Bugger - I expected that..

I'm more worried a major injury like this can set a player back for a few seasons,.... however rehab is better these days..

Does it really matter if we win 3 games or 5 games?

I like winning but this season is all about trying to improve the players, making the 8 is like Dman picking up a good looking girl with brains at Northies.... not going to happen, ......


there are no girls with brains at northies.

No doubt the energy and enthusiasm was there.
Forwards matched or had the better of the Bunnies pack in the first half. Even though the Bunnies pack is a bottom tier pack.
But without a dynamic 9 and 1 and a strike centre we will continue to be easy beats as a team only has to score more than 12 points and it's all over.
For now Meaney has to be Fullback, DWZ and Smith wingers, Averillo in the centres with possibly Crichton who is an elusive runner. He can tackle it is just he can't when he has 3 attackers running at him.


A top notch 1,6 and 7 would have the ball out to the backs a lot quicker than we do and even bypass Tolman.

He did.... and she’s the head bouncer of the joint

True.... we are mainly missing a top notch 1 and a 9 that engages the opposition middle defenders more often..

I meant the side played well considering the available talent, the Johnston and Walker tries were a low light... Smith and DWZ involved in both misses...

We set up another 2-3 half chances, defend a bit better, we probably had enough attack to win the game..

Players passing to Tolman are to blame, he takes a set up run when asked ... don't ask him..

Meaney is a good enough fullback defensively.
What he lacks is the ability to chime in in attack like other good fullbacks do. It's where Hoppa is really good and DWZ is in between.

The 3 seems to have the 1 attribute the others dont have.... 

Hoppa - good at chiming in in attack and throwing that last pass to winger or centre. Poor and slow in kick reads. Cant break a tackle. Good 1 on 1 defence. Decent under high ball.

DWZ - good at chiming in in attack but executes the final pass poorly too often. Very good at kick returns. Awful under high ball. Can break tackles and poses a 1 on 1 threat.

Meaney - not good at chiming in I'm attack. Excellent under high ball. Good positioning for kick returns, can make a break with speed but unlikely to break a tackle. 

If only we can morph Hoppas attack ability with the speed and power of DWZ and the catching ability of Meaney!

You'd think they pull their finger out and find a sponsor or at the very least redesign the jersey to have either all the premierships or all the Bulldogs names on it....

Something is better than that bland jersey

You had me at "by-pass Tolman"

We all know of Dean Pay's obsession with playing players out of position, but there is one burning question that has to be answered WTF has Katoa done to be snubbed. And to add insult to injury playing Holland at 9 .....really......  After that brainiac decision I am convinced that Pay has lost the plot.

Rubbish.
He takes a setup run full stop.
He knows no other way. 
Just fekk him off. 
He adds nothing and we lose nothing without him there. The last month has proved it.

Don"t blame just Tolman... Napa has proven to be a passenger also just as of late. Even Jacko has been less than damaging, probably overworked.

The whole Hooker (what is that these days) or should I just say 9 thing has me intrigued as to Pay's fascination with JMK.
Cogger showed some great glimpses 2 weeks ago but straight away dropped. Like last year when he sat on the bench for 80 minutes 2 or 3 times.
Katoa never given a go.

FFS we are bottom and sinking further.
Same 4 or 5 wingers rotated in the backline with none of the able to bust a tackle. Some have trouble catching a bomb. 
The only fullback who can catch a bomb played as a winger. 
None of the younger players in the 30 even given a go on the bench.
Foran probably can not wait to get out of this mess. Busting himself when in a better team he could pace himself better.
Wakeham saying what am I doing here when he look and no one but Aiden ready.

Honestly Dean Pay has been a disaster. I know salary cap restraints and all that but the selections, tactics etc are diabolical.
Yeah we held the Rabbitohs for a while but the are a probably a 10th place team this year.

Tolman on the 4th is the laughing stock among other team supporters.
Pity from commentators. Grimaces from former players.
The board has to toughen up and make decision now or very soon.
I saw a photo of the board with Lynne and in the background a large photo of Bullfrog.
FFS she does not own the place because of him, he would be spinning in his grave.

