We will never win a comp with Jake Friend at hooker !!!

[stsae]

Perhaps they won't run the field to score, but we'd still make a linebreak. I'd back SKiDsy to find the line, if he can catch the bloody ball. Just because we don't have Carney doesn't mean we shouldn't run the play that regularly put him in holes.

Perhaps you remember those days... I never criticised him for being too structured, so I'll let that one through to the keeper. As for it being based on a few throw away lines... I base my opinion of Smith entirely on what goes on, on the field. Even in the games we have won (except perhaps the Warriors game), we look disorganised in attack, as though we are relying entirely on luck or a bit of individual brilliance (a quantity we do not have in abundance at the moment).

I'm not sure what you mean by "agenda." I don't think there are posters on here that would bag Smith if we were playing to the best of our ability. Perhaps some overestimate that "best," but everyone on here (barring some of the fake accounts and that one-week-wonder Cowboy) wants Easts to win. Some (and I am one of them) just think that at this point, Smith is inhibiting that rather than helping it. That is not an agenda mate, that's having an opinion and supporting the club.

Firstly I make the agenda comment about Fredo and his few mates who blame the coach for EVERYTHING. It goes back to pRicky, some are never satisfied with the coach. I wasn't meaning you BF, we may not always agree but you present your very valid opinions with examples and without blind hatred. I appreciate our debates.

I also have no probs with posters who want to change the coach. I agree we probably won't win a comp with him. It's the agendas I will always point out. Those posters who offer nothing in any other area but to just whip up hatred of the coach, especially after a win.

IMO we would be silly to let SKiD roam the field playing like a FB or halve. He can only just handle running his line and as you said his hands can be shocking. IMO it's a 1, 6, 7 and 9 thing I'm meaning. And we don't have the cattle to do that sorta play, similar to the freaks at Melba or the Cowplods, quick interchange passing at the ruck with a speed merchant to hit the hole and rip it up the middle.

With the ever assessed game plan/structure thingy, look at our right side. That's our ONLY game plan sadly in attack. And it works very well, even with Mini wrapping around and creating the extra player, like against the Worriers. But that will get found out by smart defences and coaches cos they know it's our ONLY point of attack.

Also the dummy 1/2 running, that's game plan. We don't always do it, it's very basic and it's not very attractive but those few early wins tell me it can work when needed. It can also fail like all game plans.

Also the kicking the ball dead what we tried against Melba and The Cowplods. That's game plan, very successfully used by Freddo against Melba a few times. Keeping the faster FBs from playing a natural running game is a smart game plan IMO. I reckon it worked in that 1st 1/2 against Melba, They were just too good in the end. Same as the Cowplods, they were just great against us. IMO when you hit a shit hot side it doesn't really matter what game plan you employ, sometimes you eat shit. We sure did.

They are prime examples of some sort of structure/game plan. Maybe you don't agree with them, I don't always, but from what I watch we do have some sort of plan. IMO we won't see anything consistent or get into any groove until Bwaiff goes. Then maybe we can expand our structures and not be so one dimensional on the right side.

[Guest]

whats happened to backwards, there isnt a million smiley faces in your last long post.

[Pass the Ball]

Carney is simply a brilliant footballer..

He shone in an ordinary Canberra team
He blitzed the comp in an average Easts team
Now he is doing his thing at the Sharks...Yes that's right, at the Sharks..

Notice how good Jeff Robson looks this year..??

I guess it could just be a coincidence..

[Guest]

Firstly I make the agenda comment about Fredo and his few mates who blame the coach for EVERYTHING. It goes back to pRicky, some are never satisfied with the coach. I wasn't meaning you BF, we may not always agree but you present your very valid opinions with examples and without blind hatred. I appreciate our debates.

I also have no probs with posters who want to change the coach. I agree we probably won't win a comp with him. It's the agendas I will always point out. Those posters who offer nothing in any other area but to just whip up hatred of the coach, especially after a win.

