waz13 The coaching team needs to focus more on who is brought in to replace these players. Replacing Koula with Harper, while having Weekes in the seventeen, was an obvious mistake. Particularly, when Lawton didn't even make the seventeen....
Weekes in for Harper
Lawton in for Weekes

I'm wondering whether they have Weekes at 14 as that x factor substitute to bring on when the defence is tiring (similar to Walker last year).
I really like Lawton but see him more as playing a Croker type role. He runs good lines and is a strong defender but can't see him scoring a try like Weekes did yesterday.

 

[double hoops]

That we've all noticed a marked improvement at the start of this year should tell us the new coaches are improving this squad.

Polishing a turd takes time. Those coaches inherited, the dumbest, laziest, team with the poorest attitude to ever play. The team just happens to be a team with more attacking ability than most.

As per usual with this bunch. Playing an extra minute last week, that was all the excuse they needed for that lazy attitude to return and go soft.

Didn't fight for the middle once. Didn't even think about tackling a knights kicker ever. The line speed of past weeks, just gone.

Piss Poor.

 

[double hoops]

The team obviously lack grit and on field leadership.

One wonders if these are things Woods has been added to assist with?

 

[Go manly]

I’m still very optimistic.

We looked at the first 9 rounds and expected the only win to be the Bye.

We’ve lost one game by 1 and had a draw and are sitting in 3rd spot.

And based on one not perfect game you all want to change to pessimists!!!

Well **** me!!!

Yep
There’s many teams who would want to swap positions and our start to the year

 

[Woodsie]

I’m still very optimistic.

We looked at the first 9 rounds and expected the only win to be the Bye.

We’ve lost one game by 1 and had a draw and are sitting in 3rd spot.

And based on one not perfect game you all want to change to pessimists!!!

Well **** me!!

Only two silvertailian's have changed their votes to pessimistic ... we are a tougher breed than you think ..

 

[Budgie]

We looked at the first 9 rounds and expected the only win to be the Bye.

We?

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

We?

The general feel on here pre kick off , not all of course .

 

[alafua siaosi]

We were playing well until Haumole was sin binned .Our forwards had to do the extra defending and our backs were poor in defense .The knights centres and wingers were all over ours .There were a lot of negatives from the game for some players but they played good in the first 3 rounds so we need to move forward from that game and prepare for a good contest this Saturday . Let's go Manly .

 

[jbb/james]

I was always thinking round 5 to have a look

new structures, yeah…….nah

same stuff, same standards set, same leadership, same footy IQ.
GOTTA remember BK was a standard as much as a player. The reason why melbournes big 4 were so successful was because they set, expected and maintained the standard. We have talent but they set the bar top 10 to top 6 lets be honest.

Jake is a BK, he just isnt the bossman of the team and has grown up in it. He goes to the fins and he is captain of the year

my hope has always been that seibs and flanno will need to be successful more than most players in the squad, so scrutiny will be applied, possibly soon if things start to turn. Not a bad season start but the progress and form slide has looked ominous and familiar looking forward

team needs a leader that knows the journey Or at least ready to learn it .

surely its obvious how piss weak mentally we have been for years and the denominator in our leadership through that time. Cherry needs a menzies style captaincy demotion NOW and plans for a bench position in 2024 , or a new home

start trialling him at end of games pending position

 

[Woodsie]

Optimism pulse 19th March ...

26/10/22 .. optimistic 92.6%
09/11/22 .. optimistic 91.7%
29/11/22 .. optimistic 84.9% .. 152 votes
12/12/22 .. optimistic 83.5% .. 158 votes
01/01/23 .. optimistic 82.9% .. 170 votes
16/01/23 .. optimistic 82.7% .. 173 voters
01/02/23 .. optimistic 82.1% .. 184 voters
19/02/23 .. optimistic 82.3% .. 192 voters
05/03/23 .. optimistic 85.3% .. 197 voters
19/03/23 .. optimistic 83.8% .. 197 voters
06/04/23 .. optimistic 83.3% .. 198 voters

So, everybody is still happy then ...

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

It'll jump up to 90 when we beat Penrith.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

It'll jump up to 90 when we beat Penrith.

Or go to 70 if we get thumped

 

[Woodsie]

Or go to 70 if we get thumped

How many points constitute a thumping ?

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

How many points constitute a thumping ?

50+ to nil

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

50+ to nil

So NOT a thumping !!

I’m changing nothing , let’s see how they bounce back , if they don’t , I’ll change my vote.