Internationals 2016 Australia v Kiwis Test, Perth

[kiwi's 13-6]

Main Positive was our defence very solid, our attack was one dimensional. 5 tackle options were pathetic, kenny dowell had a shocker his cross field runs ended with dropped ball on 3 occasions, Bromwich didnt have a captains knock several poor carries, personally id like to see the job back to Mannering! Kidwell worries me as a coach now! How could he have left Taumalolo off so long unless he was injured which he did not appear to be? personally think our assistant coaches are not even up to assistant coach level and our coach is an assistant coach stepping up 1st head coaching role with no guidance... unless this team learns really quickly & massive improvements occur in our attacking game we are looking at 3rd place in four nations...

 

[Beastmode]

Personally...i think Shaun Johnson played crap... in fact very similar to his results for the warriors this year... Its not Shaun Johnson bashing... its just a fact. He isnt a dummy half... hes paid as a play maker, so make some plays.... there needs to be more to agame than just bombing...

hes playing crap because hes so fucking predictable.

1. wont take on the line - look at JT - body on the line - defenders in two minds every single time.
2. bombs on the 5th, time and time again. No impact at all in his kicking.
3. still cant tackle properly to save his life - and they're all half arsed - the missed shirt grab on Corder for him to score had me screaming.
4. wont take on the line.
5. wont take on the line.

I cant wait for Foran to fucking tell him to grow some balls and take a hit next year.

 

[Jordan G]

Personally...i think Shaun Johnson played crap... in fact very similar to his results for the warriors this year... Its not Shaun Johnson bashing... its just a fact. He isnt a dummy half... hes paid as a play maker, so make some plays.... there needs to be more to agame than just bombing...

Just like there's more to a team than one man.

Why don't Luke, TL, Kahu cop the same criticism? A single player can't do it on his own, others need to step up around him.

Australian Kicks
Cronk - 8
Thurston - 6
Smith - 4

Kiwi kicks
Shaun Johnson - 12
TL - 4
Luke - 1

Just like with the Warriors, any opposition coach will take a look at our spine on paper and tell their players to relentlessly target Shaun Johnson. How many times did the ball travel sideways over half the field for the Warriors just to find Shaun Johnson for a kick. The fact our hooker/half/fullback don't have the ability or at the very least the forward thinking to say "hey, why don't I take on this aspect of the game because I have no pressure on me" is quite honestly a little embarassing.

Shaun Johnson might cop critisicm because he's the most talented, but he also cops more than he should because he's being asked/expected to do far too much on his own.

 

[Brother Faisal]

my team for the next test

1. Fusitua
2. Watene-Zelezniak
3. Kata
4. Kahu
5. Rapana
6. Martin
7. Johnson
8. Bromwich
9. Leuluai
10. Blair
11. Mannering
12. Proctor
13. Taumalolo

14. Luke
15. Taupau
16. Eastwood
17. Harris

18. Ma'u

More attack and bigger bodies in the backline, more oomph with the ball in hand and 3 kicking options.

That's what I would do.

second this exact team.

 

[JBmurc]

Well every rugger mates will be giving me shit about this game ....really we made the Aussies look much better than they were ...sad day for international league ..compared to the NRL finals ......crap game

 

[Beastmode]

Just like there's more to a team than one man.

Why don't Luke, TL, Kahu cop the same criticism? A single player can't do it on his own, others need to step up around him.

Australian Kicks
Cronk - 8
Thurston - 6
Smith - 4

Kiwi kicks
Shaun Johnson - 12
TL - 4
Luke - 1

Just like with the Warriors, any opposition coach will take a look at our spine on paper and tell their players to relentlessly target Shaun Johnson. How many times did the ball travel sideways over half the field for the Warriors just to find Shaun Johnson for a kick. The fact our hooker/half/fullback don't have the ability or at the very least the forward thinking to say "hey, why don't I take on this aspect of the game because I have no pressure on me" is quite honestly a little embarassing.

Shaun Johnson might cop critisicm because he's the most talented, but he also cops more than he should because he's being asked/expected to do far too much on his own.

The day I see Shaun Johnson taking hits and putting his body on the line like his opposite will be the day the Warriors start winning.

 

[Raider1]

Just like there's more to a team than one man.

Why don't Luke, TL, Kahu cop the same criticism? A single player can't do it on his own, others need to step up around him.

Australian Kicks
Cronk - 8
Thurston - 6
Smith - 4

Kiwi kicks
Shaun Johnson - 12
TL - 4
Luke - 1

Just like with the Warriors, any opposition coach will take a look at our spine on paper and tell their players to relentlessly target Shaun Johnson. How many times did the ball travel sideways over half the field for the Warriors just to find Shaun Johnson for a kick. The fact our hooker/half/fullback don't have the ability or at the very least the forward thinking to say "hey, why don't I take on this aspect of the game because I have no pressure on me" is quite honestly a little embarassing.

