His kicking game was pretty good. His attacking game was terrible though. Both he and Maloney provided 0 structure in attack. They were trying to come up with different attacking plays for every single tackle rather than setting up a set move or a structured set with a kick on the end of it. Twice the last tackle option ended with SKD having to kick on last. One of which ended up with Manu running 90 metres to score.
I bet on the Warriors and against the Roosters on a weekly basis, glad to see it's finally coming off.
Pearce was good I thought, cops a hammering for shit that really isn't his fault; give him a decent fullback and he'll start getting recognised for the solid first grade halfback he is. SKD ending up with the ball on last wasn't Pearce's fault he saw a play that was on down the short side and Mini over ran the ball, if he just times his run better we score every day of the week. I don't even blame SKD for putting the kick in that resulted in Manu's try because it should have never got to that stage and it was last tackle tbf. SBW playing lock in attack worked so well, I'm really not too disheartened by the loss because I reckon we could have just as easily won that game.
Fairly sure I was regularly to be seen in threads where your side won. I've been moving of late so I've had to catch up on a lot of footy in the last week that I've missed. You're pretenders IMO. I don't think it's too early to say that. Your defence is ridiculously overrated (as evidenced by the last month). And your attack is starting to show it's true colours.
Dat Manu run, turbo kicking in to go around FPN was awesome. Half a sec off fully blowing his hamstring i reckon.
I don't really rate the Roosters team much as I've said many times this year but I'm not going to take the last few weeks without their starting front row as vindication of that. Moa came back off the bench this week and the Roosters looked great during the period he played, but he's still not match fit so it was a short stint. 112m and a try assist from 25 minutes in the front row says it all. Strongly disagree with Magic about SBW attacking at lock working, too. Sure, he played well himself, but he'd play well at prop, centre or even five-eighth if you put him there. It really created a vacuum on the right edge where he usually plays which is why the Mini/SKD derp was so much more noticeable.
The facets with which I take issue, whilst influenced, are largely independent of their front row. The right side defence, for example, is abysmal and was so even when they were at full strength. That won't get fixed and it's the biggest impedance to them being a serious contender afaic. And I just frankly don't think you are much chop of wining a comp when you rely on a second rower as much as the Chooks do.
Probably the thing we disagree on most about their side, really. A few years ago I reckon I would've said genuine edge forwards were the least important players in the game and that you could hide mediocre ones in good teams without them costing you anything. Modern coaching gets so, so much more out of position though. Split halves immediately evolved the fullback position and it's taken a while bit I think we're seeing the full effect of it on the second rowers this year. I can see us having the same arguments we used to have about fullbacks about second rowers soon.
Watch the Roosters when SBW actually plays badly. There's been so few games when that's been the case this year. They're fucking terrible. I don't mean they play terribly and that coincides with SBW having a poor game. (The opposite if anything). I mean they just aren't a very good side. They were lucky to get within 20 of a not that brilliant Melbourne side that night. The Chooks had very little in attack by way of creativity, and the Storm just threaded the fuck out of them on the right.