IMO we would be silly to let SKiD roam the field playing like a FB or halve. He can only just handle running his line and as you said his hands can be shocking. IMO it's a 1, 6, 7 and 9 thing I'm meaning. And we don't have the cattle to do that sorta play, similar to the freaks at Melba or the Cowplods, quick interchange passing at the ruck with a speed merchant to hit the hole and rip it up the middle.

With the ever assessed game plan/structure thingy, look at our right side. That's our ONLY game plan sadly in attack. And it works very well, even with Mini wrapping around and creating the extra player, like against the Worriers. But that will get found out by smart defences and coaches cos they know it's our ONLY point of attack.

Also the dummy 1/2 running, that's game plan. We don't always do it, it's very basic and it's not very attractive but those few early wins tell me it can work when needed. It can also fail like all game plans.

Also the kicking the ball dead what we tried against Melba and The Cowplods. That's game plan, very successfully used by Freddo against Melba a few times. Keeping the faster FBs from playing a natural running game is a smart game plan IMO. I reckon it worked in that 1st 1/2 against Melba, They were just too good in the end. Same as the Cowplods, they were just great against us. IMO when you hit a shit hot side it doesn't really matter what game plan you employ, sometimes you eat shit. We sure did.

They are prime examples of some sort of structure/game plan. Maybe you don't agree with them, I don't always, but from what I watch we do have some sort of plan. IMO we won't see anything consistent or get into any groove until Bwaiff goes. Then maybe we can expand our structures and not be so one dimensional on the right side.

Please learn to write a sentence.
Take a deep breath and say out loud what it is you want to say.

[stsae]

Please learn to write a sentence.
Take a deep breath and say out loud what it is you want to say.

vingtax error, it really hit the old raw nerve I dig.

[Rooster_6]

Lets get one thing straight. Carney was the reason for 2010. It had nothing whatsoever to do with Friend. Carney barked orders at everyone on our team and made sure they were where he wanted them to be. Friend's poor decision making and slow service were hidden because he was never having to decide something for himself, just pass it to whoever Carney told him to and that was his job.

You're not seriously trying to suggest that Carney was barking orders and organsing the side right now are you?

To succeed at hooker in today's game, you have to comfortably be able to cover halfback if the need arose. Does anyone actually believe Friend could wear the no.7 jersey if Pearce were to go down injured during a game? Not a farking chance.

Well then that rules out 15 nrl hookers.... even Farah the most creative dummy half has failed to crack it at halfback when give the opportunity to.

He is slow in every aspect of the game. Passing, decision making, and actual running. The only thing he has got going for him is that he gets involved in a lot of tackles. I say gets involved because he absolutely never makes 1 on 1 tackles, and regularly just jumps up high and gets pushed back till JWH or Kennedy arrive to stop the momentum of the runner.

His role isn't to make 1 on 1 tackles, if players in your middle third are making one on one tackles that's not a good sign...

I used to believe Pearce was the lynch pin stiffling our attack, however when Mitchell has been starting for 2 games, for those 30 minutes Pearce actually looks alive out there. To me that points the problem at Friend.

IMO Friend could be a decent backrower/hooker, coming on to give Mitchell a rest for 15 minutes a half and then maybe staying on and playing lock when Mitchell comes back on.

Mitchell was crap against the Titans, our best period was just after half time when Pearce and Friend got us playing right up the middle, did you not watch the game or something? Our attack was flat and one dimensional with Mitchell on the field... not that Friend hasn't offered similar plenty of times this season.

[Danish]

You're not seriously trying to suggest that Carney was barking orders and organsing the side right now are you?

Our attack was razor sharp when Carney was in the side, just as Cronulla's is now, and the Raiders was back in the day.

Do you honestly think thats just a coincidence?

Well then that rules out 15 nrl hookers.... even Farah the most creative dummy half has failed to crack it at halfback when give the opportunity to.

Smith, Farah, Buderus, Fein and several others have all covered halfback amicably when players have gone down injured.

They aren't halfbacks and would not be placed in the 7 for weeks on end, but they can all cover the position.

Friend would be lost even playing 15 mins in the 7.

