Round 19 Discussion

[Big Pete]

Reynolds surely couldn't have been onside surely?

Oh no, just another trip.

Seriously hope he serves a week or two for that.

 

[Big Pete]

Lol what high shot?

The one that busted his nose.

Unfortunate but the injury gave up the ghost.

 

[Big Pete]

Kelly is so bad, he makes Eels fans yearn for Mortimer.

Peats clearly isn't right. Keeps dropping off tackles which is keeping the Eels out of the arm wrestle at the moment. Couple of their forwards are looking a little loose as well. Everytime I see Lussick, I just think of the amount of money Eels fans are pumping into him.

 

[Big Pete]

Parra had to score eventually.

Not the most convincing effort, but they had to find some way to get on the board.

It's been a shocking game thus far. Des and Arthur would be desperate to get their teams into the sheds.

 

[Big Pete]

Pauli Pauli is one of the most frustrating players in the game.

He can make things happen with the ball. He's like Kasiano in that sense but he's just so lazy in defence. That was just too easy for Jackson and he got lucky that the Eels cover was good enough on that occasion.

 

[Big Pete]

Lafai's form is garbage, he cannot find his winger to save himself at the moment.

Norman is off, and now Morris scores off a crappy Eels kick.

 

[Big Pete]

Rona is something special. It's crazy how much those finishes are almost expected of the wingers when 10 years ago, they'd be on the highlight reels for months to follow.

Crazy how much this competition can turn. Two weeks ago, it seemed like the Panthers were rallying and in with a chance to make the 8. Now you'd have to think they're well and truly out of the race.

Same can be said about the Eels. Just as they were starting to gain some momentum, they put in a loose effort like that and ended up getting toweled up by a fairly ordinary Dogs outfit. If they were down in Melbourne, they probably would have conceded 50.

Not the most enthralling evening of League. Melbourne put in one of, if not their best performances of the season. Otherwise not a whole lot to keep track of.

Tomorrow we've got Raiders/Sharks, Knights/Titans and Dragons/Rabbits. It isn't exactly all that appetising but I'm interested in the main event and whether or not the Dragons have anything left in the tank. I think they're going to collapse for sure leaving a spot for either Cronulla, Canberra or even Manly to take.

 

[Big Pete]

Neither Cornish or McCrone will line-up for the Raiders this afternoon. Both of them are getting ready to take on the Sharks in the NSW Cup, meaning the Austin/Baptiste halves combination is a reality.

Australian Schoolboy Tre Williams had an impressive debut in the Under 20s. Drew first blood before breaking the game wide open with a long ranged assist for Hickson.

Certainly another young Raider to keep an eye on.

 

[Rhys van Beurden]

Neither Cornish or McCrone will line-up for the Raiders this afternoon. Both of them are getting ready to take on the Sharks in the NSW Cup, meaning the Austin/Baptiste halves combination is a reality.

Australian Schoolboy Tre Williams had an impressive debut in the Under 20s. Drew first blood before breaking the game wide open with a long ranged assist for Hickson.

Certainly another young Raider to keep an eye on.

Peter Duffy will be upset at the lack of McCrone!

Stuart needs to give McCrone a chance

Pleasingly, Ricky Stuart has shown he has improved as a coach; that is, starting with Paul Vaughan and Frank-Paul Nuuausala, for example, and better bench rotation.

With the unfortunate illness of Sam Williams surely it is now time for Stuart to do what he should have done from the off – give Josh McCrone his much deserved and long overdue chance to play half inside Blake Austin. McCrone will give Austin another yard to a yard-and-a-half to perform his magic. He is also better in defence than both Williams and Mitch Cornish.

I implore Stuart to take note of comments by his former mentor Phil Gould and immortal Andrew Johns who said of McCrone: "Let me tell you about this young man. Whether he is playing half, five-eight or dummy half there are tries in him, there is always creativity around Josh McCrone. He is a player that does prize the opposition open. He has got really good vision.

"Yeah, the way I like to describe Josh McCrone is he is very quick across the ground with his feet. He is very fast on the outside and the outside defenders get very nervous. He has got very soft slow hands. You watch him when he gets out of dummy half or if he plays first receiver; he gets across fast and makes the outside defenders nervous. And he has a beautiful pass on him."

Peter Duffy, Wanniassa

Interchange misused

It is going to be a long long year for Raiders fans if coach Ricky Stuart continues with his foolish use of the interchange bench.

Why didn't he bring on Josh McCrone (one of our best 80-minute players until Stuart took the reins) for Mitch Cornish in the second half against the Dragons?

Blind Freddy but not Stuart could see young Cornish was out on his feet with fatigue for most of the second half.

After a great first half and a gem of a ball to Soliola, Cornish's second-half ball delivery to Blake Austin was tardy, therefore limiting Austin's ability to attack. Cornish missed four tackles, made some very poor passing and kicking decisions, including kicking on the fourth tackle with two minutes to go with the Raiders two points behind.

Most good judges soundly agree that McCrone's crisp and quick passing and speed would have given Austin more space to use his blinding pace and to create opportunities for himself and his outside backs. McCrone's overall defence is also much safer and stronger than that of Cornish.

Similar foolish decisions by Stuart against the Warriors prevented try-scoring opportunities being created, especially leading up to half-time and it almost cost us the game against Cronulla because of player fatigue.

Why has Stuart made McCrone the scapegoat for his own foolish interchange decisions?

Peter Duffy, Wanniassa

Raiders misdirected

Since taking up the reins as coach of the Canberra Raiders, Ricky Stuart has demonstrated a decided pigheadedness and prejudice against giving Josh McCrone a fair go in the halves.

If Stuart does not give McCrone his deserved opportunity to play inside Blake Austin against Cronulla this weekend; surely he must show some decency and give us fans an explanation for his shallow and bewildering decision making process.
Peter Duffy, Wanniassa

 

[Alec]

Well, Wighton has been "named" in the halves.

 

[Super Freak]

Waqa showing why he doesn't belong at fullback..

 

[Alec]

Yeah, both of these fullbacks are absolute rubbish.

 

[Super Freak]

What a ridiculous penalty.

 

[Big Pete]

Huge couple of minutes from Hodgson.

Sharks got screwed on that call.

Story of their season so far.

 

[Big Pete]

Klein rules everything a strip.

Has been that way since the 2008 World Cup Final.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

Let's see Ricky complain about the refs tonight.

 

[Porthoz]

Yeah... that is an absolute BS penalty.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

Where's Barba? Is he injured?