Just watched the a replay of the game and for the first time ever ( maybe second time) lost for words. I have no idea how we can turn this around.
The only thing i will say is that there was some very ordinary players both in the forwards and the backs, but if Adam Doeuhi is ever picked in a spine position for WT again after last nights performance, Sheens, Benji, Farah and Furner do not deserve there coaching roles.
From the outside looking in, I don’t think a role in the spine suits Doueihi, he can fill in there, but I don’t think he’s a permanent solution and that’s becoming a problem for him and the club. He offers a distinct set of attributes and skills that provide a good show reel, but it’s a fairly narrow range, most of Doueihi’s tries and try assists are essentially the same. His games not rounded enough to justify a permanent commitment to a role in the spine (1/6). He seems adamant he’s a 6, but he’s essentially a right edge ball-runner with a pass. I appreciate and admire a players ambitions, it’s a healthy disposition but it can also be driven by monetary gain (think 3/4s seeking fullback money). I fear it’s detrimental to his career and the club for him to be pushing towards something he’s not, at some point you need to be realistic in what you are and what you have to offer, you need to recognise your strengths and weaknesses to go from a good to a great player. You don’t want to spend your career as a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, he’s a good player suited to right centre, he needs to shift his focus both physically and mentally on becoming a great right centre.
I agree with this 100% and have been saying it for a while now. His defence is still a massive issue, he was never going to stop that first try but his attempt was embarrassing. He can't even get his body in the right place to have any chance of saving that try.
It’s time for that frank and fearless conversation with Benji about his vision of the clubs future. After 5 rounds the clubs roster problems (mostly the spine) has crystallized. You could argue Doueihi is at a crossroads in his career path, and some solid decisions and certainly about his future role and progression needs to be determined. I think at centre he could diversify his game to make an impact outside of his normal channel (like Manu). If he’s still convinced he’s a 6 then maybe he’s better off searching for a club with a favorable set up that can accommodate him in that 6 role.
Tigers have a difficult task ahead rebuilding a new spine over the next 2-3 years, and we need a 7 and 1 first and foremost, from all reports there’s a very promising 9 in the pathways.
My Fantasy Coach points are zinging after that game having had the ponies top players in my squad. 🤣
After a couple of games at the back it's obvious AD does not cover d in the red zone because he's a crap defender. When he does defend he arm grabs. He gets in a bad position or is no where to be found.
He is not suited to fullback. If you watch replay of the Dolphins game you will see the Hammer stand behind the ruck and follow EVERY play looking for linebreaks. He is so quick off the mark to catch up with the player breaking the line and inevitably scores....he drops back as required and cover defends well.
AD gets gassed after a tackle or a run and is no where to be found thereafter.
Laurie is capable of support play but he's either 1. Lazy/unfit 2. Lacks confidence or 3. Not coached properly. Could be all of the above. It's a shame because he is talented.
I would be throwing cash at a veteran like RTS or the like. Someone who specialises in that position. I know he's at the end of his career and probably wouldn't come over but he's the type of player I'm wanting. Maybe with Api onboard he might be able lure former fellow teammate Edwards away from the Panthers...is he available in 2024?
Most top teams have outside backs that can give the halves options and we are lean in that department.
Poor Wakeman's initiation has been dished up with another reshuffled backline. Naden was out also.
There's too much instability looking for combos. As a former player I hated this. I'd rather build combinations over the off season and stick to it. Unfortunately our offseason training involved players that were never going to do the job... now we have too many weak spots and a limited amount of bandaids.
Our halves have to ice those kicks into the in goal, crikey, giving away 7 tackle restarts against the likes of the Broncos....geez.
Most of our backs are just KOE standard if that.
They lack genuine pace and athletism. Noffa looks athletic and is elusive but runs sideways looking for the cameras. His attitude around the club stinks apparently 🤔
We keep blaming the backs but none of them are capable of running like Herbie, the Hammer, Walsh, To'o, Edwards, Staggs, Teddy etc etc because they just don't have their ability or physique...simple. It's like blaming a draft horse for not being able to keep up in the Golden Slipper.
