LIVE GAME Round 8 vs. Broncos

[Vicious]

Why do players necessarily have to defend in the same position as they play in attack ?
It’s a very robotic ideology that doesn’t have to be followed to a tee.
For example we want and likely need both Galvin and Latu Fainu in the team, so why can’t Galvin attack as our left sided edge back rower but not have to do the tough defensive role ? Maybe in defence he could play as the left sided centre with the experienced battle hardened Olam defending as an edge back rower.

 

[Enmore_Tiger]

We are getting our fair share of possession and despite the protests on here, our fair share of penalties.
We aren’t being screwed by anyone, we just aren’t classy enough yet to turn opportunities into points. The guys coming next year will boost this so we need to keep exposing all our talent to the top grade and stop running Api into the ground.
Simpkin has to take the 14 for the next few months and the others need to rotate more.

I definately felt some decisions were engineered our way after the Api no try. Very surprising Samuela didn't get a second 10.

 

[The Chad]

I think the way Benji has used just 2 forwards off the bench in the rotation has potentially opened up a new option that we might want to look at.

If Bateman plays lock, and Fainu (Latu) plays 5/8, you could have Pole & Twal/Seyfarth as well as Sezar to play as the alternate half or lock & then add either another hooker (Simpkin) or put a ball player like Matamua on the bench. Potentially Matamua can come on for all 3 back row players, still only play #13 & have Bateman play a roving backrow role to enable Sam Fainu & Papali'i the option to rest. Sezar offers cover for Galvin/Latu Fainu as well as potentially fitting in as a ball playing lock as well (the Hastings role). Galvin & Bateman could, at any point, shift out into the centres if injury hits.

I think there is more impact in that bench.

The development of Miller is vital. Watching him run into the Bears defence...he is the middle forward we miss.

Additionally, having Sezar on the bench, allows Api to sub off with Latu covering at dummy half while he is off.

 

[tonza]

I definately felt some decisions were engineered our way after the Api no try. Very surprising Samuela didn't get a second 10.

I don't think he got 10 because it was not a deliberate attempt to delay the tap. It was a miss understanding. I am not going to crucify the bloke because he does put in and he will only get better.

 

[Honkylips]

On the match and on our play so far this year - a positive: we get out of our half very effectively every time. I have always thought that this "roll-on" is a hallmark of the good sides and traditionally, this is something we haven't been good at. I have noticed that we have been much better at this in 2024.
Likewise, defensively, when opposition teams start their sets deep in their own half, we are regularly keeping them from getting out, or getting their own"roll-on". Again, this is not something we have been historically good at.

Having said that, it is the attacking work we do when we are in the opposition 30, and the defensive work when they are within our 30, that it all seems to break down. And these are the zones where we need to be the most potent and formidable.

Another thing about our attack: we lack shape in our attack line and don't seem to acknowledge the skill sets of players who are standing in some sort of formation. This becomes obvious when players like Bateman, Klemmer or Twal are passed the ball late in sets, as invariably they kill any attacking momentum. Needs to be fixed. Those three should simply run decoys after the 4th tackle and never touch the ball - unless it is a perfectly executed crash play on the try line.

Not sure where you were sitting, but the main stand was blowing up quite a bit, there was atmosphere, but the drain of the club playing like the last couple of years did show on fans.



100% wrong, only once was the fake tigers chant started when no fans were doing it (first time, maybe the second, can't remember if there was one before the fake chant), all other times it came on after a tigers chant went up, and the playing of the cheer actually killed the real cheer. Though again it may have been based on where you were sitting as to what you heard.



Again the main stand was blowing up big, especially in the first half. The boos of the refs at halftime should have shown that. Plenty of passion was being shown by Tigers fans, but once the team switched off and Brisbane took control, then admittedly did start to die off.

Was the passion as high as it could have been, no, but a team playing as flat as they did transferred into the crowd.

Agree with everything you said mate.

 

[Honkylips]

Well written.

Ive been saying it for years, its the weakest home ground in pro sport. The place is a shithole. No heart, no soul, no energy, no atmosphere. Never has been never will be. Lacklustre shithole.

You probably weren't even there yesterday.

 

[fibrodreaming]

The incident with the Cows the ref went looking for their captain to ask if they wanted to challenge, in a scenario outside the rules of the challenge. I cannot believe gambling is not involved. If the underdogs win against the odds, on average, does it cost the pokies more?

PS I really hate the NRL

I agree. It's hard to maintain my enthusiasm for the NRL.

For example, in the game against the Bears yesterday, they had a PTB on our line. Ngatikaura came into dummy half and pushed Tumeth over who was getting into a defensive position on our line. Tumeth went sprawling and Ngatikaura dived over where Tumeth would have been defending. The try was awarded.

In the main game, Pole pushed a Donkey forward over when chasing a downtown. No advantage to us, but a dumb play. They get a penalty, and no argument from me.

But It is the little inconsistencies like these that really irritate me.

 

[Honkylips]

We are getting our fair share of possession and despite the protests on here, our fair share of penalties.
We aren’t being screwed by anyone, we just aren’t classy enough yet to turn opportunities into points. The guys coming next year will boost this so we need to keep exposing all our talent to the top grade and stop running Api into the ground.
Simpkin has to take the 14 for the next few months and the others need to rotate more.

Great post Tucker. This vendetta people think the NRL and referees have against us is embarrassing. I also agree Simpkin needs a call up to help Api. He did ok yesterday for Wests

 

[Lestronge]

It is pretty common on here for people to say that player X “is a reserve grader at best”, or “not up to NRL standard”, only for that player subsequently to join a quality club and do OK.

