Post-Game Discussion Storm v Manly [Finals 1, 2021]

[lulubelle]

Oh yes and Des's press conference....embarrassing

 

[The Royal Soup]

Not one line break tonight lol

 

[eagleron]

I don't think Des will let that sit. They'll be primed for a better performance next week.

Personally I think we're a year maybe two away from where we need to be to win a premiership, we have deficiencies in both defence and attack that need to be resolved before we can challenge for the premiership, I'd love to be proven wrong but as good as we are I don't think we're up to going all the way with this outfit at present

 

[HK_Eagle]

Disappointments:
Harper... a disaster
Lawton...not a hooker
Shuster...has offered nothing for a long time
Turbo... maybe reading his media.
Cherry...a shocker

I completely agree, barring Lawton. I thought he did well and looked the part. I know it's easy to think it was the loss of Croker that threw us out tonight and blame Lawton, but I actually thought Lawton was reasonably good there to night.

 

[Eagles4Life]

I completely agree, barring Lawton. I thought he did well and looked the part. I know it's easy to think it was the loss of Croker that threw us out tonight and blame Lawton, but I actually thought Lawton was reasonably good there to night.

Lawton did ok. He didn't have the breakout game I was hoping he would have. Croker comes straight back in though. (Assuming he is fit). I would start Lawton as a backrower. Play him for 25-30, and then bring Schuster on. We should get more impact from a fresh Schuster, then what we are getting now. Our bench rotation didn't work very well for us today. Starting Paseka with Taupau is a no brainer, and we need to find a way to better utilise the whole bench. BTW the game doesn't get any better watching it for the second time. I must be a masochist, as it was definitely more depressing the second time round. Go Manly.

 

[HK_Eagle]

Lawton did ok. He didn't have the breakout game I was hoping he would have. Croker comes straight back in though. (Assuming he is fit). I would start Lawton as a backrower. Play him for 25-30, and then bring Schuster on. We should get more impact from a fresh Schuster, then what we are getting now. Our bench rotation didn't work very well for us today. Starting Paseka with Taupau is a no brainer, and we need to find a way to better utilise the whole bench. BTW the game doesn't get any better watching it for the second time. I must be a masochist, as it was definitely more depressing the second time round. Go Manly.

I really like this reflection. I also agree, I was disappointed not to see a huge game from him with such a big opportunity, but certainly wasn't terrible like some others. I also agree with the suggested changes, especially around Schuster... he has been a major disappointment, but probably given a lot more leeway than some due to his reputation and our hopes tied up with him for the future. I haven't seen anything encouraging in his performances for a month or so now and maybe he is just struggling with the demands of a full FG season

 

[QueefRichards]

No idea what we do about Jake in attack, he offers nothing against top teams, doesn't have the guile or power to break the line and is too slow to pass

 

[HK_Eagle]

No idea what we do about Jake in attack, he offers nothing against top teams, doesn't have the guile or power to break the line and is too slow to pass

Perhaps we just let him focus on shoring up the middle in defence and pull him back from attacking structures? There are more than enough play-makers in attack that we really don't need him in there clogging it up. Perhaps the odd hard up run...

 

[EOL now nesting on the GC]

I can't see us coming back from that.

Roosters JWH teddy Victor Morris will kill us next week our young players are going to so tough lessons this finals series.

I hate being right but Croker out was a huge huge disruption. We may have stilled lost but not by that margin.

I still say we are 3 years + away from being a competitive side to.really challenge for the title.

Anything can happen. Too much hype and pressure on the boys in the lead up to this. They just couldn't handle it.

I think they do bounce back after a good think this week.

I really hope the bunnies turn over the panthers which will put Melbourne and panthers on same side of draw. If that happens the big dance isn't impossible.

 

[Remy]

Did anyone not realize how obvious it was that making Tom not involved was the game plan. And a very stupid ****ing gameplan. Like are you meaning to tell me, the guy that made like 40 runs across three origin games from CENTRE, the guy who's had like 30 hitups in one game was scared off Melbourne or contained by them.

