LIVE GAME Round 8 vs. Broncos

[hank37w]

worst form he's been in since he's debuted

He needs to improved markedly because he's going to have some competition from Turuva who looked pretty good at the World Cup.

 

[mikey]

Parra with the bye this weekend likely will see them jump us bringing us closer to the foot of the ladder

Ah, like turning the corner for home after a long trip away

 

[Blocker1963]

Seriously, if anybody thinks Bateman was worth the money being paid for an elite backrower, its a joke. He has had 1 good game since he has been at the club, and being competeive and talking a lot doesnt cut it. He is not a lock either, keep on saying it, to small these days and has not impact, his jinking runs are predicatable.

 

[craigtob]

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.

Or just maybe, Stef is not really that good, not every player will be better than before.
i can only imagine how hard it would be getting smashed week in week, just maybe he will be a good 1st grade player and not a standout rep player....nothing wrong with that at all.

 

[Garrry]

Everyone prepared for another Annesley Monday apology to West's Tigers, it's becoming a normal thing

 

[jadtiger]

Everyone prepared for another Annesley Monday apology to West's Tigers, it's becoming a normal thing

I doubt if Anusley will apologise unless he is directly asked by a member of the press about the incident

 

[stephen]

Or just maybe, Stef is not really that good, not every player will be better than before.
i can only imagine how hard it would be getting smashed week in week, just maybe he will be a good 1st grade player and not a standout rep player....nothing wrong with that at all.

Absolutely mate. Not many as good as Haas. First step for Stef is hitting his straps as a consistent 1st grader, bringing high quality performance week after week. We've seen how good he can be in a few standout games. Hitting that mark each game will do me for now.

 

[jirskyr]

To be fair Haas may go down as one of, if not the best, prop to ever play the game. Point taken though, stefano can and should be a similar style of player.

No he can't. Haas is a freak, he has the motor of a Hindmarsh and the power of an AFB. Stefano will never have that kind of staying power, he just needs more support because he's our only power prop. The other props are lumberers.

I have been wondering whether Benji could try Pole and Stef as opening props, bring a bit more post-contact power.

 

[jirskyr]

I found it a hard game to judge. I thought the margin flattered Broncos and I thought Tigers were competitive, it's just in key moments their best players break the game open and ours do not.

I liked the Tigers' line speed and its one of the things Benji and Bomber have clearly worked on this year. We got up and into the Broncos all match, and for much of the match guys like Haas were fairly quiet. Riki and the other Broncos power backrowers (Piakura, Willison) were pretty well managed.

The fundamental differences were that Reynolds is a great kicker and he was at the top of his game against us, whereas Tigers just lobbed half-hearted bombs all match. Secondly Reece Walsh is an absolute weapon and no other team in the comp really has a player like him, who can step 5m laterally of either foot and then accelerate like a greyhound. Bula would probably run him down over 100m but almost nobody can match the way Walsh runs in any kind of half-open play.

So I think Benji got it very right in the press conference. Broncos knew they played a tough game and they were all hurting, and I don't think it was some kind of freak Autumnal SW Sydney humidity that had the opposition limping and hurting right across the park. I think we really took it to them physically, like an old 90s Balmain or Maggies side.

BUT execution was horrible. 75% of passes too high or behind the man. Backrowers not really charging onto it or timing their runs. Mostly ineffective kicking game. Unfortunately in NRL 2024 those kinds of gaps in class can result in 20+ point margins because the good teams can really hurt you if given a sniff. It's across the league though, I was fairly shocked to see Sharks so rampant over Raiders, and if not for a stupid sin bin I had a feeling Eels might get over the top of Manly, though they ended up letting in several late tries.

 

[jirskyr]

Also the Api no-try - if that is the current rule interpretation then it needs to be changed. I originally thought the "separation" interpretation made sense in respect to attempts to ground kicks, i.e. you shouldn't lose contact with a footy in the act of grounding a loose ball (it makes it a "bounce" and you never had possession of the ball to start with).

But in terms of your own possession, i.e. from a carry, I don't understand how any kind of separation matters if you clearly force the ball. It would be a knock-on in general play of course, but so is tapping a ball from a kick, so clearly the in-goal has a different impact on grounding.