Shaun Johnson might cop critisicm because he's the most talented, but he also cops more than he should because he's being asked/expected to do far too much on his own.

We are not doubting his (Shaun Johnson) talent... he just needs to use it...!!!!.. And based on the year hes had, his performance cant always be blamed on the rest of the teams performance. A half is a play maker... thats what they get paid for.

 

[Nesio McCarthy]

my team for the next test

1. Fusitua
2. Watene-Zelezniak
3. Kata
4. Kahu
5. Rapana
6. Martin
7. Johnson
8. Bromwich
9. Leuluai
10. Blair
11. Mannering
12. Proctor
13. Taumalolo

14. Luke
15. Taupau
16. Eastwood
17. Harris

18. Ma'u

More attack and bigger bodies in the backline, more oomph with the ball in hand and 3 kicking options.

That's what I would do.

I'd make a couple of changes to that team.

I would start with Harris instead of Simon and Manu to take Harris spot on the bench, (no room for JuJu).

I'd drop Shaun Johnson, make Tommy half and blood Martin at 6.

Time has run out for Shaun Johnson, both at Warriors Level (Higano) and Kiwis (Martin)

 

[Sledge]

Just like there's more to a team than one man.

Why don't Luke, TL, Kahu cop the same criticism? A single player can't do it on his own, others need to step up around him.

Australian Kicks
Cronk - 8
Thurston - 6
Smith - 4

Kiwi kicks
Shaun Johnson - 12
TL - 4
Luke - 1

Just like with the Warriors, any opposition coach will take a look at our spine on paper and tell their players to relentlessly target Shaun Johnson. How many times did the ball travel sideways over half the field for the Warriors just to find Shaun Johnson for a kick. The fact our hooker/half/fullback don't have the ability or at the very least the forward thinking to say "hey, why don't I take on this aspect of the game because I have no pressure on me" is quite honestly a little embarassing.

Shaun Johnson might cop critisicm because he's the most talented, but he also cops more than he should because he's being asked/expected to do far too much on his own.

BULLSHIT, Shaun Johnson takes the pass from dummy half and does the same play over and over, he has no variance to his play and is to easy to read.

 

[Waiting For Premiership]

I'd drop Shaun Johnson, hopefully it's just his leg and leave him at home for the 4 nations

Its not his leg, thats the excuse we are always hearing, he's just not good enough plain and simple, he is not a number 7 BUT he believes and he could be right theirs no one who's going to take his spot in Kiwis or Warriors. Reason ? I think is his name is bigger than the game ..... and that is one hell of a problem !!! If Kidwell was to leave him out of the England trip i think the Kiwis could improve as our 5th tackle play doesn't exist with Shaun Johnson . Also SK should seriously think of getting Ata or who ever training big time for that spot, because if not this time next year we'll be pissed off again that we have missed out on reaching top eight again.

 

[Jordan G]

BULLSHIT, Shaun Johnson takes the pass from dummy half and does the same play over and over, he has no variance to his play and is to easy to read.

And is that all the player, the structure or a combination of both? More than anyone I've said constantly that Shaun Johnson won't find consistency until he's playing on both sides of the field, attacking where he sees the opportunity. At both the Warriors and Kiwis when Shaun Johnson gets the ball parked on his left hand side he's got three options - run, short ball, long ball out the back. Both Thompson and proctor give Shaun Johnson almost no option to run on the outside without creating an obstruction, that makes the ball out the back quite predictable and easy to read. That leaves running as an option, and while he could run more and I've said before that he needs to take on some half gaps rather than waiting for the obvious large gap, running into a set defensive line and getting smashed for no real reason isn't the answer either.

 

[Brother Faisal]

i get the Shaun Johnson hate, he isnta game manager, he cant have as many 5th tackle options. he needs a foran to be a Shaun Johnson if you know what im saying. we need to try this kid martin, we have no other choice unless leuleuai can turn it around. it seems like an age since the 2015 anzac test but the last 5 games 3 against england now 2 against we've scored a total of 7 tries. thats about a try a game, its not gonna work. We need points, we might have to sacrifice some better defenders for better offensive threats, the defence is good but the decision makers, luke leuleuai, Shaun Johnson kahu and even brown is a decision maker arent working.

the luke and leuleuai hooking rotation works. brown can sit out.

martin and fusitua have to come in to this team.

im thinking cause our first game is against england kidwell wont want to tinker with the team but it has to be done.

