This game is going to be a massive test to see where the players are at going into 2020.
- Betting agencies have us $1.30, them $3.20
- The media can't help themselves in saying we have an easy start to the season. Heard it a number of times on Sat night and our players are even being talked up as Super Coach buys coz of our "soft start"
- Dogs have an absolute point to prove . They want to hit the ground running and show how far they've come from last year . They're already a team that's attitude is up most weeks , it will be even more up round 1.
- They beat us at Bankwest last year
- BA's achilles heal , well one of them , is getting us to play at our best for 80 mins. Both in games where we start as favourite and games where teams are going to take us into the gutter for 80' mins.
- Last time we started a season with a shit tonne of hype we got rolled and never recovered .
This game will be a massive one to show if the teams mindset has improved at all over the offseason . Round 1 isn't make or break but this is the exact scenerio where the coach and players haven't delivered in his entire time here. I'm hoping our boys don't come out and fire all our shots in the first 20 and then have nothing left which has so often been the case . This is the exact scenario the Dogs love to be in , its going to be a huge test. The media reporting we have a soft start are absolutely kidding themselves and doing us no favours . Bulldogs are a team with a point to prove that is targeting round 1 .
Attitude and hunger decide so many of these early games when the execution in attack isn't close to spot on. It's an area we've let ourselves down in so many times on these occassions. We're going to have to want it as much as they do. I hope the guys in our team have learnt a lesson in 2018 and aren't targeting this with any less urgency or hunger than the Dogs are becoz those mofos are gonna come in hot . We're going to see signs in round 1 of where this teams mindset is, and I can't wait.
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The more tired you are surely it will make it harder to get those 3 or 4 men into those tackles???
I think early on youre trying to slow things down and have the energy to do that, but as the game and fatigue kicks in the yes, it is harder to get 3 or 4 into tackles.
It's an interesting theory. You'd imagine that early on teams will want to get as many as they can into tackles. But when fatigue occurs, middle forwards are going to be pushed to make the extra effort to get involved in the tackle without then getting caught out of the defensive line. If anything, those faster, fitter and smaller forwards like your Nathan Browns and Reed Mahoneys would be more suited as they can make the extra efforts.
As always the focus will be on slowing the ruck. If the NRL really wants to increase the speed of the game then it comes back to the referees. If referees allow teams to slowly put a guy on the ground and then slowly peel off, it doesn't matter about your interchange, the game will be slow.
At the moment, NRL referees punish players who drive into the line and then look to hit the deck, they'll often call that a submissive tackle and allow the defenders to lay in. Submissive tackles should be removed like they removed the dominant. Too many players who have three blokes on them and stop fighting are called submitting and the PTB is slowed.
Panthers vs Eels trial game in Bega will be televised on channel 9 from 3.30 on Saturday.
On Fox as well.
I think the Eels will easily account for the Dogs in round 1. I'm tipping a 12+ margin. The Dogs will struggle to make the 8 but might just scrape in. I don't think the Roosters will make the top 4 and may even miss the 8 as maybe the Storm.
This match against Canterbury-Bankstown will be tricky. The last two times we have played against them, they have had our measure. On paper we should beat them but it won't be an easy game. I wouldn't be surprised if they beat us actually.
That's the thing with derby games, there is a lot more feeling, I know Canterbury as a club when they see us on the fixture list is to win that game more than the others and vice versa for us.
We won the first game last year, they won at Bankwest.
The Dogs good end to the season was based on getting Foran back in great form.
He won’t be there Rd 1. If he was we still win
The Media are correct in stating the Eels have a soft start to 2020, according to where teams finished in 2019.
It's up to BA and coaching staff to have this team ready to fire.Cause ya right the doge will come out barking. It's easey for the Media to tout The Eels as a top 4 side, but it's what Parra do on the padock that counts.
Does not matter if they reduce the amount of interchanges as they still have more now with the way they abuse the head knocks, they use them even when some are clearly not head knocks for a free interchange.
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