PRE-GAME Round 11 - Roosters vs Broncos

[1910]

If we are going to be honest a halves pairing of Gamble and Kelly is absolutely terrifying and realistically a combination we should have never seen in first grade.

However in saying that, I'm a massive fan of picking players on form and Kelly appears to be the form halfback in ISC with 12 try assist and i think 6 line break assits. He does also bring some experience, the question is can he continue his ISC form at NRL level.

Both he and gamble will likely show more heart than any other halves on our books. Gamble seems to organise well and kelly hopefully bring more a running/attacking threat then milf.

What's Kellys kicking game like can anyone offer any insight?

Scarlett has been the best half in the ISC, I get a very bad feeling about this Kelly decision. He's been ok in ISC. He runs his own race in a terrible team. I don't think it is going to transfer well to NRL.

 

[broncsgoat]

Shouldn’t have been captain to begin with. Who was captain while he was off? No one again? TPJ self appoint?

Yup didn’t like it from the start.

 

[Sproj]

It has to be asked, is this any better than Seibold’s reign? Kevvie looks to be throwing the same panic O’Leary’s at the dartboard.

I’m hopeful he keeps bringing in the players we need though and that part so far is definitely far better than the Seibold years.

 

[Kooly87]

It has to be asked, is this any better than Seibold’s reign? Kevvie looks to be throwing the same panic O’Leary’s at the dartboard.

I’m hopeful he keeps bringing in the players we need though and that part so far is definitely far better than the Seibold years.

It's very early days so I don't want to go quite that far. I'm loathed to actually stick up for Seibold in any way, but I would say this though: a LOT of Seibold's weird selections were forced through injury and suspensions etc, whereas you can't say the same of Kevvie at this stage.

 

[broncsgoat]

It has to be asked, is this any better than Seibold’s reign? Kevvie looks to be throwing the same panic O’Leary’s at the dartboard.

I’m hopeful he keeps bringing in the players we need though and that part so far is definitely far better than the Seibold years.

From a performance standpoint you’d have to say no.
But the teams each were handed are vastly different.

Pies had a team that was more accustomed to winning than they were losing and he destroyed that.

Kevvie has been handed an emotionally destroyed shell of a football team coming off a wooden spoon. He has to build them from the ground up when they’re mentally shot.

 

[Kooly87]

From a performance standpoint you’d have to say no.
But the teams each were handed are vastly different.

Pies had a team that was more accustomed to winning than they were losing and he destroyed that.

Kevvie has been handed an emotionally destroyed shell of a football team coming off a wooden spoon. He has to build them from the ground up when they’re mentally shot.

Not to mention, on paper at least with the loss of guys like Fifita etc, the team Walters inherited was actually worse off personnel-wise than the one Seibold used to deliver one of the poorest seasons by any club in the entire NRL era.

Simply getting a worse squad out of the wooden spoon zone would be a big credit to Walters at this stage.

 

[Rico]

It has to be asked, is this any better than Seibold’s reign? Kevvie looks to be throwing the same panic O’Leary’s at the dartboard.

I’m hopeful he keeps bringing in the players we need though and that part so far is definitely far better than the Seibold years.

No its not at this early stage Sproj and is real cause for concern IMO. Its funny Kevs old boy and mainly media mates control the air by saying he needs to keep searching for answers where the same changes (even less due to no ISC for AS) made by the previous coach were met with 'he's out of his depth and doesn't know what he's doing'.

Maybe Issako aside, I'm struggling to think of single player that's improved. I'm not sure he has his staff right either. Cartwright doesn't look right at our place and oversaw some of the worst defence manly dished up as their defence coach.

There is a shitty roster to work through that will take time and the Reynolds signing, as welcome as it is, wont be enough to keep sponsors and members happy if this season fades away in shitsville.

 

[Kooly87]

No its not at this early stage Sproj and is real cause for concern IMO. Its funny Kevs old boy and mainly media mates control the air by saying he needs to keep searching for answers where the same changes (even less due to no ISC for AS) made by the previous coach were met with 'he's out of his depth and doesn't know what he's doing'.

Maybe Issako aside, I'm struggling to think of single player that's improved. I'm not sure he has his staff right either. Cartwright doesn't look right at our place and oversaw some of the worst defence manly dished up as their defence coach.

There is a shitty roster to work through that will take time and the Reynolds signing, as welcome as it is, wont be enough to keep sponsors and members happy if this season fades away in shitsville.

To be entirely fair, Seibold is being judged now in the fullness of time after two complete years, and he inherited a side that consistently made the Top 8.

Walters has only had 10 games and he inherited a worse squad than the one which Seibold used to deliver one of the most statistically dreadful wooden spoon performances in the entire NRL era.