Napa has 4 hit ups after 60 mins..

That's only because we had 4 tries against us. 

They all looked laboured.... going thru the motions as they’ve been directed to do...

Tackle 1) Forward hit up
Tackle 2) Forward hit up
Tackle 3) Forward hit up
Tackle 4) Spread it.... albeit in slow motion
Tackle 5) Kick/Bomb.... no chasers

then repeat

There is no plan B.... hasn’t been in 4yrs!

No players can sustainably look decent playing our poor style.

In the first half last night, our whole team looked 10 times better than any previous game, and we were down on the scoreboard. 

Guys like Jackson etc would probably look good again in a team that plays fast with players in motion. But he looks very lethargic these days. Who knows, maybe he is past it. He's been around since 2012....

Pay him Foran money if he’s gonna miss the season!!!...

Or...... from a seep kick.....

DWZ winds up and gets tackled on first
Dummy half run by Smith
Dummy half run by Crichton
Dummy half run by Montoya
JMK passes to a second rower (RFM, Elliott) who punches through but no support as we are already thinking about the 5th tackle kick
Last tackle kick from either Wakeham or Foran

Sound familiar?
Groundhog day? 

We must be the only team that uses our backs to run out 6 tackles from our own line and yet no one but forwards take the ball up in attack inside the opposition 20....

If I didnt support this team, I'd laugh my fekking arse off. I instead cry thinking about it.

*deep *

You've pretty much described RL these days.  Just some do it better than others.

Exactly, the main difference between our side and others is talent...

In terms of effort, attitude (and playing style last game), we are better than the average NRL side...

Kicking game is well down on the best sides, but again that is mainly talent and practice.

Very few teams play hot potato football coming off their own line for obvious reasons.. most sets start around 10-30 metres out from your own try-line and most sets involve trying to get to 40 metres out from you opponents try-line, anything better than that is winning the yardage battle  or "good ball".

Count the number of yardage sets and "good ball" sets in a game. The new rules mean more "good ball" sets which is a step forward, but the team losing the yardage battle rarely gets them...

Most teams use the back to run the ball out from their own end. because the forwards have just done most of the tackling,,,  and are slower to get back behind the ball.

But don't let the facts get in the way of a good whinge.,

I sort of agree with you ODF. Don’t forget two weeks ago when he was 14. He looked impressive. Also he can cover fullback, wing, centre, in the half’s and hooker. So he is great for injuries and depth. 

No excuse for poor kicking.  So much easier these days.

My team for this week.. 
1. Meaney 
2. Smith
3. Aaron Schoupp
4. Averillo
5. DWZ 
6. Foran
7. Wakeham
8. Renouf T
9 JMK
10 Thompson
11. Jackson
12. RFM
13 Tolman

14. Napa
15. Matt Doorey
16. Sue
17. Lewis 

18. Chris Smith
19. Britt 
20. Montoya 
21. Sione Katoa 

Interesting looking side, might be worth a try.

‘Marki’ - My Team this week..,

1 Tedesco
2 Morris
3......

Wrong. Most teams allow 1 -2 or maybe 3 backs at most running the ball back. We usually have no forwards in sight till the 4th or 5th tackle. 

I dont really mind it, as our forwards dont create anything when they run up anyway. But it bugs me that if we have a set restart or a set of six off a penalty restart or receiving a drop out, that we waste tackles on 1 out hitups - mainly from forwards.

Its hardly enterprisining footy. Hardly puts the defence in any doubt and they can quite easily defend our sets of six with only 2 or 3 defensive players in the middle. 

I liked the intent of our first half against Souths.
I'm hoping the team can stick to it as it will eventually lead to points and a probable win. 

The first half against Souths is the right style... everything else is energy levels,,,, play the right style you are more likely to have more energy than the opposition.

IMO fullback is the big opportunity to improve our yardage sets, getting to the ball earlier... 

Has anyone seen the team list for this weeks matchup against the Gronkos. With the exception of Thompson in for Elliott it's the same lineup that failed against Souffs. I can't think of anything to say. It's got me licked.