Re: Tonights Game v Catalans Dragons
Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:52 pm
I thought the game emphasised just how little threat we have up front. We've invested in two new centres to improve our outside backs but what is the point when other teams are strengthening their packs and we're going backwards. I said in the off-season that if we're going into games with Isa as a starting back row we've got real problems and we have. Solid pro or not we need dangerous players but Isa is a bigger danger to himself than opponents these days. Quota players need to be top players and most of ours just aren't. Mago actually had a bit of an impact off the bench for a few carries but he makes cameos and nothing more. Tonight probably counts as a good game for Ellis because of the offload for Smith's try meaning he actually did something of note for the first time since punching Dezaria in the face. Everything else from him was bland and ineffective. Singleton has started the season well (by his standards) yet gifted Ma'u his first try with shocking defending. Havard, after a good game last week struggles to back it up with another good display.
We're more than good enough to beat absolute dross like Wakefield and Castleford but where's the improvement going to come from to allow us beat quality teams? Sure, we made errors and bad decisions but you can only count that as something we can improve upon if the players we have are capable of doing so. Is this a team that can play consistent error free rugby this year?
I'm not Powell's biggest critic but I thought he had a poor game tonight. The 40/20 was a moment of excellent vision but the rest of his decision making was a bit all over the place. Diving over from close range when we'd finally managed to draw defenders into the middle. Scooting from dummy half on the last tackle with defenders set which only served to reduce Smith's time to put in a kick. Not scooting when 3 defenders were floored and there was space behind the ruck. I usually accept some of his weaknesses but we just can't keep playing Powell by himself and never having any change of pace around the ruck. O'Neill is too similar to Powell to offer a noticeable change. Give Forber a chance because he's shown some form and genuinely has something to change our attack.
We've got KPP occupying a spot on the bench but offering nothing when he comes on. I had really high hopes for him coming into this year with his chance to nail down a starting position but truth be told at this rate he'll go down as a poor signing. A few fancy offloads but where's the substance to go with the occasional style?
The only player I was happy with was Smith. A few mistakes were made but he also created enough opportunities to win us that game almost single-handedly had they not been messed up and our defence not weak near our own line. His kicking game was outstanding and really he deserved a bit of help from Cust who offered nothing and is also a big issue defensively on our right edge. He's so uncomfortable in a sliding defence and it's making overlaps far too easy.
We're bang on course to follow the pattern of being the team that challenges Saints one year only to fall off the pace the next. Once again we're wondering what the team could be capable of if only we had a decent front row.
We're more than good enough to beat absolute dross like Wakefield and Castleford but where's the improvement going to come from to allow us beat quality teams? Sure, we made errors and bad decisions but you can only count that as something we can improve upon if the players we have are capable of doing so. Is this a team that can play consistent error free rugby this year?
I'm not Powell's biggest critic but I thought he had a poor game tonight. The 40/20 was a moment of excellent vision but the rest of his decision making was a bit all over the place. Diving over from close range when we'd finally managed to draw defenders into the middle. Scooting from dummy half on the last tackle with defenders set which only served to reduce Smith's time to put in a kick. Not scooting when 3 defenders were floored and there was space behind the ruck. I usually accept some of his weaknesses but we just can't keep playing Powell by himself and never having any change of pace around the ruck. O'Neill is too similar to Powell to offer a noticeable change. Give Forber a chance because he's shown some form and genuinely has something to change our attack.
We've got KPP occupying a spot on the bench but offering nothing when he comes on. I had really high hopes for him coming into this year with his chance to nail down a starting position but truth be told at this rate he'll go down as a poor signing. A few fancy offloads but where's the substance to go with the occasional style?
The only player I was happy with was Smith. A few mistakes were made but he also created enough opportunities to win us that game almost single-handedly had they not been messed up and our defence not weak near our own line. His kicking game was outstanding and really he deserved a bit of help from Cust who offered nothing and is also a big issue defensively on our right edge. He's so uncomfortable in a sliding defence and it's making overlaps far too easy.
We're bang on course to follow the pattern of being the team that challenges Saints one year only to fall off the pace the next. Once again we're wondering what the team could be capable of if only we had a decent front row.