While our transformation has been truly amazing over the last couple of years, a common trend is starting to appear. Our inability to beat top eight teams over the last two seasons is really beginning to show. The run home is relatively tough, and although there has been a lot of negative media around Lachlan Galvin’s signing he has obviously been bought him to buck the trend. It’s not something any sports team wants to be known for, what do you think peeps? Can we get this monkey of our back?
Barely a month ago the Canterbury Bulldogs were on top of the NRL world. Suddenly questions are being asked.
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We don't have enough x-factor/speed/creativity to easily transition to attack when opportunities present themselves.
Our style is ALL defence effort not 50/50 attack, and when teams hang on and go toe to toe they know thats all they need to do for that period bc they know possession will turn, they can get away with ruck interference (in all its forms) to slow us down and they do have the ability to pull something outa the bag to get points. We rarely do.
Ciro also puts maximum pressure on the team by selections, "unrealistic" superhuman expectations from small forwards and so many bench subs up his sleeve by the end of games. Its all on purpose of course and part of his long term strategies, but as for now? It puts fatigue into the forwards "unnecessarily"? *shrugs* *who knows*. Our backs are expected to do a lot of defence and they spend more time in defence than attack as well.
Penrith's style work for them bc they have a few experienced gamebreakers. We don't have any except for Critta at centre and we have no speed and no creative halves.
Until we can become a complete roster with quick attacking options, we'll continue struggling against the better teams, or the teams who chance their arms and don't get into the grind with us and we cant control.
We don't have the full complement of players to go the full distance. At present we have to have every single player, play to the utmost of their ability to get wins against the top teams...that cant be expected from any player week after week.
We've probably done as well as we could hope for at this stage.
I'm gonna say that's why they got Galvin and Gus and Ciro have finally realised we need more attacking options and that the current limited gameplan is not sustainable in big games.
There'll probably be more angst and losses but fans probably need to start thinking the coach and GMF aren't afraid to change and tinker and put us in a place where we go away from what has worked up till now in the belief that we don't have the necessary all round game to go deep into the Finals.