 

[Galah]

It’s our defence, it hasn’t improved at all in fact I feel it’s worse, that’s what I’m seriously concerned about.

 

[Kooly87]

It’s our defence, it hasn’t improved at all in fact I feel it’s worse, that’s what I’m seriously concerned about.

I'm not sure I understand why anyone expected it to be much better, especially just 10 Rounds in?

You just don't turn the utter hot garbage we dished up last year around in that sort of timeframe.

 

[theshed]

It’s our defence, it hasn’t improved at all in fact I feel it’s worse, that’s what I’m seriously concerned about.

It’s hard to say. The game has changed so much that it’s hard to compare it even to last year. Teams are regularly being blown off the park this season - last season we were in a league of our own. We got belted by Manly but there were about 4 other teams that got similar hidings.

Our defence against penrith and cowboys (for the most part) was far better than anything I saw under Seibold.

 

[Rico]

I'm not sure I understand why anyone expected it to be much better, especially just 10 Rounds in?

You just don't turn the utter hot garbage we dished up last year around in that sort of timeframe.

I'd expect to see some attitude adjustment and green shoots in that area ....there are none. I suppose that's back to the playing group problem / rot that set in under several coaches that he's going to have to fix overtime.

 

[Rico]

It’s hard to say. The game has changed so much that it’s hard to compare it even to last year. Teams are regularly being blown off the park this season - last season we were in a league of our own. We got belted by Manly but there were about 4 other teams that got similar hidings.

Our defence against penrith and cowboys (for the most part) was far better than anything I saw under Seibold.

fair point. I think my PTSD got a hold of me last week and really feel like we are back to square one with the defence when maybe we aren't and its all part of the process.

 

[Kooly87]

I'd expect to see some attitude adjustment and green shoots in that area ....there are none. I suppose that's back to the playing group problem / rot that set in under several coaches that he's going to have to fix overtime.

If you're just looking for some green shoots then I think there's at least been a few of those so far this year.

 

[theshed]

fair point. I think my PTSD got a hold of me last week and really feel like we are back to square one with the defence when maybe we aren't and its all part of the process.

Don’t get me wrong though, the club is completely fucked and might not make the 8 again for a few years - the optimist in me says we might get close next year but it’s entirely possible we don’t until we see a massive rebuild.

 

[Huge]

No its not at this early stage Sproj and is real cause for concern IMO. Its funny Kevs old boy and mainly media mates control the air by saying he needs to keep searching for answers where the same changes (even less due to no ISC for AS) made by the previous coach were met with 'he's out of his depth and doesn't know what he's doing'.

Maybe Issako aside, I'm struggling to think of single player that's improved. I'm not sure he has his staff right either. Cartwright doesn't look right at our place and oversaw some of the worst defence manly dished up as their defence coach.

There is a shitty roster to work through that will take time and the Reynolds signing, as welcome as it is, wont be enough to keep sponsors and members happy if this season fades away in shitsville.

Isaako, Lodge and Kennedy all are playing strongly, Haas is now about to ignite and his focus is likely firmly on future success. TPJ is going well. Bullemore is developing well.

That's 6 I can say I personally am satisfied are either maintaining good performance or improving. KW is up against it and aside from some early bench use issues I think he's going okay. We are going to have more losses but by the end of this season the wheat and chaff will be sorted. I say, be patient. We're better than the 'instant gratification generation'.

 

[Gaz]

The biggest story here isn't in the halves, it's Corey Oates being dropped

Saab is 8 foot tall (not literally) and one of the quickest wingers in the comp, Oates has the frame a backrower playing out on the wing and doing a satisfactory job most weeks.

He got shown up last week, big deal, he wasn't the only one. Thought Kevvie was a bit harsh there

Wasn’t the fact he couldn’t catch him maybe the fact he didn’t try to.

 

[theshed]

Isaako, Lodge and Kennedy all are playing strongly, Haas is now about to ignite and his focus is likely firmly on future success. TPJ is going well. Bullemore is developing well.

That's 6 I can say I personally am satisfied are either maintaining good performance or improving. KW is up against it and aside from some early bench use issues I think he's going okay. We are going to have more losses but by the end of this season the wheat and chaff will be sorted. I say, be patient. We're better than the 'instant gratification generation'.

I think you’re right, some players have improved since Seibold. Some of this would just be down to gaining experience and maturing, some coming back from injuries.

Improved:
Lodge
Haas
TPJ
Farnworth
Isaako (still a ways to go)
Kennedy
Bullimore
Mmmmaybe Oates

No improvement or drop in form:
Turpin
Milf
Dearden
Croft
Glenn
Flegler (debatable)
Riki

Flops:
Asiata
Levi