Round 9 - Cowboys vs Broncos

[ZTop]

Fucking this. I was screaming at them! We had forever for someone, anyone to pressure him. Frustrating.

That's 2 games in our last 4 we have been the better side and not been able to ice it.

It's good I guess. At least we are competing. Just need to sign Reynolds and a hooker maybe

 

[Super Freak]

Kevvie’s use of the bench was poor.

Why the **** was Turpin on for so long? It was pretty clear he was gassed meanwhile he had Levi on the bench who could have been useful against the clearly tiring Cowboys forwards. As soon he saw Bullemor tear them apart in the middle, he should have been calling for Levi to come on then and tell him just fucking run.

We beat ourselves in this game. Why the **** we just stood there watching them set up for that field goal boggles the mind.

 

[Sproj]

I'm sorry but I just watched the replay and I'm happy, really happy. Yeah it was by no means perfect but man, if we keep Coates and get Reynolds, plus bring in a backrower and try and replace Isaako eventually at fullback, we are close to being top 8 already. If we didn't have such a pathetically unfair start to the season with the teams we played, we'd be in the bottom half of the 8 comfortably. There is something special brewing with this team, it just needs a conductor because the individual pieces of music are starting to sound beautiful, it just needs to come together. Our attack structures look as good as anyone, it is just it doesn't have said conductor to make it all flow as it could. Coates, please stay man, PLEASE.

 

[Super Freak]

Also the ref was atrocious. Terrible calls for both sides and some pretty obvious missed calls for both sides. He was just fucking shit.

In saying that, we can’t blame it on the ref. We lost that game ourselves. Cowboys won because we beat ourselves.

 

[Fitzy]

It will. Have some patience. It's a different game, from winger into fullback. He's going to be a gun. You just need to stop wanting everything to be fixed overnight, because it won't happen

Well what makes a fullback a gun look at them... they don’t make stupid fucken errors a 5 year old wouldn’t make and I’m dead serious, they also put a **** ton more effort and support play in then he currently is

 

[eazy-duzzit]

So frustrating because the way we played tonight isn't too far from top 8 imo. Just some small things here and there that bit us in the ass.

• Milford's defence is pathetic. It's not just the technique, it's the effort. Look around the 10-11 minute mark in the 1st half, there's 2 in the tackle and the Cowboys player is still fighting for ground. Milf just stands there and watches for about 5 secs before he decides to get him to the ground. It's like he really didn't want to get involved until it was painfully obvious that he had to
• Lodgey was the best player on the field in the 1st half. I understand he needs to go because he's getting paid double his worth (if we believe what the media says), but I think he's really stepped it up lately
• I thought Gamble was outstanding in the 1st half, but went missing the 2nd 40. I see some saying he injured his shoulder, I missed that. I was thinking maybe his fitness isn't at 1st grade level yet, so might need some time to get used to the speed of the game. He was robbed of a try assist when he laid on a try for Carrigan
• I don't think Gamble going missing and the poor 2nd half is a coincidence. When we have to lean on Milf to be the primary playmaker, we shit the bed because his decision making is terrible. Too many times you'll see someone running off Milf and 2 defenders will line them up but Milf chucks the short ball anyway. Edit: Just wanted to add ball control was the biggest factor in us losing the 2nd half, not trying to blame Milf for everything
• Isaako is the most frustrating player to watch. You see the talent, but the crucial errors kill me man. Even though I'm not sure he was ever going to get that ball before Lemuelu, he just seemed so half-assed the way he ran over. I think this is a real issue, there seems no desperation from him on defence

 

[theshed]

So frustrating because the way we played tonight isn't too far from top 8 imo. Just some small things here and there that bit us in the ass.

