We have a shit team. Terrible defence as usual but surprisingly better attack already. Baz was a fraud and should never have been signed. I feel so sorry for Pay. 

Those tries showed how easy is it is for Avo.

He cruised over for the 2nd one in 2nd gear off the back of slow service, but that Dragons edge was very slow and disorganised.

The only good part of the game was we went right a few times, previously all of attack went left 90% of the time.

I still can't explain Burton's kicking at the start of the game, or  the soft goal line defence at the end.
Duffty in the frame for one soft try, but he didn't get any help. Also a bad decision not to catch a ball, then to touch it for a repeat set. Then a brilliant run to set up Flanagan. That sums up Duffty a mix of good and bad.

We need a bit more evidence for the attack. The last two teams we played average mid twenties a game against.

If Potter can turn this team around, he is a coaching genius.

We can  list all of the things that are wrong, that is the easy bit.

Even our better players like Burton and the Fox make silly mistakes and bad decisions.

If Fox is dropped from SOO, he can find the culprit in the mirror.
For an experienced player he made some poor decisions in defence, if he was doing that at the Storm, they are much better at covering.

That Dragons left side defence was poor, we scored 3 easy  trys down that side.

If we hadn't kicked for a easy 7 tackle set to the Dragons 3 times in the first half we could have scored more.

Even Reynolds and Mbye got more repeat sets with kicks. Belmore with the wind behind us hard to execute short kicks.

The last 2 weeks the opposition wasn't that great. But not easy for a new coach to turn it around.

Exactly. But I will always say. Dufty is not a fullback. He is a halfback and should have been played there from day dot. The Dragons turned him into a fullback because his defence is poor. I really hope he gets a chance to play halfback in the ESL. 

If I had any confidence in him making a tackle, I would move him to halfback.

at least we weren't as error ridden as usual which was Potter's stated objective - thus we weren't so spent fitness wise from defending for long spells and as a result we could attack more.I don't buy the "we aren't  fit it's Ferris's fault"

Shouppe and Kiraz the backbone of backline of our future teams.

Wonder how Kiraz would go at FB - has the presence, has the willingness to attack the ball, has no fear, and with that type of confidence maybe a likely committed communicator at the back which seems to be lacking.

take away some soft efforts from dufty and his communication at the back and we win.

thought Flanagan game managed well really , lot of talk and very competitive - just not a threat speed or step wise

would like to see less one out running off our line and some early shifts to gain metres - would alleviate Burton kicking from 30m too often

It’s hard not to wonder what Kiraz could do at FB watching him leap for the high ball, and hit the line a pace…
I don’t wanna fall for the trap of players of position but…

There are some indications Potter might be improving Flanagan's game.

He is stll lacking passes resulting in line break assists, several factors in play, 1. Wardell isn't a dynamic ball runner. 2. Flanagan is very narrow. 3. He doesn't seem to be a natural ball player.

A lot of the passing threat on the right is from Dufty wider, becuase his running game is also a threat.

Can Potter fix Duffty's game when multiple others have tried and failed?

That is a big ask, I would be tempted to swap Fox and Duffty close to try line or work out some other way of hiding Duffty in defence.

The season is gone, I am just looking for signs of improvement in these players or for the coach to try other options.

Casey at fullback is one option, he is currently playing that position in reserve grade.

To some extent Casey, Averillo and Kiraz can all play fullback, wing and centre. Some swap or rotation during the game is another option that gives young guys more time to adjust to the required work rate.

It's a double edged sword.
We need to start winning so players can grow in confidence, improving on routine things in their respective positions but at the same time we need players to perform better in order to win.

Other than the opposition gifting us a game or us pulling a rabbit out of a hat, I just dont see us winning games. It's really disappointing.

I think its time the forwards were told to offload at least 50% of the time once we are outside our 40m zone and our halves, hooker and FB need to be pushing up expecting an offload.

I feel we need to just throw the ball around and make breaks or halfbreaks and catch defences retreating and in chaos.

We need to become an unpredictable team. One where opposition defences have no idea what we are doing to do next. Forget trying to win 18-14. Try to win 36-34.

We are a bottom 4 team and we have to play like one. We have to stop thinking we are a top 4 team that prides itself on defence. 

When you are a bottom 4 team, defence doesn't win you games. Attack does. So attack.

We are an unpredictable team! The only thing is, we have no idea what we are doing next, yet the opposition can read us like a road map.

IMO good players have instincts, they don't think they react. Surpising as it may sound instincts make better decisions than the brain, becuase the brain moves slowly or can hesitate.

Good players also see where the play is going before it gets there, their instincts tell them what other players will do, before it happens.

I don't think this can be coached, what can be coached is players working together and basic skills.

Burton has a lot of what is needed as does Foxy, no surpise both are involved in many of our good attacking plays.
Duffty has good instincts in attack but is clueless in defence.
JMK has good instincts about when to run, but not a lot of passing instincts.
Flanno doesn't really have it running, passing or kicking. Sure he tries very hard, has some skill. and works hard on his game.

