cf2 is back
Reserve Grader
Player ratings:
Brett Stewart: Felt like he was just warming into the game when we were all stunned to learn he didn't make it out for the 2nd half. Praying he will be ok for the Roosters.
Jorge Taufau: Had the fullback spotlight thrown all over him for the 2nd half and handled it brilliantly, ultimately scoring the match winner. Super performance.
Tom Symonds: Seemed oddly quiet and well contained but obviously out of position.
Jamie Lyon: May have missed the odd easier goal this season but nailed the big ones tonight when we really needed them. Calm and assured as usual everywhere else.
David Williams: Brilliant try out of nowhere in first half, quieter 2nd half.
Keiran Foran: As usual took on everything and everyone just as he does every week.
Daly Cherry-Evans: Man of the match performance, never stopped and had a hand in many big moments including the potentially game saving Creagh ankle tap. 26 invaluable tackles too for a halfback.
Glenn Stewart: Again seems a fair way off his attacking best, but let's give him the time he deserves whilst paying credit to 43 crunching tackles.
Justin Horo: Another hard working game.
Anthony Watmough: The Choc tank slammed the opposition again all night. 16 runs, 137 metres, 37 tackles. Fantastic.
Brenton Lawrence: Copping some criticism for failing to find support when he makes those fullback like line breaks, but who can possibly complain about a prop this good with making metres.
Matt Ballin: 40 tackles and a key try. The usual no fuss non stop work rate. We have just got to marvel at having a no. 9 who plays 80 minutes EVERY single week.
Brent Kite: The Landcruiser showed no signs of ageing with 113 metres and 35 tackles and fortunately left the chip kick back in the garage.
Bench:
Esi Tonga: Can only assume he was selected to enable Symonds a 2nd half spell back in the forwards, but Brett's injury meant a full 2nd half on the wing which he handled very well.
Jesse Sene-Lefao: Incredibly left on the bench for the entire game. Toovs can you possibly explain how this was a good idea, especially when we were gasping for air in the last 20 minutes?!
James Hasson: Have to admit I knew absolutely nothing about this guy and was as shocked as anyone to see his name on the team sheet. Can anyone shed any light?
George Rose: Obviously Toovs considers the pie shop to be a little overstocked for 2013 standards, but nonetheless given the opportunity for a short stint when really need just 4 hit ups was very disappointing.
THE GOOD:
Overall: Unbelievable defence, guts, and never give up attitude in the face of crippling 40% possession and 3-9 penalty count. Sowards conversion shank at 18 all was a massive momentum stopper and gave us the chance for one last backs to wall effort.
Defence: The normal fortress suffered the incredible penalty of needing to make an astonishing 97 more tackles than Saints. Wow. And we still won.
Attack: With so many including Brett's 2nd half absence little wonder we were well short of our attacking best, but this was a game won on defence pure and simple.
THE BAD:
Nothing bad about taking 2 points away from Kogarah on a night like that.
THE UGLY:
Yet again the refs win the ugly award. Many of those penalties were simply head shakers, even including the few we got.
SUMMARY:
With all due respect to Saints losing major stars Cooper (pre game) and Morris (14 mins in), for us to overcome losing an entire first choice bench (Fa-aoso, Guluvao, Buhrer, King), plus Matai, plus Brett in 2nd half, on top of a massive possession swing to Saints and a 3-9 penalty count, was simply an unbelievably guts effort. Hats off to everyone for a brilliant hard earned 2 points. I still don't get why Sene-Lefao didn't get a run, but Toovs is the boss and it could not have been a more valuable 2 points heading back to the fortress to rest up for the Sonny Bill Roosters. Can't wait for next week.