The NRL's interpretation says

Grounding Grounding the Ball includes:
a . Placing the ball on the ground with hand or hands, wrist or forearm
b . Exerting a downward pressure on the ball in contact with the ground
c . Dropping on the ball and covering it with the front part of the body above the waist and below the neck.

A player who has had possession or touches/touched the ball and knocks the ball forward must regain possession (catch, hold or grip) prior to the ball hitting the ground, another player, goal post or cross bar. For the ball to be deemed grounded, pressure must be applied by the player’s fingers, hand, wrist, forearm or torso so as to create a reasonable influence on the plane of the ball including the spin, rotation, momentum or bounce.

The Bunker said that there was separation and Api did not regain a grip prior to hitting the ground. I fail to see how placing your entire hand firmly on the ball, a foot off the ground, and slamming it into the turf does not constitute a hold or grip.

Because if we are going to freeze-frame every one-handed put-down then the NRL is going to have to take back about half of all Xavier Coates and DWZ tries, both of whom are serial one-hand roll put-down scorers (Joey Manu as well) and who I guarantee will have micro-separations in the act of scoring many of their one-handed put-downs.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

I found it a hard game to judge. I thought the margin flattered Broncos and I thought Tigers were competitive, it's just in key moments their best players break the game open and ours do not.

I liked the Tigers' line speed and its one of the things Benji and Bomber have clearly worked on this year. We got up and into the Broncos all match, and for much of the match guys like Haas were fairly quiet. Riki and the other Broncos power backrowers (Piakura, Willison) were pretty well managed.

The fundamental differences were that Reynolds is a great kicker and he was at the top of his game against us, whereas Tigers just lobbed half-hearted bombs all match. Secondly Reece Walsh is an absolute weapon and no other team in the comp really has a player like him, who can step 5m laterally of either foot and then accelerate like a greyhound. Bula would probably run him down over 100m but almost nobody can match the way Walsh runs in any kind of half-open play.

So I think Benji got it very right in the press conference. Broncos knew they played a tough game and they were all hurting, and I don't think it was some kind of freak Autumnal SW Sydney humidity that had the opposition limping and hurting right across the park. I think we really took it to them physically, like an old 90s Balmain or Maggies side.

BUT execution was horrible. 75% of passes too high or behind the man. Backrowers not really charging onto it or timing their runs. Mostly ineffective kicking game. Unfortunately in NRL 2024 those kinds of gaps in class can result in 20+ point margins because the good teams can really hurt you if given a sniff. It's across the league though, I was fairly shocked to see Sharks so rampant over Raiders, and if not for a stupid sin bin I had a feeling Eels might get over the top of Manly, though they ended up letting in several late tries.

Well summarised @jirskyr .

NRL is a game of moments & the better sides like Brisbane are much more clinical in turning half-chances into tries and get the rub of the green at key times.

We get our fair share of field position and do create half-chances but rarely ice them with often clunky structure or poor options.

Swap Reynolds with Sezer and the scoreline would have been much closer! I'm pretty sure Reynolds would have given Alaimalo plenty of cross-field bombs to utilise his aerial threat.

 

[Wearyfan22]

No he can't. Haas is a freak, he has the motor of a Hindmarsh and the power of an AFB. Stefano will never have that kind of staying power, he just needs more support because he's our only power prop. The other props are lumberers.

I have been wondering whether Benji could try Pole and Stef as opening props, bring a bit more post-contact power.

I agree, I only meant Stef could be a Haas lite because I think he has strengths similar to Haas (but to a lesser degree) like his capacity to be a damaging ball carrier and to play long minutes. Haas is a superior player in every sense though, as you say he is probably the perfect prop. The people holding Stef up against Haas wanting him to get to that standard are dreaming.

As far as starting Pole and Stef, I would worry about the rotation of Klemmer and Twal. Minimal impact and I think we would lose alot of the momentum in the middle parts of games, the play the balls would be so slow. The squad is short one damaging prop, as Faagatu looks like he hasn't progressed this year.

 

[jrtiger]

I found it a hard game to judge. I thought the margin flattered Broncos and I thought Tigers were competitive, it's just in key moments their best players break the game open and ours do not.