Last night two of the Donkey’s spine played for us and when they left most were pleased to see them go because they were “not up to NRL standard”.

I think that most of our game day 17 are first grade standard in the sense that if you put them in a quality team - like the two last night or Garner at Penrith – they will do a job for the coach and earn their keep.

The problem is, if you have 17 of these types playing week in, week out, you are not going to win many games.

So, by all means get rid of Seyfarth, but not because he is a “reserve grader at best”, but because you can sign someone who is a clear upgrade.

They were passengers mate . Reynolds and Walsh killed us. I think when people say “reserve grade “ re. Madden and Walter’s they mean , they arnt stars .
And both were not good enough to hold others coming through back , even to be placeholders .
Madden is a great first drop . Exactly what you want . I said the same thing when he was here . You can’t play him every week - unless you have a Reynolds level half .
And Walter’s is a decent first grade dummy half . But you’d trade him for whoever we had in dummy half from Liddle to Simpkin to Api to TDS.

 

[Lestronge]

Great post Tucker. This vendetta people think the NRL and referees have against us is embarrassing. I also agree Simpkin needs a call up to help Api. He did ok yesterday for Wests

There’s no vendetta . But there is game management from the referees , which 💯 engineered toward the top teams . The refs are coached that way , to not allow lower teams to ruin games and the spectacle .
But the problem with it is , is it leads itself to unconscious bias . That Api no try is horse shit through the lens of every single person watching that game . Unless you’re in the bunker and you’ve been instructed and watched video of what the tigers do to stop the top teams .
Now you’re seeing things through a lens , and that leads to those types of wtf decisions .
I’m sure there’s data around this being the best way to a fairer outcome , but if you’re a Lower team you’re asking yourself what we are now .
The bulldogs get the same treatment. It’s any ref who has been coached by the Suttons cabal .
There was a huge in fight in ref ranks 5-10 years ago about how this wouldn’t ruin the integrity of the game . And in my opinion it has .

 

[Stevec]

Everyone saying Latu is ok does his job etc
What job ? All I've seen sofar is a dummy half who picks up the ball and passes it and the one time he took the line on he lost the ball
He does his half a dozen tackles with one or two missed and throw in an error and that's about it .Yes he's young and will get better over time so let him do that in Cup and should be a star at that level and then promote him when he's achieved something
If we need someone to give Api a break then Simpkin is the guy .
I watched the Cup game vs Bears and Simpkin was clearly our best

 

[Tucker]

I definately felt some decisions were engineered our way after the Api no try. Very surprising Samuela didn't get a second 10.

Yeah I was expecting it lol.
This place would have had a heart attack

 

[tiger_one]

 

[chiranth]

Sign Trai Fuller! Called it earlier in the week, absolute weapon! How he isn’t playing first grade is criminal! Elite FLB

 

[BalmainJnr]

Sign Trai Fuller! Called it earlier in the week, absolute weapon! How he isn’t playing first grade is criminal! Elite FLB

He has way too many fast twitch fibres to play at WT 😂

 

[weststigers]

Sign Trai Fuller! Called it earlier in the week, absolute weapon! How he isn’t playing first grade is criminal! Elite FLB

Mate you are elite. You definitely called it. You are pretty good judge of talent I'd say. Have you thought of approaching the club for a job? Your resume could be all your posts where you've called it early

 

[stephen]

Not sure what Haas's stat's were but it's irrelevant. After a long lay off he comes back firing, every hit up full of effort & intent. Pack leader. If Stef genuinely wants to be a leader at our club, or play Origin, he need look no further than Haas. That's the standard he needs to reach. Talk is cheap.

 

[Tiger_Yoshi]

Stefano after a blazing first couple of games has been very quiet last 3 games..maybe all this contract talk has gotten to him

 

[Winston Churchill]

Not sure what Haas's stat's were but it's irrelevant. After a long lay off he comes back firing, every hit up full of effort & intent. Pack leader. If Stef genuinely wants to be a leader at our club, or play Origin, he need look no further than Haas. That's the standard he needs to reach. Talk is cheap.

Stef looked like an under 8s boy vs a man out there against HAAS. I dont know what it is, laziness, it came easy as a kid as he was big for his age and now doesnt count in 1st grade, he wants out of the club? Whatever it is he is phoning it in each week. What a pity this bloke has turned out to be and has never lived up to the hype from his Parra days. Chance to shine against the number 1 prop in NSW yesterday and plays like Jane. Penrith can have him. His best game ever for the club was 20mins in the Sts trial in 2023 when he played like HAAS last night, big, mean, hungry. Just looks like he isn't interested. For all the hype, talent and potential he has produced fark all for the club.

 

[fibrodreaming]

They were passengers mate . Reynolds and Walsh killed us. I think when people say “reserve grade “ re. Madden and Walter’s they mean , they arnt stars .

A few comments in reply.

First, I'm not sure that you are disagreeing with me. I said that these types of players can move to a quality team and play a role for their coach, and that is exactly what they did.

Second, if people mean they are "not stars", then why don't they say so? How can I interpret a comment that a player is a "reserve grader at best" as meaning that he is not a star? It is pretty obvious that the types of players we are discussing are not "stars". I don't think that is what they mean at all.

Third, I don't know how you define "passenger" but it is a bit harsh to describe Madden's contribution that way. He scored two tries and had one try assist; ie, he had a hand in three of their six tries.