Post Match NRL 2021 - Round 2 - Warriors vs Knights Post Match Discussion

[xWarrior]

Chanel Harris-Tavita is trying to play a second rower. Everyone here raving his hits etc guy can't play half for shit. His kicking is so bad, not 1 kick gets contested.

 

[Mr Dragon]

Without our big man we would be a crappy team like Manly

 

[Ever Hopeful]

its rd 2.... just chill. These combinations are still rusty whereas newcastle have been working with these combinations for a far longer period. We are a work in progress that requires time.

What combinations though?

We weren't seeing clunky passes, overrunning of the play, timing issues with decoys etc. I didn't personally see where the combinations will exist in the game plan they have been afforded.

They weren't there to be rusty. We've competed with big metres and barge overs, or two out plays at the line.

Again we don't look like a team that will score from beyond their 10-20m line.

 

[mrblonde]

Give the Knights a fair amount of credit, without some of their best players they did damn well - and we didn't force the issue much on attack as we should have.

Would we be better off if we switched KN and Chanel Harris-Tavita so we have KN being the more controlling half? Or swap Chanel Harris-Tavita and WE? Not convinced Chanel Harris-Tavita has what it takes in the Controlling Half department.

And why the hell did KN did AP the kicking duties?

The last time the Warriors won their first game and lost their second game, the club gloriously went on to...Um.....Ah.....Yeah, y'know, when people complain about Google being a crap search engine, they've really got a point...Says we didn't make the finals. Fake news. Surely.

And at least we aren't the Broncos. If we're making predictions after 1 (One) Pre-season game and 2 (Two) Regular Season games, it's a second wooden spoon for the Broncos as of right now.

 

[matiunz]

Don’t think we were that bad, really was a 50/50 game and unfortunately we came out on the wrong side this week. Effort was there for the full 80 and felt the Maumalo letting the ball bounce that led to their try was the turning point.
We look to be intentionally trying to build on as the season goes, first phase is getting the forward platform right which we seem to be on the right track, our defence is infinitely better we just need to build on our attacking structures. Last 2 weeks I’ve noticed Chanel Harris-Tavita and Kodi seem to have a half each where they are the primary/dominant playmaker- seems to be a deliberate tactic.
We need to expand our attacking play pretty soon as the knights showed the template how to negate our pack by rushing up 2 defenders straight at our hit ups before they could get going, it was only later in the second half where we adapted and spread it wider earlier (shows we have grown in adapting to a game).
Still think we (along with the knights) are in the higher end of the 6-10 group of teams and it’s where we will sit majority of the year.

 

[Old Sid]

I just didn't get the game plan. If we play up the middle, cool, but we need our halves and fullback sniffing around the ball rather than having a standing nap out wide.

It would be nice to spread the ball at least once a set though so that the defence are hedging their bets rather than choosing their marks. Not enough bodies in motion. Shaun Johnson used to be able to put away average players like Bodene Thompson, and is doing it now with Nikora as a link man with his second row partner. That is missing here despite having some great second rowers who should be our absolute weapons.

Once again we look like a 6-10th place team. The Knights do too. There is enough in our favour to be a thorn in the side of a lot of teams, but the execution of a more sophisticated game plan will be the difference between 6th and 10th. Without an improvement from the spine it could be uglier.

I really like the idea of Bunty to close the game out as a 60-80min specialist. Still some great stuff from the engine room. Some luck went our way last week, but not this week. We weren't far away from an ugly, but important win. Damn that Tevaga penalty, the Nikorima high shot and the Maumalo high ball. Captain fantastic's shovel on to Fusitua to get bundled in to touch is a repeat example of his lack of ball skills and it hurt us. Losing Aitken was a big deal. He gets himself in good positions and Pompey was average.

The next few weeks will set the scene for the year. As always round 6 will be a good indicator of whether we have turned a corner.

Last thing is that we looked like a team coached by Kearney. Minus the hookers.

Could not agree more EH. Bloody boring as bat shit from both teams. 5 hit ups and a kick. Zero from the halfs, zero creativity from anyone (Ben Murdoch-Masila apologies). Most folks rec'd the ball standing still. Zero follow up for offloads. Low energy because of last week I suspect but they would certainly have known that. Hate the back to 'SK process no error' trend.
Yet another telling brain snap from Tevanga... how can anyone explain that?

 

[HoRneT041]

Gosh, the titans are scoring at will against the broncos right now. Maybe we just have to play against more shit teams to get some mojo on attack!

 

[Raw Power]

What combinations though?

We weren't seeing clunky passes, overrunning of the play, timing issues with decoys etc. I didn't personally see where the combinations will exist in the game plan they have been afforded.

They weren't there to be rusty. We've competed with big metres and barge overs, or two out plays at the line.

Again we don't look like a team that will score from beyond their 10-20m line.

