As we go 3 and 5 with a Bye / Brisbane / Melbourne / Bunnys and the Sharks coming up, all logic dictates that we could quite easily find ourselves rooted to the bottom of the League table. Our season in shambles, the volcanic pressure to replace the coach mid season will heat up like never before. Last night with only a 72% completion rate, literally a dropped ball every 3rd set. The terrible service that our dummy half provided at times, the goal kicking accuracy of under 8's, the loss of an elite half back, playing the game with 12 men for 20 minutes, a lopsided penalty count against us, a team that looks and feels fatigued. A Manly team in the top 4, full of international players with their goalkicker kicking 5 from 5 all over the place. I have just one question that really bugs me.
How with 10 minutes to go - We have outscored Manly 4 tries to 3.
Let that sink in for a moment. With 10 minutes to go we have scored more tries then them, kick our goals and in a fantasy world we are actually in front 26 -20 with 10 to go.
Im so confused by this team, every inch of me wants to blow the team up, sack the coach, bring in better players. Tear the joint down, sack the football board, sack the retention committee, sack the CEO.And that is probably valid. But the truth is with 10 minutes to go we had outscored a current top 4 team full of internationals.
So where is the truth in this team, are they that hopeless, what will it take to finish games, and ice the moments. Is it a coach change, is it a Captain change, is it a senior player returning to the team, is it an off field culture. Something has to change, but im not sure if its a wholesale change. We outscored Manly 4 tries to 3 and Im dumbfounded that that was the case, it didnt feel like that. Do they need time off over this Bye fortnight with a holiday to relax and re focus, or should they be heading out to Holsworthy Army Base and the Blue mountains with an SAS like mini preseason of hard work and team building skills for a fortnight.
Is it a major change and shakeup that we need, or will some tweaks with players minds and buy in's rectify our season. Im not sure.
I sum up our team a bit like Mika Sivo. The representative figure of our season. He scores a hattrick of tries, but a lot of us want him gone. Now that is confusing in any ones language. But thats our reality. Like the Eels team, how can we do so many things right and still get it so wrong.
Surely its between the Ears of the players ! Isnt it.
Replies
Very good
Love it. TefLane and soft serve Sivo
The hidden truth was that last night's improvement was due to bounce back after the embarrassing Darwin thrashing. Exactly the same with the Canberra thrashing followed by the NQ effort.
These types of collective mental based team efforts are not sustainable for more than a week or two. Top teams aren't built on emotion alone
That's the reality. Comps are won out of well drilled defence, talent in key positions and smart coaching.
BA's chase the collision emotionally charged game plans are redundant as are his part time press conferences
The sooner the boardroom become full aware that huge changes need to be made, the sooner things will improve. Right now, we're a club who's destined for a massive collapse looking at the position of all three grades
Yep and add to BAs somewhat " relaxed/ matey" approach means there's no fear factor too !! Near enough has been good enough for him a bit too often I think ....and that attitude has permeated down through the team over the years
we need the door ripping back big time !!!!
Spot on Carlo. B.A is the good cop, but it apears there's no bad cop! I've been saying for years that Brads language has subconsciously set a low standard.
Remember all the talk just 2 months ago about the importance of starting the season well? I heard so many times from the players how last year those early games came back to haunt us at the back-end of the season. Last week in the press conference, Gutherson is asked about the poor start and he says "We're 3 and four, it's not the end of the world".
Completely changed the goalposts and our dropped our standards. Now we're 3 and 5, looking very likely to be 3 and 7.
After the loss to Manly, Brad seems releived because they turned up to play and is more or less, happy to accept what has been another concerning, poor start to our season.
Yep
you get what you communicate you expect 🤷♀️/ or get what you pay for 🤔
BAs been content with a " wish / temu" performance . And we have ended up with " cheap Chinese shit " like performances .
i also think the chase the collision as the only tactic is redundant. The players have a small shelf life with that game plan. Our Pack was dominate two years ago, but the chase the collision tactic for everyone of the forwards is one dimensional. Hopgood for example will be ruined before his 25th birthday, when he has so much more to offer as a ball playing/ offloading player. Then a battering ram. Last night i thought Matto "yep i never say a kind word about him" but his runs stood out, bent the defencive line and was looking to get the ball away. He didnt turn his back just on impact like some and loose that abilty to put the defence on the backfoot. To me Junior runs to the line and turns his back most times then not.
the forwards need to compliment each other not be the same as each other, and being 1 dimensional in the process.
I just find it all really concerning that we have one player out really, well one main player anyway in Moses and the whole team folds. Other teams have 4-5 out and still either win or cone close. A few people are mentioning Melbourne but you cannot compare our team to theirs. Melbourne have a much better team on paper than us and if you look at them year by year they have a better team.
Really?
Their forward pack on paper before the season started was their weakness....ours is far superior on paper, but not on form.
Which Parramatta players would make that Melbourne team though or previous Melbourne teams above who they already have?. I don't think anyone would pick Gutherson over Papenhuyzen, they have better wingers than ours, centres..maybe Will Penisini could get a spot, halves no chance Munster and Hughes are way better than Brown or Moses. Hopgood you would have over Loerio, maybe RCG or Paulo would get a go in the forwards. That's about it really.
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