So we can't keep bagging them week in week out, we just need to replace them over time. We need some marquee backs asap but I fear the stocks are bare.
Why are we surprised by our 5-0 start. We had to get a quality pack first then work on the backs. Sheens has already stated this, it's 2024-25 as our rebuilt target. Hopefully the grand final Harold Matts team and players like Feledy come through to shore up the side by then.
The forwards are still lacking a metre eater or someone who attracts multiple defenders or puts aggression into play. Stef apparently was a better player than Haas in development....so what's happened?
Why isn't he being set up to launch himself into defenders or get some steam up and hit the edges like he has done before to score.
Pole is a glimmer of hope moving forward. He and Bateman might work well together in the red zone particularly after an offload or broken play. 🤔
As a side note, are there any players using the state of the art COE gym....we look so puny and not athletic enough compared to other teams.
Just some thoughts.
Never surrender 👍
From the outside looking in, I don’t think a role in the spine suits Doueihi, he can fill in there, but I don’t think he’s a permanent solution and that’s becoming a problem for him and the club. He offers a distinct set of attributes and skills that provide a good show reel, but it’s a fairly narrow range, most of Doueihi’s tries and try assists are essentially the same. His games not rounded enough to justify a permanent commitment to a role in the spine (1/6). He seems adamant he’s a 6, but he’s essentially a right edge ball-runner with a pass. I appreciate and admire a players ambitions, it’s a healthy disposition but it can also be driven by monetary gain (think 3/4s seeking fullback money). I fear it’s detrimental to his career and the club for him to be pushing towards something he’s not, at some point you need to be realistic in what you are and what you have to offer, you need to recognise your strengths and weaknesses to go from a good to a great player. You don’t want to spend your career as a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, he’s a good player suited to right centre, he needs to shift his focus both physically and mentally on becoming a great right centre.
I think you’re right.
I’ll go the other way and say centre is not the position for him either for the simple fact he cannot tackle and his to slow off the mark.
The other thing that kills me about Adam is he telegraphs his ball playing to the opposition which makes him very easy to read in play and put his slow movement on top of that…..
My Fantasy Coach points are zinging after that game having had the ponies top players in my squad. 🤣
After a couple of games at the back it's obvious AD does not cover d in the red zone because he's a crap defender. When he does defend he arm grabs. He gets in a bad position or is no where to be found.
He is not suited to fullback. If you watch replay of the Dolphins game you will see the Hammer stand behind the ruck and follow EVERY play looking for linebreaks. He is so quick off the mark to catch up with the player breaking the line and inevitably scores....he drops back as required and cover defends well.
AD gets gassed after a tackle or a run and is no where to be found thereafter.
Laurie is capable of support play but he's either 1. Lazy/unfit 2. Lacks confidence or 3. Not coached properly. Could be all of the above. It's a shame because he is talented.
I would be throwing cash at a veteran like RTS or the like. Someone who specialises in that position. I know he's at the end of his career and probably wouldn't come over but he's the type of player I'm wanting. Maybe with Api onboard he might be able lure former fellow teammate Edwards away from the Panthers...is he available in 2024?
Most top teams have outside backs that can give the halves options and we are lean in that department.
Poor Wakeman's initiation has been dished up with another reshuffled backline. Naden was out also.
There's too much instability looking for combos. As a former player I hated this. I'd rather build combinations over the off season and stick to it. Unfortunately our offseason training involved players that were never going to do the job... now we have too many weak spots and a limited amount of bandaids.
Our halves have to ice those kicks into the in goal, crikey, giving away 7 tackle restarts against the likes of the Broncos....geez.
Most of our backs are just KOE standard if that.
