Opinion Time to see what we’re Really made of ..

[maroondog72]

This week and the coming month, more than any week so far this season. Ciraldo’s team selections will determine whether he has learnt anything in his time as a head coach.

If he doesn’t roll the dice and mix things up a bit. We will we’ll and truly be shot ducks this season. I expect a 10-12 finish this year so that’s not the issue. If we don’t win at least 2-3 of the next 4 we will already be looking at 2024.

Ironically the stage we seem to get to for the last few seasons to start to play. Is when the season is gone.

Stop trying the same thing expecting different results Ciro. Show you can think outside the box mate.

So shifting Burton to seven wasn’t thinking outside the box?

 

[CMP]

So shifting Burton to seven wasn’t thinking outside the box?

Do you really think changing the numbers on their backs is revolutionary?

It’s a statement to Burton that he is on his own. The halfback is not of NRL standard. You need to play both positions.

He needs to make changes end of…..

Even with our injuries something needs to change.

Running with a bench of Okunbor & Reynolds to me is mind boggling. Week on week we are losing the middle. Yet he plays one middle on the bench.

Reynolds is an absolute liability both with and without the ball and adds nothing when he comes on.

Okunbor if used correctly I don’t have as big a drama with but not when players come back.

Flanagan at the very least needs to have the pressure of KO in the 14 jumper.

 

[ILiveForDib]

Winning against Dragons is an absolute must, not just in the spectrum of the 8 but after the 3 prior results. Game at a time but if we loose this week Raiders and Warriors will be a big ask.

Ideally a win against Dragons and Titans, 80% sure we loose to Raiders and Warriors will be tough.
Predict we win this week, back to back losses and bounce back against titans.

1/4 is the most likely and is utter crap bring on 24 in that case, 2/4 is the passing mark and is realistic. 5 and 7 get JAC, Kiraz and few fowards back and we’re in good shape. To be bluntly honest everyone expected a belting from the sharks with our reserve grade backline, despite such half the tries came of dog shit refereeing and the other due to piss poor D from players who wouldn’t start in any side. Next 4 huge emphasis on defense IMO we don’t have points to go back and forth with any side.

 

[KLil]

0/4. Hope I'm wrong

If we had Kiraz and JAC we would have been way in for a good shot at it.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

I ain’t wanna be a kill joy or nothin. But we could loose all fuckin four games. And your uncle Paulie wouldn’t be surprised. We are a bum team at the moment. I think we buildin and headin in the right direction. But madone, let’s take it week by fuckin week.

 

[Scoooby]

Im hopeful we win the next four, it is possible we start to win a few and go on a run from here, it would be nice I don't want to contemplate the alternative.

I’m hopeful we can win 1 or 2 lol.. love your optimism brother .. but next 4, yea I can’t be as hopeful as you are given what we’ve seen year after year for many many years. That’s not negative at all cos I want our club to win and keep winning. My opinion is based on record of past struggle years.

 

[Chuppachup]

1.J wighton
2.kiraz
3.xerri
4.crichton
5.addo carr
6.burton
7.hunt
8.Pangai jr
9.mahony
10.big nelson
11.kikau
12.preston
13.k olopau
14.waddell
15.rfm
16.skelton
17.Liam knight
I think this is possible to chase after this roster.Give Thompson to dragons for hunt if hook goes and he wants out on similar money.Allen flannigan is a million give that to wighton 3 years .And other dead wood for nelson

 

[Taylforth]

Enough of the losing, we’re sitting second last on the ladder and if we’re any hope of finishing even close to the 8, that needs to change this week.

Our next 4 games we play ..

St Merge - Away
Raiders. - Home
Warriors - Home
Titans - Home


3 home games in a row, 8 points up for grabs, and 2 from the bye, these 10 points get us back into contention and with players coming back we can still finish in a respectable place on the ladder, maybe even still take 8th spot.

The opposition are going to want the points just as much as we do, the difference is going to come down to who has the heart, mongrel, and sheer want to earn them.

Head to head against 4 teams that aren’t overly in form or ridiculously stacked with representative players, and 3 of those games at home, personally I feel any less than 4 wins over the next 4 weeks is a fail.

Do we see what Ciraldo is really made of over these next weeks, should he stick with last weeks positional changes, can he get them up for it with some true grit and a no excuses nothing but winning is acceptable mentality.

Few things I feel need to change ..

Perham …. tell him to stop pausing summing up who’s in front of him then trying to twinkle toes his way into a gap, attack the F***** ball hard, pick the gaps and smaller blokes out, then run hard and straight into them, 100% better chance of breaking the line and maybe scoring long range try’s.

Averillo … get some help around him in defence, the opposition have worked him out, yes he’s fast and skilful, but he’s not a powerful player and he’s not good with strong contact, if they run hard and out muscle him chances are they run over the top of him, those around him should know this and get around him and help him out more.

