Official ROUND 1 | Bulldogs vs Eels | Discussion thread 5:30pm @ CommBank Stadium

[jordansaba]

Surely next week it’s something like

1. Connor Tracey
2. Jacob Kiraz
3. Bronson Xerri
4. Stephen Crichton
5. Jeral Skelton
6. Matt Burton
7. Toby Sexton
8. Max King
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Poasa Faamausili
11. Viliame Kikau
12. Jacob Preston
13. Josh Curran

14.Drew Hutchison
15. Sam hughes
16. Kurt Mann
17. Jaeman Salmon

18. Zane Tetevano

not saying it’s the answer but Jesus Christ that game was rough. Early is time for changes not later in the bloody year.

he’s not gonna make any changes yous are retarded if you think he’ll make changes that aren’t forced ones

 

[John Matrix]

Clubs never cutting Burton, they’ve invested to much into him and will look bad if they do. Either he’s steps up and earns it or we got to get used to his lack of stability.

 

[Mr Shhh]

It's ugly but it's the truth. Called it before. Moses & Brown shit all over our halves pairing.

Hutch did well though but Burton had another round 1 stinker like he did last year vs Sea Eagles.

Parra are a top 4 team. Halves are just way too good. Hutch was fine. Burton in the halves really concerns me. I just can’t see improvement happening.

 

[The DoggFather]

he’s not gonna make any changes yous are retarded if you think he’ll make changes that aren’t forced ones

Yeah someone will come in for Fox and that's about it...

 

[maroondog72]

Can someone ring Cameron ciraldo and ask him if our team has been banned for offloading ?
If yes
Sack ciraldo

So you’ve bagged the highest shit thread count and now you’re going for the highest shit post count?

 

[dave123]

I think we are becoming Penrith retirement club

 

[SexBomb]

I'm not stopping anyone finding any joy but I'm sorry I can't get happy at that shit, especially as I value defence over attack.

Anything but happy about what I saw too, so with you there brother.
Our defence has improved, yet needs to improve the same amount again.

 

[The DoggFather]

Parra are a top 4 team. Halves are just way too good. Hutch was fine. Burton in the halves really concerns me. I just can’t see improvement happening.

Sorry bro, can't agree that Parra are top 4.

5th-9th at best.

 

[w00t]

What I don’t get is. 7 minutes left, and we still go through the motions and just kick the ball. Fucking try something different, take a risk we are never going to win a game

 

[Pottz]

I actually think that was a positive, when you break it down. If you just say "26 points", it doesn't sound great, but...

- The last 6 point were really unlucky, happened mostly because we pushed the pass too much in the dying minutes.
- The Harper try was also very unlucky.
- The only try they scored that was legit well done was the Cartwright try.

All of that despite them having 60% of possession, and in the first half 70%. Last season we rarely made 400 tackles in a game, but when we got close we let in 40+ points. We actually looked fitter than the Eels for most of the last 20 minutes despite having made more tackles and being more impacted by injury.

The major disappointment were the errors. There was some dumb ones, and some unlucky ones, including a few of the ref decisions or non-decisions. But we can't be making 13 errors, we still don't have the team for it. 7 or 8 errors across a game helps us to be competitive against most teams in the NRL, because at this stage we look improved compared with last season when it comes to:

- Fitness
- Line speed
- Missed tackle count
- Defensive structure

Our attack looked rubbish because we had almost no chance to try attacking the ball, which is why I think the errors are the major disappointment. When we finally did get a chance we scored two pretty decent tries, one on each side of the field.

Great analysis and all correct. The errors killed us especially in the first half, they let Parra dominate possession and drain our energy in defence so that the few attacking chances we did have went to waste.

For me Burton was especially disappointing tonight, it is so frustrating watching a guy with elite natural talent acting like an NFL punter. His career is going to be a constant disappointment unless he realises that multiple times every game he has to run the ball hard and create something.

 

[The DoggFather]

Anything but happy about what I saw too, so with you there brother.
Our defence has improved, yet needs to improve the same amount again.

The assistant kills all hope of progression for me.

 

[NPC83]

I think he might, and Kiks is going to do at least a week for the charge down

I hope Kiks doesn’t get done for that it was pretty soft. Brown was barely touched if anything it was more an accidental whack in the nuts for Kiks.

 

[Son Of Dogzilla]

That was frustrating as fuck. Didn't chance our arm at all

Hard to chance it with 41% of the ball

 

[Bazildog]

I’m done. If this boofhead that dresses like an assistant and not a coach doesn’t provide a dramtic turn around by round 5 he can fuck off.

#sackciraldoandhireskelator

 

[piggy]

Taaffe & Wilson cannot start round 3 at Belmore it's that simple. At Belmore is going to be a must win game.

What did Wilson do wrong?

 

[GoTheDoggies]

What did Wilson do wrong?

He has feet for hands unfortunately. Foxx with one arm dropped the ball less times.

 

[Jonboi]

he’s not gonna make any changes yous are retarded if you think he’ll make changes that aren’t forced ones

Calling us retarded when you write “yous”

 

[Bad Billy]

Tbh i prefer sexton to hutch. Sexton went really well in cup. And Burton....not good. Taaffe was average at fb.

yea, im off Taffe. if Tracey is healthy, let him have a go.

 

[maroondog72]

I hope Kiks doesn’t get done for that it was pretty soft. Brown was barely touched if anything it was more an accidental whack in the nuts for Kiks.

Yeah I know mate but by the book it was contact on the legs of a kicker and he’s a bulldogs player now.

 

[Bulldog_4_Life]

I don’t understand how after 6 months of pre season the only play we know is trying to having Taffe sweep around the back.