HoldenV8
Journey Man
Bit late, but here are my player ratings for the loss to Souffs. An improved performance (from some), but I have to wonder if Souffs wouldn't have won by more if it was a dry track.
Dylan Walker 5/10 - We all know that he's not a fullback and that he should be playing in the centres. Turbo can't return fast enough for that to happen. With the ball in hand he is still a very dangerous player and sent the Volvo off on a nice run (which to me shows what we have been missing at centre since 2019, someone who can set up their supports). Calls for his axing and sending him to Blacktown based on his 2 games at fullback are very much premature IMO.
Jason Saab 4/10 - Not too bad, though his hands are a bit of a worry. Made a nice break, just unlucky that it was Cook chasing, otherwise he probably would have scored because Johnston wasn't making ground in the chase. Needs to work on his defense.
Brad Parker 4/10 - Defensively was a lot better than he was against the Chooks, though through no fault of his own other than probably lack of any real pace, I still think he is on borrowed time in first grade. Never been a fan of the idea but who knows, maybe a move to the back row is just what he needs?
Moses Suli 3/10 - Not a game where he got heavily involved, though in the conditions I thought he should have helped the forwards out more with some runs. I wish he would get out of the mindset of trying to break every tackle and actually set up his winger once in a while because he dies with the ball too often.
Reuben Garrick 1/10 - Seems to have lost confidence. I'm a fan of Reubs, but if he doesn't shape up soon I'm afraid its off to Blacktown he will go.
Kieran Foran 3/10 - Foz isn't going too bad with the ball in hand, but is becoming a target in defence.
Daly Cherry-Evans 2/10 - Although his second half was an improvement, his bad start to the season continued with another well below par effort. Right now he's fallen back into the habit of trying too hard to do everything, but when he does that is when he makes mistakes. What he needs to do IMO is ditch the "pass first" mindset (leave that to Foz) and just do what he does best with the ball in hand ... RUN!!!
Taniela Paseka 7/10 - Arguably our best on the night and its about time too. Made some good runs. If he ever clicks I swear this guy could be one of the most dominant props in the NRL.
Lachlan Croker 3/10 - Two runs for just 9 metres, although one of those resulted in him scoring from dummy half which was a good play. He's a backup 5/8 playing starting hooker, and it shows. Better defensive effort though making 40 tackles and only missing 2.
Martin Taupau 5/10 - Our front rowers led from the front on Saturday, they just didn't get a lot of support. Personally I think Marty needs to start running a bid wider. Would have given him a 6, but he loses a point for having 7 missed tackles.
Jack Gosiewski 3/10 - Look, he wasn't too bad running the ball, but even in those conditions a back rower shouldn't be missing 6 tackles.
Andrew Davey 1/10 - Only played 4 minutes before suffering a season ending ACL injury.
Jake Trbojevic 6/10 - Tackling machine as per usual, and seems to be settling in to his role of doing hit ups rather than being the first receiver (155 metres was a good return). TBH I would love to see Jake as part of the front row rotation with either Siro (when he returns) or Schuster as the ball playing lock.
Josh Aloiai 4/10 - Mostly solid is about the best way to describe it.
Cade Cust 2/10 - Didn't do much wrong but only had limited time before he took a vacation to Disneyland.
Sean Keppie 6/10 - I thought he went OK on Saturday. Disagree with Annesley, his hit on Reynolds came up off the shoulder and was a legit hit IMO. Made some Jake like hits in defense.
Josh Schuster 4/10 - Thrust into the back row with Davey's injury and played OK given it was only his second game in the top grade and he was essentially playing out of position. Good news is we have re-signed the kid until 2024 so maybe it will stop the "He'll go to the Chooks or Souffs if Des doesn't start him at 5/8" talk, for a while anyway.
It was an improved effort against one of the competition heavyweights, but again it highlighted that we have work to do. Unfortunately our back row stocks have been decimated by injury (when Jetski is your only fit back rower just 2 games into the season, you know you have a problem), and with Turbo out, DCE in headless chook mode and no real dummy half, we lack potency. The good news is that players will return from injury. The bad news is that until then its likely to be more of the same, especially with a somewhat makeshift side.
