Critta in full flight

[Bluebody]

So glad we won guys even though I felt drained by the end of that match. At one point, I felt we were going to lose and I was just sitting there devastated. Burton rose to the occasion - this guy is running great lines and backing up so much more.

Now about Critta - this guy has made a big difference to the team in his leadership, but I do not even think he has gone out of 2nd gear yet.

His runs look like long strided jogs, using his momentum to get a few post contact metres, but where are the fast damaging runs?

Can you imagine this guy in full flight with this step and ball skills?

What am I missing here? It's like he plays in slow motion.

Having said that, he does so many good things in his effort plays to snuff out a loose ball, catch high kicks.

I am just waiting for him to be given early ball and he hit that line like a mad man.

Am I missing something - is this not his style?

 

[ChesoBulldog]

I honestly got Perham vibes watching him at fullback lol
Keep him at centre and give Paps his debut

 

[wendog33]

So glad we won guys even though I felt drained by the end of that match. At one point, I felt we were going to lose and I was just sitting there devastated. Burton rose to the occasion - this guy is running great lines and backing up so much more.

Now about Critta - this guy has made a big difference to the team in his leadership, but I do not even think he has gone out of 2nd gear yet.

His runs look like long strided jogs, using his momentum to get a few post contact metres, but where are the fast damaging runs?

Can you imagine these guy in full flight with this step and ball skills?

What am I missing here? It's like he plays in slow motion.

Having said that, he does so many good things in his effort plays to snuff out a loose ball, catch high kicks.

I am just waiting for him to be given early ball and he hit that line like a mad man.

Am I missing something - is this not his style?

Some wondering if he is hampered by a hamstring niggle but yes he hasn't broken out yet into Panther mode as yet. He will tho.

 

[Johnnny2233]

100% I’ll take the 2 points we gave it to them
The first 40 although the other 40 will be addressed I’m sure

but we got it there is so much potential in that dogs side they will keep getting better and better

we won everyone be happy

 

[Mitch Connor]

I don’t actually think he’s that fast. He’s fast enough but it’s not like he was ever lightning.

 

[Raysie]

It's a known fact players lose their speed and agility when they put the blue and white jersey on it.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

He almost lost us the game. Done so many stupid things once he moved to fullback

 

[Bluebody]

Some wondering if he is hampered by a hamstring niggle but yes he hasn't broken out yet into Panther mode as yet. He will tho.

At one point, I was looking at several of our players showing signs of breaking out to another level in the next several weeks and thought to myself, that we could be surprising everyone this year with the team and the potential we have.

Taffe, Hughes, Burton, Crichton, Wilson are all rising or set to break to another level combining with high standards set by Kicks, Kiraz, King, Mann and Curran. and Fox chimes in with this speed and finishing skills as a try machine.

Then if Xerri goes to another level with a lot more game time

We are growing week by week - its clear to see and its exciting. We need several weeks for enough of our players to click into the confidence to just back themselves against any opposition and expect to dominate.

 

[Eesma]

He's not a notorious speedster but I agree he definitely has more in him. New team, new role and it's only Round 5. He's already been a point of difference in the side. He'll only grow in to it from here.

 

[alwaysthesun]

Critta has never exactly been the fastest of centres, he's just strong, athletic and smart.. at the moment what I'm noticing is team's are putting multiple defenders on him which they're able to take more of a gamble on given our right side is not very dangerous.

 

[wendog33]

At one point, I was looking at several of our players showing signs of breaking out to another level in the next several weeks and thought to myself, that we could be surprising everyone this year with the team and the potential we have.

Taffe, Hughes, Burton, Crichton, Wilson are all rising or set to break to another level combining with high standards set by Kicks, Kiraz, King, Mann and Curran. and Fox chimes in with this speed and finishing skills as a try machine.

Then if Xerri goes to another level with a lot more game time

We are growing week by week - its clear to see and its exciting. We need several weeks for enough of our players to click into the confidence to just back themselves against any opposition and expect to dominate.

Been saying that we have been making too many excuses and that although not a superstar 17 roster, we still have some star players. Also that our main problem is the coach has not had each and every player playing to their best ability. You just have too in 2024.

That seems to be the change now. Majority of the guys are indeed playing their best footy and it's made a huge difference.

There'll be ups and downs. Improvements and regression but if we keep working on the basics and add a bit more, then the guys can shine.

