Game one review

[DoggyStyla]

The best part of the game was Katoas shoulder into the women assaulters head!

 

[Big M]

There were things tonight that I was happy about but there are also areas where we need to change.

I'll start by saying that our defence has picked up right where it left off last season. Perhaps there's even been a touch of improvement. I don't recall Parra getting close to our line without a penalty or unless we made an error. Our fragile edges looked very safe tonight. I can't find fault in anyone's defence. What was a little disappointing was that late in the game we got caught out through a lack of supporting the kick defence after RFM dropped the bomb from Fingersin. When Lewis fumbled and tried to kick the ball dead the rest of the team had switched off. Sadly that resulted in us losing. We looked to have Parra nullified until it happened.

The good things about our attack were that the forwards had the upper hand slightly. Nobody really stood out in my view but they worked harder than Parra and it showed. The big issue I see with our attack is that the forwards actually drift too wide in the attacking 30 metre zone. It's not a new thing. It's a remnant of the Hasler days. Even if our outside backs were outstanding, they'll fail because our forwards barely leave them any room to move. By the time they get the ball they're compressed near the sidelines. It wouldn't be a huge issue if the backs are running from behind them at pace to support passes at the line and inside balls. But they're not. They're trying to remain on the outside of edge runners that are playing incredibly wide. I saw that as a bit of an issue where Lewis would have to turn and pass back inside because of the fact that the backs are well covered because the defence can just drift wide knowing that our attack is compressed. Our attack on the edges wound up looking like a moshpit of defenders. We largely went to the left all night too.

I think the structure restricted what both halves were able to do. I'm seeing a lot of people accusing Lewis of being a hog, but Wakeham didn't really demand the ball much and only really handled it when it was going through a few sets of hands. I think that towering bombs are going to result in less tries this year with the new rules surrounding tackling players in the air. Fingersin drew a couple of penalties by tucking his legs up when a defender was near and jumping into them as did Sivo. I counted at least two penalties conceded when Chrighton touched Sivo in the air and a couple on the other side. Unless our backs are able to time their leaps better, we'll be better served with grubbers out wide. I expect to see a lot of teams doing this to start a set with a penalty.

I find it hard to single out our best players. Jacko and DWZ both made a nice run each, but it was very much a team effort. Napa was aggressive but mostly disciplined, Britt almost gave us our best scoring chance with an offload (which was unfortunately thrown forward). Both halves got a repeat set early. Our previously fragile flanks were very solid. JMK played a simple game but his service was good.

It wasn't an exciting game to watch though. Neither team was creating much. For once I have few complaints about the refereeing. DWZ being called back for stepping off the mark was annoying when Parra were guilty of it too. But there were no huge blunders that I'm angry about.

It's not great to lose on the back of a couple of late errors, but I am happy with our defence. Our attack needs tweaking though.

Great summary,we need a ball playing backrower and/or the same with a fullback.We make do with what we have as there isn’t any that I know on the market.Hoppa yes can do it but a backrower gives a lot more options.

 

[Typical dog]

RFM has to play a bit wider and have some support for his offload. The guy is so hard to handle but we have him running through the middle taking hit ups.

 

[Alan79]

Great summary,we need a ball playing backrower and/or the same with a fullback.We make do with what we have as there isn’t any that I know on the market.Hoppa yes can do it but a backrower gives a lot more options.

Thanks big M. I think CHN might have offered that, and assuming the scandal in the media blows over and he's allowed to play again, he will hopefully provide some second phase play after serving a suspension. Britt can also offload and seems to do it sensibly.

 

[hoggy]

the defense last night was very good , to keep the team that everyone is saying is going to give the title a shake was pleasing ,one thing you dont do is getting into a running game against the eels they will tear you apart you have to wear them down , the team did that they just couldn't capitalize on it in attack , we have a few little things to sort out on this , standing deeper and keeping forwards in the middle with stimson and jackson on the edges offloading or running the angles ,wakeham following britt and rfm ready for the offloads
, this team will get better each week once the distractions are gone

 

[2ndphase]

Last night shows that Dean Pay is a very good defensive coach.
BUT in my opinion he isnt a head coach is not a coach that can take us forward.
Our team could be so much better with better direction.
Its same same as it has been the last couple of years.

 

[H-dog]

We defended well but our starting pack was too small, Napa and Tolman are fine to start but RFM In place of Elliot will make us so much stronger to start the match.
Then with Elliott enthusiasm coming if the bench that rotation you would think could provide more go forward.
JMK had some very inconsistent service and I hope that is only down to not much preseason and the shoulder.
Hoppa had a lot of difficult runs in the middle compared to smith who seemed to hide on the edge.
Meaney needs to shadow DWZ in attack, especially with kick returns he has the pace to finish a half break but isn’t there!!!
Overall better start than last year, hopefully it’s consistent

 

[speedy2460]

The position we need to fill is that of an attacking coach. We are still suffering the Georgallis syndrome and need to get rid of it.
Antonelli is going OK, but OK is not good enough.