Dylan Walker 5/10 - We all know that he's not a fullback and that he should be playing in the centres. Turbo can't return fast enough for that to happen. With the ball in hand he is still a very dangerous player and sent the Volvo off on a nice run (which to me shows what we have been missing at centre since 2019, someone who can set up their supports). Calls for his axing and sending him to Blacktown based on his 2 games at fullback are very much premature IMO.
Jason Saab 4/10 - Not too bad, though his hands are a bit of a worry. Made a nice break, just unlucky that it was Cook chasing, otherwise he probably would have scored because Johnston wasn't making ground in the chase. Needs to work on his defense.
Brad Parker 4/10 - Defensively was a lot better than he was against the Chooks, though through no fault of his own other than probably lack of any real pace, I still think he is on borrowed time in first grade. Never been a fan of the idea but who knows, maybe a move to the back row is just what he needs?
Moses Suli 3/10 - Not a game where he got heavily involved, though in the conditions I thought he should have helped the forwards out more with some runs. I wish he would get out of the mindset of trying to break every tackle and actually set up his winger once in a while because he dies with the ball too often.
Reuben Garrick 1/10 - Seems to have lost confidence. I'm a fan of Reubs, but if he doesn't shape up soon I'm afraid its off to Blacktown he will go.
Kieran Foran 3/10 - Foz isn't going too bad with the ball in hand, but is becoming a target in defence.
Daly Cherry-Evans 2/10 - Although his second half was an improvement, his bad start to the season continued with another well below par effort. Right now he's fallen back into the habit of trying too hard to do everything, but when he does that is when he makes mistakes. What he needs to do IMO is ditch the "pass first" mindset (leave that to Foz) and just do what he does best with the ball in hand ... RUN!!!
Taniela Paseka 7/10 - Arguably our best on the night and its about time too. Made some good runs. If he ever clicks I swear this guy could be one of the most dominant props in the NRL.
Lachlan Croker 3/10 - Two runs for just 9 metres, although one of those resulted in him scoring from dummy half which was a good play. He's a backup 5/8 playing starting hooker, and it shows. Better defensive effort though making 40 tackles and only missing 2.
Martin Taupau 5/10 - Our front rowers led from the front on Saturday, they just didn't get a lot of support. Personally I think Marty needs to start running a bid wider. Would have given him a 6, but he loses a point for having 7 missed tackles.
Jack Gosiewski 3/10 - Look, he wasn't too bad running the ball, but even in those conditions a back rower shouldn't be missing 6 tackles.
Andrew Davey 1/10 - Only played 4 minutes before suffering a season ending ACL injury.
Jake Trbojevic 6/10 - Tackling machine as per usual, and seems to be settling in to his role of doing hit ups rather than being the first receiver (155 metres was a good return). TBH I would love to see Jake as part of the front row rotation with either Siro (when he returns) or Schuster as the ball playing lock.
Josh Aloiai 4/10 - Mostly solid is about the best way to describe it.
Cade Cust 2/10 - Didn't do much wrong but only had limited time before he took a vacation to Disneyland.
Sean Keppie 6/10 - I thought he went OK on Saturday. Disagree with Annesley, his hit on Reynolds came up off the shoulder and was a legit hit IMO. Made some Jake like hits in defense.
Josh Schuster 4/10 - Thrust into the back row with Davey's injury and played OK given it was only his second game in the top grade and he was essentially playing out of position. Good news is we have re-signed the kid until 2024 so maybe it will stop the "He'll go to the Chooks or Souffs if Des doesn't start him at 5/8" talk, for a while anyway.
It was an improved effort against one of the competition heavyweights, but again it highlighted that we have work to do. Unfortunately our back row stocks have been decimated by injury (when Jetski is your only fit back rower just 2 games into the season, you know you have a problem), and with Turbo out, DCE in headless chook mode and no real dummy half, we lack potency. The good news is that players will return from injury. The bad news is that until then its likely to be more of the same, especially with a somewhat makeshift side.