• Milford's defence is pathetic. It's not just the technique, it's the effort. Look around the 10-11 minute mark in the 1st half, there's 2 in the tackle and the Cowboys player is still fighting for ground. Milf just stands there and watches for about 5 secs before he decides to get him to the ground. It's like he really didn't want to get involved until it was painfully obvious that he had to
• Lodgey was the best player on the field in the 1st half. I understand he needs to go because he's getting paid double his worth (if we believe what the media says), but I think he's really stepped it up lately
• I thought Gamble was outstanding in the 1st half, but went missing the 2nd 40. I see some saying he injured his shoulder, I missed that. I was thinking maybe his fitness isn't at 1st grade level yet, so might need some time to get used to the speed of the game. He was robbed of a try assist when he laid on a try for Carrigan
• I don't think Gamble going missing and the poor 2nd half is a coincidence. When we have to lean on Milf to be the primary playmaker, we shit the bed because his decision making is terrible. Too many times you'll see someone running off Milf and 2 defenders will line them up but Milf chucks the short ball anyway. Edit: Just wanted to add ball control was the biggest factor in us losing the 2nd half, not trying to blame Milf for everything
• Isaako is the most frustrating player to watch. You see the talent, but the crucial errors kill me man. Even though I'm not sure he was ever going to get that ball before Lemuelu, he just seemed so half-assed the way he ran over. I think this is a real issue, there seems no desperation from him on defence

Just in Gamble, he hurt his shoulder but prior to that he he a pretty heavy head clash that wobbled him except everyone was too focused on Carrigans ACL in to notice because they occurred in the same incident. There’s a decent chance he was pretty foggy that second half, and nursing a crook shoulder

 

[Kimlo]

So frustrating because the way we played tonight isn't too far from top 8 imo. Just some small things here and there that bit us in the ass.

• Milford's defence is pathetic. It's not just the technique, it's the effort. Look around the 10-11 minute mark in the 1st half, there's 2 in the tackle and the Cowboys player is still fighting for ground. Milf just stands there and watches for about 5 secs before he decides to get him to the ground. It's like he really didn't want to get involved until it was painfully obvious that he had to
• Lodgey was the best player on the field in the 1st half. I understand he needs to go because he's getting paid double his worth (if we believe what the media says), but I think he's really stepped it up lately
• I thought Gamble was outstanding in the 1st half, but went missing the 2nd 40. I see some saying he injured his shoulder, I missed that. I was thinking maybe his fitness isn't at 1st grade level yet, so might need some time to get used to the speed of the game. He was robbed of a try assist when he laid on a try for Carrigan
• I don't think Gamble going missing and the poor 2nd half is a coincidence. When we have to lean on Milf to be the primary playmaker, we shit the bed because his decision making is terrible. Too many times you'll see someone running off Milf and 2 defenders will line them up but Milf chucks the short ball anyway. Edit: Just wanted to add ball control was the biggest factor in us losing the 2nd half, not trying to blame Milf for everything
• Isaako is the most frustrating player to watch. You see the talent, but the crucial errors kill me man. Even though I'm not sure he was ever going to get that ball before Lemuelu, he just seemed so half-assed the way he ran over. I think this is a real issue, there seems no desperation from him on defence

I agree with all that except I don't think Lodge is overpaid. It may be poor balance to be stacked in the forwards but I think any good prop is on 600+. RCG reportedly on 800k for example. Klemmer I think was something really high too, Fonua-Blake was reported around 800 too. That's just some examples I can think of.

If his reported salary is around 650-700, I think that's about fair and I'd actually like to keep him and Haas as our long term front row pairing.

 

[Battler]

Just finished watching it. We have the best middle in the game complimented by the worst 9, 7, 6. If you had Arey and Hodgson (even in his current form) we win the game by 20+ with the field position Haas and Lodge gifted the spine in the first half.

I thought Isaako played really well apart from that one mistake, comfortably outplayed Holmes. Also, the refs were fucking shit, but it’s not surprising or shocking anymore: you just except sub-standard performances from them and random, game turning calls like that last six again.

 

[heartly87]

Well we looked more like 2018-19 Broncos tonight, so an improvement from where we have been. We should have won that game is something I remember saying a lot back then. The same issues come up, silly plays, not taking a field goal when we had the chance and poor defensive efforts at the ass end of games.

I am happy we put in, there is obvious improvement that is happening. I think Kev is doing his job, it's just we don't have the type of players we need to finish out a game. It's the same guys who just seem to push the pass or overplay the hand, we are not a side that can build pressure.

The big positive I can take is that our defense is improving and can keep improving. We just need to get our errors down and keep building. Hopefully we get some news on a signing or two soon. We still definitely need game managing half and a fullback. I am not going to point fingers tonight as I think the team as a whole played well and it came down to a number of key players making one or two errors that cost us.

 

[rnabokov]

My memory is that they were making an average of 50m a set while ours was around 35. So their kicking game had a good platform, much better than ours. They had close to 200 kick metre more than us.

