Well done to us : Tue May 08, 2018 11:17 am  

I don’t think I’m being to radical when I say we are a team that prefers firm pitches and dry conditions more than most teams.

That’s not to say a whiff of sun turns us into the best team in the world, it doesn’t and we still have some issues.

However all teams have strength and weaknesses and it’s clear to anyone just by the shear number of tries our wingers have scored in recent years that we thrive when we can promote the ball quickly out wide. You need firm dry conditions to do that and you don’t need a coaching degree to see that.

It’s now up to the players to take advantage of the better conditions, whether they will manage that is hard to say.

What I would like to do is congratulate them and the coaching staff on is managing to get 10 points in crap conditions that offered us nothing. Further more with a bit of luck it should have been more. It’s been ugly at times but who will care if at the end of the season we are in the mix.

I believe silverware is decided at the end of a season but relegation battles start far sooner. We are far from out of the woods but to be in 7th at this point is IMHO a testament to the will power of the players.

I hope we do kick on from here and play some great RL but whatever happens the last 12 weeks of mud slugging has laid a foundation. It may not win us owt but it goes a long way to us hopefully not falling through the trap door.

Re: Well done to us : Tue May 08, 2018 11:44 am  

Totally agree but, I do think that the impact of Fifita and Huby really helped make some space out wiide.
However, we scored some excellent tries yesterday and I think we're all up for more of the same.

Re: Well done to us : Tue May 08, 2018 12:17 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote:

Totally agree but, I do think that the impact of Fifita and Huby really helped make some space out wiide.
However, we scored some excellent tries yesterday and I think we're all up for more of the same.

Indeed, but I'd call Huby a firm ground prop anyway as he's a compulsive off-loader. Dave too looks better on the dry. But yes made a massive impact.

Re: Well done to us : Tue May 08, 2018 12:43 pm  

It was good to see us using the pace of our guys to repeatedly rip through KR. The pivotal moments for me though were the defensive efforts to prevent Salter scoring either of those two half chances. Big change from the glaring gaps down that side over the last couple of games. Had we gone behind at that stage we could easily have wilted.
Bringing Fifita and Huby on helped put unbearable pressure on an already deflated Rovers team.

I do think TJ would have scored from both the half chances Salter fluffed.

Re: Well done to us : Tue May 08, 2018 12:54 pm  

Wollo-Wollo-Wollo-Wayoo wrote:

It was good to see us using the pace of our guys to repeatedly rip through KR. The pivotal moments for me though were the defensive efforts to prevent Salter scoring either of those two half chances. Big change from the glaring gaps down that side over the last couple of games. Had we gone behind at that stage we could easily have wilted.
Bringing Fifita and Huby on helped put unbearable pressure on an already deflated Rovers team.

I do think TJ would have scored from both the half chances Salter fluffed.

Bit off topic but....

That's why I don't get why people pick holes with TJ. His defensive game is average as is his ability under the high ball, he's no better or worse than most if not all SL wingers in this respect. However his finishing is out of his world, rarely misses a chance. He scores way way way more than he ever lets in and that's all that matters to me.

Also like to point out to the TJ critics - 2017 saw many of our players come of age as we competed well in the super 8's. Players like Tupou and BJB plus many others were twice the players they were by the end of 2017, having competed in real big pressure matches.

Through no fault of his own Tom missed out on all that - effectively his injury was the equivalent to being put back a year at school so with that in mind the lad deserves a bit of slack as he catches up.

Re: Well done to us : Tue May 08, 2018 1:08 pm  

vastman wrote:

Bit off topic but....

That's why I don't get why people pick holes with TJ. His defensive game is average as is his ability under the high ball, he's no better or worse than most if not all SL wingers in this respect. However his finishing is out of his world, rarely misses a chance. He scores way way way more than he ever lets in and that's all that matters to me.

Also like to point out to the TJ critics - 2017 saw many of our players come of age as we competed well in the super 8's. Players like Tupou and BJB plus many others were twice the players they were by the end of 2017, having competed in real big pressure matches.

Through no fault of his own Tom missed out on all that - effectively his injury was the equivalent to being put back a year at school so with that in mind the lad deserves a bit of slack as he catches up.

To be fair to TJ he's coming off the back of a serious injury and at times it seems we've been slow to pass to him when he's been in great positions

Re: Well done to us : Tue May 08, 2018 1:09 pm  

And yes it was sunshine rugby in the 2nd half!