What if the rub of the green had of gone our way?

[captainskin]

Do you think the game would have had a different tone if Wolfman was allowed his try and the Dragqueen was disallowed his? With this role reversal the game may have panned out a bit differently.

The score was definitely a blow out with most points coming against the run of play. We still did defend well; they defended better. They did have a mighty home ground advantage, as well. But in the end those try decisions may have created a different momentum (and confidence) shift.

I watched Dessie in the post match interview and he was VERY upbeat; and he wears his heart on his sleeve. He looked impressed with his team's effort.

And overall, I was impressed as well

 

[COMMANDER]

Mate I was happy with it as well. I remember playing Melbourne at Brookie at about the same time of the season in 2008 and we monstered them, but still lost the game. I remember thinking we had them sorted even after that loss.

There is a lot to play out this year, but after that effort Illawarra would be worried about us if and when we play them in a finals match.

---

Do you think the game would have had a different tone if Wolfman was allowed his try and the Dragqueen was disallowed his? With this role reversal the game may have panned out a bit differently.

The score was definitely a blow out with most points coming against the run of play. We still did defend well; they defended better. They did have a mighty home ground advantage, as well. But in the end those try decisions may have created a different momentum (and confidence) shift.

I watched Dessie in the post match interview and he was VERY upbeat; and he wears his heart on his sleeve. He looked impressed with his team's effort.

And overall, I was impressed as well

Don't know what Killer was thinking; Wolfman would had had a good chance of scoring that without him. No try there, but the knock on in the St George try was painfully obvious.

I reckon if we had T REx on the field late in the first half and he would have been the one to score for us.

 

[captainskin]

Yep, I was there as well for that game against Melbourne, and I also felt the same.
This time - and I hate to make excuses for a loss - we definitely had some attacking options and defensive options on the bench. Like the Melbourne game in 08 at Brookvale, the Manly boys will take a lot out of that game and learn a tremendous amount. If they do, and I'm sure they will under Des's mentoring, that match against Saints in the Gong will be a season defining game.

 

[bones]

Is it possible Des deliberately held back with the set plays etc. That maybe he wanted to try and beat the dragons at their own game....... Through defence. It didn't come off but maybe he wanted to keep the set plays for later in the year should the two teams meet again with a lot more at stake and with the dragons not having any practice at defending against them. In 08 against the storm at Brookie manly didn't appear to have many attacking options, but we all saw how they blitzed the storm later in the year when it mattered most. Would a coach do something along those lines?

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I had wondered something similar, then thought no, a bit too weird. But when you put it that way, it reminds me how crafty Des is. You might just be onto something. Keeping our powder dry. ..

 

[MPC75]

Is it possible Des deliberately held back with the set plays etc. That maybe he wanted to try and beat the dragons at their own game....... Through defence. It didn't come off but maybe he wanted to keep the set plays for later in the year should the two teams meet again with a lot more at stake and with the dragons not having any practice at defending against them. In 08 against the storm at Brookie manly didn't appear to have many attacking options, but we all saw how they blitzed the storm later in the year when it mattered most. Would a coach do something along those lines?

Tacticly Des is the best coach in the game. It wouldn't surprise me if your theory was true. I must admit I have asked myself the same question Bones.

But I have also thought that if Joe, Wolfman and Foran weren't injured we could well have won the game. A couple of their tries were pretty lucky, one was of a knock on and one was against the run of play.

 

[Brookvale]

The game was closer than you think, Heres my summation:

Dragons 12
Manly 6

Referees 12

 

[Masked Eagle]

Not so sure about that. To me it actually looked like we tried to run some different set plays. The two dropped balls between Snake and Foran we were trying to do something different. I'm not sure if thats keeping your powder dry, both plays could have worked spectacularly well if ball went to hand, especially the second one where Snake would have strolled through.

 

[MK Eagle]

Des was looking to grind out a win & definately will have more plays up the sleeve come finals time. A better rub of anything could have swung it our way in a twinkling & yes Masked - if those passes are executed properly the Snake scores definately 1, the other himself or outside.

 

[Jerry1]

First half We were over the line twice but no points due held up and Lyon holding a player back. There was also a kick that soward claimed that if any of our mob (watmough) had contested we would have scored. Another try went begging when snake was wrapped up with the ball with the winger unmarked next to him.

One of their first half try's was a blatant knock on the other was soft on the back of a soward intercept.

We were definately the better team in the first half.

Watching the second half now

 

[Jatz Crackers]

kermit would have got a stiffi.

 

[Ian Martin tragic]

Self-administered uppercut please, Jatz.

 

[SwornEagle]

I hope that we held back out set plays on Monday night. After 40 tackles in a row in the Dragons red zone, we showed a complete lack of set plays to pull off.

What it did highlight was what we have been practicing and become very good at over the years, building pressure.. kicking into the in goal and getting a repeat 6. We build pressure waiting for the defending team to crack and then we score.

With the number of opportunities we had at the Saints line in the first half with scoring, it showed that we have a lack of killer set plays to score tries if a team doesn't make many defensive errors. Saints read our plays, covered and snuffed them out very well.

 

[Ian Martin tragic]

Credit to the halves for the repeat sets. DCE also came up with some good kicks in the 2nd half. You have to v. the dragons to match soward's kicking; his kicks out of trouble kept them alive in that game (compare to hayne's kicks over the dead ball line the week before). Most other teams we would have rolled over in that 2nd half.

Dragons line defense was great but we didn't pressure it enough. No T-rex, but also no rose or watmough trying to go direct, and not enough energy to keep the plays alive with some second phase. This is what breaks up the structure (along with the short kicks/cross kicks etc.)

 

[Jatz Crackers]

Self-administered uppercut please, Jatz.

OK. Ouch!