OFFICIAL | PRE-GAME Finals Week 1 | vs Manly | 4:05pm Sunday @ Accor

[Cook]

Maybe. I am just a bit sick of everyone saying every close loss is because of the referees, or there’s some huge conspiracy against us. It’s a cop out. Every other club’s fans think they’re on the end of every bad call too, I bet even Manly are saying they won today despite the referee.

100% mate. Its become contagious on here. Refs make mistakes more through incompetence opposed to bias

 

[Magic Burton]

Your speaking too much sense

Thanks. We can't be moral crusaders when we signed Kurt Mann for the same offence as Fox. Mann didn't even take ownership either using an excuse because Ponga was sick. Come on. I stand by Fox. Clubs have stood by other players. Munster stood out for Storm yesterday.

 

[Pottz]

The boys will be in the sheds right now absolutely gutted but if I was in there I’d be telling me they’ve just given us the most inspiring season in many years. They can hold their heads high today, they were back to the team that won 9 of 11 or whatever it was.

Crichton and Kikau absolutely epic games today, Tracey and Preston not far behind. We have something to build on now.

 

[Johnnny2233]

We missed JAC badly this year he would’ve scored that try Skelton bombed

 

[Magic Burton]

Going to take some time to process that.

I never felt safe even when we were up by 10 and had the momentum. You can just never count DCE out, his game management is second to none and when it mattered most he did what he always does. Same with Turbo, plays with one arm dangling and still produces the clutch play.

I see all the referee complaints and honestly I don’t get it. People saying the NRL wanted Manly to win - why? We would have had a sellout next week against the Roosters and the whole comp would be buzzing about us. No-one cares about Manly except the people living in a single suburb. Yes some of the calls were line ball but that’s how it goes, I didn’t think any of them were outright wrong calls really. We should have won that game but poor discipline and poor game management at the clutch moments cost us.

You speak too much sense

 

[The New Legacy]

I'm getting ready for Annesly to defend the shit and ref bunker calls. I need a laugh after today!!

“Nothing to see here, they did well”

 

[Kempsey Dog]

Skeleton played really well shame we are losing him


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Let in 2 tries and bombed one. We will be just fine without him as his defence isnt good enough

 

[Glenn L]

The boys will be in the sheds right now absolutely gutted but if I was in there I’d be telling me they’ve just given us the most inspiring season in many years. They can hold their heads high today, they were back to the team that won 9 of 11 or whatever it was.

Crichton and Kikau absolutely epic games today, Tracey and Preston not far behind. We have something to build on now.

Yep plenty to build on but some gaping holes in quite a few key positions. Sexton not the answer at 7 for me. If Gould can't find a quality 7 I'd give Taaffe a pre season at 7. Has to be able to open the attack up more than Sexton.

 

[Magic Burton]

If only Tracey could tackle 1 on 1

I think we saw today why Cronulla flicked Tracey. He's a good stop gap player. He has limitations. It took teams 25 weeks to find them when they did he looked average. Maybe we should have stuck with Averillo as fulllback instead of Perham and Tracey. Just saying.

 

[HD and Ink]

and have beaten the Roosters

On that performance today I'd be worried playing the Dogs in week 2.
Imo the better team lost...so many great moments in that game for the Dogs Kikaus try, taking Hops over touch, Crighton bring that player back into the in goal.

 

[bulldogs2359]

well that's me done going to games ever again, clearly I'm bad luck considering every game I've been to over the last 5 years we've lost

Me too , the only game I went to was good Friday but haven't seen a win for years before that

 

[Trafford10]

Havent read the comments since half time so I'll probably get flamed but...

A very quiet game from Xerri.
Media raving around Critta but I thought he was disappointing with his defence on their try when they ran it on the last and he didn't effectively organise much of a backline down his side. We didnt look consistently threatening at all that I can remember. Same with Tracey and Burton. We closed up shop and didn't throw anywhere near enough questions or apply pressure.

Of course the penalties, non forthcoming penalties we should have got, the forward passes and double knock on try didn't help but our silly niggling ill discipline by Burton and Mahoney in particular was dumb and bad handling constantly let Manly back into it.

And then there's Salmon. A very average mistake riddled non-contributor and Ciro's weakness.

We were clearly the better team and should have easily won. We did this in during the season as well. The guys have to learn how to maintain possession and momentum. They are too casual at crucial times.

I am disappointed and bagging a few but it's just for thus game and result. They deserved better but will learn.

We can see the areas where the team/coaches need strengthening and to be smarter. It's been a fabulous year to have achieved this much and now although it's disappointing to lose in such a manner, we can be proud of what they have achieved over the season.

They'll be better for this and Ciro etc will as well.

Overall we can say it's been a successful year bc we made the 8.

Good analyst work there.
Three very costly handling errors in the 2nd half really did us in.

 

[Interestingg]

We would’ve beat the fkn chooks as well

 

[Pottz]

Yep plenty to build on but some gaping holes in quite a few key positions. Sexton not the answer at 7 for me. If Gould can't find a quality 7 I'd give Taaffe a pre season at 7. Has to be able to open the attack up more than Sexton.

Sexton was nowhere near as bad today as some on here are saying. He’s been given a job which is to take some of the kicking off Burton, use his short kicks close to the line, and don’t be a turnstile in defence. I wasn’t at the game but I think he needs to communicate better when he’s planning the short kick, a few too many times in recent games where no-one except him was there to chase them.

Taaffe suggestion is a good one though, he was among our best early in the year and got squeezed out when Tracey went to another level. Should have been given some games at 7 to test him out.

 

[Pottz]

We would’ve beat the fkn chooks as well

That’s what I keep thinking too. Many will be all over the Roosters next week, their season was over last week. Such a missed opportunity for us to have gone into a preliminary final.

 

[Northern Beaches dog]

Just the smallest things did not go our way.
KIkau charges the ball down with the line open and the ball bounces everywhere and anywhere except for him.
Another one was where the the Manly centre dropped the ball forward 10 metres out from our line then Kiraz drops it, if he had picked ut up clean we make a break as all the Manly speedsters were well past the ball.
The bounce did not go our way.

 

[KiwiDog7]

Kiraz didn't look the same on the other side.

So we lost because Fox lol. Skelton let in that first try when he didn't trust Critta,which was an awful mistake. The reason he is their is because Fox was racking up.

Mann was another Hughe loss, even though (this will bring the fish haters out) I thought Salmon was good in defense, he just is lacking in the passing and attack which Mann is much better.

Just my Opinion but I though our Forwad pack looked it's best when King wasn't playing, Curran didn't look good coming off the bench.

I think he's pretty busted but who knows.

I like King but he always gets put on his back, and sorry guys but he isnt Origin level lol

Yeah bro I was sitting there counting all the half breaks Fox wouid have finished

 

[Northern Beaches dog]

That’s what I keep thinking too. Many will be all over the Roosters next week, their season was over last week. Such a missed opportunity for us to have gone into a preliminary final.

No way.
You have no idea how hard it would have been to back up todays performance in 6 days time.
Watch how flat Manly will be next week.
Also, the Roosters will turn up like we did today after what they dished up last week, especially in the first half.
The difference is they have class in Teddy, Keary and Manu that will get them over the line.

 

[chemdog]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1835241998930080163

 

[KiwiDog7]

Tough pill to swallow right now knowing we won everywhere on the stat sheet except the one that mattered

I’m just happy we went out on our sword rather than the two meek performances prior to today