Like many passionate Blue and Gold supporters I watch every game with anticipation, and despite accepting that it is impossible to play well in every game, I am nonetheless disappointed whenever my team does not aim up.
Reg
On Saturday, our usual rock solid pack did not match the Sharks. They were not without effort, but it looked like the Sharks ran a little harder, moved up in defence a little quicker and put a little more shoulder into the tackle. Still, it might not hurt for the Eels much vaunted forwards to be given that lesson about intensity.
Early in the season, when almost all teams still believe in themselves, these little extras can make all the difference. I recall like yesterday, in leaner times, that Parra would win 4-5 early games only to come crashing down as the season went on.
This season will be no different as I highly doubt the Broncos, Knights and Bulldogs will end in front of the Rabbitohs and Eagles on the table come seasons end.
A few days have passed since our loss to the Sharks, and while the disappointment has remained I look at the table and see that only four teams are two from two. It’s early season and everyone’s destiny sits within their control.
I don’t want this to be construed as a personal criticism of our coaches, but I would not be truthful if I said that I was happy with or even understood the selection of our starting pack and the make up of our bench.
From my perspective we got from the Sharks what I knew we would get – a ast start trying to bring the crowd into the game. They were always going to try to punch through the middle and then move the ball from edge to edge, as they have continually done against us in the past.
I am not sure why we did not start with our strongest available pack and why our bench was not structured so that we could cover injuries in the backs, should they occur, whilst maintaining our strength, which is our power game.
Browny
Nathan Brown leads our line speed and with our current injuries, Bryce Cartwright gives us the best ‘ utility’ option on the bench, especially if we have decided that Dylan Brown will be the player to cover injuries out wide.
I know this is hotly debated amongst our fan base but in my household we don’t really debate it, because it is very straightforward. If Nathan Brown is fit enough to play he starts and we can’t agree with selecting a halfback on the bench.
That said, I am not a coach and I will always support my team including every player who is given a jersey. Ultimately it is the coaches and players who determine results and who will be judged on them, as any professional sportsperson should expect.
Despite the loss there were a few things I liked.
With the treatment that he got from illegal plays, and the pressure from the score line, it was really good to see Moses maintain control. At times he is an easy target but anyone who cannot see how he has matured as a play maker is probably looking at him through black, white and orange glasses.
I also liked how we turned momentum in a game that could easily have been over by half time.
Good teams know how to stay in games when they aren’t performing well, and they also learn how to win games they should not win.
If not for the last minute ill disciplined play by a player who should know better, we walk away with the win. And though we need to address some areas for improvement, most teams are sitting in exactly the same position as us, both on the table and with performance.
The next 5-6 weeks will sort out a lot. Those teams that are serious will rectify the early season problems and the weaker ones will make excuses for them.
Shelley
Tks Shelley. Your thoughts on Nathan Brown are clear and simple, and spot on.Ive been banging on for about a year now on Marata Niukore, he was our next Nathan Brown, but unfortunately 3 years of developing and shaping go out the window.Marata makes sure that opposing packs know that an 80 minute fear free zone is not happening today. Like NBrown, he should start every game and be assessed for long minutes.
BDon it is disappointing to lose the versatility and fear factor that Marata brings. I also think that Brown is now ready. To be fair, he was underdone and rehabbed for most of the preseason.
Love Marata and both sad and happy to see him go.
Happy a man who worked so hard, moved countries and with his partner had to bring up young kids without extended family is rewarded monetarily. With our squad and who we wanted/ needed to keep we could not match it but we will miss him. He is one I will be cheering for next year even when he plays us( as long as the Warriors don’t beat us). It has not been easy for him but he has always given his all without letting his manager bring us down with media leaks or photo ops at a certain leagues club restaurant.
I know we could have done with him last week and especially against the Storm.The tougher/ rougher the game the better he goes.
Well said Shelley!
Thanks, well written Shelley and a good point re keeping ourselves in the game and not simply capitulating under pressure. That said don’t agree on Nathan Brown points, if he had been sluggish or unable to match intensity in the earlier higher paced higher energy elements of the game, it would have been easy to say “he should have come off the bench”. It’s a bit like facing the new ball in cricket, it’s just a different game at the start and we will never really know whether it might have got the better of him, so I’m in the “trust the coach” camp on this one.
I also didn’t understand JA sitting on the bench the whole game. If there’s one clearly perplexing element of BAs strategy it’s the utilisation of the bench eg Cartwright never seemed to get enough minutes last year either. BA will have forgotten more about footy than I know, but I just can’t wrap my head around this thinking.
I can see the point you have made re Nathan Brown and you are right we won’t know. My concern was also who we replaced him with. I know 13 in the modern game is seen as a middle forward but in our team, also the Panthers and Rabbits 13 is the link between the backs and forwards. If we had Matterson or even Bryce there I could understand it but Oregon is probably our least versatile forward whose hands let him down at times, as we found out last week. With Oregon starting we simply had another front rower on the field that could not generate line speed or create second phase or linking plays.
Yeah, the issue for me was not so much NB starting from the bench, as Kaufusi starting at lock. No qualms at all if it had been Matto. And I can’t see Matto having dropped that ball over the line. For all the finger pointing at Stone, that would’ve changed the whole match – first points on the board to us, and all the pressure on them.