ROUND 2 - POST GAME WRAP UP

Wow, where do I start.  

The weekend started off poorly with Blacktown Workers (Manly 2nd Grade) smashing a stronger Wenty team 46 nil.  With Vave, George Jennings, Niukore and Pritchard returning to the team I expected a second win for the Wenty Team.  With Terepo, Williams, Leleisiuao and Salmon back next game from injury they should be able to turn it around.     

As for the top team what are the main differences to this time last year?    

1.  No Semi Radradra

2.  No Clint Gutherson

3.  No Ronnie Palmer

4.  Only one NRL trial 

.......................

FIRST HALF:  

- In the first half Parra completed 8 from 15 sets (53%), where as Manly completed a very good 19 from 23 sets (83%).  In short Manly completed more then double the sets Parra did.

- If possession is King, then possession on a 39 degree day is the whole royal family!  

- Manly's first try resulted in Taka running out of the line causing a hole on the inside.  Taka's inexperience defending closer in was highlighted. 

- French was caught out of position and DCE jagged a 40/20.  

- Manly's second try resulted in Manly no.9 burrowing under Hayne to score a somewhat soft try.

- Manly's third try resulted in Hayne missing a tackle causing the another soft try.  

- Things started to turn with possession with back to back penalties for us.  Hayne gets over the stripe but has the ball ripped out.  No try.  

- On the 22 min mark we had a great run down the sideline but a hospital pass from Jennings resulted in Auva'a going into touch.  

- French had a great pick up from his boot laces that not many others could do.  

- Parra fights back to get back up into the green zone and we get over the stripe again, but King losses the ball.  No try.  

- French gets caught out defending next to the ruck on the try line, he was over anxious ran out of the line at DCE, resulting in a try to Manly (Sironen).  Inexperience from Frenchy.  

- King sustained a terrible head knock at the 32 minute mark and was taken from the field.  Luckily we dropped Scott and had a back up utility/hooker on the bench.  

- Smith pulls off a great one on one front on tackle and back slams Kelepi.  

- French caught on the try line against next to the ruck.  Unfortunately French didn't learn from his mistakes and he ran out of the line again, resulting in Manly scoring again.  

- Smith pulls off another great one on one front on tackle and back slams Sironen.  

- French gets picked up and driven into touch.  

- Smith had a nice darting run on half time.  

- 30 Nil at half time.  

SECOND HALF:

- In the second half our possession improved a lot and we completed 12 from 14 sets, totalling 20 from 29 for the game.  Where as Manly competed 17 from 18 sets, totalling 36 from 41 (wow)!

- When you consider we completed 20 sets in 80 minutes and Manly completed 19 sets in 40 minutes, it is no wonder the score line was so big.  Add in that it was 39 degrees and you can understand why Possession is King!  

- The second half started off well with a great kick off from Smith.  

- French chimes into the backline from the scrum and was driven 10-15 metres sideways into touch off zero tackle.  This was the second time French was driven into touch in an attacking position.  

- We then had a mountain of ball with 4 repeat sets starting off with a nice kick from Norman, two penalties from Manly and a drop ball from Manly.  Unfortunately no try.  

- Whilst attacking the try line it looked like we scored out first try but the pass to French was ruled forward.  

- Manly get back down into our red zone again and Taka, Smith and French didn't lock the ball up allowing for an off load.  Soft try.  

- French got caught out again defending close to the ruck on the try line and Manly scored again.  

- Moses gets sinned binned for mouthing off (two in two weeks).  

- French gives a penalty away from a strip.  

- Perrett runs over Jennings and Norman scoring a soft try.  

- Norman does a good kick allowing a repeat set to us.  

- Kelly steps off his left foot and embarrasses Hayne.

- 54 nil.

- Nil line breaks for Parra in first half.
- Manly had 14 offloads, Parra 3.
- Manly kick metres 152, Parra 39 metres.

POSITIVES:  

- Smith showed some spark in attack and that he is a very strong front on defender.  

- Alvaro made 45 tackles.

- No Scott.  

- Smith on the bench.   

- The game is over!  

NEGATIVES:

- 9 tries to zero.  

- 53 missed tackles.

