The Bad, The Terrible and The Pathetic

[Highflier]

Have to agree, JakeyB789. No matter how much Croker offers in defence and effort, he is just not an effective dummy half. The loopy throws he was offering up as "service" against the Eels, ensuring our one-out runners would be smashed as soon as gravity gently brought the ball down into their hands, were doing my head in. A dummy half is supposed to engage the markers and bring his runners onto the ball. Anyone can stand behind the play the ball and throw the ball into the air, but that doesn't make them Matt Ballin or Max Krilich.

It's frustrating, because these two statements are both true: Lachlan Croker is one of our most consistent and valuable players, and Lachlan Croker is not a good hooker. Buggered if I know what the solution is though.

agree look at Brailey for the Sharks yesterday ,sharp and bringing their fowards onto the ball sprinkled with cameo runs when its on ,not when its not which Croker always seems to do. Maybe when Jake is back GT can be played at 14 as we should be a bit tighter in the middle with Jake on the field
Another thing the crash plays on the line rarely seem to work for us , Sipley tried it when there was 10 in front of him( and then I think we dropped it ,I cant remember blood pressure was 300/180 at that point) when a simple pass from dummy half and thru the hands may have got us a try ,Paseka gets stripped over the line with 1/2 dozen worms all over him and Keppie given a crash opportunity drops it just stupid errors ,compounded by the wingers not being able to catch the bombs and Weekes getting sent off just a nightmare of a game. Zero line speed zero kick chase and tbh looked like they had all been on the bong before they came out .
On another note is it my imagination or have a few of these teams perfected the art of jumping for the ball in an attacking mode and not really going for it but doing just enough to get in the way and put the defending winger off while at the same time "appearing" to be going for the ball ?

 

[davohan123]

I am amazed Gordon has not got a game yet.
I saw both trials live this year at Gosford and he offered 10 times more in attack than croker has all year but yes his defence is still in question.

I feel let him play the rest of the year at 14 and give him a proper off season with us you watch our attack change in 2024.

In all reality we are just not a top 8 wide yet and won't be for many years to come until our club culture changes in a number of ways and we actually start acting like a professional sports club.

As today is my 33rd birthday I really hope in the next 10 years we have change of fortunes because I hate the way this club i love is right now.

 

[mickqld]

All rolled into 1 tonight. We won't win another game this season.

 

[TheSoaringEagle2023]

I am amazed Gordon has not got a game yet.
I saw both trials live this year at Gosford and he offered 10 times more in attack than croker has all year but yes his defence is still in question.

I feel let him play the rest of the year at 14 and give him a proper off season with us you watch our attack change in 2024.

In all reality we are just not a top 8 wide yet and won't be for many years to come until our club culture changes in a number of ways and we actually start acting like a professional sports club.

As today is my 33rd birthday I really hope in the next 10 years we have change of fortunes because I hate the way this club i love is right now.

Put in Gordon and we also need a rugged hard nosed forward of the Sam Burgess mould, who can lead and put mongrel into the pack.