Round 10 - Sea Eagles vs Broncos

[Dexter]

I've been hugely underwhelmed with Jordan Riki this season. Can't recall one moment in a game this year where I've thought "yeah, there's a bit of class to this guy". Ordinary would be an overstatement. If we are looking at bringing in another second rower for next year( Capewell, Sua)surely he's on the chopping block.

I think he can play.
I'd say KW has him just doing the basics for now very much like Bennett used to with young forwards until they had a few seasons under their belt.

 

[Morepudding]

I think he can play.
I'd say KW has him just doing the basics for now very much like Bennett used to with young forwards until they had a few seasons under their belt.

Yeah but he can’t even do the basics. Can’t catch the ball and never breaks a tackle

 

[Morepudding]

Our team next week will be interesting, half the team probably suspended. Karmichael Hunt is straight into this side for sure. Either in halves If gamble is suspended or in centres.

 

[007]

Turpin as captain was the first mistake.

Milfs form on field was terrible. Its clear the directive for Gamble is to give milford a share of the orders....its not working and now stifling Gamble.

Coates looks very dis-interested.

back to the old no leadership chickens with heads lopped off football. Very dissapointing.

 

[Mr Fourex]

That's easily explainable. It's Milford looking out for Milford. He has long since accepted his time at Brisbane is ending one way or another, so as soon as he realized the team was staring down the barrel of a 50+ point loss in front of the home crowd with him in the starting halves, he quickly caught on that the optics of that really aren't good for his next contract, which is when he decided to even half wake up and try and do something. That to me says a lot about his attitude. He just isn't a team player. He comes across to me as way too invested in his own image rather than the image of the team he is playing in. When he's not being straight up lazy, he's pulling his finger out (to seemingly minimal effect) because suddenly he's worried that the situation his team finds itself in doesn't reflect well on him personally.

I've really begun to call Milford's raw character into question in recent times. He comes across to me as a Jarryd Hayne type personality but with no Dally M's to point at and say "See, I AM a great player". Milford looks in the mirror every morning and sees a superstar regardless of what others might think or what the results might say, and his teammates can see that. Doesn't anyone else find it strange how the team as a whole begins to turn their form around when Milford is dropped, only to fall into a pit again a couple of weeks after he is brought back?

Nobody will be surprised to hear I am an unapologetically one eyed Broncos supporter, but I really do pity whichever team Milford ends up going to in 2022. If he isn't the root cause of this teams horrendous attitude issues, he is definitely not far removed from it. Only a few days ago I said that the idea of Milford partnering Reynolds in the halves sounded a lot more interesting than experimenting with Staggs at 6. It didn't take much for that point of view to do a 180 straight back into "See ya, Milf!" territory. I've accused him of Dave Taylor syndrome in the past, but if anything he is worse than Dave Taylor. He is a lazy, dispassionate and a sickeningly apathetic failure of a player, and the sooner this club is free of him the better.

Even I'm finding it hard to defend Milford any more.......but again, there are another 12 players on the field to rage at for 50 point losses.

There's a lot of self appointed assumptions in your emotional rant above that are really hard to take seriously.

 

[Dexter]

Yeah but he can’t even do the basics. Can’t catch the ball and never breaks a tackle

Way too early to punt him.
He will be good for us.

 

[Sproj]

Way too early to punt him.
He will be good for us.

I’ve forgotten who we are talking about here but if it’s Riki, he will definitely come good for sure but right now he needs time in Q Cup to develop.

 

[Wolfie]

No we are a reflection of our halfs personality, Milf looks disinterested and only wanted kicking duties until he was obviously told to stop kicking.

I get the Milford agenda, but he isnt the coach, he doesnt set the team up, thats Kevvie and the coaches. Last night was nothing to do with whatever Milfords failings are ( and tbf, i thought he actually put in a fair bit, he just wasnt great ). Firstly, the way we were on the end of refs decisions had an impact, but what we shouldnt forget is that across the board we just played dumb footy. Johns and Slater made the point Manly played with set plays and structures. We dont. We just go out on to the field and hope things come off. We dont have a game plan.

