When Stewart comes back...

[Downie]

1. Stewart
2. Robertson
3. Lyon
4. Matai
5. Farrar
6. Foran
7. Orford
8. King
9. Ballin
10. Perry
11. Watmough
12. Stewart
13. Bailey

14. L'Estrange
15. Rodney
16. Kite
17. Rose

Neither Williams anywhere to be seen, and Lyon needs to go back to the centres as he can't pass the ball more than two metres.

 

[Ryan]

Lyon has been **** for a month - which is a shame - he was my fave player pretty much.

 

[Downie]

Just annoying seeing him in the middle of the ruck throwing these lollipop balls when he's at his best running at the edges and making room for his outside man.

 

[Garts]

That was the team I was naming towards the end of the game Downie!!!  Foran is a must to come back and both Williams boys need a reality check.  Maybe D Williams can ask the beard why he was dropped!!!

 

[missing_something]

T.H should of come into the side 8 - 12 weeks ago, Orford should have gone to 5/8 as he's a ball distributor @ best - not a great solution but we have no better options, Lyon and Matai in the centres, Robbo and Farah on the wing, Stewart @ fullback -To late in the season to do this now though.

Feel free to disagree but thats the best back line we can put on the field with what we have in our playing stocks at present imho.

We might even be capable kick the elusive to only manly  :-X

 

[DUFFMAN]

I have heard from a good source that Brett will NOT be back this year, his leg is still giving him trouble and it looks like he will have to go under the knife again. I hope thats wrong, but 90% of what this person tells me has been correct so far. Also i have noticed in the maingame liftout in the telegraph his return be put back to round 25 now.

 

[KaZa]

if thats true Duffman. We may as well pack our bags.

Agree with the team. Des is a dickhead for dropping Foran.. i dont care if hes a kid.. he was our best player in the games he played.. he handled NRL with ease. Disgusting to drop him for out of form players.

 

[DSM5]

Can't see why you would bring back Stewart with the rest of the dopeheads not giving their best.  Better wait to have another go for glory in 2010.  Please Hasler, do a reality check on the team you continually put out in the paddock.  It hasn't worked for months.  Foran must be given a go.     

 

[swoop]

IMO Even if Brett comes back next week don't expect him to run on and play the game like he was prior his injury. It will take him weeks to get fully match fit.

Some people seem to think that everything will be alright when Brett comes back, by then it might even be too late.

 

[DVS Matt]

Agreed Swoop - we may not give Des any reason to risk him for a couple of dead rubbers if we don't pick up our performance

 

[Downie]

IMO Even if Brett comes back next week don't expect him to run on and play the game like he was prior his injury. It will take him weeks to get fully match fit.

Some people seem to think that everything will be alright when Brett comes back, by then it might even be too late.

I think the team themselves think it will all be good when Stewart gets back. At the beginning of the year with Stewart's return from suspension in their sights they played very ordinary, he came back for two games where we were great (against the Tigers and Rabbits no less), and when he was injured long term they realised they couldn't rely on him so they pulled their collective finger out, worked hard and played some pretty good footy considering. Now that his return may be just around the corner they've gone back to ordinary again.

 

[KaZa]

i dont expect him to get 5 tries in 2 games again. I expect him to settle the nerves and organise the defence as normal.. and i expect Robbo to kick one of the Williams out of the team.. if Des wakes up and drops both with Robbo and Farrar on the wings and Lyon and Matai in the centre that will be great.

 

[deadlyeagle]

a 70% stewart is still better than a 100% williams (both).

 

[swoop]

[quote author=swoop link=topic=181298.msg235812#msg235812 date=1249808673]
IMO Even if Brett comes back next week don't expect him to run on and play the game like he was prior his injury. It will take him weeks to get fully match fit.

Some people seem to think that everything will be alright when Brett comes back, by then it might even be too late.

I think the team themselves think it will all be good when Stewart gets back. At the beginning of the year with Stewart's return from suspension in their sights they played very ordinary, he came back for two games where we were great (against the Tigers and Rabbits no less), and when he was injured long term they realised they couldn't rely on him so they pulled their collective finger out, worked hard and played some pretty good footy considering. Now that his return may be just around the corner they've gone back to ordinary again.
[/quote]

Last time he was coming back from suspension, this time he's coming back from a serious knee injury and if the team are thinking Brett will get us out of trouble then don't be surprised if we lose a few more games.

Our problem is that we have a one dementional attack in Orford and our biggest problem is that we haven't got a genuine 5/8th in the team atm. Foran needs to fill that void. He looks comfortable in 1st grade and is a 5/8th.

 

[Cletus]

We do need Foran there to add some creativity. I like Downies team, we definately need less Williams and more Stewarts atm. Hopefully Foran can be in the 5/8 next year and it would be great if he got some semi final experience, we so close to gone anyway I don't see the problem with fiddling around with the team.

 

[mwsneagle]

[quote author=swoop link=topic=181298.msg235812#msg235812 date=1249808673]
IMO Even if Brett comes back next week don't expect him to run on and play the game like he was prior his injury. It will take him weeks to get fully match fit.

Some people seem to think that everything will be alright when Brett comes back, by then it might even be too late.

I think the team themselves think it will all be good when Stewart gets back. At the beginning of the year with Stewart's return from suspension in their sights they played very ordinary, he came back for two games where we were great (against the Tigers and Rabbits no less), and when he was injured long term they realised they couldn't rely on him so they pulled their collective finger out, worked hard and played some pretty good footy considering. Now that his return may be just around the corner they've gone back to ordinary again.
[/quote]

It seems like the boys are a bit burnt out, grand final & world cup hangover & maybe by having to lift that bit extra when they realised they couldn't rely on Brett... I don't know...
Now there is more & more speculation on Brett's return they seem to have slipped back into what they were doing at the beginning of the season, whilst waiting for him to come back from suspension.
Is Brett training with them now or still just running?
I'm still not prepared to totally write off the season just yet, but I hope that not everyone is expecting major miracles from Brett when he does return as you'd expect it would take a bit of time and match fitness to return to his glory, but maybe by being there he can lift the team...

 

[Chip and Chase]

Our problem is that we have a one dementional attack in Orford....

Fro will love that one.

I can forgive you though, because given how demented our attack is at the moment it was an obvious Freudian slip.

 

[KaZa]

burnt out from what? they havent turned up in half the games this year.

 

[mwsneagle]

I think mentally they seem a bit burnt out.
It has been a major rollercoaster ride, winning the GF, World Cup, then crashed down to earth after the season launch, Brett's suspension, media scrutiny - which went on for some time, throw in the board room crap, positional changes and style of play changes to counter Brett's exclusion due to injury....
I believe whilst not playing the quality of footy we were used to from last year they did manage to string some wins together and some loses were unlucky.
Their focus does seem to be suffering, although having said that Watmough has done extremely well considering his start to the season, to turn it around.

 

[Canteen Worker]

Bigger involvement in the Origin series, plus the pressure of turning up each week as Premiers is not to be sneezed at. Not making excuses as it is the footy we are playing that is the problem. Phil Gould was pretty much on the money in the Herald today. Out defensive attitude is certainly missing. Attack is spasmodic.