Opinion How I will be judging our season in 2019.

[Berries]

They should be judged on winning the comp only.

 

[Berries]

Pressure free footy against notorious chokers? Sounds reliable pfft.

They were all so poorly defended line breaks too. Lol at someone using that game as reference

 

[CrittaMagic69]

They were all so poorly defended line breaks too. Lol at someone using that game as reference

Yup. It's true we did play some good footy....to bad it was at the end of the season with the pressure off. People are just underestimating what pressure does to a side.

 

[speedy2460]

I really think its all systems go this year. We didnt go to bad last season, having lost about 6 games by a couple of points.
Another pre-season to help development, new players, more experience, better all round team.
Theres is a couple of shortcomings. Hopefully Meaney can cement the fullback role. That just leaves a right centre hole.
As there is no standout player for right centre, I believe CHN is the best option there. We have an abundance of back rowers, so they wont lose much there.

 

[dogwhisperer]

Yup. It's true we did play some good footy....to bad it was at the end of the season with the pressure off. People are just underestimating what pressure does to a side.

Marley, no doubt pressure plays a role. But we really got to look at things from a very unbiased view. Yes, pressure played a part but no way in the world the score would of been 38-0 if Lewis and Smith were still in ISP, and if we still had that weed Mbye and woods in the side.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Marley, no doubt pressure plays a role. But we really got to look at things from a very unbiased view. Yes, pressure played a part but no way in the world the score would of been 38-0 if Lewis and Smith were still in ISP, and if we still had that weed Mbye and woods in the side.

And i can say i wanted Lewis and Smith in the side since round 1 and we can just keeping going in circles. We done the exact same thing the previous season, Lichaa even got a new contract off the back of it. End of season results don't mean shit when they don't matter.

 

[KiwiDog7]

And i can say i wanted Lewis and Smith in the side since round 1 and we can just keeping going in circles. We done the exact same thing the previous season, Lichaa even got a new contract off the back of it. End of season results don't mean shit when they don't matter.

Yup when there’s nothing on the line playing well is easy but when we had an actual shot at the finals we folded like a cheap suit

Not taking trials seriously set the tone

 

[Bob dog]

Gotta pick up where we left off, playing for pride despite a lost year and carry the determination for a full season making the 8, then we refresh the attitood.

 

[dogwhisperer]

And i can say i wanted Lewis and Smith in the side since round 1 and we can just keeping going in circles. We done the exact same thing the previous season, Lichaa even got a new contract off the back of it. End of season results don't mean shit when they don't matter.

I can’t see it being all pressure man.

It was only the last three games of the end of 2017 where we played well because there was no pressure.

2018 was different mate. We started to play much better footy earlier on when we hammered the Knights. Our kicking game improved 10 fold with Lewis. Smith was a revelation. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, there some bad losses in between against Manly and Parra and Canberra at belmore.

We won’t go around in circles, yes you called it Smith and Lewis should of been playing from round one but to put it all on no pressure is debatable. Chalk and cheese between 2017 & 2018. Last three rounds of 2017 was purely Lichaa, 2018 was letting go of duds and introducing fresh faces that had a crack, the team dynamics was better.

Not to mention Martin with a near 100% goal kicking record which got us over the line against the warriors scoring 3 tries to the warriors 4 tries. Imagine we had him kicking from the beginning of the season, how many close games would we have won. I can’t say it was 100% no pressure.

 

[Howard Moon]

There is always pressure on rookies.. they can be in one week, gone the next.... We lost so many games by a converted try or less and I like to think we would have won some of those if Lewis and co were playing

 

[dogwhisperer]

There is always pressure on rookies.. they can be in one week, gone the next.... We lost so many games by a converted try or less and I like to think we would have won some of those if Lewis and co were playing

Of course mate there’s so many variables and reasons why we started to play better.

1. Dud players moved on, fresh talented players introduced.

2.Some pressure was eased at the back end of the season.

3.Goal kicking improved to nearly 100%, 4 points became 6 each time.

4. Team was still reverting to Desball earlier on, Pay’s style was only seen in patches.

5. Rookie coach, I don’t think Pay was well prepared, and faced too many unsettling dramas with salary cap issues and offield dramas which would of definitely unsettled the squad not knowing if they were going to be there or not.

Too many variables to compare it to the last three games of 2017 where Lichaa showed more spark than a firecracker and got the team playing over the advantage line in every tackle.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

I can’t see it being all pressure man.

It was only the last three games of the end of 2017 where we played well because there was no pressure.

