leon.bott
NYC Player
- Nov 16, 2017
- 133
- 175
Agree across the board. Which is why I think when we put it together we can catch fire for parts of a game, but can just as quickly have momentum completely reverse more than just about any team. Even last year we’d get hot for 20 minutes in a game but never ride out the 80 (bar the storm finals game as an anomaly).I think it could be a byproduct from back in the mid-2000's when Wayne basically renounced wrestling in the game and didnt really want to be a part of it... we have wrestling coaches and whatnot now, but I doubt we are dedicating as much time to it as a team like the storm do... so I feel like we've been playing catch up on modern football, but then not really trying to catch up either.
The Reynolds stuff to me is about football intelligence across the squad... which I think we've lacked for so long now that I wouldnt even be able to point out a time when we had it... other than "Lockyer days"... did we have it during the Pwall days?? (not sure)... but 2015/16 was heads up footy through Bhunt and Milf, so we didnt have it then.
Seibold picked up a spoon because the squad didnt understand what he was talking about, Reynolds had to come in and teach them fundamentals and Kevvie in 2021 had to strip things all the way back to basics.
In terms of fundamentals we're uneducated as a team, but have been for a long time so this isnt a Kevvie thing... it seems we pick the biggest and the fastest... rather than the smartest.
The best teams in the comp are the ones that cheat the most on the field... there's no point having your head in the sand trying to be saints on the field when the officiating doesnt reward that style of play and havent for a loooong fucking time now.
Good teams know when they've lost the ruck and concede a blatant penalty to reset their line rather than concede a quick ptb... Broncos seem to double down by somehow conceding a six again whilst also conceding a quick ptb.
Teams know when their defence is shot on their goal line and shoot out offside to stop a try, because you may or may not be penalised by the ref so that's always better than conceding a try.
The fast tempo gameplan is great when it works and a great spectacle for neutral viewers, but a roller coaster ride for supporter bases. A boring, well drilled style of play just blunts whatever style of officiating is the flavour of the day so much more.
I’m really over our sliding defence that marches the opposition upfield and gives them so much time to work with as well. And the Hail Mary jamming in when defending goal line instead of backing our one on one match ups. Reeks of impatience.
Sorry for the negativity, I’m a supporter through thick and thin, but after so far surpassing my expectations last year I made the mistake of having false optimism in 2024. More fool me I fear