 

[Horriors2014]

JWH - Kearney wasnt picking this knob for a reason, biggest powder puff in the game
Johnson - Pathetic
SKD - Mud
Nightgale - my 92 yr old gran runs with more venom

Well done Kata,played great, Haka was good, that about sums up that dreadful outing from the Kiwis

I agree with all that. Overall the team were well down on intensity-Taupau, Rapana and Kata excepted. I can offer a couple of explanations:

1) The team pretty much got together midweek and had to fly to Perth-the schedule was sucky.
2) New coach, new emphasis. Not working yet.
3) Missing Foran like crazy. Cappy seems to have broken Shaun Johnson permanently, and Luke's form is pathetic-broken spine=broken team.

I came away with a couple of key questions: Has Luke already retired in his heart? I've heard from a good source that he has more passion for te reo than league these days. He's a mere shadow of his former self.

Shaun Johnson's injury may have stripped him of speed permanently and his confidence is shot. If that's the case lets start grooming Ata Hingano and Te Maire Martin now.

You will never see a worse game from Nightingale. If he has a bad night you know something is off.

 

[Jordan G]

We are not doubting his (Shaun Johnson) talent... he just needs to use it...!!!!.. And based on the year hes had, his performance cant always be blamed on the rest of the teams performance. A half is a play maker... thats what they get paid for.

I never said anyone doubted his talent, but he's not a magician. There's no magic create button. If you look at the majority of his kicks tonight he was forced to kick high and sacrifice length because of pressure from the opposition. Why is the opposition so easily getting to him almost as quick as the ball? That's why we turned the ball over twice on the last. By the time the ball got to him he was forced to run and pass. Somebody else needs to learn to kick the damn ball.

Our service out of dummy half was shit, our forwards weren't dominant enough to provide him space, and as per usual we waste a lot of time searching for Shaun Johnson because nobody else has the talent/footy smarts to step up and take the responsibility. It won't matter what Shaun Johnson does, whether he runs more or not, if there are 12 other players on the field waiting for Shaun Johnson to create something or searching for him blindly on the last, nothing will change.

 

[Horriors2014]

Just like there's more to a team than one man.

Why don't Luke, TL, Kahu cop the same criticism? A single player can't do it on his own, others need to step up around him.

Australian Kicks
Cronk - 8
Thurston - 6
Smith - 4

Kiwi kicks
Shaun Johnson - 12
TL - 4
Luke - 1

Just like with the Warriors, any opposition coach will take a look at our spine on paper and tell their players to relentlessly target Shaun Johnson. How many times did the ball travel sideways over half the field for the Warriors just to find Shaun Johnson for a kick. The fact our hooker/half/fullback don't have the ability or at the very least the forward thinking to say "hey, why don't I take on this aspect of the game because I have no pressure on me" is quite honestly a little embarassing.

Shaun Johnson might cop critisicm because he's the most talented, but he also cops more than he should because he's being asked/expected to do far too much on his own.

Cappy broke him. But I also think Foran was the glue to the spine. He compliments Shaun Johnson nicely and takes a load of responsibility off him. That's a key IMO.

 

[Horriors2014]

I also had Matulino and Kasiano in my squad pre-train-on team announcement. Two vital keys to counter Boyd and Scott.

 

[Horriors2014]

Could Manu's runs inside the 20 have helped?

 

[Jordan G]

Cappy broke him. But I also think Foran was the glue to the spine. He compliments Shaun Johnson nicely and takes a load of responsibility off him. That's a key IMO.

That's pretty much my point summed up in less words. lol.

I mentioned the kicking stats of Australia because you can see 3 players taking responsibility for the kicking game and sharing it evenly. For the Warriors/Kiwis when Foran isn't there everyone from coaches to players to fans know that Shaun Johnson is kicking option 1, 2, 3 followed by daylight and then whoever happens to end up with the ball. There's just way too much pressure on him to be effective unless the forwards are dominanting week in and week out which isn't going to happen at the Warriors with our current cattle.

Shaun Johnson didn't play well, but he had zero support as well.

 

[Jordan G]

Could Manu's runs inside the 20 have helped?

Doubt anything would have helped tonight. aside from a brief spell in the first half we lacked intensity, first up contact was poor in the tackle, and just too many basic errors, especially when there was no pressure.

 

[kiwi's 13-6]

Kidwell & coaching team need to up there game... coached attack like 3 guys who spent most of careers in forwards except even then the forward rotation off the bench was poor with Taumalolo & Tapau left out when needed. Seems like Kidwell has 2 assistant that will never be likely to take his job he has 1 defensive drill trainer & one cone placement specialist as assistants. we need some one like Stacey Jones as an assistant who is genuinely down for the cause but at the same time might be awarded your job if you cant deliver