Trial and I’m worried

[Chris Harding]

The leadership is non existent across the club. I know I’ll get hammered for this but Jackson needs to go. He is our leader but doesn’t lead by example. He leads with ill discipline and everyone follows that lead.

The coaching staff clearly don’t demand respect. Because the players don’t give it.

We look tired and not fit again. It’s a lack of fitness that is the cause of a lot of the errors.

I think our only chance is to focus on a really simple game plan. Play players in their best positions. E.g TPJ cannot handle the edge roll. He needs to play as a middle.

As I said in another thread - Jackson is our new Tolman. He kills the play every time he gets the ball.

 

[Chris Harding]

Still no runs off the back fence. Though Thommo did a few...but nothing to the same effectiveness of half of Nulla forwards.

No one is going with him to take the pass.

That has been our downfall for years - we do not have football smarts - just plodders who turn up, and do enough to collect their pay.

Any potential talent is held back, or forced to carry the dullards and loafers, ruining their own game.
Youngsters should be supported by the regular first graders, not be expected to rescue them.

 

[Woofwoof1980]

It's been pointed out so many times. For mine if JMK Okunbor and Averillo aren't on the field or in different positions I think we look better. Baz is a stubborn know it all though, which will be his downfall. I'd put BBO at half, Cook at hooker and Averillo off the bench. The rest of the team would remain the same.... but he won't. Pulling my fucking hair out. Av does have value just not as a starting half I'm afraid.

 

[SPEARTAKVIDREFS]

Yes it was only a trial
Yes it was the first time most of our backline play together
Yes we can improve
But what I’m worried about is the lack of improvement in any department across the park. We still don’t look strong, we look weak and get dominated up front. How are we meant to compete when a sharks forward pack missing a few players also completely embarrassed us.

Look, you have guys on here saying it’s early bla bla bla, but I did not see one bit of improvement. Besides the one attacking play we made and burton looking crisp off a Avo ball we did fuck all again. Same stupid mistakes, brain farts, penalties etc etc etc… if we don’t somehow turn things around in a massive way then I can see every team in the comp smashing us again this season.

Baz has to be watching his back surly! I don’t think gus is going to accept mediocre with a roster like we have. You watch Baz in the dressing room addressing the players and I just see a coach talking to a mate, on another hand, furner should have never gotten another year. Our toughness is non existent and he is a big part of our defence!

For once I’m dumbfounded on what needs to be fixed. It’s a bloody mess, I just can’t do another 2020-2021!

Fair comments and I agree. Yes its a trial but very telling signs. I found myself agreeing with Anasta after the game which is pretty much what you've said, "I expected better" and he is right.
The thing is there is nothing we (as supporters) can do about it.
Wasnt expecting miracles or top 8 team this year, just some improvement from the off season to build on as the year roles on. We look clueless.

 

[wendog33]

No one is going with him to take the pass.

That has been our downfall for years - we do not have football smarts - just plodders who turn up, and do enough to collect their pay.

Any potential talent is held back, or forced to carry the dullards and loafers, ruining their own game.
Youngsters should be supported by the regular first graders, not be expected to rescue them.

Just simple elementary fundamentals the coach can't coach. Mind boggling.

 

[John Matrix]

It's been pointed out so many times. For mine if JMK Okunbor and Averillo aren't on the field or in different positions I think we look better. Baz is a stubborn know it all though, which will be his downfall. I'd put BBO at half, Cook at hooker and Averillo off the bench. The rest of the team would remain the same.... but he won't. Pulling my fucking hair out. Av does have value just not as a starting half I'm afraid.

Baz is stubborn or has rocks in his head

 

[diddly]

Topine seems to be on the outer - no fg game time in either trial. BBO didnt get on last night either.

Good to see that Rajab and Toia got a few minutes though.

 

[vegny]

Not the end of the world. They just went out with wrong attitude. The other team were more committed and were prepared to put in more. Instead of trying to match the commitment/energy, the dogs took short cut. The forwards were not prepared to do the hard work. They tried to go wide before trying to win in the middle. Trying to offload whenever the could etc. They went out for a picnic and got ambushed. Lol.

The only concern is probably the lack of direction from the coach, the captain and the more experience players.

 

[Malla]

We just need to cut errors and penalties out.

Sharks won because they had a 7-1 penalty count early on, and we had 12 men for the last 10 of the first half. That's where they piled on the points.

Everything will come eventually, we have to be patient, but errors are something we can control that we should not be seeing.

 

[Bazildog]

Like another poster said; "Dont worry its just a trial, its just the first few rounds, its just the halfway point in the season, its just his second year of the rebuild Its just........

 

[diddly]

We just need to cut errors and penalties out.

