The Daly Cherrygraph

I think it’s a bit of a three horse race at the moment, definitely the sides you mention.

The chooks certainly have the depth to go all the way, as much as I hate saying it, their roster is stacked and I think their youngsters are coming along brilliantly, physically there a very intimidating side, their 80 minutes is the question mark at present. They have everything they need to give it a fair shot, their halves maybe the other question mark, but we know it’s been done before, they have the hallmarks of our 2011 side.

I’m not completely sold on the dogs yet, yes they are going great guns and their brand of footy, playing that up tempo defence based 80 minutes can certainly take them all the way, it’s weather or not they can keep it up for 26 or 27 games, it’s a big ask the way they play. For mine if they don’t earn the week off in the first week of the semis, you can put a line through them, they will physically come undone. In any case, I’m not sold they can do it yet, they don’t have the depth the rooster enjoy, take last weekend as an example, while being able to roll with the next man up thus far, their ranks are thinning at present, yes injury, suspension and origin all played a part. For me it’s the dogs who miss out.

Then Melbourne, they lost last year and they have made the grand final 5 times following a loss and won 4 of them, that’s pretty impressive and supports the old you have to lose one to win one theory, not sure how that applies to Melbourne, their just the ultimate professionals, they have the squad, the depth, the coach, the big game mentality to win that’s for sure, even history supports them, I just think there not as convincing as previous sides, they are playing close to their potential at present where I see a lot of upside in the chooks game, not saying they can’t or won’t win it, they bloody well might, but I would be death riding them and would love nothing more than to see them miss the GF, I’d prefer the 2 Sydney sides and a good old traditional style GF, I’d also be content if they do make it and lose, back to back GF losses is tough to come back from.

Anyway apologies for the rant, I’m going to stick with the Rooster, it’s an early call, I just can’t go past their depth and potential upside.
Chooks conceded 50; count them out
 
Maybe players are thinking that its not the place, the paradise that it used to be, hence Fifita backflipping and the way players are getting offloaded because if they dont perform by a certain time and consistently, hence Dom Young, or in Tyrell mays instance, he doesnt fit the culture there, Brandon Smith, they are moved on. Whats the saying, the grass isnt always greener at Moore park
It kind of suggests that players don't develop & improve at Easts, they're imported & expected to perform, & if they don't, they're shipped out just as quickly.
 
Chooks conceded 50; count them out
There’s always a first time, and to think how the Donkeys have fallen, maybe it was just the Chad……he was killing them early in the season, plus they had a fairly new side that’s starting to gel now, I’m sticking regardless, guess where going to find out soon enough.
 
There’s always a first time, and to think how the Donkeys have fallen, maybe it was just the Chad……he was killing them early in the season, plus they had a fairly new side that’s starting to gel now, I’m sticking regardless, guess where going to find out soon enough.
I’ll be bowled over if they win it. I think the first time that record is broken, it’ll be by a remarkable team, not a Roosters side in the middle of a rebuild.
 
I just noticed that this post is up to page 666, which is associated with the antichrist, satan and evil.
Quite fitting really.
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If we had not signed Fogarty we should have offered savala 400k to come here. He’s only on 85k
We shouldn’t of stood in the road of Cherry’s release in the first place, told the chooks they can have Daly as long as we get a half in return, one Savala and the Balance of $CE’ contract, but that play would of only worked early in the piece, when Dollar went on TV and spilt his crap, we should of pissed him off immediately, thing is we don’t have the balls or the vision for such a thing, Savala’s going nowhere now and Daly looks like he could be the one to miss out, with all his BS that would be like some kind of poetic justice.
 
There it is, finally in print what everybody knows, DCE is an extreme liability in defence:

Any chance someone could please post the full article here? Would be very interesting to read. Seems as though every so called ‘expert’ has either been too scared or too dopey to call out DCE’s shocking defence, despite Manly’s right edge defensive record being one of the worst in the competition for many many years now. The amount of tries teams have scored down our right edge due to a complete lack of communication from DCE with his outside men, along with his erratic up and in approach, leaving guys like Haumole and Garrick outside him with absolutely no clue what to do, is actually laughable. Doesn’t take a genius to work that one out. I’m sure every good team has a plan each week to target that right edge defence of ours, and I’d be very surprised if Cleary and Moses aren’t going there all night long. About time someone in the media caught on…
 
Daly Cherry-Evans has been a wonderful servant and a fantastic leader for Queensland.

But come Wednesday night, the Maroons halfback, Jeremiah Nanai and Rob Toia, the two teammates defending either side of him on Queensland’s right edge, can expect an all-out assault coming their way.

If NSW are able to target Cherry-Evans and exploit the champion halfback’s inconsistent defensive movement, then the Blues are well on their way to victory and defending the Origin shield.

If you remember as far back as Laurie Daley’s first coaching tenure and lone series win during Queensland’s dynasty, it was Cherry-Evans who checked out late in the game as Trent Hodkinson dummied his way over for the only try in Origin II, 2014.

A decade on, DCE’s edge has been successfully exploited in the past two series as well. And when you line up Mitchell Moses, Angus Crichton and Latrell Mitchell opposite Cherry-Evans, Nanai and Origin rookie Toia, it could be a long night for the Maroons.

