The Hotdog smugglers

[ROC181]

Much whinging about other teams completion being in the 90s% but ours is much lower.... perhaps add up how many times we drop the ball without any pressure from the opposition. We may not be in the 90s if we stopped all those dumb knocks but it would improve.

[Kingbilly]

While I did not see alot of the game I will say I don't think Souffs have turned any corner. Earlier in the year I felt sick as I was very impressed with their structure and shape, which was second only to their executiuon. But that all went to shit and it hasn't improved, they played a team that mostly didn't give a shit in the second half.

The real fix will be on if the Warriors get a home semi final, not that they want the worries to win, but I think they are really want to have a game there

[Spirit of 66]

Unlikely, I know, but it would be good to see the Storm beaten by the Panthers tonight and the Roosters run up a score against the Eels and snatch the Minor Premiership.

[Johnny Tobin]

I don't wanna be too pessimistic but based on our last two games, we are as good as gone. IMO that's exactly how the finals will play out, we will see the good old tactic of:
- Penalties giving the opposition an early edge (that continues on because they are always 2 points up on us).
- Opposition will have 95% completions or greater so there will be few chances for us to score
- Opposition will constantly be offside and will spoil the ball and/or hold us down after each tackle (while themselves, doing intentional surrender tackles, not having them called and whinging that we are holding them down too long - the penalties will come and the door will slowly shut on us, without us ever really losing the contest)
- Big forwards will crash over for a few easy tries after a barrage of repeat sets on our line. We will have to endure commentators boasting about the skills and shyte of these supposedly nimble forwards, while gritting our teeth and saying... it wasn't that great!!!! They had 4 questionable repeat sets on our goal-line and after 24 runs somebody who weighs 120kg finally went 10m forward, through a small guy and/or a gap.
- We won't get beaten but we won't win either.

I don't have a solution to this!!! Really don't. It's always the way teams crack us and all we can really do is:
- Score lots of early points (never guaranteed).
- Get REALLY adventurous early on (and risk getting flogged)
- Up our defence another level (and kill our attack)
- Hope for a ref who has the cojones to call out the opposition (unlikely)

Don't get me wrong, I am happy with where we are right now. However, I think that 2019 is our year. This year we are lacking:
- Crichton, Morris and Hall
- Proper development from Butcher and Collins (neither are as good as I was hoping)
- Solid old hands (FPN, Reece and Baptiste unfortunately didn't find a second wind)
- Continuity (early on some of those injuries and attackin form issues cost us wins that we probably shoulda bagged, allowing us to be in cruise mode now)
- If rumours are correct, a proper attacking coach! The coaches seem to have fallen out a bit?
- A proper feeder. With Wyong bailing, we haven't had a good system for people outside the 17.

IMO the above factors will make us a premiership winning team rather than a top 4 team.

Mate we lost the same two games in 2013. Trust in Trent. I would still prefer to be us than any other side.

[Tommy Smith]

Watching Inglis walk 2m off the mark after every tackle and get rewarded for it is ****ing criminal.

[Thirteen]

Why do some keep comparing our season and chances to what happened in 2013. It’s a different year. Think present not past.

[bondi.boy]

Much whinging about other teams completion being in the 90s% but ours is much lower.... perhaps add up how many times we drop the ball without any pressure from the opposition. We may not be in the 90s if we stopped all those dumb knocks but it would improve.

Simple solution;

Get some new players who don't drop the ball without any pressure from the opposition...and get some new players who don't throw dumb passes and knock on.

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

Unlikely, I know, but it would be good to see the Storm beaten by the Panthers tonight and the Roosters run up a score against the Eels and snatch the Minor Premiership.

Highly unlikely, but would be prefect for us. While I don't care about the MP the plus side (other than the home semi) would be the fact we wouldn't have to play either Melb or the Vermin 1st week of the finals.

But rather we could sit back and watch them bash the sh*t outta each other next week, while the NRL are forced to decide which one of the 2 they would rather give the week off to during the 2nd week of the finals.

We can only dream that our stars will align

[Johnny Tobin]

Watching Inglis walk 2m off the mark after every tackle and get rewarded for it is ****ing criminal.

