@tucker yea well , I didn’t see that being repeated . Boy was I wrong !
Im still hopeful though . They’re all good footy players . And brooks was our best yesterday . Sorry , he was !
But we lacked direction , and composure . We just needed to hit it up swing it left . Hit it up swing it right . Nothing more complicated than that . Enough to absolutely ruin the knights cardio . Eventually the holes would have opened up .
I don’t know what was going on down the right , but so many busted chances .
We also lack confidence .
But I really take heed in the fact that we looked so bad and only just lost .
last year that would have been 40 .
we win this week , and it’s all moot.
We will find a team that works .
mat the very least I can’t see the sheenius dying wondering .
He won’t be like Madge death riding us into oblivion .
Your criticisms of how we attacked yesterday are all on Brooks. He is our senior playmaker. He did some good individual things but at a macro level, he didn’t do his job as he twice had periods of advantage and failed to capitalise.
I do not agree with your assessment that it’s encouraging for us to only just lose despite playing so poorly. They were without 2 starting spine players for the majority of the game and a very good backrower for most of the second half, on top of their international winger for 10 minutes and their experienced prop for 15 minutes - both of whom left them a man short for a combined 25 minutes.
Our points came via a fumbled ball with lucky bounce and a genuine double movement. Our attack in scoring opportunities is pure garbage and there’s nothing that gives me any sort of indication we can take down the Dogs at home.
I hope you are correct about Sheens not dying wondering. If we keep sending this same team out there, we’ll be in for a very long season.
@tucker yea well , I didn’t see that being repeated . Boy was I wrong !
Im still hopeful though . They’re all good footy players . And brooks was our best yesterday . Sorry , he was !
But we lacked direction , and composure . We just needed to hit it up swing it left . Hit it up swing it right . Nothing more complicated than that . Enough to absolutely ruin the knights cardio . Eventually the holes would have opened up .
I don’t know what was going on down the right , but so many busted chances .
We also lack confidence .
But I really take heed in the fact that we looked so bad and only just lost .
last year that would have been 40 .
we win this week , and it’s all moot.
We will find a team that works .
mat the very least I can’t see the sheenius dying wondering .
He won’t be like Madge death riding us into oblivion .Your criticisms of how we attacked yesterday are all on Brooks. He is our senior playmaker. He did some good individual things but at a macro level, he didn’t do his job as he twice had periods of advantage and failed to capitalise.
I do not agree with your assessment that it’s encouraging for us to only just lose despite playing so poorly. They were without 2 starting spine players for the majority of the game and a very good backrower for most of the second half, on top of their international winger for 10 minutes and their experienced prop for 15 minutes - both of whom left them a man short for a combined 25 minutes.
Our points came via a fumbled ball with lucky bounce and a genuine double movement. Our attack in scoring opportunities is pure garbage and there’s nothing that gives me any sort of indication we can take down the Dogs at home.
I hope you are correct about Sheens not dying wondering. If we keep sending this same team out there, we’ll be in for a very long season.
Good post.
Does anyone think we are playing Brooks too wide?
He isn't on the ball around the ruck, it seems to be a long pass looking to get him on the edge. I think as a half he needs to be more on the ball playing off Api through the middle. Lukes best games have always been the ones where he is constantly involved. Sitting out wide is ok if we had Adam Reynolds at 7 and Brooks is 6, but when he is the 7 he must be around the ruck.
I think Sheens is trying to have the 9 organise the ruck and basically play 2 5/8. Worked OK when Hastings was lock, but with him gone our 7 must play like a 7.
A ball playing lock for can link with the 2 5/8ths seems a requirement given the structure we are playing. Tough to expect Bateman to do that without a pre season and I’d prefer not to throw matamua to the wolves. But assuming sheens refuses to drop brooks for Waksman then Bateman or matamua running the attack as first receiver seems our only option given how wide douhie and brooks are playing
This is what I was expecting to happen with Bateman, because I knew that our halves pairing were going to struggle. It was proved last year and we’re living it again.A ball playing lock for can link with the 2 5/8ths seems a requirement given the structure we are playing. Tough to expect Bateman to do that without a pre season and I’d prefer not to throw matamua to the wolves. But assuming sheens refuses to drop brooks for Waksman then Bateman or matamua running the attack as first receiver seems our only option given how wide douhie and brooks are playing
Not sure on John’s background with being a ball playing lock. But he has experience on his side , so as long as he’s fit and ready to go, I see no reason why he shouldn’t be 13 this week.
@tigertownsfs Play Douihie as the ball playing lock.
Bring wakeham in and have wakeham and Brooks play either side of ruck
- @jedi-tiger if Luke was better defensively that would be his ideal position. However someone brought up the other day, his best position should be centre and later to progress into the backrow.