They lack genuine pace and athletism. Noffa looks athletic and is elusive but runs sideways looking for the cameras. His attitude around the club stinks apparently 🤔
We keep blaming the backs but none of them are capable of running like Herbie, the Hammer, Walsh, To'o, Edwards, Staggs, Teddy etc etc because they just don't have their ability or physique...simple. It's like blaming a draft horse for not being able to keep up in the Golden Slipper.
So we can't keep bagging them week in week out, we just need to replace them over time. We need some marquee backs asap but I fear the stocks are bare.
Why are we surprised by our 5-0 start. We had to get a quality pack first then work on the backs. Sheens has already stated this, it's 2024-25 as our rebuilt target. Hopefully the grand final Harold Matts team and players like Feledy come through to shore up the side by then.
The forwards are still lacking a metre eater or someone who attracts multiple defenders or puts aggression into play. Stef apparently was a better player than Haas in development....so what's happened?
Why isn't he being set up to launch himself into defenders or get some steam up and hit the edges like he has done before to score.
Pole is a glimmer of hope moving forward. He and Bateman might work well together in the red zone particularly after an offload or broken play. 🤔
As a side note, are there any players using the state of the art COE gym....we look so puny and not athletic enough compared to other teams.
Just some thoughts.
Never surrender 👍
Great breakdown mate, really strong analysis of where we are at.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
Hoping this guy is looking on seek for a new job aswell.
My Fantasy Coach points are zinging after that game having had the ponies top players in my squad. 🤣
After a couple of games at the back it's obvious AD does not cover d in the red zone because he's a crap defender. When he does defend he arm grabs. He gets in a bad position or is no where to be found.
He is not suited to fullback. If you watch replay of the Dolphins game you will see the Hammer stand behind the ruck and follow EVERY play looking for linebreaks. He is so quick off the mark to catch up with the player breaking the line and inevitably scores....he drops back as required and cover defends well.
AD gets gassed after a tackle or a run and is no where to be found thereafter.
Laurie is capable of support play but he's either 1. Lazy/unfit 2. Lacks confidence or 3. Not coached properly. Could be all of the above. It's a shame because he is talented.
I would be throwing cash at a veteran like RTS or the like. Someone who specialises in that position. I know he's at the end of his career and probably wouldn't come over but he's the type of player I'm wanting. Maybe with Api onboard he might be able lure former fellow teammate Edwards away from the Panthers...is he available in 2024?
Most top teams have outside backs that can give the halves options and we are lean in that department.
Poor Wakeman's initiation has been dished up with another reshuffled backline. Naden was out also.
There's too much instability looking for combos. As a former player I hated this. I'd rather build combinations over the off season and stick to it. Unfortunately our offseason training involved players that were never going to do the job... now we have too many weak spots and a limited amount of bandaids.
Our halves have to ice those kicks into the in goal, crikey, giving away 7 tackle restarts against the likes of the Broncos....geez.
Most of our backs are just KOE standard if that.
They lack genuine pace and athletism. Noffa looks athletic and is elusive but runs sideways looking for the cameras. His attitude around the club stinks apparently 🤔
We keep blaming the backs but none of them are capable of running like Herbie, the Hammer, Walsh, To'o, Edwards, Staggs, Teddy etc etc because they just don't have their ability or physique...simple. It's like blaming a draft horse for not being able to keep up in the Golden Slipper.
So we can't keep bagging them week in week out, we just need to replace them over time. We need some marquee backs asap but I fear the stocks are bare.
Why are we surprised by our 5-0 start. We had to get a quality pack first then work on the backs. Sheens has already stated this, it's 2024-25 as our rebuilt target. Hopefully the grand final Harold Matts team and players like Feledy come through to shore up the side by then.
The forwards are still lacking a metre eater or someone who attracts multiple defenders or puts aggression into play. Stef apparently was a better player than Haas in development....so what's happened?
Why isn't he being set up to launch himself into defenders or get some steam up and hit the edges like he has done before to score.
Pole is a glimmer of hope moving forward. He and Bateman might work well together in the red zone particularly after an offload or broken play. 🤔
As a side note, are there any players using the state of the art COE gym....we look so puny and not athletic enough compared to other teams.
