cf2 is back
Reserve Grader
THE GOOD:
Before last night we'd lost just 4 games. Melb in rd 1 when it was, well Melb in rd 1 down there and a pretty mild loss at that, Souths in that stupid Gosford game where we went within a whisker kick of extra time, Cowboys up there when we were completely ripped off and still only lost by 2, and of course a hot Saints team down in the Gong.
For the rest of the season, I believe we've been the best team in the comp, with 14 wins and just those 4 away losses, undefeated at home (nobody else is), consistently putting away teams with clinical performances, even coming from behind when necessary, and playing superb football not only in legendary Des style defence, but with wonderful attack led by our two gun halves.
Going into rd 20 last week we were asking ourselves when a let down was going to come. Would there be a week when we just couldn't keep up these awesome displays? Would there be a week when this team who never ever give up on a game look just that little bit like it's, well not quite the do or die situation of other weeks?
Frankly I thought it was going to be last week at Penrith, but despite the most damaging stats against us (16 less sets of 6 and a 3-10 penalty count) Penrith couldn't find a hero to get them home, there was no Luke Lewis, and our brick wall defence shut them out.
And so to last night at Gosford, sitting on a 9/10 record with things looking very good after the gutsy Penrith win, and even rosier after Saints careless 2nd half capitulation at Canberra gifted us a tasty 3 point buffer.
Why would we lose to a Tigers team who apart from Benji haven't a real lot else to offer? We have talent to burn all over the park, but their talent burns in just two numbers, 6 and 9. Surely if we stop those two guys we've got it won right?
Attitude is everything, and the first worrying sign for me was the pre match focus heavily centred on our shaved head mirrors. Wonderful charity notwithstanding, do 'look at me' haircuts ever work?
1st half:
Despite the look at me haircuts, we were basically all over them. A wonderful DCE dart and surge at the line coupled with a superb offload to a lurking Brett through the gap sparked a sensational opening try. Things were looking good. Our dominance continued and soon after Ballin fooled everyone zipping through a yawning gap. 12-0 and no worries. Our dominance continued and it seemed a matter of time before we cemented the match early at 18-0. But we didn't score that try, and jogging to the shed at HT you just sensed the possibility of a little mental lapse. I'm betting there was not a man in our sheds thinking we could lose, but there was one in theirs.
2nd half:
That bloke in their shed has won many, many games on his own. Most of them when the opposition has let him do what he wants to do. And so to the Benji show. Suddenly our never say die attitude was waning, we were sitting back ball watching, and Benji struck like the lethal Tiger he is. Bang 12-4, bang 12-10, bang 12-14. How good is he? Very good actually, especially when you give him time and space. But here's the difference. Against lesser opposition a Benji blitz would be well and truly game over. The score would be 12-30 before you know it. But this wasn't anywhere near game over. There was still 10 to go and a mile of time to win from just 12-14 down. One super try would do it and god if ever a team could find that in 10 minutes this season it's us. I was convinced it would come given our last 10's have been awesome all year. All we'd needed to do was FOCUS. Play out our sets. Do that and the opportunity to win would come. And so it did, twice. Chance no 1, deep into their 20, a wonderful set of 6 on our plate. 3rd tackle in DCE gets the ball, we all sense a chance, but a complete brain freeze and he kicks on the 3rd to absolutely nobody. OMG what was that? Focus boys, focus. There's still time, and sure enough opportunity no 2 presents itself like a flashing maroon light when we force an error and get a scrum. It's delicious, a full set of 6 in their half to cement the game. I can see it now, 5th tackle attack and Foran the hero steals the win sliding a pass or a perfect banana kick to a flying Brett under the posts. It's there to take but again the key word is focus. The scrum is set, the ball goes out to Jamie, and he, what the, kicks it downfield to nobody. A second complete and utter brain freeze, and not by a young rookie, but by our most senior experienced player and captain. No focus. Game over.
Individual performances. Brett looked just a little underused in attack for mine, he's sizzling and raring to go, but needs a few more chances. They'll come. Hoppa? Hmmm I dunno he looked flat and fumbly to me. Mission on his mind? Could be. Gotta say we sure missed Wolfie the last two weeks. Jamie was in general solid as always, but the brain freeze was a very poor play when the game was there to take. Matai? Superb every time he runs the ball. Foran and DCE? They will win us the comp, just not last night. The forwards? The stats said it all, not one forward gaining over a 100 metres in attack. We lost our sting up the middle. Too much second phase sideways nothing. I've been saying it for ages but if Tim Robinson's not a better bench spot than Mauro I'm a bad judge. Buhrer getting this weeks token end of match run? Not sure that did us any good either.
THE BAD:
Letting Benji run riot for 15 minutes? Nope any team could suffer that Benji blitz. It was our complete lack of focus in the last 10 when it counted. Two brain freeze kicks when the game was there to take.
THE UGLY:
The fact we drove to Gosford far more excited about our look at me haircuts than focusing on winning the game and cementing the 3 point buffer. We took our eye off the Tiger.