It was a gameplan and it was one of the stupidest gameplan I have seen. Like just rewatch the game, he is purposely not getting near the ruck and tryna get the ball, we are purposely playing around him with our block plays. But I just don't understand why we would do that, obviously, we know Bellyache had the scum primed for stopping Tommy, but why did we intentionally take his involvement out of the game for them. I can't believe so many people didn't realise that and genuinely believe he got shut down or was scared.

 

[Simonmyers11]

The overused line of "just cut out the errors" or "we need 50/50 possession" always is over simplifying the issues, or is lacking in genuine answers. When a coach or player responds in such a manner it is asking for more trouble.

You play to your strengths and up the intensity, focusing on error counts and possession to be in the grind rarely works----what tends to improve those stats is performing well in the areas you are good at and off the back of that other areas of your game improve.

Manly looked terrible in defence and attack at the start of the season, Tom returns and gives Manly attacking potency which flowed into improved go forward, more composed defence and able to up the intensity when required.

When Manly struggle to find points everything else falls flat.

How can you build pressure and score points when every time you spread the ball you drop it!

You kick long and have them pinned and give them away penalties to get them out of their own end.

No forward punched any holes and won the ruck, cannot play attacking footy when we have 3 players lying all over us in the ruck.

 

[grassy]

I’m gutted. We need to play better than that. It will be hard from here.

 

[IQofalimabean]

I hate the storm but that game was over by half time, the ref didnt help either. DCE and harper had shockers you cant make those kind of errors and expect to win against the best team in the comp.

 

[mickqld]

Winning finals matches comes from forwards laying a platform of momentum and then discipline. We had none. The entire forwards pack except maybe Paseka need to be pulled aside and ripped into for that limp dicked display.

 

[Met eagle]

We haven’t beaten any of the top5. Our draw has been so easy the second half that we got our hopes up.

Spot on

 

[Jerry1]

The morning after… Still hurts…

 

[stoodamire]

Far out this place is miserable after a loss.

A few observations from myself

Our line speed was appalling.

First contact in defence was weak, Storm players always landing on their front and leaving our markers behind.

Looked like we had the yips, watching and giving the Storm plenty of time to choose their plays. No pressure at all on Munster and Hughes.

Mistakes killed us. Our inability to defend them.

I have been a supporter of Parker and Morgan in the centre’s, however, after seeing Olam run strong lines and attracting Manly defenders, I am starting to see how some Silvertail members are calling for Suli and Walker in the centre’s.

Olam created so much space for the others. Suli would do something similar. I know the argument for defence but that didn’t work last night. Might as well play to our strengths and try to our score our opponents. Ala Tigers 05.

I would stick with the same team. They’ve played well most of the year and exceeded expectations. Obviously Croker back in and Siro out.

 

[wedgetail eagle]

Give us a wink now, smartarse.

 

[HK_Eagle]

I think a key issue for this team against the Storm is in the transition of possession.

1. Storm kick-chase game is solid and reliable.

2. Our backs lack penetration running the ball out. I love the heart shown by Garrick, Lionel, Parker and even Saab, but none of those guys are powerful enough to gain any momentum coming out. We lack a To'o-type and miss Jorge in this department. Geez, even looney looney looks so far ahead of our backs in this aspect. At best, these guys poke their head between defenders and get to their belly at times.

3. Storm tactically lay all over us on those first couple of tackles, wrestle momentum from us and then smother us with line speed.

To me, this is what stood out from last night. Once the Storm professionally applied the above 3 points, we were playing from behind and started panicking and forcing the issue, leading to the garbage discipline and ball control that followed.

 

[Jerry1]

Error ridden game. We dropped the ball they scored. Their attack was good ours wasn’t. They took their chances when presented and we didn’t.

We lacked go forward but when we were going forward someone throws the miracle ball or offload attempt that should never have been played and we’re back on our twenty.

Poorly coached Baz like performance much like the Newcastle game where we had little enthusiasm.

Easily fixed by blood transfusions from BK and Hoppa Snr.