**Official** NRL 2009 Thread

[Ausage]

The rest of the schedule is:

Thursday: Bulldogs
Saturday: Group 6 (Camden, Picton, Mittagong etc)
Sunday: St George
Next Wednesday: Souths
Next Friday: Penrith

Wow that's quite a schedule. Are you concerned their physical condition will deteriorate next week?

Bad luck with the result. Looks like you've got your head around the problems though.

 

[Blewy]

Wow that's quite a schedule. Are you concerned their physical condition will deteriorate next week?

Bad luck with the result. Looks like you've got your head around the problems though.

Yeah the fatigue is a big issue we have to contend with.. Its probably going to be pretty hard to manage but we have a large squad so we'll be looking to rotate and rest players where possible..

 

[Burgey]

When was Inu actually that good though? Was picked for the NZ test side after 1 NRL game and then produced about 8 weeks of quality football.

For me 2-3 months awesome against 2-3 years of average or below average means he probably will never be anything other than decent or solid at best.

Yeah but the skills he brought shouldn't be the sort of things which drop off.

If he was a gun defender or a metres-eating forward and went off the boil, I'd agree with you as those things reflect attitude.

But this bloke was a leaper as good as any, excellent hands, had great pace and was an unflappable kicker. He seems to have lost virtually all of those attributes, and I can't work out why (maybe except for the pace thing, which may be down to some injuries he's had).

 

[Simon]

IMO some players just overachieve at different points in time. Perhaps Terry Campese is looking like being another of those, was a fringe first grader for 3 years and then for 12 weeks last year and 3 weeks this year he looked like the greatest player in history, for the following 4 months hes been poor.

 

[luffy]

It's because his immediate future is all planned. His mindset would be like "Oh, I've got no one to impress anymore, i've got a 5 year contract to use up".

It's just that players will perform when they HAVE to, not when they need to.

 

[Craig]

That really is a **** attitude to have. If I were a coach they would be running around in reserve grade until they sorted their attitude out.

 

[luffy]

That really is a **** attitude to have. If I were a coach they would be running around in reserve grade until they sorted their attitude out.

But will it happen? No, he's the "star" player for the team.

 

[Simon]

It's because his immediate future is all planned. His mindset would be like "Oh, I've got no one to impress anymore, i've got a 5 year contract to use up".

It's just that players will perform when they HAVE to, not when they need to.

Actually think its the opposite, I think hes trying way too hard to prove himself and show people how good he can be. Play makers like Campese always play their best when they play what is in front of them and work with what they have. At the moment he seems to be trying to create way too much and do everything, he needs to relax more.

 

[Burgey]

Actually think its the opposite, I think hes trying way too hard to prove himself and show people how good he can be. Play makers like Campese always play their best when they play what is in front of them and work with what they have. At the moment he seems to be trying to create way too much and do everything, he needs to relax more.

Raiders in general seem a little too structured in attack for my liking this year. Can understand Furner wanting to put his stamp on them and all, but preferred watching their ad lib style of last year more.

Haven't seen all their games though, so maybe I'm talking outta my hat.

 

[Simon]

Naa they are definitely too structured. Campese left, Herbert right side. Tongue playing a mix of hooker and halfback. They are very predictible, on attack its 4 hit ups, a spread to the left usually resulting in going nowhere then a bomb to Monaghan, its the same thing over and over.

 

[luffy]

When last year it was everything. There could have been a set where they spread it every play, and than play it through the hands on the last tackle. This year, because of the quality of the players and the amount of youth we have, we'd be more suited playing that, then any real structure as to what Simon just pointed out.

 

[luffy]

Actually think its the opposite, I think hes trying way too hard to prove himself and show people how good he can be. Play makers like Campese always play their best when they play what is in front of them and work with what they have. At the moment he seems to be trying to create way too much and do everything, he needs to relax more.

But this is what I don't get;

Last year when Carney got sacked he became the Raiders leading playmaker and this resulted in him playing great. There was that pressure on him to lead the team around the park after such a gun halfback had.

Now he's the leading playmaker again, and has a quality (to a limit) halfback on the other side on the field to him, and he just messes up the fundamentals. I'm not sure as to what directions Furner has given him as to directions on the field, etc, but well yeah, as you just pointed out he needs to relax a heap more.

