Ive seen threads here blaming Moses for not controlling the game, Hodgson because hes not Reed Mahoney, Goal Kicking, Mattersons suspension ... the works.
The real reason I think we're losing is because collectively we have a low IQ footy team. BA has created this culture by allowing it and recruiting such mental giants as Ken Edwards, Blake Ferguson, Jarryd Hayne pt 2, to a lesser extent Roids Jennings (who had a tonne of alcohol issues during his career)..the list goes on. Most of our outside backs are dumb as bricks. They are a huge reason why we're losing games. Our forwards have often laid a good platform and the spine is creating points but theses outside backs inparticular are coming up with dumb plays week after week. Dropped balls happen, but these guys fail the most basic intelligence tests during games. The more decisions theyre asked to make, the closer to their next fk up and other teams know it and exploit it. They cant figure out when to slide, when to come in, how far to compress, how to use their body position to take a kick, how to dive on a loose ball, how to put a guy in touch, how to kick chase with intent of competing OR making a tackle.. these guys do half of both and end end doing neither. Waqa trys hard but is making stupider decisions by the season. Simonsson would rather conceded a try than a 40/20 . Seriously, these guys are making dumb decision after dumb decision out there and its costing us games. If we had 4 reliable outside backs we're probably 3-0.
What chance does Moses have to control a game when Sivo is kicking dead on tackle 1, Simonsson is running outside the field of play without coming in, Momosia is running behind 5 guys.. deadset it is guys making mistakes a title contender doesnt make. We've shot ourselves in the foot 3 games in a row and just like Matterson accepting a 3 match ban over a 4k fine, if BA isn't doing soemthing about it hes allowing it to happen. The team can get us in a position to win but no lead is safe, pressure isn't maintained becuase someone is going to do something dumb. Very frustrating side to follow.
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Id say we get confident and score 2 0r 3 trys like you say... but all of us and the opposition know the tide will turn.
If Penrith put 3 trys on you its a long way back.. if you put 3 trys on Parra you could have them back in 10 mins. Theres guys to target and guys whos decision making isnt NRL standard. All teams drop balls but the good ones are going to defend it. Throwing shape at either edge is going to cause us big problems. Simonsson has no idea how to position his body in defence or to defend a kick. A loose ball on the ground and our guys are likely to knock it on and give 6 again... its the little IQ plays they fail at time and time again. They arent good decision makers.
Going back to what you said Waqa has lost all confidence . Last night was actually one of his better games in a while and none of us had confidence he was going to make the right decisions when he had the ball so i imagine its the same with his teammates. Last week last play of the game he could go himself or pass to Sivo to try win the game. In the end he did half of each and lost the ball forward. They dont execute their decisions well and this gets even worse in pressure situations.
Isn't these defensive lapses due to the new defence coach, which I think is Cayless?
Most of our backs/ players just don't know how to read the current situation in a game. I reckon they are trained to be too strucutred. Just like Sivo's kick on the 1st tackle. Play broke down and he still insisted in making a try when the right thing to do is take the tackle.
Hopefully, the club can get someone who can teach how to think smartly
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We lost all 3 games due to just dumb decision making. Could've got away with a few with some ref decisions go our way, but as they say, you make your own luck.
Bailey Simmonson and Waqa Blake really do take the cake though. Holy cow, how both of these guys are still in first grade is a disgrace. If you don't set the example as coach to drop dickheads, then everyone becomes one. And it's not like this is a new thing either. How many years do we as supporters have to put up with utter crap? And BA is extended a further year! Does anyone on the board actually watch these games? Seriously?
Agree. We have no class in our outside backs who can pass or think under pressure. The only one we have is Will and he is still very very young, but is promising, actually other then the butchered try he is playing well at the mo. Why didnt we go harder for Farsworth or a centre with brains/class . At the moment SOS Opacic ...lol. The less Sivo, Blake and Simonsson think the better
What Simonsson did yesterday was one of the worst I have seen like. There were three Manly players hot on his heels and didn't even look to check, then he knocks the ball back in field with nobody there to cover. A smart player would have looked over their shoulder and seen the danger and either let the ball bounce out or dive on the ball and go out with it. Who knows, maybe in the next set Manly don't score off the 40/20 or they have a few sets and cannot get through.