His role isn't to make 1 on 1 tackles, if players in your middle third are making one on one tackles that's not a good sign...

It is also not to jump up, hold on and weight for reinforcement. Whats the point of making 50 tackles a game if you are also giving away 25 quick play the balls and 3 penalties in the process?

Mitchell was crap against the Titans, our best period was just after half time when Pearce and Friend got us playing right up the middle, did you not watch the game or something? Our attack was flat and one dimensional with Mitchell on the field... not that Friend hasn't offered similar plenty of times this season.

I suppose thats why our 2 tries during that period came from Takarangi attacking down the left flank, right?

[Guest]

Our attack was razor sharp when Carney was in the side, just as Cronulla's is now, and the Raiders was back in the day.

Do you honestly think thats just a coincidence?







Smith, Farah, Buderus, Fein and several others have all covered halfback amicably when players have gone down injured.

They aren't halfbacks and would not be placed in the 7 for weeks on end, but they can all cover the position.

Friend would be lost even playing 15 mins in the 7.





It is also not to jump up, hold on and weight for reinforcement. Whats the point of making 50 tackles a game if you are also giving away 25 quick play the balls and 3 penalties in the process?





I suppose thats why our 2 tries during that period came from Takarangi attacking down the left flank, right?

Danish / Yoda you talk too much sense.

PLease don't feed the animals

[Rooster_6]

Our attack was razor sharp when Carney was in the side, just as Cronulla's is now, and the Raiders was back in the day.

Do you honestly think thats just a coincidence?

Never argued otherwise, I disagree with the assertion that Carney organised our attack however which is what you suggested.

The Raiders attack was never as good as ours in 2010 purely because Carney had to play halfback, it's why they never reached any great heights despite having Carney & Campese. Similar story with Cronulla, Robson isn't in the same class as Pearce as an organiser and Carney still has to do quite a bit which has taken away from his running game which has almost been non existent this season.

Smith, Farah, Buderus, Fein and several others have all covered halfback amicably when players have gone down injured.

They aren't halfbacks and would not be placed in the 7 for weeks on end, but they can all cover the position.

Friend would be lost even playing 15 mins in the 7.

Farah has never succeeded at halfback & Fien was a halfback who made the transition to dummy half... of course he can play halfback.

It is also not to jump up, hold on and weight for reinforcement. Whats the point of making 50 tackles a game if you are also giving away 25 quick play the balls and 3 penalties in the process?

Agreed his discipline is poor, again though I'm not sure what this has to do with your criticism of him not making 1 on 1 tackles which was the only thing I disagreed with...

I suppose thats why our 2 tries during that period came from Takarangi attacking down the left flank, right?

Not unless we were watching different games... Braith kicked for SKD on the right & Pearce turned a ball on the inside for Mini in the middle. Taka did make a great break in the lead up for one of the tries but that's jut a product of playing direct and then using the space out wide rather than what we were doing for the other 50 minutes where we just played sideline to sideline. I'm not sure how your point is in disagreement with mine though, largely I agree with you that Taka was great but again it was a product of us playing up the middle.

[stsae]

Apple razor sharp the Tards attack???

What their 110 for and our 98 for??? That whole 2 tries difference??? Considering the amount of BOD tries we've been jipped this year we could easily be ahead of them in the for stat. And they are only 1 win in front of us.

It's their defence that's dominated us this year. Considering they're yet to hit Melba that could easily even out at some point.

If you'd recall it took over 1/2 the season in 2010 for us to really click. When we did we really cracked a few heads and Carntey was responsible for a lot of that, no doubt there.

If you have watched the Tards, Carntey by his own admission has eased into the season. Robson, DeGois,Gallen, Smiff and Bukurya have ran their attack and done a fine job at it. But the signs of Carntey clicking are there, he played his best last weekend, and that can only be used to their advantage as the year goes on.

Irrespective of anything, Pearce is an organizing 1/2 and Carntey is an instinctive 5/8. If they get the chance to play Origin this year IMO they will be our only hope of getting over the Redneck Nuttbags. Throw in Hayne from the back and we may have a slight chance.