 

[Simon]

Potentially though they should be better than last year. Campese more experienced, Herbert should be improving, Monghan should be stepping up after making rep sides, Learoyd Lars is fit, Harrison has been their best player in a new team. The biggest change has been the coach, Neil Henry I get the feeling let the players run the show a bit more than Furner does.
If I was coaching the Raiders there would be a few changes made which i think could turn them into a top 4 team, I'd have David Milne on the wing, Joe Picker at lock (Tongue needs surgery, get it done now), Stu Flanagan at hooker, Travis Waddell on the bench as a back up hooker, David Shillington and Dane Tilse would be starting props every week.

So my side would be
1 Josh Dugan
2 David Milne
3 Joel Monaghan
4 Jarrod Croker
5 Phil Graham
6 Terry Campese
7 Marc Herbert
8 Dane Tilse
9 Stuart Flanagan
10 David Shillington
11 Tom Learoyd Lahrs
12 Bronson Harrison
13 Joe Picker
Reserves
14 Travis Waddell
15 Scott Logan
16 Josh Miller
17 Trevor Thurling

 

[Simon]

But this is what I don't get;

Last year when Carney got sacked he became the Raiders leading playmaker and this resulted in him playing great. There was that pressure on him to lead the team around the park after such a gun halfback had.

Now he's the leading playmaker again, and has a quality (to a limit) halfback on the other side on the field to him, and he just messes up the fundamentals. I'm not sure as to what directions Furner has given him as to directions on the field, etc, but well yeah, as you just pointed out he needs to relax a heap more.

The play is too structured for Campese, its obvious he's told not to move from the left side of the field, can you imagine what would happen to Kevin Moore if he told Brett Kimmorley he can only play one side of the field? In the end it comes down to the players on the field, surely its time for Campese to say to Furner how he wants to run the team as they are the ones that play the game.

 

[luffy]

Yeah, that team is pretty much spot on.

But, if I was selecting the team i'd have Miller starting and having Tilse on the bench. Not sure why, but I don't rate Tilse as much as anyone else who has seen him play. Too much in the mould of Brent Kite...

 

[NUFAN]

Herbert quality?? I would say he's about the 15th best halfback in the comp (sorry Robson).

Campese and Wallace have definitely not benefited from their NSW Origin experience. Both players definitely look they are thinking too much and that's what expectation does to a young footballer.

Soward, Walsh, Mortimer look to be on the rise as they currently don't have the same pressure (Soward's starting to get it).

The key is though consistency and I'll be very interested in seeing who's form rises or dips throughout next year out of the 5 names I've mentioned.

9 Stuart Flanagan

No thanks. Rubbish player, bring back Withers!

 

[luffy]

The play is too structured for Campese, its obvious he's told not to move from the left side of the field, can you imagine what would happen to Kevin Moore if he told Brett Kimmorley he can only play one side of the field? In the end it comes down to the players on the field, surely its time for Campese to say to Furner how he wants to run the team as they are the ones that play the game.

I can almost see Furner's reckoning of it though. Opposing teams will target Campese being the main playmaker, so if he runs half the show and Herbert the other half one of them is bound to play well. Saying that, if that is the reasoning behind it I don't agree with it, but having Campese running the whole game would be a massive waste of Herbert's talent.

 

[Simon]

Yeah, that team is pretty much spot on.

But, if I was selecting the team i'd have Miller starting and having Tilse on the bench. Not sure why, but I don't rate Tilse as much as anyone else who has seen him play. Too much in the mould of Brent Kite...

I like Miller off the bench can either play front row or back row, plus the way he plays I think its more suited to the middle part of the game when its after the sorting out period of the first 15 or 20 minutes. Tilse isnt great but he has ability to offload and is pretty tight around the ruck. His goal line defence is poor though.

 

[luffy]

Herbert quality?? I would say he's about the 15th best halfback in the comp (sorry Robson).

When he's playing good he is quality. I consider him of the Mark McLindon (sp?) mould, once he gets going he'll be gun.

 

[Simon]

I can almost see Furner's reckoning of it though. Opposing teams will target Campese being the main playmaker, so if he runs half the show and Herbert the other half one of them is bound to play well. Saying that, if that is the reasoning behind it I don't agree with it, but having Campese running the whole game would be a massive waste of Herbert's talent.

Campese would still play second reciever, it just means he doesnt have to do as much, it would be like Lockyer playing 5/8 for Brisbane for the past 5 years. He can get in to first reciever when he wants to but he isnt planted to a particular part of the field.