As I saw it, a lot of that was due to their line speed and the relative lack of ours. Also, for all the talk of errors, they made only 3 less than we did. On every other metric, we bettered them.

For mine, our defence is still too passive, especially inconsistent line speed, and we don't use our backline nearly enough, when it is seriously deadly. Farnworth's running is so good, yet most of it is confined to bringing the ball back, or attacking one out. I want to see more attacking moves from our backline - it's where all our points are, and there's a lot of them.

 

[Midean]

Also the ref was atrocious. Terrible calls for both sides and some pretty obvious missed calls for both sides. He was just fucking shit.

In saying that, we can’t blame it on the ref. We lost that game ourselves. Cowboys won because we beat ourselves.

I am certain the ref had some NRL official call him before the game and advise him to blow the pea out of his whistle and put anything remotely suspect on report to avoid further embarrassment this round after Trent Robinsons totally legal and perfectly fine spray of the bunker and reffing.

 

[Big Pete]

I am certain the ref had some NRL official call him before the game and advise him to blow the pea out of his whistle and put anything remotely suspect on report to avoid further embarrassment this round after Trent Robinsons totally legal and perfectly fine spray of the bunker and reffing.

Notice how Brisbane weren't awarded any penalties for these so they weren't entitled to a free sub?

However Shane Wright plays for an innocuous crusher and comes straight off.

Brisbane received absolutely no benefit from it. Didn't the Cowboys get placed on report but then receive the penalty?

 

[Foordy]

Notice how Brisbane weren't awarded any penalties for these so they weren't entitled to a free sub?

However Shane Wright plays for an innocuous crusher and comes straight off.

Brisbane received absolutely no benefit from it. Didn't the Cowboys get placed on report but then receive the penalty?

that Shane Wright crusher penalty really annoyed me because you could clearly see he was looking at the ref and grabbed his neck, before looking at the ref a bit more. he was trying for the penalty and got his wish

 

[Kooly87]

When has Isaako shown to be first grade standard? I'm yet to see it. Or should we just keep sticking with him while he has a few classy moments in attack?

Pointing out that Milford hasn’t been a good Fullback since 2014 is in no way an endorsement of Isaako and I’m honestly not sure how you ever came to that conclusion.

 

[scobie]

I agree with all that except I don't think Lodge is overpaid. It may be poor balance to be stacked in the forwards but I think any good prop is on 600+. RCG reportedly on 800k for example. Klemmer I think was something really high too, Fonua-Blake was reported around 800 too. That's just some examples I can think of.

If his reported salary is around 650-700, I think that's about fair and I'd actually like to keep him and Haas as our long term front row pairing.

I think Lodge has been really good since he came back from his early season injury. As good as I've seen in a couple of years. I think the problem for our forwards is they try to overplay their hand at times to create a break or force the issue. And I think this comes from the fact our backs lack that bit of class. Lodge is the least of our worries.

 

[scobie]

that Shane Wright crusher penalty really annoyed me because you could clearly see he was looking at the ref and grabbed his neck, before looking at the ref a bit more. he was trying for the penalty and got his wish

That's in the game now unfortunately. Players need to be called out on it more. But like everything it comes back to coaching. They're being told to milk whatever they can.

 

[Kooly87]

I'm sorry but I just watched the replay and I'm happy, really happy. Yeah it was by no means perfect but man, if we keep Coates and get Reynolds, plus bring in a backrower and try and replace Isaako eventually at fullback, we are close to being top 8 already. If we didn't have such a pathetically unfair start to the season with the teams we played, we'd be in the bottom half of the 8 comfortably. There is something special brewing with this team, it just needs a conductor because the individual pieces of music are starting to sound beautiful, it just needs to come together. Our attack structures look as good as anyone, it is just it doesn't have said conductor to make it all flow as it could. Coates, please stay man, PLEASE.

I appreciate the positivity but that’s a fair list of things we’d still need to add and big question marks over all of them.

Coates could go either way and it won’t make us Premiers, it’s realistically all about getting a Reynolds or even an SJ - and a more experienced Backrower like Capewell to take one Edge and help bring Riki and Piakura on gradually.

Kurt Mann would be another really nice addition too. One of the most versatile guys getting around and could cover every single one of our spine positions.