That was pathetic when they called it up and he still played it where he was.

[Maxy Walker]

I don't wanna be too pessimistic but based on our last two games, we are as good as gone. IMO that's exactly how the finals will play out, we will see the good old tactic of:
- Penalties giving the opposition an early edge (that continues on because they are always 2 points up on us).
- Opposition will have 95% completions or greater so there will be few chances for us to score
- Opposition will constantly be offside and will spoil the ball and/or hold us down after each tackle (while themselves, doing intentional surrender tackles, not having them called and whinging that we are holding them down too long - the penalties will come and the door will slowly shut on us, without us ever really losing the contest)
- Big forwards will crash over for a few easy tries after a barrage of repeat sets on our line. We will have to endure commentators boasting about the skills and shyte of these supposedly nimble forwards, while gritting our teeth and saying... it wasn't that great!!!! They had 4 questionable repeat sets on our goal-line and after 24 runs somebody who weighs 120kg finally went 10m forward, through a small guy and/or a gap.
- We won't get beaten but we won't win either.

I don't have a solution to this!!! Really don't. It's always the way teams crack us and all we can really do is:
- Score lots of early points (never guaranteed).
- Get REALLY adventurous early on (and risk getting flogged)
- Up our defence another level (and kill our attack)
- Hope for a ref who has the cojones to call out the opposition (unlikely)

Don't get me wrong, I am happy with where we are right now. However, I think that 2019 is our year. This year we are lacking:
- Crichton, Morris and Hall
- Proper development from Butcher and Collins (neither are as good as I was hoping)
- Solid old hands (FPN, Reece and Baptiste unfortunately didn't find a second wind)
- Continuity (early on some of those injuries and attackin form issues cost us wins that we probably shoulda bagged, allowing us to be in cruise mode now)
- If rumours are correct, a proper attacking coach! The coaches seem to have fallen out a bit?
- A proper feeder. With Wyong bailing, we haven't had a good system for people outside the 17.

IMO the above factors will make us a premiership winning team rather than a top 4 team.

Geez settle drama queen! We just hit a flat spot the last couple of weeks due to some very key injuries (Keary and JWH) and probably a bit of a mental letdown after winning a run of big games to ensure a top 4 spot.

With key players back and the extra motivation of finals games we’ll be back to our best no worries.

[roosterchook]

I think we’ll beat the eels but I’m concerned about our bad habits resurfacing. The last two games we just went back to our old bad habits of dumb errors and poor ball handling. I take it as a sign we can’t play well under pressure. Approaching the finals this is not a good sign. Our defense also has taken a back step against the Broncos. Having 2 sin bins in one match also made it clear to us that the refs are going to do everything possible to have us eliminated again. We just can’t beat the refs and our opponents. It’s too much to ask.

[rozza]

It would be nice to see Souths penalised for their voluntary tackles i can't remember when was the last penalty for one of those.

[ChookMaster]

I think we’ll beat the eels but I’m concerned about our bad habits resurfacing. The last two games we just went back to our old bad habits of dumb errors and poor ball handling. I take it as a sign we can’t play well under pressure. Approaching the finals this is not a good sign. Our defense also has taken a back step against the Broncos. Having 2 sin bins in one match also made it clear to us that the refs are going to do everything possible to have us eliminated again. We just can’t beat the refs and our opponents. It’s too much to ask.

To be fair I thought both sin bins were warranted.. Napa got off lightly with the sin bin, he could of potentially been sent off. And latrell was offside and tackled a player when the broncs could of scored. Both were stupid errors from us.

[Tommy Smith]

Before Latrell's sin bin there was the most blatant shephard in history that Sutton ignored even though he was right there.

That **** doesn't even try and hide his agenda sometimes.

[Arties Pie]

To be fair I thought both sin bins were warranted.. Napa got off lightly with the sin bin, he could of potentially been sent off. And latrell was offside and tackled a player when the broncs could of scored. Both were stupid errors from us.

Really ? I thought Napa's was only a head clash, I didn't think a head clash was even a penalty, it's not as if he deliberately head butted him, just bad positioning imo.