Yep good points Ever Hopeful!
In most of the game and especially at the end of the game when we needed to score from within our own twenty, I was thinking it was near impossible.

 

[JaggedJ]

its rd 2.... just chill. These combinations are still rusty whereas newcastle have been working with these combinations for a far longer period. We are a work in progress that requires time.

Guarantee Chanel Harris-Tavita/Kodi/Roger Tuivasa-Sheck/Egan have had more games together than Hoy/Crossland/Pearce/Brailey

Combinations is just a flat out excuse.

Our spine and backs are pedestrian.

 

[Noitall]

Bradman Best was the difference, knights often start the season strong in the past few years and fade. Would have liked a win, but not too upset at that.

 

[Blain]

Yeah never had a good feeling about that game. Even when we were making more metres, the Knights were looking more dangerous through the backs, and pinned us with far better kicks. That comes down to the halves, and unfortunately that will be our weakness this season.

We were really 1 out in attack, put the ball up the shirt. That won't work every week, especially going up against a NSW quality pack like Newcastle.

Best basically won that match for them with 2 tries out of not much, I'm really happy with our desire and defence, just need our attack to step it up. The tools are there, just need more time IMO. Not many quick play the balls, not many line breaks.

The kicking game though.. Chanel Harris-Tavita needs a spiral bomb or something.

 

[danyooll]

I don’t know how to feel, considering it’s only round 2.

It feels eerily similar to 2017, where we never got smashed in any game throughout the entire season, but finished 13th. Kearney’s first year of the process had small forwards, but a good enough spine with a bit of speed in the backline.

Now we have huge forwards, an average spine and barely any speed in the backline considering Ken and Fusitua are 4 years older/slower.

The positives are that we aren’t going to be walloped in any game touch wood. The team looks competitive enough and has strong defence.

I’m hoping by Round 6 that we play a bit more unstructured, with more support players sniffing around the ruck waiting for an offload.

Yet again, it’s only round 2, but I guess we are in a way more fortunate position compared to 2017.

 

[Billy Teets James]

I know this feeling too well....

Over an hour later....I'm still sitting in the same spot looking at the tv with the same expression figuring out if I should throw this fucking remote at the tv.

 

[wellyboy]

Everyone blaming ken for letting the ball bounce? What i saw at the game the ball went up, it went over ken and going towards Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, ken looks at Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck takes two steps forward then stops and looks at ken which makes ken hesitate and looses sight of the ball. That shouldve been Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ball to catch!! Hes the bloody fullback!!!

 

[Billy Teets James]

Guarantee Chanel Harris-Tavita/Kodi/Roger Tuivasa-Sheck/Egan have had more games together than Hoy/Crossland/Pearce/Brailey

Combinations is just a flat out excuse.

Our spine and backs are pedestrian.

How slow ??? I mean. Shit slow ? From hooker to Chanel Harris-Tavita to our wingers we are a bunch of turtles. Has Roger Tuivasa-Sheck left already? Is his mind with union?
Waste the time having a forward pack of trucks if we have a spine that are on learner licenses and can't drive shit.

 

[Naumaifooty]

FEW NEGATIVES

Shit halves.(kicking game reminiscent of sam lisone, also run through their plays in slow motion)
Ken doing ken things.(big for nothing, clueless, feet for hands, running straight into the markers FFS)
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck still playing prop.(allergic to supporting forwards who offload)
Game Plan.(starting to look a bit like the "PROCESS")

POSITIVES

Big Ben & Addin Fonua-Blake.
Fusitua looking like 2018 Fusitua.
We signed the next Billy Slater.

 

[Diesel]

We’re two games in and still getting combinations going but I expected more from the halves.

 

[95 'til infinity]

Our halves were terrible today, and what a surprise to see hiku miss a tackle that loses us the game!

Tough pill to swallow especially at that point of the game but Best is just that good. Hiku won't be the last centre to be run over by him this season that's for sure.

 

[Nangsy]

Fusitua needs to go, defence is shocking sprints up on Best and literally does nothing, let’s in the try. all he offers is a bit of post contact metres these days. Defence as a whole was pretty good. Attack wise, run in pairs stop with the one outs, players in motion (eg Sironen breaks a line at the end, everyone’s 10 metres back. Block plays clearly work well for us and we hardly do them. Roger played well just needs to push up with the ball in support more, and make more sweeping plays happen. Anyway bring Shaun Johnson back

 

[Nangsy]

How slow ??? I mean. Shit slow ? From hooker to Chanel Harris-Tavita to our wingers we are a bunch of turtles. Has Roger Tuivasa-Sheck left already? Is his mind with union?
Waste the time having a forward pack of trucks if we have a spine that are on learner licenses and can't drive shit.

Our whole backline needs a makeover, bunch of grandpas