It's not all doom and gloom. At the end of the day (or in this case the weekend) we did a Saints letting one go, but the very big picture is:
a) it's a kick up the bum loss we needed
b) we're still outright 2nd on the ladder
c) it's all about how we bounce back from here
d) we will start by roasting the chooks at Brookie next week
Before last night we'd lost just 4 games. Melb in rd 1 when it was, well Melb in rd 1 down there and a pretty mild loss at that, Souths in that stupid Gosford game where we went within a whisker kick of extra time, Cowboys up there when we were completely ripped off and still only lost by 2, and of course a hot Saints team down in the Gong.
For the rest of the season, I believe we've been the best team in the comp, with 14 wins and just those 4 away losses, undefeated at home (nobody else is), consistently putting away teams with clinical performances, even coming from behind when necessary, and playing superb football not only in legendary Des style defence, but with wonderful attack led by our two gun halves.
Going into rd 20 last week we were asking ourselves when a let down was going to come. Would there be a week when we just couldn't keep up these awesome displays? Would there be a week when this team who never ever give up on a game look just that little bit like it's, well not quite the do or die situation of other weeks?
Frankly I thought it was going to be last week at Penrith, but despite the most damaging stats against us (16 less sets of 6 and a 3-10 penalty count) Penrith couldn't find a hero to get them home, there was no Luke Lewis, and our brick wall defence shut them out.
And so to last night at Gosford, sitting on a 9/10 record with things looking very good after the gutsy Penrith win, and even rosier after Saints careless 2nd half capitulation at Canberra gifted us a tasty 3 point buffer.
Why would we lose to a Tigers team who apart from Benji haven't a real lot else to offer? We have talent to burn all over the park, but their talent burns in just two numbers, 6 and 9. Surely if we stop those two guys we've got it won right?
Attitude is everything, and the first worrying sign for me was the pre match focus heavily centred on our shaved head mirrors. Wonderful charity notwithstanding, do 'look at me' haircuts ever work?
1st half:
Despite the look at me haircuts, we were basically all over them. A wonderful DCE dart and surge at the line coupled with a superb offload to a lurking Brett through the gap sparked a sensational opening try. Things were looking good. Our dominance continued and soon after Ballin fooled everyone zipping through a yawning gap. 12-0 and no worries. Our dominance continued and it seemed a matter of time before we cemented the match early at 18-0. But we didn't score that try, and jogging to the shed at HT you just sensed the possibility of a little mental lapse. I'm betting there was not a man in our sheds thinking we could lose, but there was one in theirs.
2nd half:
That bloke in their shed has won many, many games on his own. Most of them when the opposition has let him do what he wants to do. And so to the Benji show. Suddenly our never say die attitude was waning, we were sitting back ball watching, and Benji struck like the lethal Tiger he is. Bang 12-4, bang 12-10, bang 12-14. How good is he? Very good actually, especially when you give him time and space. But here's the difference. Against lesser opposition a Benji blitz would be well and truly game over. The score would be 12-30 before you know it. But this wasn't anywhere near game over. There was still 10 to go and a mile of time to win from just 12-14 down. One super try would do it and god if ever a team could find that in 10 minutes this season it's us. I was convinced it would come given our last 10's have been awesome all year. All we'd needed to do was FOCUS. Play out our sets. Do that and the opportunity to win would come. And so it did, twice. Chance no 1, deep into their 20, a wonderful set of 6 on our plate. 3rd tackle in DCE gets the ball, we all sense a chance, but a complete brain freeze and he kicks on the 3rd to absolutely nobody. OMG what was that? Focus boys, focus. There's still time, and sure enough opportunity no 2 presents itself like a flashing maroon light when we force an error and get a scrum. It's delicious, a full set of 6 in their half to cement the game. I can see it now, 5th tackle attack and Foran the hero steals the win sliding a pass or a perfect banana kick to a flying Brett under the posts. It's there to take but again the key word is focus. The scrum is set, the ball goes out to Jamie, and he, what the, kicks it downfield to nobody. A second complete and utter brain freeze, and not by a young rookie, but by our most senior experienced player and captain. No focus. Game over.
Individual performances. Brett looked just a little underused in attack for mine, he's sizzling and raring to go, but needs a few more chances. They'll come. Hoppa? Hmmm I dunno he looked flat and fumbly to me. Mission on his mind? Could be. Gotta say we sure missed Wolfie the last two weeks. Jamie was in general solid as always, but the brain freeze was a very poor play when the game was there to take. Matai? Superb every time he runs the ball. Foran and DCE? They will win us the comp, just not last night. The forwards? The stats said it all, not one forward gaining over a 100 metres in attack. We lost our sting up the middle. Too much second phase sideways nothing. I've been saying it for ages but if Tim Robinson's not a better bench spot than Mauro I'm a bad judge. Buhrer getting this weeks token end of match run? Not sure that did us any good either.
THE BAD:
Letting Benji run riot for 15 minutes? Nope any team could suffer that Benji blitz. It was our complete lack of focus in the last 10 when it counted. Two brain freeze kicks when the game was there to take.
THE UGLY:
The fact we drove to Gosford far more excited about our look at me haircuts than focusing on winning the game and cementing the 3 point buffer. We took our eye off the Tiger.
It's not all doom and gloom. At the end of the day (or in this case the weekend) we did a Saints letting one go, but the very big picture is:
a) it's a kick up the bum loss we needed
b) we're still outright 2nd on the ladder
c) it's all about how we bounce back from here
d) we will start by roasting the chooks at Brookie next week