 

[Dognacious]

Yeh thought our defence was pretty good. Shows our attitude it good and Pay has the dressing room. Attack was green as grass. Eels defence was pretty good, and they are expected to be a top 4 side this year, but we lacked direction in attack. Halves is a big problem. Neither of them gave me hope last night. Lewis can only kick and tackle and nothing else, and Wakeham was MIA.

I think the result is better if we had Foran, Okunbor and CHN. We needed some players who can break the line last night, and a half who can organise at least a little. Fuck all 3 of them

 

[Caveman]

The greatest problem with our halves at the moment is our hookers lack of confidence in himself, which in turn projected a lack of confidence onto Wakeham, jmk predictably and continuously threw the ball to Lewis.

This not only will hamper Wakehams confidence, but will also make it very easy for defence to read and learn our attacking structures.

Jmk needs to be confident in himself - he's not a kid anymore - he needs to get some mongrel and start calling the shots and directing a team full of inexperienced playmakers.

We need a hooker that has confidence and doesn't just submit to one playmakers calls and reject the other.

 

[magdog]

Our spine is bottom 3 in the comp

 

[dogluva]

Fair review. I am pissed off that fingersin didnt get ulled up for his trip though!!
After an entire off season working with Joey the immortal, Parramatta's halves were very much nullified by our defense. That was pleasing to watch.

What was it they said...did not make a second effort with his leg? As soon as I saw the way DWZ was felled I called trip and the replay did not change my mind. Begs the question if DWZ was hurt what would have been said then?
I made the comment last night that for a side that was talking itself up as premiership threats/ favourites we pretty much locked them out of the game until that mistake. If only we could mount some effective attack we would have at least tied the game if not won it. No two points but kudos to the boys for the efforts.

 

[dogluva]

Good report, and I agree with your observations. Parra rarely got beyond their 40 metre line - and this is a team lauded for its huge and fast outside backs, who were supposed to steamroll over our smaller halves. Ch 9 ran footage of how damaging Siva and Ferguson are with line breaks and ease scoring tries against tougher opponents. They were pumped for a big Eels win.

I reckon the club earned a lot of respect last night, and many watching would have thought Parra lucky to win; not deserving of a win. On courage alone, the Dogs were the winners last night.

Our attack needs some work. Maybe Foran can act as mentor, so we can get some value from him.

Sivo would have to be the biggest cat/ sook that I have seen play the game. He was going nowhere last night and should not even have been playing anyway. Just what happened with his supposed court case yesterday?

Oh and on Ferguson and the non trip......

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sp...t/news-story/34698f3a7db1db2a155022f276392ea2
Canterbury’s Christian Crichton has avoided a suspension for a high shot on Parramatta’s Maika Sivo in Thursday’s NRL season-opener at Bankwest Stadium. The NRL’s match review committee handed down their charges on Friday morning with Crichton escaping with a grade one careless high tackle, carrying a maximum $1500 fine.

Bulldogs teammate Dalllin Watene-Zelezniak was also hit with a grade one dangerous contact charge on Reed Mahoney from an incident in the 25th minute. He will escape suspension with an early guilty plea.

Eels winger Blake Ferguson will cop a maximum $1500 fine for a grade one tripping charge over an incident involving Watene-Zelezniak in the second half.

 

[dogluva]

RFM has to play a bit wider and have some support for his offload. The guy is so hard to handle but we have him running through the middle taking hit ups.

Yep. Raymond has mongrel and could be a very important part of the side if CHN does not make it back...

 

[DoggyStyla]

We knocked back Nathan Peats. Watching the Gold Coast game today, the only time they looked good was the 20 mins he played dummy half. They had attack and scored a try

 

[flamebouyant]

What was it they said...did not make a second effort with his leg? As soon as I saw the way DWZ was felled I called trip and the replay did not change my mind. Begs the question if DWZ was hurt what would have been said then?
I made the comment last night that for a side that was talking itself up as premiership threats/ favourites we pretty much locked them out of the game until that mistake. If only we could mount some effective attack we would have at least tied the game if not won it. No two points but kudos to the boys for the efforts.

I sadly had to listen to channel 9 commentary. Sp fatty was saying there was nothing in it, yada yada yada, even after the replay that showed clearly that it was a trip. There was even a second movement that made it even more of a trip!

 

[Howard Moon]

I sadly had to listen to channel 9 commentary. Sp fatty was saying there was nothing in it, yada yada yada, even after the replay that showed clearly that it was a trip. There was even a second movement that made it even more of a trip!

funny that when a team are media darlings (which Parra for some reason are now) there is no intent in incidents like that, when you can clearly see Fergo lift his foot.

 

[LordSidious66]

To the letter of the law it wasn’t a trip. As long as you have something else touching a player you can use your foot to take a player down. Alfie Langer used to tackle like that every game. Ferguson had his hand on DWZ’s shoulder. We got a penalty on the next tackle anyway so even if you thought it was a penalty it didn’t really effect the game.

Looks like he is in strife for the trip now.

 

[flamebouyant]

funny that when a team are media darlings (which Parra for some reason are now) there is no intent in incidents like that, when you can clearly see Fergo lift his foot.

It was clear as day IMO.

 

[albatross]

Lewis was standing way too deep at first reliever. Other’s can get away with that but he needs to stand closer.