Just some thoughts.
Never surrender 👍
nice comment.
I’d say I think Naden and tupou have attributes that would put them into top teams (tupou is large and safe under the high ball and did not not lose any ground in the foot race with Cobbo last night).
having watched Laurie, Staines, douhie and toa play fullback in the last 12 months I would say Laurie is the only one that puts in the effort covering ground defending our tryline. Unfortunately he is so small that his only chance is to wedge himself under the try scorer, he is never going to be able to stop a committed attacker.
the contrast with Reece Walsh last night was extraordinary. That guy has 2 extra gears in attack and is physically capable as a defender (no that he needed to defend much against us). I honestly think Douhie is best suited to rugby these days where the sport has become completely about the collision. If he fixes his defence then maybe he has a role in the back row or centre but Pole looks more dynamic physically then him at this point in attack.
Throwing the kids in to get chewed up at this point seems detrimental. Did tupou show any talent at 1 in reserve grade? Physically he is the closest to what most teams have at fullback
T B
I’ll throw in my twopence worth.As far as I’m concerned our woes stem from the fact that the decision was made to dispense with Jackson Hastings.Starting with Sheens’ declaration that he’s not a halfback but a 13.Is there something I’m missing here,but our best games were when Hastings played 7 and Brooks 6.It was right there for all,but not for Sheens’ perceptions.We dispensed with Jock Madden after a less than auspicious stint replacing Hastings but you could hardly blame him as we were injury ravaged.Then we do the Klemmer for Hastings deal.Where was the halfback contingency plan?I just get the feeling there wasn’t one,and they were pretty cavalier about the whole business.Decisions on the run.The latest declaration,that Douehi is the best fullback at the club took a dive last night.I think here is where Sheens has painted himself into a corner and at the same time done Daine Laurie no favour at all.Robbing Peter to pay Paul.How can he move Douehi now without losing face?
Of course I am not privy to all the facts and ultimately wouldn’t know but I believe Sheens’ judgement has to be called into play here.
What we’re witnessing now is a team psychologically damaged and suffering a huge loss of confidence.I don’t necessarily believe that our personnel is that bad,but judging from our efforts in the opening game it was evident something wasn’t mentally right from the outset with the truckload of schoolboy errors played out on high rotation.l’m at a loss as to what to do,but I’d be replacing AD as his positional play just doesn’t cut the mustard.Maybe Laurie into the halves.I don’t know but sure as eggs we need an injection of confidence and maybe a top notch psychologist as it won’t be long before the scribes and media are calling for scalps.
Spot on Tiger Sym
To me you can't jump from bottom to top in one move. We need to firstly build a bottom 8 competitive team, then aim to buy 1 or 2 superstars to make the next jump.
I honestly think if we had Hastings at 7 (even without Klem) we'd be a team competing for the 8.
Once we are a team competing for the 8, go buy world class 7 then.
Top 8 2023
From the outside looking in, I don’t think a role in the spine suits Doueihi, he can fill in there, but I don’t think he’s a permanent solution and that’s becoming a problem for him and the club. He offers a distinct set of attributes and skills that provide a good show reel, but it’s a fairly narrow range, most of Doueihi’s tries and try assists are essentially the same. His games not rounded enough to justify a permanent commitment to a role in the spine (1/6). He seems adamant he’s a 6, but he’s essentially a right edge ball-runner with a pass. I appreciate and admire a players ambitions, it’s a healthy disposition but it can also be driven by monetary gain (think 3/4s seeking fullback money). I fear it’s detrimental to his career and the club for him to be pushing towards something he’s not, at some point you need to be realistic in what you are and what you have to offer, you need to recognise your strengths and weaknesses to go from a good to a great player. You don’t want to spend your career as a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, he’s a good player suited to right centre, he needs to shift his focus both physically and mentally on becoming a great right centre.
