Attended the game yesterday and thankfully stayed dry. A few observations. We unfortunately have played the near perfect teams last two weeks. Finally jagged our first penalty of the season with around ten minutes to go. Penrith are full of Olympic sprinters as they were so very quick off the line. Gough never ever looked but it was hard to miss the pretty in pink boys being so far offside each set yet we never got any advantage. Penrith had 59% possession for most of the game and that plus a tough time from the referee meant we were on a hiding to nothing. Completion rates were pretty similar albeit Penrith having the greater share of the ball. We completed 26/31 and they 40/46. Missed tackles, we had twice as many and in the penalty/infringement dept Penrith well , winning penalties 5/1 and infringements six again 4/1. If you look at those stats along with last week we are very naughty boys and have precisely no discipline or control.
People should bombard the radio etc with the news that coach Cleary has perfected some rather good " cheats" that the referee left go. First set of six and from then on the Panthers had at least two to three of their players loitering in our defensive line standing there and making no effort whatsoever to get onside. Yes it happens from time to time but honestly the very first set of the game and for the first three tackles/rucks every set? Main offenders were Kikau, JFH and Leniu, although there were others. When Flanno put through kicks he was taken out every time...you see in games where the kick has gone or just gone and the defensive side attempt to smother or take the player to ground...Penrith did it consistently but apparently legally even when there was no absolute need to carry on with the tackle. Effectively they took our play maker out and prevented him from chasing through on his kick and being part of the defensive structure. Just small things, but to me not in the spirit of the game and something the rules cater for penalty wise.. As for the Cleary thing don't get me started. Yes, careless but the performance of Sir Laurence Olivier Cleary was a sight to behold. The quickest I have ever seen a player escorted from the field after what was deemed " massive foul play" Of course Penrith announced after the game that Burton is on standby should Cleary not be able to play next week, yep that's right put it in the mind of the judiciary ,Ala Madge Maguire, that the superstar will not play next week because of the big bad Bulldogs. First Penrith try and on a few other occasions officials completely missed that one of our defenders was taken out and not given the chance to compete to defend the line. No review undertaken except for our try.
Now I have that out of the system we did not play too badly at all or at least better than we have for quite some time. Consistency will not happen overnight and we will take backward steps but it needs a while to develop combos etc.
Thompson is to come back, hopefully assigning the lazy good for nothing Napa to the dungeon although with him on so much money that will probably not happen.Never before in my life have I seen a player contribute less and look as unmotivated as he did yesterday. Probably will use the excuse he was shopped around but if he would perform to a level expected that would never ever have come about. It would have been good to get rid of him to Penrith as they wanted him in exchange for Burton now, but unfortunately they also wanted us to pay most of his contract too. That did not occur because it would have meant Burton would have effectively cost us considerably under the cap for this year...more than he is worth and we would have been down a front rower although at the moment an ordinary one. Let me tell you watching Burton in reggies he does not want to be there and it just shows the hypocrisy of Penrith in that they were quite happy to break contracts with a few of their players, one on a big contract, because it suited them to upgrade and resign others. According to Penrith he will continue to play reggies until SOO when they are of great belief both their halves will be in the NSW squad. They are not hampering his development in any way according to them.
We competed for a while yesterday and if I was a Pampers fan I would not be getting carried away. They got every conceivable benefit yesterday yet we held them pretty well for a great proportion of the game and it only really blew out once we had twelve on the field. Losing RFM was a blow too as the defence on that side of the field was a lot better and tighter while he was there. Jackson tackled himself silly and although unrewarded the try taken from us showed at least we CAN keep the ball alive and we CAN show some sort of play making.
We should look to giving a few of the reggies boys a go, Schoup was strong in the centres and is a pretty big boy..Hoppa is now too slow and showed little in defence in top grade but is on decent money much like the Napa situation. Our replacement five eighth Davies looked good until he was illegally taken out by Jennings with a shoulder charge that was not needed. Unseen by onfield officials and took an eternity for them to take action. Jennings was full of errors up until that point as we bombed the heck out of him too. We were in control of that game until that happened and once we lost our play maker we were toast.Once again extremely annoying that we lose a player for the rest of the game but Jennings just gets put on report, no ten in the bin and he contributes in the very next attacking set of the Panthers ( might I add with a pass off the ground with the arm carrying the ball having contacted the turf meaning it should have been a penalty to us) Britt played okay too as did Doorey.
Not sorry I went to the game and forever hopeful that we can and will do better. I think if we play as well as the Penrith game and get a fair amount of decisions go our way, which we are certainly due, we can beat the Broncos.