I’d rather play Brooks at lock…@tigertownsfs Play Douihie as the ball playing lock.
Bring wakeham in and have wakeham and Brooks play either side of ruck
Can’t believe what I’m reading. For the first time in at least a decade we have a proper pack, with depth, and we are screaming for them to punch forward more………….and people are calling for a90kg halfback to play lock or 2rf?
Brooks plays 6, 7, or reggies
Can’t believe what I’m reading. For the first time in at least a decade we have a proper pack, with depth, and we are screaming for them to punch forward more………….and people are calling for a90kg halfback to play lock or 2rf?
Brooks plays 6, 7, or reggies
the least impact is to keep playing a middle at lock and just bring in wakeham for brooks. Just let the forward pack roll up field and defend with strength and have an actual halfback run the offence. Leave douhie to chime in and run when he needs to but also allow Api to work with wakeham (Fiji connection) to get our forwards playing through the middle more before we spin it wide.
I personally would also ditch Laurie for Staines and bring in Tupou to the wing but I honestly think that change to 7 fixes 75% of our problem.
Normally I’d say Utility 14 but That’s not such a bad suggestion.I’d rather play Brooks at lock…@tigertownsfs Play Douihie as the ball playing lock.
Bring wakeham in and have wakeham and Brooks play either side of ruck
I said it a couple of years back and I stand by it, Brooks would be a good centre. He's fast and a decent defender.
Why does Brooks get to stay in the halves, he has proven nothing, if anything I would be looking to swap him right now with any club offering a 1, 6 or 7@tiger2win good points I would move Brooks to 6 and keep him there all year. That may mean promoting eakeham but go and buy Moses or Williams etc for 2024
As for Doueihi he either plays centre or can look elsewhere
Try and move on a player e.g nofo or Maumalo so we can promote Bula and throw him in at fullback along with tupou on the wing
Not wide enough for me, 10 rows deep watching in the grandstand would give us a better chance at winning@tucker yea well , I didn’t see that being repeated . Boy was I wrong !
Im still hopeful though . They’re all good footy players . And brooks was our best yesterday . Sorry , he was !
But we lacked direction , and composure . We just needed to hit it up swing it left . Hit it up swing it right . Nothing more complicated than that . Enough to absolutely ruin the knights cardio . Eventually the holes would have opened up .
I don’t know what was going on down the right , but so many busted chances .
We also lack confidence .
But I really take heed in the fact that we looked so bad and only just lost .
last year that would have been 40 .
we win this week , and it’s all moot.
We will find a team that works .
mat the very least I can’t see the sheenius dying wondering .
He won’t be like Madge death riding us into oblivion .Your criticisms of how we attacked yesterday are all on Brooks. He is our senior playmaker. He did some good individual things but at a macro level, he didn’t do his job as he twice had periods of advantage and failed to capitalise.
I do not agree with your assessment that it’s encouraging for us to only just lose despite playing so poorly. They were without 2 starting spine players for the majority of the game and a very good backrower for most of the second half, on top of their international winger for 10 minutes and their experienced prop for 15 minutes - both of whom left them a man short for a combined 25 minutes.
Our points came via a fumbled ball with lucky bounce and a genuine double movement. Our attack in scoring opportunities is pure garbage and there’s nothing that gives me any sort of indication we can take down the Dogs at home.
I hope you are correct about Sheens not dying wondering. If we keep sending this same team out there, we’ll be in for a very long season.
Good post.
Does anyone think we are playing Brooks too wide?
He isn't on the ball around the ruck, it seems to be a long pass looking to get him on the edge. I think as a half he needs to be more on the ball playing off Api through the middle. Lukes best games have always been the ones where he is constantly involved. Sitting out wide is ok if we had Adam Reynolds at 7 and Brooks is 6, but when he is the 7 he must be around the ruck.
I think Sheens is trying to have the 9 organise the ruck and basically play 2 5/8. Worked OK when Hastings was lock, but with him gone our 7 must play like a 7.
Why does Brooks get to stay in the halves, he has proven nothing, if anything I would be looking to swap him right now with any club offering a 1, 6 or 7@tiger2win good points I would move Brooks to 6 and keep him there all year. That may mean promoting eakeham but go and buy Moses or Williams etc for 2024
As for Doueihi he either plays centre or can look elsewhere
Try and move on a player e.g nofo or Maumalo so we can promote Bula and throw him in at fullback along with tupou on the wing
100%. I posted yesterday our record with Brooks in the team and it's terrible. 2 wins since August 2021. He's not a halfback and I don't think he's a 5/8 either.
He's not the only one to blame but he's part of our problem, not the solution.