Good summary, but he is also the 3rd or 4th best center in the club and 5th or 6th best 2rf. There literally isnt a spot for him.
From the outside looking in, I don’t think a role in the spine suits Doueihi, he can fill in there, but I don’t think he’s a permanent solution and that’s becoming a problem for him and the club. He offers a distinct set of attributes and skills that provide a good show reel, but it’s a fairly narrow range, most of Doueihi’s tries and try assists are essentially the same. His games not rounded enough to justify a permanent commitment to a role in the spine (1/6). He seems adamant he’s a 6, but he’s essentially a right edge ball-runner with a pass. I appreciate and admire a players ambitions, it’s a healthy disposition but it can also be driven by monetary gain (think 3/4s seeking fullback money). I fear it’s detrimental to his career and the club for him to be pushing towards something he’s not, at some point you need to be realistic in what you are and what you have to offer, you need to recognise your strengths and weaknesses to go from a good to a great player. You don’t want to spend your career as a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, he’s a good player suited to right centre, he needs to shift his focus both physically and mentally on becoming a great right centre.
I agree with this 100% and have been saying it for a while now. His defence is still a massive issue, he was never going to stop that first try but his attempt was embarrassing. He can't even get his body in the right place to have any chance of saving that try.
It’s time for that frank and fearless conversation with Benji about his vision of the clubs future. After 5 rounds the clubs roster problems (mostly the spine) has crystallized. You could argue Doueihi is at a crossroads in his career path, and some solid decisions and certainly about his future role and progression needs to be determined. I think at centre he could diversify his game to make an impact outside of his normal channel (like Manu). If he’s still convinced he’s a 6 then maybe he’s better off searching for a club with a favorable set up that can accommodate him in that 6 role.
Tigers have a difficult task ahead rebuilding a new spine over the next 2-3 years, and we need a 7 and 1 first and foremost, from all reports there’s a very promising 9 in the pathways.
Why though? AJ & Naden are much better centres than AD. Sheens needs to pick a position for him and put him in that position in reggies until he excels there or he moves on.
Joke
Mate, absolute least of our problems tonight.
His a common denominator though
He’s the CEO of a club that is going backwards - he’s a major problem.
Amazing isn’t it any other major business out there would have fired their under performing CEO years ago especially with issues that Pascoe has created under his rein as CEO..
I’ve never seen anything like it.
It will be because his performance is not measured by on-field performance, it will be measured by other KPIs, which I must assume he is hitting.
Even just thinking about it logically, if they change everything - players, coach, pathways, support staff, centre of excellence etc., then if the club is still losing, there are a few things left they can change. One would be CEO, the other would be Board changes.
So assuming that the Board don't want to remove themselves from power, that means the next "scapegoat" must surely be the CEO. Yet Pascoe is still there. So either the Board think he's doing his job, or they haven't yet felt enough pressure to hook him.
I am not specifically a Pascoe fan but I am almost certain if he was hooked, it wouldn't make much of a difference. But I wish he was sacked, just so we can stop talking about the CEO for at least 2-3 seasons. Really, Pascoe's name should not come up and most clubs pay very little attention to their CEO. But because Tigers have been bad for so long, people are still looking for the unturned stone to then kick down the hill. So be it - get rid of him and we will finally be down to the Board (the owners) as the final unchanged item.
Joke
Mate, absolute least of our problems tonight.
His a common denominator though
He’s the CEO of a club that is going backwards - he’s a major problem.
Amazing isn’t it any other major business out there would have fired their under performing CEO years ago especially with issues that Pascoe has created under his rein as CEO..
I’ve never seen anything like it.
It will be because his performance is not measured by on-field performance, it will be measured by other KPIs, which I must assume he is hitting.
Even just thinking about it logically, if they change everything - players, coach, pathways, support staff, centre of excellence etc., then if the club is still losing, there are a few things left they can change. One would be CEO, the other would be Board changes.
