.... Are a massive issue at the club. Collectively we have the worst 2-5 in the comp.
Moses long kicking game masks the fact they offer no leg speed out of the backfield . I cant remember the last time one of our outside backs got the set going with quick footwork and another jumped into dummy half to back him up. They are lazy and off the standard of modern day backs. This is before he even get to the fact that they rarely win a 1 on 1 contest or get us points... Then we get to their defence... my gosh. There were a few sets in the first half where our forwards were on top and 2 passes later the outside backs have again got their spacing and communication all wrong and we've been split. We have a couple of forwards struggling but the backs have let us down for years and it's not being fixed.
2. Sivo is an absolute liability . If you took out the opposition 10 metre zone he is bar far and away the worst winger in the comp. He has no speed or intensity in anything he does other than putting the ball over the line. He has no desire to win any individual contest in any other part of the field. Slow play the balls , soft carrys , gets burnt for speed on shifts , poor reads and work with his inside men. We put up with some of this stuff in 2019 because he was on the up but he's gone backwards since. He is not playing close to first grade quality and its no conincidence our worst 2 perfoemances of the year have been with him back.
3. Penisni . Does some good things and the place is his. Needs to take pride in his performance and indiviual contests because year 4 and he still comes up with some poor 1 on 1 misses at stages of the game. He's by far the pick of our outside backs.
4. Simonsson . Has a go. Has far too many rocks and diamonds moments but with what we have he isn't the biggest issue either.
5. Russell. Deadset fucking awful. Would never have made it anywhere near first grade if not here. Yes he's young but what attrritubutes does he have that you look at and think he's going to make a good first grader. Gets beaten for speed on the edge time and time again, wingers beat him with footwork and speed. If he over compensates for his lack of speed theybeat him on the inside , if he leaves too much room he's gassed on the outside... Just runs straight at defenders when coming out his own end because he has zero footwork. Just a very ordinary player who at best you call upon when you have a few injuries.. wouldn't look out of place in NSW Cup and wouldn't star in it either. How his is first choice winger at a club that thinks they are in a premiership window is dead set beyond me.
That about covers them. A side from that guys like Lane are deadset being carried and BA's "systems" are being well and truley exposed without Moses' kicking game. Worrying times if the club thinks we're not far off here.
Replies
Sivo needs to go. Way too slow. Always gets caught out defensively. How many times can he get his pants pulled down and get punched in the face before someone realises he is a liability?
I thought Dylans long kicking game was pretty good. His short kicking game was poor. I agree about Penisini having a moment every match where he is exposed. Your assessment on Russel is awful lol.
What does he offer?
Respectfully I think you are giving him the benefit of the doubt because he is young. He isn't quick .. he may have a bit of straight line speed when he gets going but its nothning exceptional. His feet are slow. He reguarly gets beat by the long pass when he's too far infield and he doesn''t have the speed to recover. He gets beaten by anyone with some quick footwork.. he has the turning circle speed of a 120 kg winger but not the power of one when carrying the ball. He isn't a first grade quality starter. He's back up goal kicker now but would struggle to kick at 50%. He just doesnrt have that athleticism that outside backs possess.
For reference Schiller is their 4th choice winger and be honest with yourself.. is he better than Russell? Look at every winger who started around the NRL this week and find me 1 who is worse of has worse potential than Russell. The fact he and Dunster are 2 we have identified and bought through is a disgrace.
I think Russel is a great depth winger. He should definitely not be starter right now. But our club is so shit at developing and recuiritng outside backs that he is probably the best winger we have at the club lol. He is probably the minimum standard an NRL winger should be in my opnion.
At half time in the Tigers game BA told the team to stop the offloads, looks like he forgot to tell them to start again.
Hahaha!
Trust our luck they heard him on that
Good blog. I don't think BA has much of an idea about backs. His plan is 100% forward based.
Russell is a Rouse Hill Rhino.. he has that spot for as long as BA is there. Wouldn't make any other team.
Sivo was playing one leg. He doesn't get normally beaten on the outside on simple shifts like that. He will get caught out jamming but tonight he couldn't run. He has a calf injury looks like. What's worrying is that he was picked at all. Are we that hard up for backs that we pick a bloke with a calf injury?
He's playing on one brain cell .
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