Post Match Rd 7: Storm Beat Warriors In Thriller

[tangalife]

I like Mannering a lot, but don't think we missed him out there. Might well and truly be a sign that he needs to head in-field and remdoel himself as a hard-running, effective tackling lock and start preparing for a shift into prop in a few years.[DOUBLEPOST=1366917858][/DOUBLEPOST]
I noticed this on the second Chambers try - either Mateo is faffing about further in than he needs to be, or it's a case of when he's involved in a tackle, there's nobody moving across to take his place in the line.

*****
Anyone else look at Koni's big damn-I-dropped-the-ball-again grimace/smiles and thought "Fuck me, Manu's his mentor, alright."

he seemed pretty damn pissed off whenever he dropped the ball...

I note 3 fuck ups by Johnson. 2 shit no look passes but mainly that kick to Tupou early in the game was dumb. Other than that id go as far as saying this was his best game in a long time, he looked back at his natural confident best.

 

[AttilaTheGorilla]

I was shocked at the time that they went for the 2 points from the penalty, just to be in front. I thought that decision gave all the iniiative and momentum to the Storm.

 

[ajofbrisbane]

I was shocked at the time that they went for the 2 points from the penalty, just to be in front. I thought that decision gave all the iniiative and momentum to the Storm.

This was my thoughts as well......basically put the white flag out to the Storm that they were tired and had no confidence that they could score again and thought the lead was enough.
They should have played on and gone for 4 or 6

 

[Raurimu Massive]

I was shocked at the time that they went for the 2 points from the penalty, just to be in front. I thought that decision gave all the iniiative and momentum to the Storm.

Hard case, cos I was pissed off we didn't take the two points on offer earlier from the penalty virtually in front. I know we stood to score from the next set, or force a dropout, but we inevitably seem to fuck up instead.

I don't mind us taking the two with the intent of getting the ball back from the kickoff and putting in a solid set to bring the ball back up to the Storm's end. Look for a 40/20, or maybe even just end up kicking the ball to the sidelines with the view to starting the opposition's set with our defensive line arranged, not having to deal with a kick return in broken play. Just two of them in a game is the same as a try. Points going begging if you ask me, and at the end of 80 mins, it's only the points that count, not momentum/territory/possession.

IF we consistently made the most of that possession from a penalty whilst on attack, then I'd have a different attitude, but we don't. We do consistently fuck it up though.

 

[AttilaTheGorilla]

It just didn't feel right at the time, we were all over them, guys were desperate to have a crack at them from close range but someone overruled. Who was the captain today?

 

[shuffle]

I thought that Tupou has improved heaps

He is looking to be more committed this year and deserves to be there. He can't jump or isnt fast but hes doing the basics right.

 

[ajofbrisbane]

It just didn't feel right at the time, we were all over them, guys were desperate to have a crack at them from close range but someone overruled. Who was the captain today?

Sam Rapira.....
Even Cam Smith said in the presser that they were happy with decision as they were under pressure and had the Warriors scored it could have been different

 

[WellingtonOrca]

I chose Locke as I thought he had a quite good game until about 15 mins from the end when he became timid all of a sudden. He looked like a guy who knew something was coming from England.

He's been timid of contact while contesting bombs for a while now - probably a side effect of playing injured.

 

[Fazz]

Yeah, whoever said take the two is dumb. The angle was a hard one, and it could have quite easily not gone dead, giving the ball straight back to the Storm.

I'm rather displeased at the final result and the form of our Centres/Mateo, but I think the rest of the team stepped up and show something at least. Shaun Johnson might have thrown some shitty passes and made some poor decisions, but he was also pulling out some good stuff, and generally just having more of a dig than last year. I'm wondering what happened to Lock at half time though, Jekyll and Hyde performance from him last night...