The mess we are in now is not a simple as lets blame Milford for everything and bag him at every opportunity the same as that wasnt the case for Boyd when it was happening with him. We rely on Kevvies passion and commitment, and while that will get you so far, it has to be combined with some solid attacking and defensive structures and set plays. Thats the thing i'm most critical of Kevvie for at the moment, we dont look like those are being developed.

 

[tommy]

Nah milf is a huge part of the problem. Last night he started feigning effort and that he actually gave a **** with about 10minutes to go.

 

[Wolfie]

Turpin as captain was the first mistake.

Milfs form on field was terrible. Its clear the directive for Gamble is to give milford a share of the orders....its not working and now stifling Gamble.

Coates looks very dis-interested.

back to the old no leadership chickens with heads lopped off football. Very dissapointing.

Gamble, despite his good first game was never going to be the answer because he isnt a half back. As fans some got carried away by a player who just competed and did the basics, just like the did with Turpin when he repalced Macca when he was the scapegoat. That might be fine in the forwards, on the wing or in the centers, but it wont cut it in the halves because you are just involved a lot more. On top of that, as i keep saying about him, he is a 5/8. He isnt a game manager. We are just stuck trying to find the right blend until the end of 2021.

 

[theshed]

I get the Milford agenda, but he isnt the coach, he doesnt set the team up, thats Kevvie and the coaches. Last night was nothing to do with whatever Milfords failings are ( and tbf, i thought he actually put in a fair bit, he just wasnt great ). Firstly, the way we were on the end of refs decisions had an impact, but what we shouldnt forget is that across the board we just played dumb footy. Johns and Slater made the point Manly played with set plays and structures. We dont. We just go out on to the field and hope things come off. We dont have a game plan.

The mess we are in now is not a simple as lets blame Milford for everything and bag him at every opportunity the same as that wasnt the case for Boyd when it was happening with him. We rely on Kevvies passion and commitment, and while that will get you so far, it has to be combined with some solid attacking and defensive structures and set plays. Thats the thing i'm most critical of Kevvie for at the moment, we dont look like those are being developed.

Who’s responsible for organising the set plays on the field?

Milford and 3 Q cup players. Manly were executing set plays because they have Jake Trbo and DCE.

 

[Mister Wright]

I've been hugely underwhelmed with Jordan Riki this season. Can't recall one moment in a game this year where I've thought "yeah, there's a bit of class to this guy". Ordinary would be an overstatement. If we are looking at bringing in another second rower for next year( Capewell, Sua)surely he's on the chopping block.

It's the situation we are in. No way should he be starting. He should be learning his game with about 30-35mins off the bench. Once again, that word 'potential' is being used. He has plenty of it, but it needs to be harnessed correctly.

 

[Wolfie]

Nah milf is a huge part of the problem. Last night he started feigning effort and that he actually gave a **** with about 10minutes to go.

He also chased a player down and tried to stop him scoring. I dont disagree he is part of the problem, but he isnt the whole problem. I'm not sure where we go with our halves. Croft isnt great, Dearden offers little, Hunts form is average at best in ISC, Gamble is ok at the moment and Milf just cant get himself going. Unless we promote Kelly or Paix and see what they can offer we are probably stuck with this group of bang average halves for the rest of 2021.

 

[tommy]

He also chased a player down and tried to stop him scoring.

when this is something to remark about you know there’s a problem.

 

[Wolfie]

Who’s responsible for organising the set plays on the field?

Milford and 3 Q cup players. Manly were executing set plays because they have Jake Trbo and DCE.

Do we have set plays?

In all seriousness, what you say is part of the issue. For all his failings, Milford didnt get his big contract on the back of being an organising half and game manager. He did it on chiming in at the right time next to a half back who did that for him. He has never been this half we are currently looking for, he isnt an organiser. None of our halves are, and we dont even have a hooker who can offer anything in that department either. Like i said, i get the criticism of Milford. He has been poor and we wont keep him on after 2021, i just think we are all expecting him to be something he isnt based on his salary.

 

[Wolfie]

when this is something to remark about you know there’s a problem.