So assuming that the Board don't want to remove themselves from power, that means the next "scapegoat" must surely be the CEO. Yet Pascoe is still there. So either the Board think he's doing his job, or they haven't yet felt enough pressure to hook him.
I am not specifically a Pascoe fan but I am almost certain if he was hooked, it wouldn't make much of a difference. But I wish he was sacked, just so we can stop talking about the CEO for at least 2-3 seasons. Really, Pascoe's name should not come up and most clubs pay very little attention to their CEO. But because Tigers have been bad for so long, people are still looking for the unturned stone to then kick down the hill. So be it - get rid of him and we will finally be down to the Board (the owners) as the final unchanged item.
Great summary. IMO there is a parallel with the players. Who do you replace him with and is that person better qualified with more experience? The answer is NOT anybody. So far "anybody" has been acceptable to replace Madge, Brooks etc and it hasnt necessarily worked.
My Fantasy Coach points are zinging after that game having had the ponies top players in my squad. 🤣
After a couple of games at the back it's obvious AD does not cover d in the red zone because he's a crap defender. When he does defend he arm grabs. He gets in a bad position or is no where to be found.
He is not suited to fullback. If you watch replay of the Dolphins game you will see the Hammer stand behind the ruck and follow EVERY play looking for linebreaks. He is so quick off the mark to catch up with the player breaking the line and inevitably scores....he drops back as required and cover defends well.
AD gets gassed after a tackle or a run and is no where to be found thereafter.
Laurie is capable of support play but he's either 1. Lazy/unfit 2. Lacks confidence or 3. Not coached properly. Could be all of the above. It's a shame because he is talented.
I would be throwing cash at a veteran like RTS or the like. Someone who specialises in that position. I know he's at the end of his career and probably wouldn't come over but he's the type of player I'm wanting. Maybe with Api onboard he might be able lure former fellow teammate Edwards away from the Panthers...is he available in 2024?
Most top teams have outside backs that can give the halves options and we are lean in that department.
Poor Wakeman's initiation has been dished up with another reshuffled backline. Naden was out also.
There's too much instability looking for combos. As a former player I hated this. I'd rather build combinations over the off season and stick to it. Unfortunately our offseason training involved players that were never going to do the job... now we have too many weak spots and a limited amount of bandaids.
Our halves have to ice those kicks into the in goal, crikey, giving away 7 tackle restarts against the likes of the Broncos....geez.
Most of our backs are just KOE standard if that.
They lack genuine pace and athletism. Noffa looks athletic and is elusive but runs sideways looking for the cameras. His attitude around the club stinks apparently 🤔
We keep blaming the backs but none of them are capable of running like Herbie, the Hammer, Walsh, To'o, Edwards, Staggs, Teddy etc etc because they just don't have their ability or physique...simple. It's like blaming a draft horse for not being able to keep up in the Golden Slipper.
So we can't keep bagging them week in week out, we just need to replace them over time. We need some marquee backs asap but I fear the stocks are bare.
Why are we surprised by our 5-0 start. We had to get a quality pack first then work on the backs. Sheens has already stated this, it's 2024-25 as our rebuilt target. Hopefully the grand final Harold Matts team and players like Feledy come through to shore up the side by then.
The forwards are still lacking a metre eater or someone who attracts multiple defenders or puts aggression into play. Stef apparently was a better player than Haas in development....so what's happened?
Why isn't he being set up to launch himself into defenders or get some steam up and hit the edges like he has done before to score.
Pole is a glimmer of hope moving forward. He and Bateman might work well together in the red zone particularly after an offload or broken play. 🤔
As a side note, are there any players using the state of the art COE gym....we look so puny and not athletic enough compared to other teams.
Just some thoughts.
Never surrender 👍
Great breakdown mate, really strong analysis of where we are at.
Agreed.
On the Stefano / Haas thing, I don't care what may have happened in juniors, Payne Haas is the most dangerous prop in the comp by some margin. He's just an athletic freak, to be able to make 20 carries, 200m, 40 tackles and play 70 minutes. Stefano played quite well last night, but he doesn't have that explosive athleticism that Haas has. Stefano, when in the clear, lumbers and crashes, whereas Haas glides - he is a supremely unique athlete.
