Do you expect much improvement in our defense?

[cookieman909]

Defence is all attitude.

 

[Bulldogsteve]

Defence is all attitude.

Attitude and structure

 

[Lynchpin]

If we can hold our own in the middle, our edge-defenders get a decent shot at doing their job; and on that basis, if their attitude is good, we definitely improve.

If we start getting rolled through the middle, we'll end up back-peddling and getting beaten on the edges. When (if) that starts we'll be vulnerable on the flanks and back through the middle and many games, like last year, might start to get ugly.

We get to see from here what Ciraldo's "connections" look like and how they hold up in battle. He has his team, he has another pre-season using his staff and systems. We must show improvement or at least signs we're heading in the right direction. Surprisingly, the start of '23 did show some of these signs - not sure where they disappeared to after 10-ish rounds because they never looked like coming back.

 

[Cook]

100% we improve. We actually have some known defenders in the side. King and Curran tie up the middle. Crichton is massive out wide. I’d personally play Turpin on bench. Despite not being popular opinion he’s defence is terrific. Free up Mahoney a bit too freshen etc

 

[Cook]

Attitude and structure

Welcome back mate. U staying long??

 

[CQDog]

Welcome back mate. U staying long??

Nope

 

[Bulldogsteve]

Welcome back mate. U staying long??

Hopefully mate just blocking all the clown crew

 

[ILiveForDib]

If you look at it man for man Alamoti and Averillo as a pairing were turnstile defensively. Compile them with reserve grade standard middles and the ever looming gap TPJ, Okunbor, RFM and Thompson at the later end left I do anticipate improvement. Diabolical is an understatement for the standard of our defense throughout last season looking back now I don’t know why we expected any different from a pack who put themselves before the badge. The wastefulness in possession inadvertently led to us being under the pump the shirt grabbing and missed tackles individually were a joke but it doesn’t highlight the lack of IQ we had on the ball. Our downfall will be the same as any other year our middle will often be second best and we don’t have a half who can read the flow of a game as well as his opposing 7. As another member stated we used 36 players which is a record so we will improve maybe we will be better on the eye score a few more perhaps even win a few more either way we’re on the right trajectory.

 

[Kenya]

Our '23 defence was leaking through the middle.
That's the most humiliating thing that can happen on a field.

RFM was one of several players who just stopped showing up for us in '23,
more than anything D is an attitude thing.

If Ciraldo has the right D structure being applied by players with the right attitude, we will be far better in '24.

If we can get 10th or above in '24, it will be a good result for Ciraldo's 2nd year of 5 year contract.
Top 8 '25, top 4 '26...

 

[B-Train]

It can't get much worse when we conceded over 30 points a game last season.. But with more experienced players being signed, you'd hope that this year that number and the amount of missed tackles and weak efforts per game drops significantly.

 

[D.O.W.]

We improve defensively based on:
Having last season to adjust to a new system.
All active players are buying in.
We recruited men with 1st Grade experience.
We played half of last season with boys from Cup.
More depth this year.

 

[rainman]

There better be

 

[4Runner]

. He has his team, he has another pre-season using his staff and systems. We must show improvement or at least signs we're heading in the right direction.

Not sure he has his team yet but I'll put whats left of my testicles on we'll show signs of heading in the right direction.

 

[Grechy21]

Yes

 

[stevesonthebay]

We pretty much leaked the most points last year, how do you think we will go this year? Do you think the players we recruited will help fix our D? I know Kurt Mann and Critta are good defenders, haven't really paid attention to Curran's defensive game, though I've heard he's been killing it at training.

My biggest worry is Burton and Mahoney, maybe Turpin or Mann will come off the bench for Mahoney with Critta and a fit Kikau helping Burton on the left edge.

I think our defence has to improve. Its Ciraldos second preseason and he is known as a good defensive coach as testiment to the Panthers defence. So it seems more a case that last year was a transitional year and we should see improvement with most players getting use the the different and higher standards.

I also think out inexperience and injuries didn't help disrupting combinations and having to keep plugging holes. But the new recruitments all come from good systems and are experiences in winning so I think that will help.

I don't think it matters too much that we are a bit weak up front size wise as I think if the commitment and dicipline is there to work together and stick to the game plan for which we feel away from last year a lot we should get better. I am sure that we have worked on defence a lot due to our weakness last year and perhaps extremely so as CC is a stickler for good defence.

 

[stormboy]

Hopefully mate just blocking all the clown crew

Can you Block yourself? Hahahhahaha

 

[Hound Dog]

We pretty much leaked the most points last year, how do you think we will go this year? Do you think the players we recruited will help fix our D? I know Kurt Mann and Critta are good defenders, haven't really paid attention to Curran's defensive game, though I've heard he's been killing it at training.

My biggest worry is Burton and Mahoney, maybe Turpin or Mann will come off the bench for Mahoney with Critta and a fit Kikau helping Burton on the left edge.

Yes

 

[boggie23]

We have signed the best defensive centre in the NRL. Just him alone will improve our defense big time.

Also we have way better depth so that means we don't have to play deadwood like Okunbor & Perham which will help our defense also.

Nek minit we play him at fullback haha

I think we can’t get worse in defence. Surely we hit rock bottom and the addition by subtraction will help. Thompson, tpj, rfm, hayze, averillo were all a bit iffy in defence. Our middle goal line defence atrocious. You’d think something will be improved right? Can’t have dummy half’s scoring or hit ups 3m out finding gaps.

 

[4Runner]

the addition by subtraction will help.

...nice nice, an unexpected good contradiction of terms and so true! Hopefully resulting in an exponential improvement

 

[N4TE]

Depends on how many bullshit 6 again and penalties the refs give us to tire us out so that they can please the nrl overlords.

Yep you watch a game and it ends up being 30 - 16 but you think we did t even play that bad just the six agains got us. Three six agains in a set what do you expect.