With NSW winning three of the past four Origins played, going back to Bradman Best’s game three, 2023 debut, DCE’s defence has been put under the microscope.

In that 2023 dead rubber, Best had a field day on debut outside Cody Walker. His first try that night followed a couple of breaks and a Liam Martin no-try down that same left edge.



A long shift by NSW from the far-right scrum line opened up bigger gaps in the Queensland defensive line (watch for Moses and Nathan Cleary to try this again on Wednesday night), and when Walker drew DCE in, his outside man Valentine Holmes was left isolated and stuck in the mud.

That try for Best was a classic case of three players being on different defensive pages, but it was Best’s second try that night that was the most instructive for me.

Origin can become such an arm wrestle between elite players that you need to consider attacking when coming out of your own end, because it can become too tough and counterproductive to take one-out yardage hit-ups.

Anywhere near your own 40-metre line, go wide if there’s any hint of space - because more often than not the rushing, aggressive middle defence turns passive on the edges. If you don’t make a break, you can still find easy metres or a quick play-the-ball.

When NSW went wide for Best’s second try in 2023, it was Cherry-Evans again who just couldn’t drag himself off Liam Martin’s lead run as a decoy.

By the time he realised Martin wasn’t getting the ball, James Tedesco was already gone, and so was NSW.


Last year at the MCG in one of the most dominant halves of Origin ever played, the Blues found Cherry-Evans repeatedly and found him wanting.

Against the same Nanai/Cherry-Evans combo Queensland will play at Suncorp Stadium, we saw DCE fall back behind his four-man defender by only a step or two.

But that indecision can make all the difference and pile the pressure onto a back-rower like Nanai or the debutant Toia.

Latrell’s game two try last year again came from that big shift from the right-edge scrum line, with Crichton taking the space DCE offered. He managed to tackle him but couldn’t lock up the ball, and it was game over right there and then.

Now, if NSW can isolate Nanai again, Moses will make a beeline for Cherry-Evans - trying to put either Crichton one-on-one with the halfback, or line up Latrell with time and space opposite Toia.

Latrell has two big, devastating plays in this scenario. Good luck, Rob.

Because first off, Mitchell has his big left-foot step where can come inside Toia and use his big right hand palm, which would aim right for DCE’s chest.

The other play NSW have is hitting Latrell with an out ball to get him on Toia’s outside to drag winger Xavier Coates in.

Again, NSW worked this play perfectly last year in Melbourne, with Latrell dusting off the Matt Gidley flick pass for Brian To’o to score.

The edges and centres of attention


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Over on the right edge, it doesn’t get any easier with Liam Martin and his old Penrith teammate Stephen Crichton, though there’s still a question mark over his quad injury.

If Crichton is right to play, you only have to think about his brilliant try against Canberra a few weeks ago - where he held the ball Sonny Bill Williams style, like it was a tennis ball, and swatted the Raiders away for fun. For mine, Crichton is also among the best defensive centres in the game.

But if he’s ruled out, then NSW would be bringing in the No.1 defensive centre in Campbell Graham.

The Rabbitohs flyer can be up and down in attack. But he knows how to position himself well in try-scoring situations and is very strong in the air.

Without the ball is where he does his best work. Reading play and seeing what’s coming your way in defence is just as important as doing it in attack. It’s just not as fun.

Graham has a real knack for reading body language to work out who’s getting the ball, and then combines it with great physicality and communication.

If he’s coming in on debut, NSW won’t be worried about their right-edge defence, but they probably focus even more on their attacking weapons on the left.

The attacking plays I’ve focused on and efforts to isolate Cherry-Evans really only make up five per cent of an Origin performance. The other 95 per cent is the tough stuff. Getting forward in support, completing sets, kick-chase and working to where you want to be on the field.

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But the extra fun five per cent is so important because that’s where you get your points from. And there were plenty of times in Laurie’s first stint as NSW coach where the Blues dominated momentum and field position, but ended up with nothing to show for it.

In terms of using a strike weapon like Latrell Mitchell on the left edge, less is more. Latrell is one of the most explosive power athletes we’ve seen in the game. NSW can’t waste his energy going to him if a play’s not on.

And that’s Latrell’s decision. If he wants the ball, he’s got to demand it and get it. It might only be two or three times a half. But it could be all NSW need.

Joey’s tip: NSW by 8
First try-scorer: Brian To’o
Man of the match: Nathan Cleary

bloody hell...world's longest article

 
Any chance someone could please post the full article here? Would be very interesting to read. Seems as though every so called ‘expert’ has either been too scared or too dopey to call out DCE’s shocking defence, despite Manly’s right edge defensive record being one of the worst in the competition for many many years now. The amount of tries teams have scored down our right edge due to a complete lack of communication from DCE with his outside men, along with his erratic up and in approach, leaving guys like Haumole and Garrick outside him with absolutely no clue what to do, is actually laughable. Doesn’t take a genius to work that one out. I’m sure every good team has a plan each week to target that right edge defence of ours, and I’d be very surprised if Cleary and Moses aren’t going there all night long. About time someone in the media caught on…

Trying using this site sometimes, it's what I just did.

 

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