Still no hole-runners, that's one of the other major issues. The backrowers and centres barely offer any options in the red zone.
My Fantasy Coach points are zinging after that game having had the ponies top players in my squad. 🤣
After a couple of games at the back it's obvious AD does not cover d in the red zone because he's a crap defender. When he does defend he arm grabs. He gets in a bad position or is no where to be found.
He is not suited to fullback. If you watch replay of the Dolphins game you will see the Hammer stand behind the ruck and follow EVERY play looking for linebreaks. He is so quick off the mark to catch up with the player breaking the line and inevitably scores....he drops back as required and cover defends well.
AD gets gassed after a tackle or a run and is no where to be found thereafter.
Laurie is capable of support play but he's either 1. Lazy/unfit 2. Lacks confidence or 3. Not coached properly. Could be all of the above. It's a shame because he is talented.
I would be throwing cash at a veteran like RTS or the like. Someone who specialises in that position. I know he's at the end of his career and probably wouldn't come over but he's the type of player I'm wanting. Maybe with Api onboard he might be able lure former fellow teammate Edwards away from the Panthers...is he available in 2024?
Most top teams have outside backs that can give the halves options and we are lean in that department.
Poor Wakeman's initiation has been dished up with another reshuffled backline. Naden was out also.
There's too much instability looking for combos. As a former player I hated this. I'd rather build combinations over the off season and stick to it. Unfortunately our offseason training involved players that were never going to do the job... now we have too many weak spots and a limited amount of bandaids.
Our halves have to ice those kicks into the in goal, crikey, giving away 7 tackle restarts against the likes of the Broncos....geez.
Most of our backs are just KOE standard if that.
They lack genuine pace and athletism. Noffa looks athletic and is elusive but runs sideways looking for the cameras. His attitude around the club stinks apparently 🤔
We keep blaming the backs but none of them are capable of running like Herbie, the Hammer, Walsh, To'o, Edwards, Staggs, Teddy etc etc because they just don't have their ability or physique...simple. It's like blaming a draft horse for not being able to keep up in the Golden Slipper.
So we can't keep bagging them week in week out, we just need to replace them over time. We need some marquee backs asap but I fear the stocks are bare.
Why are we surprised by our 5-0 start. We had to get a quality pack first then work on the backs. Sheens has already stated this, it's 2024-25 as our rebuilt target. Hopefully the grand final Harold Matts team and players like Feledy come through to shore up the side by then.
The forwards are still lacking a metre eater or someone who attracts multiple defenders or puts aggression into play. Stef apparently was a better player than Haas in development....so what's happened?
Why isn't he being set up to launch himself into defenders or get some steam up and hit the edges like he has done before to score.
Pole is a glimmer of hope moving forward. He and Bateman might work well together in the red zone particularly after an offload or broken play. 🤔
As a side note, are there any players using the state of the art COE gym....we look so puny and not athletic enough compared to other teams.
Just some thoughts.
Never surrender 👍
Great breakdown mate, really strong analysis of where we are at.
Agreed.
On the Stefano / Haas thing, I don't care what may have happened in juniors, Payne Haas is the most dangerous prop in the comp by some margin. He's just an athletic freak, to be able to make 20 carries, 200m, 40 tackles and play 70 minutes. Stefano played quite well last night, but he doesn't have that explosive athleticism that Haas has. Stefano, when in the clear, lumbers and crashes, whereas Haas glides - he is a supremely unique athlete.
Still no hole-runners, that's one of the other major issues. The backrowers and centres barely offer any options in the red zone.
I think the no hole runners comes down to the fact that our players just don't go to the line, we give our players in those positions early ball which works well for Bateman but Papalii is much better getting the ball as he hits a hole.
In memory of Geoff Chisholm (1965-2022)