I liked the Tigers' line speed and its one of the things Benji and Bomber have clearly worked on this year. We got up and into the Broncos all match, and for much of the match guys like Haas were fairly quiet. Riki and the other Broncos power backrowers (Piakura, Willison) were pretty well managed.

The fundamental differences were that Reynolds is a great kicker and he was at the top of his game against us, whereas Tigers just lobbed half-hearted bombs all match. Secondly Reece Walsh is an absolute weapon and no other team in the comp really has a player like him, who can step 5m laterally of either foot and then accelerate like a greyhound. Bula would probably run him down over 100m but almost nobody can match the way Walsh runs in any kind of half-open play.

So I think Benji got it very right in the press conference. Broncos knew they played a tough game and they were all hurting, and I don't think it was some kind of freak Autumnal SW Sydney humidity that had the opposition limping and hurting right across the park. I think we really took it to them physically, like an old 90s Balmain or Maggies side.

BUT execution was horrible. 75% of passes too high or behind the man. Backrowers not really charging onto it or timing their runs. Mostly ineffective kicking game. Unfortunately in NRL 2024 those kinds of gaps in class can result in 20+ point margins because the good teams can really hurt you if given a sniff. It's across the league though, I was fairly shocked to see Sharks so rampant over Raiders, and if not for a stupid sin bin I had a feeling Eels might get over the top of Manly, though they ended up letting in several late tries.

good summation and well said. the lack of a methodical halfback and the inability to execute the final pass is what is killing us. some of that is already being addressed with Luai and Turuva coming across, plus hopefully some additional recruits in the backs.

 

[Oldman]

I want to see Fainu play a full game in the halves.
Galvin is being afforded every opportunity to grow, why isn’t Latu?
Many who watch a lot of juniors consistently state he is the more polished player.

Would you like Galvin dropped
or play both the young guys in the half’s together with no Sezer.

Galvin earned his spot from the off season training effort and IMO has done nothing to loose his position.

 

[Halbrowne61]

I doubt if Anusley will apologise unless he is directly asked by a member of the press about the incident

I agree, he didn’t even comment on the blatant ankle tap v Penrith until it was raised by a journo.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

We get our apology yet?

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Would you like Galvin dropped
or play both the young guys in the half’s together with no Sezer.

Galvin earned his spot from the off season training effort and IMO has done nothing to loose his position.

Sezer has been average for at least the last 3 games. Nothing to lose by throwing Fainu in.

 

[Halbrowne61]

We get our apology yet?

Lol, you’re kidding. It’s only the Tigers and nobody ( except all of us) cares.

 

[Enmore_Tiger]

Also the Api no-try - if that is the current rule interpretation then it needs to be changed. I originally thought the "separation" interpretation made sense in respect to attempts to ground kicks, i.e. you shouldn't lose contact with a footy in the act of grounding a loose ball (it makes it a "bounce" and you never had possession of the ball to start with).

But in terms of your own possession, i.e. from a carry, I don't understand how any kind of separation matters if you clearly force the ball. It would be a knock-on in general play of course, but so is tapping a ball from a kick, so clearly the in-goal has a different impact on grounding.

The NRL's interpretation says



The Bunker said that there was separation and Api did not regain a grip prior to hitting the ground. I fail to see how placing your entire hand firmly on the ball, a foot off the ground, and slamming it into the turf does not constitute a hold or grip.

Because if we are going to freeze-frame every one-handed put-down then the NRL is going to have to take back about half of all Xavier Coates and DWZ tries, both of whom are serial one-hand roll put-down scorers (Joey Manu as well) and who I guarantee will have micro-separations in the act of scoring many of their one-handed put-downs.

30 minutes in, 10 down. It was a critical call in situation if mismatched skill, effort only way to win it.

 

[Enmore_Tiger]

Well summarised @jirskyr .

NRL is a game of moments & the better sides like Brisbane are much more clinical in turning half-chances into tries and get the rub of the green at key times.

We get our fair share of field position and do create half-chances but rarely ice them with often clunky structure or poor options.

Swap Reynolds with Sezer and the scoreline would have been much closer! I'm pretty sure Reynolds would have given Alaimalo plenty of cross-field bombs to utilise his aerial threat.

Our only cross kick was to Stains against Oats