Sharks won because they had a 7-1 penalty count early on, and we had 12 men for the last 10 of the first half. That's where they piled on the points.

Everything will come eventually, we have to be patient, but errors are something we can control that we should not be seeing.

We never had only 12 players - sin binned players are replaced i trials.

The handling errors should be easily fixed (but arent) - biggest issues is lack of dominance in tackles - need either strength, conditioning or technique impovement

 

[Malla]

We never had only 12 players - sin binned players are replaced i trials.

The handling errors should be easily fixed (but arent) - biggest issues is lack of dominance in tackles - need either strength, conditioning or technique impovement

Well thats fucking hilarious then, we had 13 and looked like we had 12.

Communication in defense is also an issue. A lot of one out stuff, some of Sharks points came off simple one on one misses.

 

[Jebbundy]

Jackson horrible both trials, he’s playing like we needed those or that player last few years, trying to do things instead of using the team, he’s lost trust, that play when he ran it but he had dufty, jac, naden and burton outside him……he’s lost trust.
Right side in okunbor schoupp are too young, oks looks so nervous, and you can see it hurts us, out of position, runs in, drop balls, every time he touches the ball looks like he’s just happy he’s alive. Schoupp must be just as confused. Need experience with schoupp or stability.
Naden and jac although not perfect looked strong and safe for the most part. That’s experience and trust. I get the trial talk but I would have been happier to see Vaughn not kick, tjp just play a simple role and keep it together, oks watch the game with the coach so he can learn. Jackson told this week no milking penalties just play hard and get the ball to burton or avo. No offloads until we are in passed our 40 in the first 20 mins. No offloads on our first run. It’s a trial just go and get some great match fitness, that’s all.
After that first try we just fell apart…..hated seeing jac calling on our players to come in after the naden try, no one ran in from the right edge. We just fell apart

 

[dogzofwar]

As I said in another thread - Jackson is our new Tolman. He kills the play every time he gets the ball.

I agree he is too used to playing through the motions few times on their line he was taking hit
Ups on the the third and fourth tackle

 

[Bob dog]

The lack of intensity can be fixed, the Sharks gave them a lesson.
Last years last game team were better than last nights effort, Barrett can do it.
We need to get the ball to the wings fluently.

 

[Fingal Bay]

There is no organisation in anything we do, nobody calling for the ball from the dummy-half, etc. They play like a B-grade team in everything they do. Who’s fault is that, the coach? Averillo is not up to first grade, Schoup made three mistakes in the first half, rightfully replaced. Okunbor not up to first grade. Jackson is not a ball distributor. Topine can’t get a run, why not and Cook has more upside than Marshall-King. As for the coaches the jury is out. Come on Bulldogs give us something to be proud of.

 

[LoneWolf]

I’m not worried. New players need time to gel. They got to excited and the game fell away. Only a trial.

A voice of reason amongst all the gloom [emoji106]

You hit the nail on the head . Combinations and fluidity will take time .

It’s hard to gauge pre season form . You have some teams that come out intense whilst opposition not so intense and results can be misleading .

One thing though , it places unnecessary pressure on Barrett and the team , especially if results don’t go our way after 2 rounds .

The team still has weaknesses , our right side is still bottom of the table stuff and until we fix those positions improvement and results will be hard to come by imo

 

[Bazildog]

@maroondog72 ???

 

[diddly]

Jackson horrible both trials, he’s playing like we needed those or that player last few years, trying to do things instead of using the team, he’s lost trust, that play when he ran it but he had dufty, jac, naden and burton outside him……he’s lost trust.
Right side in okunbor schoupp are too young, oks looks so nervous, and you can see it hurts us, out of position, runs in, drop balls, every time he touches the ball looks like he’s just happy he’s alive. Schoupp must be just as confused. Need experience with schoupp or stability.
Naden and jac although not perfect looked strong and safe for the most part. That’s experience and trust. I get the trial talk but I would have been happier to see Vaughn not kick, tjp just play a simple role and keep it together, oks watch the game with the coach so he can learn. Jackson told this week no milking penalties just play hard and get the ball to burton or avo. No offloads until we are in passed our 40 in the first 20 mins. No offloads on our first run. It’s a trial just go and get some great match fitness, that’s all.
After that first try we just fell apart…..hated seeing jac calling on our players to come in after the naden try, no one ran in from the right edge. We just fell apart

Okunbor is not young for an NRL player he turns 25 tomorrow - he is just not fg standard.

 

[Woofwoof1980]

Let's get real for a moment. We should have never resigned after the 16year old fuck scandal... yeah she was legal but only just. I have daughters slightly younger than that and they are impressionable. The dogs were there as ambassadors FFS. Even if he was a marquise player I'd be calling for his head. But he isn't. Let's just offload him. He is on fuck all anyway