2018 was different mate. We started to play much better footy earlier on when we hammered the Knights. Our kicking game improved 10 fold with Lewis. Smith was a revelation. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, there some bad losses in between against Manly and Parra and Canberra at belmore.

We won’t go around in circles, yes you called it Smith and Lewis should of been playing from round one but to put it all on no pressure is debatable. Chalk and cheese between 2017 & 2018. Last three rounds of 2017 was purely Lichaa, 2018 was letting go of duds and introducing fresh faces that had a crack, the team dynamics was better.

Not to mention Martin with a near 100% goal kicking record which got us over the line against the warriors scoring 3 tries to the warriors 4 tries. Imagine we had him kicking from the beginning of the season, how many close games would we have won. I can’t say it was 100% no pressure.

And for me personally none of that matters. We didn't win when it mattered and it's a simple as that. The mindset that we played with during the backend of the season isn't something that can be replicated throughout the season when things matter.

Anyway Pay looks like he hasn't learnt his lesson, one NRL trial game for next season? Mate you're having a fucking laugh. Said it at the time last year that Bellamy was organising closed trials yet we were fucking about and came out totally unprepared. We start the season again in this shape and we're in for another long season.

 

[Howard Moon]

And for me personally none of that matters. We didn't win when it mattered and it's a simple as that. The mindset that we played with during the backend of the season isn't something that can be replicated throughout the season when things matter.

Anyway Pay looks like he hasn't learnt his lesson, one NRL trial game for next season? Mate you're having a fucking laugh. Said it at the time last year that Bellamy was organising closed trials yet we were fucking about and came out totally unprepared. We start the season again in this shape and we're in for another long season.

yeah sorry to break it to you but no team with Frawley, JMK and an injured Foran would have done any better "when it mattered" I'm not going to get you started on Foz, but Lewis is better than the other two combine... we started winning because the work our guys put in most of the year despite the results was finally being converted into points... and that same half who was front and centre will be there next year from round 1

 

[CrittaMagic69]

yeah sorry to break it to you but no team with Frawley, JMK and an injured Foran would have done any better "when it mattered" I'm not going to get you started on Foz, but Lewis is better than the other two combine... we started winning because the work our guys put in most of the year despite the results was finally being converted into points... and that same half who was front and centre will be there next year from round 1

Yh and Pay picked Frawley in pre season and then dumped him after a couple games. Lewis was literally shafted to centre because Pay had him that far down the pecking order until he finally got a run thanks to dumb luck.

Don't kid yourself, we won because the pressure was off and it made everything easier. We could push that extra pass, we didn't have to worry about every little mistake, we played faster because of the lack of fear, etc. We don't even have a defined style of play under Pay, we play simple as fuck footy.

 

[dogwhisperer]

And for me personally none of that matters. We didn't win when it mattered and it's a simple as that. The mindset that we played with during the backend of the season isn't something that can be replicated throughout the season when things matter.

Anyway Pay looks like he hasn't learnt his lesson, one NRL trial game for next season? Mate you're having a fucking laugh. Said it at the time last year that Bellamy was organising closed trials yet we were fucking about and came out totally unprepared. We start the season again in this shape and we're in for another long season.

Yeh one trial game is bullshit. I’m disappointed with that to tell you the truth.

 

[Howard Moon]

Yh and Pay picked Frawley in pre season and then dumped him after a couple games. Lewis was literally shafted to centre because Pay had him that far down the pecking order until he finally got a run thanks to dumb luck.

Don't kid yourself, we won because the pressure was off and it made everything easier. We could push that extra pass, we didn't have to worry about every little mistake, we played faster because of the lack of fear, etc. We don't even have a defined style of play under Pay, we play simple as fuck footy.

to each their own... I thought it was obvious that the new faces made the difference.... even had supporter friends from other teams raving on about Lachy...... he showed more skills and more determination than other halves we have had in recent memory when the "pressure was off" it was no surprise we offered nothing the week he was out for family reasons

 

[CrittaMagic69]

to each their own... I thought it was obvious that the new faces made the difference.... even had supporter friends from other teams raving on about Lachy...... he showed more skills and more determination than other halves we have had in recent memory when the "pressure was off" it was no surprise we offered nothing the week he was out for family reasons

Ofcourse they made a difference, but that still doesn't change the fact that we only performed playing pressure free footy.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Yeh one trial game is bullshit. I’m disappointed with that to tell you the truth.

I don't understand how a coach can't take trials seriously.