If we’re going to have Reynolds on the bench give him more game time, right now the team needs experience and leadership and he should have that in spades, tell him to calm tf down straighten the attack and lead by example, if he’s not fit enough for that what good is he.

Alamotti, … we’ve seen him churn out close on 200 running metres in a few games, he’s churned out 1/2 that last few games, if he’s the superstar everyone is saying he is he needs to lift and get himself involved in the game more, show us what you’ve got.

Get more body’s in motion around King & TPJ, these guys have great offloads, it takes 4 players to stop them, have 2 to 3 runners go with them each hit up because there’s going to be gaps, offload and exploit them, these guys running one out is a waste of their full talents.

They’re all supposedly professional athletes playing 1st grade in the NRL, if they can’t hang onto the ball, rip them a new one and tell them you’ll find someone who can, massive penalties at training for anyone who drops a ball or gives away dumb penalties over the next 4 weeks !!!

Lastly after a pre season and 9 rounds they should be more confidently promoting the ball, and I don’t mean this side to side BS, I mean straighten the attack down the middle first and then get it out to the edges, the hardest thing to defend against is a moving football, straighten the attack & put it through the hands.

We see a brand new team like the Dolphins come together quickly and sitting in 7th place, and we see them come back from a deficit of 26-0 to win, it just rubs the losing in even more, yes we have a hundred excuses, but a big part of rugby league is having the heart and tenacity to over come excuses and win anyway, next 4 weeks I’m hoping to see a lot of sheer will, determination, and a nothing but winning is acceptable attitude.

Will be interesting to see how it pans out.

Yep good summation.
If we can convert our sets at >80% and hang on to the ball for longer, we’ll build pressure, & run more yards in to better attacking zones.
Far too often we turn over the ball in our own half, when building pressure to move in to the oppositions defensive half. Just throws pressure back on ourselves & gives the opposition a leg up. No chance for us to attack deep in the opposition half & look for repeat sets. Hanging on to the ball for extended periods is golden. TPJ & King can play a big role here. The next 4 games are all (& should be) winnable. That’s 10 points including the bye. C’mon boys.

 

[Benno Bulldog]

I’m hopeful we can win 1 or 2 lol.. love your optimism brother .. but next 4, yea I can’t be as hopeful as you are given what we’ve seen year after year for many many years. That’s not negative at all cos I want our club to win and keep winning. My opinion is based on record of past struggle years.

The first two games are are obviously important but if we get up some confidence we r better than the scoreboards have suggested and could do with some optimist ian on here scoob

 

[Bigkev05]

We get the Dragons on a 5 day turnaround

I hope we get 'em too
But we do have a history of playing poor teams back into form

 

[hoody06]

3 out of 4, and we are well and truly alive for 8th spot. That will have us 6 and 6 heading into the bye. I think we'd all be over the moon if that's the case, we've had no luck injury wise.

 

[Alan79]

I'm just gonna wait till full time to decide if we are gonna win the next 4 games

I'll be a bit more confident and make my predictions 5 out from full time.


But really all these games are winnable. But I think we'll need to be better than our opponents and able to overcome the possibility of ref bias. That last part is the tough part. Ref bias can deplete energy, sap the willpower and lead to frustration based errors.

 

[wendog33]

I'll be a bit more confident and make my predictions 5 out from full time.


But really all these games are winnable. But I think we'll need to be better than our opponents and able to overcome the possibility of ref bias. That last part is the tough part. Ref bias can deplete energy, sap the willpower and lead to frustration based errors.

I agree with @CMP. This next period of 4 weeks, after these recent hard losses, is an absolute big test for Ciro. If he is just happy to pick more of the same and thereby reinforce the deficiencies in the team that prevent them from playing differently, then so be it.

 

[under_Dogz]

Ravalawa always has a blinder against us and I’m expecting nothing different against our weakened left outside backs. We will struggle to beat St Merge.

 

[1967]

I'll be a bit more confident and make my predictions 5 out from full time.


But really all these games are winnable. But I think we'll need to be better than our opponents and able to overcome the possibility of ref bias. That last part is the tough part. Ref bias can deplete energy, sap the willpower and lead to frustration based errors.

The only way to beat referee bias is pile on the points.

When we get our chances we need to hang onto the ball and come away with try’s ..

 

[TOTTO]

Ravalawa always has a blinder against us and I’m expecting nothing different against our weakened left outside backs. We will struggle to beat St Merge.

Why did i think he was injured ?

 

[Nate DAWG]

We will fkn smash the dragons.

 

[maroondog72]

We will fkn smash the dragons.

We are certainly more of a chance of doing just that with flange gooooonnnneee

 

[KLil]

We will fkn smash the dragons.

MY LORD another 38-0ler would be nice.

Truthfully i'd kill for a 2 point win.

 

[Nate DAWG]

We are certainly more of a chance of doing just that with flange gooooonnnneee

Man it’s been a long time coming. Flanno is such a poor half that literaly anyone is a better option. Hope the kid has a good crack at first grade and develops into great fkn bulldog