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In something of a quieter week across the code, the Parramatta Eels and Canterbury Bulldogs are gearing up for a King’s Birthday showdown. Forty20 and Chris Ricketts launch into another episode of The Tip Sheet to bring you all the latest, if slim, pickings from Parradise.
What is wrong with Brisbane? The Broncos are spiraling and their talent laden roster is getting worse at football by the week. Who is at fault and will the cracks open up opportunities for other clubs to pounce? The Warriors have been rocked by the news that star Origin forward Mitch Barnett has sustained an ACL injury. How badly does it impact and what do the Blues do? Speaking of Origin – do Queensland even get it? Their Game 1 loss has Canetoads scrambling from all corners croaking for changes – the boys discuss what they should do.
Join the show at 7:30PM!
As to us, Kelman Tuilagi had a cloud over him for defence, resulting in him coming off the bench and being used in the centre. He was one of our best against Penrith, his defence a revelation. We need to start him at left second row.
Is Bevan french worth another look for 6
We have several possibilities to replace Dylan in the club. I’d prefer that we look at them before recruiting.
Surely not, he can’t defend at all. Sandon smith is the best option to tide us over for a year or two until we can see if Lorenzo is able to play nrl.
Sandon is an instinctive player which touch footy background – something I think we need to complemented Moses who has become more and more structured
It’s an interesting one this dogs match up.
On one hand the dogs systems and key players have been the most consistent and most reliable all year.
Then on the other hand you’ve got inter club drama with Secton (who’s been their best #7 halfback in many years being shown no loyalty).. then throw in dumb & dumber hair cut guy Galvin who could potentially upset the dynamics of this team.
I have a feeling that that the dogs are just far stronger than us obviously and we need them off their game.. and for us to have a real cracker to stand any chance of winning.
What I want to see from the eels is short passes up the middle and for Mitch Moses to orchestrate more of the attack where we ask questions of them in multiple areas of the field, not just the typical spread it on 4th tackle to Ado car and easily gets closed down by bulldogs who are defensively A1.
What won us games in previous years against the best defensive sides (panthers & storm) was our unpredictability with offloads and Mitch Moses creativity and long kicking game.
We hadn’t really seen the offloads in the middle as much recently. And Moses is playing more structured and less creative under Ryles.
I personally cannot see us trying to out finesse a top defensive side like bulldogs by only playing structured footy.
Storm players and former panthers players have mentioned on podcasts the way parra beat them in the past was our offloads and long kicking, defensive systems do not hold up perfectly once second phase play (or the fear of it) becomes part your attack, especially when your completion rate is high.
I do not want to see us trying to play conservatively in attack until the last minutes hoping to out defend a team who can do it better.
The game last week was frustrating because we didn’t throw anything at them towards the end, if you are going to lose anyway, might as well flip a coin and just go for it.
We’ve never been able to beat the top of the table teams without some razzle dazzle mixed into it, because we cannot out-defend the best teams.
I also wonder if hopgood at middle rotation, and Matto and Walker in the lock partnership may work better?
If we make silly errors early In tackle count VS dogs it will be goodnight very quickly. You can’t have your ball playing lock dropping balls of throwing forward passes and expect to beat the bulldogs.
Hopefully Will Peninsi has a good game after having a rest, we will need him to have a cracking game to stand a chance 🤝
To me the great unused potential is Matterson. We seem to have forgotten that years ago he was captain of a senior age team that was coached by Luke Burt and was funded in a grand final by poor refereeing calls; he played 6 and has outstanding passing and kicking skills. I think he should start at 13 and be given a lot of responsibility in varying the attack.
I think he has been good for us off the bench the last few matches.
No errors really from memory last few games and always has a pretty solid defence Matto.
Hopefully the big fellah can continue to get some minutes and build his form for us.
Noel I’m with you. I would support Jason starting Matto. Especially if Matto doesn’t make any errors or forward passes. That would go a long way. I think Hopgood plays better when there’s no ball playing involved, particularly since his injury. Jason will know what’s best tho.. we have to trust in him and his process I guess.
“Moses is playing more structured and less creative under Ryles.”
Not sure about that.
Under Arthur he had a very one-dimensional kicking game.
I still think that’s the bit of his game that will lift him to the next level.
Dropping the ball over between the line and the fullback for the chasers, kicking low to bounce it over the heads of the winger / fullback, more grubbers in general play.
He has the ball on a string, I’m sure the string has much more to pull.
To beat the dogs, we have to stop them scoring points then unleash Lomax and the Fox on them.
Even if they don’t score, they will give us opportunities.
The #1 thing I would like to change is the predictability coming out of our territory.
Lomax, JAC, Russell using 3 or four of the tackles without us using forwards for what they are best for and giving us no opportunity to let the ball go for 2 or three tackles to gain ground.
I think if there was a footy tab bet for game of the round, I would make my first bet on football at the TAB.
57 we offered nothing in terms of creativity to close our lasts weeks game
We didn’t really try to do any dazzle dazzle in that second half
Please watch the game again and come back and point to where Moses was overly creative in every set when the game was on the line
I will say tho – Moses is partly hurt
He made groaning noises of pain when kicking on some long kicks
Probably just pain from origin and what not
He looked very good in his first game back VS tigers but has been a bit more quiet since then
Are we ever going to see the player ratings for the Penrith game?
Kautoga needs to cut out the errors and get folding
Also
I want to see more of Joash Papalii, he’s got X factor