- No Semi next week.   

- French is a significant weakness defending at fullback and he must immediately move to the wing.  If Hayne is not fit enough to move back to fullback next game then Hoffman should move to fullback temporarily.  I appreciate French wants to play fullback, but he needs to defend on the wing outside Jennings.  We can't wait for Gutherson to return and French needs to move now.  The teams needs to come first, sorry Frenchy.      

- If Hayne stays at centre he needs to swap sides with Jennings as Hayne and Moses defending together is a massive weakness for us.  I highlighted this would be a weakness prior to round 1 when it was first mooted.  Moses needs Jennings, otherwise both the careers of Moses and Hayne will suffer.  

- Why pick Matagi if you only bring him on late in the game.  

- Takairangi is better suited to centre, then secondrow.  

- Our dropped ball and penalties given away was horrendous.  

- Both Moses and Norman are crabbing sideways in attack cutting off our backline.  I thought we got rid of the Crabman?  

WHAT IS BAs IMMEDIATE ACTION ON MONDAY?

- Get on the phone and beg Semi Radradra to return.  Life without Semi is looking bleak.  Our best metre-eater, go forward player last year out of the tuff stuff (the Red Zone) was Semi.  Semi could single handily turn the tide of the game by a massive run up the middle or a tackle bust down the side line.  To have let Semi go when we still had about $500K in the bank was a terrible mistake!

- Get some scans on Gutherson knee to see if he can return early!   

NEXT WEEKS TEAM LIST:

3.  Takairangi

4.  Jennings

5.  French

6.  Norman

7.  Moses

8.  Mannah

9.  King - (Pritchard if King is injured)

10.  Alvaro

11.  Ma'u

12.  Moeroa - (Terepo if Moeroa injured)

13.  Brown

14.  Smith

15.  Edwards - (if his ankle is good)

16.  Terepo - (if Moeroa is injured then Vave)

17.  Evans 

Note:  I would give Williams a couple of games with Wenty before considering him in first grade as he is returning from an ACL.  

 

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Replies

  • Has Semi already signed/confirmed his contract for next year with a new club?
    • Yep, he's gone. 

    • I am with you 100% give him 500k for the remainder of the season when his contract finishes up. And then give him 600k for the next 3 years... He is worth every cent. I rather move on hoffman and auva if they are on more money than 250k each. I would use jennings and davis as backup wingers and move french to the wing with Gutho.

  • Next week

    1: B French
    2: J Hoffman
    3: M Jennings
    4: K Avau'a
    5: J Hayne
    6: C Norman
    7: M Moses
    8: T Mannah
    9: K Pritchard
    10: D Alvaro
    11: M Mau
    12: T Moeroa
    13: N Brown

    14: B Takairangi
    15: K Edwards
    16: P Terepo
    17: S Vave
    18th W Smith

    C King dropped
    K Evans dropped

    I think this could be a Hayne curse too
    • French cannot stay at fullback.  On the wing French will score one to two tries a game.  At fullback French will let in one to two tries a game.  Norman, Auva'a and Hayne in that order on the right side would be massive mistake.  King is likely to be rested even if passed fit.  Will Smith was probably our best player on the field.  Evans will not be dropped until Williams and Vave get some match fitness.    

    • Move Hayne to fullback.

  • Nice wrap up. French can't stay at fullback and for me Hayne is the player of choice, but is he fit enough? 

    Taka (another speculative experiment) is not working either.

    I think we're learning just what a monumental player Semi was. Last year we apparently scored the most tries from inside our own 40. Watch and weep: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx7LYhLQh1Q

    • I will go as far to say the loss of Semi will end BA's career at Parra.  To leave 500K left in the cap and not offer Semi more money will haunt BA.  

  • This reply was deleted.
    • Not sure what happened above with no.1 and 2 dropping off when I pressed save.  

      Jennings saved Moses last year when he swapped sides as Moses is a suspect defender and it needs to occur again for next game.  

      French got caught out a few times today and a move to the wing will help him out a lot.  

      Hayne needs to go to fullback until Gutho is available.   

  • It is the biggest mistake BA has made in his coaching career.  

This reply was deleted.

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