Kinda. It shows his effort was there last night, but no question its a problem. For the try Milford tried to chase back Pangai made a very poor effort and didnt chase back. I think it was Slater who said the good teams and good players dont pick and choose when to put in the effort, they just do it every play. We have a group where the majority dont.

 

[theshed]

Do we have set plays?

In all seriousness, what you say is part of the issue. For all his failings, Milford didnt get his big contract on the back of being an organising half and game manager. He did it on chiming in at the right time next to a half back who did that for him. He has never been this half we are currently looking for, he isnt an organiser. None of our halves are, and we dont even have a hooker who can offer anything in that department either. Like i said, i get the criticism of Milford. He has been poor and we wont keep him on after 2021, i just think we are all expecting him to be something he isnt based on his salary.

Nah I don’t blame Milf. He is what he is. A few set plays have been present when the team is on a roll. Gamble, Milf, and Isaako linked well together a few times. We’ve also seen that inside ball to the middle (from Croft and Gamble) that resulted in Bullimore and Carrigans (disallowed) try. Also a lot of set plays involving Haas and TPJ close to the line, a couple that involve Oates coming in the middle.

The are obviously set plays being practised but no one on the field is setting up for them. As you said, we just don’t have anyone on the field who can work us into position to use them. Not a single organiser in 30+ players.

This is why I think Reynolds and Hynes are so important. Despite Isaako probably outshining Hynes athletically, Hynes has shown he has any idea of what a set play is and hopefully this will take some pressure off of Reynolds to do it all.

Our team is just painfully football illiterate. There’s no way that Kev coached TPJ to throw a cut out pass on our very first set deep in our own half that resulted in Coates being pushed over the sideline forcing a pass that was intercepted on our 40. I knew the game was lost in that very minute. In fact I’m sure that’s the exact thing Kev had his historic mid training spray moment last week.

We need Reynolds, and maybe 1 other experienced spine player who can scream at these idiots when they do shit like that. Lodge did something similar last week where instead of rolling down field he throw that sloppy long pass at TPJs feet that resulted in an early knock on in our own half.

 

[Sproj]

Nah I don’t blame Milf. He is what he is. A few set plays have been present when the team is on a roll. Gamble, Milf, and Isaako linked well together a few times. We’ve also seen that inside ball to the middle (from Croft and Gamble) that resulted in Bullimore and Carrigans (disallowed) try. Also a lot of set plays involving Haas and TPJ close to the line, a couple that involve Oates coming in the middle.

The are obviously set plays being practised but no one on the field is setting up for them. As you said, we just don’t have anyone on the field who can work us into position to use them. Not a single organiser in 30+ players.

This is why I think Reynolds and Hynes are so important. Despite Isaako probably outshining Hynes athletically, Hynes has shown he has any idea of what a set play is and hopefully this will take some pressure off of Reynolds to do it all.

Our team is just painfully football illiterate. There’s no way that Kev coached TPJ to throw a cut out pass on our very first set deep in our own half that resulted in Coates being pushed over the sideline forcing a pass that was intercepted on our 40. I knew the game was lost in that very minute. In fact I’m sure that’s the exact thing Kev had his historic mid training spray moment last week.

We need Reynolds, and maybe 1 other experienced spine player who can scream at these idiots when they do shit like that. Lodge did something similar last week where instead of rolling down field he throw that sloppy long pass at TPJs feet that resulted in an early knock on in our own half.

Yeah I agree with all of this. There are definitely set plays and when the team actually tries them, they are exciting. This team is potent but it is also really dumb, really really dumb and that comes from the spine, like most of our problems.

The other factor was that last night any time we got the ball, we either dropped it or passed it forward. Clunkiness doesn’t equal lack of structure. Kevvie’s bench use, while still questionable, does show signs of getting better.

This side still has those performances in them and when you are playing badly plus getting reffed out of a game you already barely had a hope in, fatigue means all structure goes out the window. Plus what can you do when you are two players down trying to defend repeat set after repeat set.

I know they sucked last night but outside of Turpin and Coates having absolute shockers and a few other brain snaps, I’m not too worried because in a year or two we’ll have the cattle we need to execute the very clear structures Kevvie is trying to implement.

I’m more worried about the game as a whole, no one wants to watch this trash.