 

[Bluebody]

Critta has never exactly been the fastest of centres, he's just strong, athletic and smart.. at the moment what I'm noticing is team's are putting multiple defenders on him which they're able to take more of a gamble on given our right side is not very dangerous.

that makes sense - if he is a marked man - then this is why he has been a powerful decoy runner. But he should be hitting the line hard as well to keep them in 2 minds. Or maybe we are biding our time to unleash that later.

 

[Johnnny2233]

At one point, I was looking at several of our players showing signs of breaking out to another level in the next several weeks and thought to myself, that we could be surprising everyone this year with the team and the potential we have.

Taffe, Hughes, Burton, Crichton, Wilson are all rising or set to break to another level combining with high standards set by Kicks, Kiraz, King, Mann and Curran. and Fox chimes in with this speed and finishing skills as a try machine.


Then if Xerri goes to another level with a lot more game time

We are growing week by week - its clear to see and its exciting. We need several weeks for enough of our players to click into the confidence to just back themselves against any opposition and expect to dominate.

Burton played very well and kiks always supporting kiks should be fine be played the full
Game didn’t see much of him in the last 10 but he did his job he got kicked in the leg ice it jeez he can be a rampaging machine

Kiks 140 run metres in the first half with 7 line breaks

 

[Snake]

Let’s not forget it was a slow track last night. Even Dom young and Xerri looked slow and these guys are in the top 5 - 10 fastest in the NRL. Strangely thou Kikau looked like Bolt in full flight.

 

[alwaysthesun]

that makes sense - if he is a marked man - then this is why he has been a powerful decoy runner. But he should be hitting the line hard as well to keep them in 2 minds. Or maybe we are biding our time to unleash that later.

We've also been up against better defence bar Titans. We've got to get him into holes or one on one's on the opposition try line. Ciraldo needs to have Hutch on passing drills all week as we need more threat from our right side.

 

[wendog33]

We've also been up against better defence bar Titans. We've got to get him into holes or one on one's on the opposition try line. Ciraldo needs to have Hutch on passing drills all week.

He is in bench forward mode from Rorters days and passing drills prob won't help all that much.

Gus has to give him a little pep talk lol

 

[Johnnny2233]

Crichton will
Hit his full form he is a top world class centre full
Back he will play fine.

I like the way Kurt Mann plays always in it too tackles like a machine

 

[Benno Bulldog]

Been saying that we have been making too many excuses and that although not a superstar 17 roster, we still have some star players. Also that our main problem is the coach has not had each and every player playing to their best ability. You just have too in 2024.

That seems to be the change now. Majority of the guys are indeed playing their best footy and it's made a huge difference.

There'll be ups and downs. Improvements and regression but if we keep working on the r to. basics and add a bit more, then the guys can shine.

Burton threw the pass for taffe.
Threw the pass for kikau and backed up
Backed up Mann for the try.
Scored hatrick and kicked well.
Running into that wind rain with the shifts we had was bad… but we needed that first half. We r a good side waiting to happen. Can’t be lost on Cirro as u pointed out Taffe Burton the junior NSW pairing.

 

[wendog33]

Burton threw the pass for taffe.
Threw the pass for kikau and backed up
Backed up Mann for the try.
Scored hatrick and kicked well.
Running into that wind rain with the shifts we had was bad… but we needed that first half. We r a good side waiting to happen. Can’t be lost on Cirro as u pointed out Taffe Burton the junior NSW pairing.

There was plenty of talk about it when Taafe signed. It's still up CC's sleeve if he pulls that hat out of the bag.

 

[a dogs life]

100% I’ll take the 2 points we gave it to them
The first 40 although the other 40 will be addressed I’m sure

but we got it there is so much potential in that dogs side they will keep getting better and better

we won everyone be happy

The effort in the first 40mins shows what the team is capable of and was just enough to protect our lead after the second half implosion.

As other posters have noted, the reshuffling of the team due to injuries along with carrying a couple of injured players who played on, was a major contributing factor to the second half performance.

However, I think the other major contributing factor is years of losing that has damaged the teams mindset and they seem to revert to a not wanting to lose mentality, rather than putting the Rorters to the sword mentality .

As we improve, this will sort itself out, but I really think we shouldn’t be dwelling on the second half too much.

Am really looking forward to not having to scroll through the tripe a few posters continually spew out this week!!!