 

[ShaunJohnson7]

I'm getting the impression you don't really follow nrl stats, or what's considered par for a prop. Packer's stats are pathetic for a prop, no excuses.[DOUBLEPOST=1366900414,1366900123][/DOUBLEPOST]I'll go a step further, as someone that follows the workrates of all props in the game, 4 runs in 33 minutes is horrendous. Especially for a player that has been around as long as he has. He looks fat, he looks unfit, and without a couple of good starts off kick offs to get his metres up, his run metres would be even worse. Props like Ben Hannant, Aaron Woods, Fifita and a few other guys often have more runs and metres inside the first 10-15 mins of a game, I shit you not. Packer, go back to the gym, or the biggest loser house...just get the fuck off the field, George Rose the second.

On one condition.....he takes Ropati with him.

 

[Far Away Fan]

So News Limited rapes another bottom. Our bottom must need ointment after the calls that have gone against us. Still we played well. A few players are letting us down. But we are so close to beating the best teams in the comp. Really its been nothing but solid footy since round four. Literally getting better. Just need for two things to happen. The refs to give us a fair game. OK. But the other action is giving the other team nothing and we can help that. Ropati, Feleti are just a couple of players but most are in good form. Playing well. I worry about their confidence and believe we will shatter a team if we keep playing this well.

As for tonight well, we have made Melbourne cry. Slater, Cam crying hugging Bellamy. You can't buy that. Who else has a perfect record against Melbourne in the finals? No one! Not even Manly. Chin up boys, great fight, don't give up..

Just wanted to get this post up again. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[mt.wellington]

On one condition.....he takes Ropati with him.

And Hurrell. Guy couldnt catch a cold...

 

[Gizzyfan]

I have re read what I posted last night and haven't changed my mind about anything. Some things noted I didn't comment on. The first is Locke not taking the high ball. There seemed to be a lack of communication between Laumape and Locke.

Statistics are like a slut, once you get them down you can do what you like with them.

Rapira, Matulino and Lillyman were great, I couldn't see any problem with Packer either, at the ground he seemed to be putting in.

The real difference was the last tackle plays, Storm were accurate and put pressure on, ours were too deep. I think it is time for Seijka for TL. His D is good but his lack of attack options and real passing skills is killing them.

Henry was good, Taylor I didn't notice other than in the warmup.

Mateo looked to be only going through the motions, there was no real intent in his running. Hello Vulcans.

Even the Storm supporters (these were ones booing anything the Warriors did) admitted the 40/20 decision was shit. One pointed out that Shaun Johnson was well behind the 40 and the Touchie raised his flag inside the 20 makes it fairly clearcut. They also reckoned that pass was forward. They admitted the Storm got out of jail. I disagreed, at the end of the day the Warriors let them out of jail. In any game the refs make less mistakes than the players.

There seems to be a play to have Hurrell take it up in the early tackles, a waste IMO, keep him wider running deep at backs, Storm backs had trouble containing him. I would persist with him.

IMO Ropati copping some criticism that should be directed at another prick who is Mateos size and appearance not numbering up forcing Ropati having to stay further in than he wanted. You could see him looking inside knowing what was going to happen but powerless to do anything, it left an overlap no matter what he and Laumape did. However, after that he is my pick to be replaced by Neilson next week (hopefully). I think he provides good injury cover.

My last word, until we can create pressure from tackle 1 to tacle 6 the Warriors will find it tough to close out games.

 

[mt.wellington]

Hey Melbournewarriorfan. My brothers thought 9000 at Mt Smart made more noise then 25,000 at Melbourne. True???

 

[Dankokoro 2.0]

IMO Ropati copping some criticism that should be directed at another prick who is Mateos size and appearance not numbering up forcing Ropati having to stay further in than he wanted. You could see him looking inside knowing what was going to happen but powerless to do anything, it left an overlap no matter what he and Laumape did. However, after that he is my pick to be replaced by Neilson next week (hopefully). I think he provides good injury cover.