Lacking instincts from the spine you really need damaging ball runners put SBW, Mason, Asotasi, Utai and Franky Pritchard at their prime into this side, it is a completely different story.

The big attacking weapons we do have are the backline, Foxy, Schoupp, Averillo, Kiraz and Duffty. We rarely give the centres good early ball or create anything before Duffty and Burton get the ball.

All we can do in attack is add a bit more variety, and give the centres early ball.
We can offload and have some forwards with good offloads, I agree with Marki here, at the opponents end try a few more offloads, throw the ball around or even kick it after an offload. Do that around tackle 4 or 5, give is one more tackle to kick. Try to put up high kicks for Kiraz and grubbers for Fox to chase.

We can't make the attack good enough to make defense a non-issue this season.
Coaching can improve the defence, teamwork, decision making, effort and technique.
No team with poor defence has ever made the 8, the best defensive side often wins the comp or at least makes the GF. 

A coach can never give a player what they don't have, all the coach can do is use what they do have.

If we defend better it sometimes creates more opportunities for the attack.

More posession, 7 tackle sets, intercepts, more energy.

It seems unlikely that there is any quick fix this season.

What can be achieved is start to improve before the end of the season, individually, in team selection and as a team.

Settling for 2nd best always leaves us 2nd best. Try another option, that is how all NRL careers start.

Cronk is an example of a player who didn't have it, eventually getting it.

When he started out that was a different era, and he had a really good 9, 6 and 1.

Flanno is not as good defensively or kicking the ball as an early Cronk, otherwise there are similarities.

Cronk did play a lot more backrow early in his career.

I still find it strange we have fallen so far. I just wish a new coach could be appointed asap. At least there’s hope for the future with an experienced coach. Please be Flanno 

This season I doubt a new coach can do much more than what Potter is doing.

Next season with better players an off season and more importantly getting rid of some weak links we can improve.

Already Flanno jnr, and some of our attack looks better.

The defensive issues were there under Baz except for a few occasions where we aimed up or the opposition attack wasn't great.

Give him 2-3 weeks and Potter might get the defence on track, while continuing to improve the attack.

Any new coach that starts now will be expected to work miracles and they won't happen.

Duffty, Flanno and Wardell need to be dropped IMO, replacing them is a gamble worth taking, but not a sure thing.

I don't think we have fallen far, becuase we fell 5 years ago, and never climbed back very far.

What if we stage a peaceful coup???… 

The Mock would get us an easy GF win from here.

As soon as he tells them to focus on attack, we will not concede another point. 1-0 in the 2nd period of extra time is still a win.

There's  plenty the new coach could do. The team will be enhanced by new players but like it or not the majority of next year's  top 30 will be players already at the club. Accordingly he would have half a season working with the players that will necessarily be in the team next year. Developing them, developing the style he wants to play, sorting the sheep from  the goats, getting his staff into place. In other words putting his stamp on the squad. Better now than the first half of next season.

We could do alot worse....
In fact....we have. For a good 7 years now..

Is it just me that finds whales splashing around in the sea, boring?

Why do they make the news all the time?

Well I doubt that this is going to happen, we don't know how long appointing a coach will take.

Getting the right coach and set up is important, that may take time.

I doubt that the 9,7,1 and some other players will be playing regular NRL for us next year. If they are, I expect to be in the same position on the table.

My experience is that with good coaching young sports people aged 14-16  improve at a rapid rate, less eo ages 17-18 and less so 19-21. The age ranges for the academy are well chosen.

The idea that a coach can change how a player thinks and plays in a few weeks is a total fantasy..Unless that player is 15 years old.

A coach can definitely get our trigger happy fans offside in a few weeks.

Sure appoint the coach now, he might be sacked before the end of the season.

Whales are also bored.

Actually if you get the gig no one will dare to sack you.

20 premierships in a row in the bag.

We will get bored with footy and want more whales on TV.

That would be my first training session as soon as I get the job.

Take the team out to sea and have then watch whales for 2hours. When they tell me "coach, why are we out here? this is boring", I then tell them this is how rugby league fans feel when they watch the Bulldogs play.

I then tell them after i do the video session with them, they can train themselves for the rest of week with training run by the leadership group (Burton, JAC, Vaughan, Thompson). 

If they lose, players will be fired. 

Fans putting the boot into Jacko just shows how spineless and clueless they are.

Last time I looked he isn't the halfback and he isn't making dumb efforts and missing tackles leading to trys.

Lol. The thought of Marki in charge of a footy team had me in tears. 

Tears of joy, like me.

It is interesting that reserve grade played Allan at fullback moving Casey to the centres.

While I think Casey is a better player Allan is more experienced and may deserve another shot at NRL.

Allan is more experienced at passing which is a critical requirement for our fullback on the right.

Allan at fullback in place of Duffty is what I would do, Mickey Mouse isn't under contract.

I hope Credence is injured, because if the club has released him, we are idiots.