We currently sit on the ladder at 15th after having played 14 games. Now we really sit with Canberra, Titans, Penrith, Dogs and Cronulla who are all bottlenecked on 14 points but still have to win those games to move up. They all sit at 7-12 on the ladder and a game away from the Roosters and Souths (Souths having played 14 games too).
When I found out Hayne was moving on I was very worried about how we were going to go in attack this year but I have been proved wrong. We sit at about 4-5th in points scored but this stat is probably a touch misleading at the moment having played more games than everyone else. But we do sit ahead of Souths who are on the same amount of games as us which is positive. We can definitely score.
80 minute defence is our clear issue, Nothing to talk about here in a positive way. Sometimes we bring it and we look solid but a majority of the time you watch and think a try is definitely about to be scored. For short periods we can keep the best teams out but if the barrage goes on eventually we fold. We cannot seem to stop other teams getting repeat sets at all it would seem. But I will say I think our defence is much better than it has been in a number of years so that is a positive.
For a team that cannot really attract rep players without splashing serious coin infront of them I really think Arthur is slowly building the team the way it needs to be, Melbourne can target premiership hungry players with ease compared to us. As our team slowly gets better we will slowly command a better recruitment of players as we will be seen as a place people want to play but until we get ourselves out of this hole we are in we will continually have to rely on paying overs and looking for experienced players a touch past their prime.
A lot of people are already calling Arthur a dud but I just don't see it. He didn't pick half the players he is stuck with at the moment. It is clear Sandow and Arthur do not fit the same team type. I don't think Arthur is against off the cuff play but wants it more from a Cameron Smith styled player who has a seriously smart footy brain. Sandow has a cheeky styled footy brain which means even if the team is down he will still try some crazy stuff. We admire it when it happens... short drop outs, putting it over the sideline, little chip kicks in our own half and if it comes off we definitely lift but too often we find ourselves straight back under pressure. Our team at the moment just cannot carry a player like this. If Sandow was able to calculate the risks we would be much better off... that chip kick to Semi was pure genius and just a great kick but too often he doesn't make those choices.
I mean lets face it it we really only have one current rep player in the game and he is totally there to help Josh contain Inglis and Boyds raids.
We were never going to have a great first half to this season. Losing Hayne meant we would have to gel without our main attacking weapon and without our most reliable player. Teams aren't built in a season and I am not advoacting a five year plan but I think we should be able to look at it objectively and decide since 2010 it at least seems to be looking up.
Replies
No, it's not that bad.
Alot of those teams above us have also had 1 or 2 Bye's as well. Our first, this weekend
We can be in the top 8 in a month. 2 wins and 2 bye's
2013 Ricky Stuarts Parramatta team conceded 740 points and only scored 326 points. I think Artur had to do a lot to get us out of the hole Stuart built for us.
but frankie, they're doing that for you. if they didn't let in those points then u wouln't be able to whinge, complain and be negative constantly about BA.
and then what else would you do with your time???????
he wore a stackhat.....
Okay, so let's narrow that down to where our defence has actually faulted. Take out the tries from errors and kicks. If you want to go one step further, take out all the tries that didn't come from the opposition attacking Chris Sandow. Then you've got a real picture of where our defence is actually at.
By the way the Cowboys who are coming second average 20 points a match against. 20 is an acceptable number especially when your carrying a predominantly-attacking player.
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