Dude.. go and watch the replay.. right now.. https://www.nrl.com/TelstraPremiership/MatchCentre/tabid/10999/Default.aspx#matchid=3335&tab=Report

Did the guy inside him force him to shirt grab at Chambers to let in that first try? I'm sorry, but how is that anyone's fault but Ropati's? As for his second costly miss tackle on Chambers that led to the match winning try, Chambers just gassed him on the outside. Ropati was just totally outclassed and made to look very, very average.

Watch that replay and tell me how Ropati's poor tackling was not directly related to both tries being scored..

Are we going to make it an annual thing where Ropati returns from injury and is so off the pace we get destroyed down his edge and it ends up being the difference in the game? Hope so..

I'm not hating on Ropati.. just don't think he should've been in that side to begin with.

 

[Paleaaesina2the20]

My observations from the ground, I apologise if I am blurting out what other people have said but I haven't had a chance to read what others have posted:

1) Our passing out of dummy half was absolutely disgraceful, being side on made it clear. While I am not excusing the errors of laumape and Hurrell near our goal line they were getting the ball thrown behind them every time when they were trying to charge onto a hit up and get us out of our end.

2) Ropati embarrassed himself. He missed Chambers on 3 occasions that were inexcusable, 2 led directly to tries. Ropati was the last guy back onside all night. He has clearly lost a step, and doesnt have the conditioning to play in the NRL.

3) Shaun Johnson led the team around the field extremely well.

4) When we had our smaller backrowers on the field, it created problems. Henry and Taylor on the edges, couldn't hit, stick and drop their forwards by themselves. It turned 8m hitups into 12m hitups and created second phase play with offloads. (On a side note that play where Taylor ran up out of the line at Cronk and missed him and gave them an easy try, might have been the dumbest thing I have seen him do, and that is saying a lot.

5) Packer did a real short stint in the second half in which he basically didn't touch the ball, then he got pulled for Matulino (who was the best forward on the field in that game) when Packer came to the sideline, he gave a the head trainer a gob full of expletives.

All in all Johnson, Locke and Matulino stood up and showed their class and we dropped too much ball to beat the Melbourne Storm.

 

[Makasene]

Going for the 2 was the correct decision.

Take a lead with 10 minutes to go and continue doing what they were doing.

I would have been mortified if they didn't go for the kick and then fail to score or get a repeat set. Our red zone attack is atrocious at the moment and I have serious doubts about whether they could have scored off that set.

 

[Mr Frank White]

Going for the 2 was the correct decision.
Take a lead with 10 minutes to go and continue doing what they were doing.

I would have been mortified if they didn't go for the kick and then fail to score or get a repeat set. Our red zone attack is atrocious at the moment and I have serious doubts about whether they could have scored off that set.

Yup, one it's the Storm, two it's the Warriors!

 

[Xfactor]

Yeah should have been the backline for this game to be honest. But that said and people know I'm one of Hurrells biggest fan, I was disappointed in his handling errors. He is far too skillful with ball in hand to be making school boy errors like that. People that say he is like Manu obviously havent seen his ball skills but I don't blame them when he keeps making junior mistakes, he is so much better than that.

IMO, he's just trying too hard...and that's not a bad thing.

He's as sick of failure as we are! The commentators were saying that Konrad was screaming for the ball at times and was angry when he didn't get it. That sort of passion is fairly rare in our team, and it's great to see. It just needs to be balanced with enough calmness to maintain a sensible head.

 

[Dankokoro 2.0]

Going for the 2 was the correct decision.

Take a lead with 10 minutes to go and continue doing what they were doing.

I would have been mortified if they didn't go for the kick and then fail to score or get a repeat set. Our red zone attack is atrocious at the moment and I have serious doubts about whether they could have scored off that set.

More mortified than if he missed it and it didn't go dead, giving the Storm back the ball?

Even with the chance we weren't going to get the ball back I thought that it was the right decision.. Johnson probably kicks that 7 times out of 10? So that's a 70% chance we take the lead with 10mins to go..

Not that i ever felt we were in danger of winning that game..