Post Match Cowboys v Warriors - [Round 14, 2024]

[FormerlyJamesW]

I know there was quite a bit of worry from a lot of people before this match about how we had lots of players returning, and that as we had won a few on the trot with out them, maybe we shouldn't pick them/stick with the youngens who got us over the line the previous two weeks.

I'm curious about what their thoughts are given how well we played - imo this was our best, complete performance of the year.
I loved our two victories against Penny and the Fins, but that was backs against the wall stuff and imo not sustainable over a season. This game we were dominant - our attack was vicious, our defence was amazing, and everyone stepped up.

Seeing how well we performed when all our big players have come back, I'm wondering why there's so much reservation about SJ coming back? Even when injured for a lot of this year he was playing better than he was last year when everyone thought he was the best player in the comp (aside from his defence which has been impacted by his injury).

The only issue I can see is whether Webby has enough time to come up with a decent game plan that incorporates both TMM and SJs best qualities so we're getting the best of both worlds.

Coincidently, I also was hesitant of putting the return players back. The cows were trash last night, but we dominated the shit out of them, so fair play to the returning players.

I just think that these decision need to be considered carefully as I don't like messing with systems that work. Obviously three weeks off, a bit of pressure on their selections and a change in benching worked wonders.

Love it. Glad to be proven wrong.

SJ is a different kettle of fish. Halfback is the steering wheel of the team and in turn has a MASSIVE impact on our attacking structures.

I hope SJ comes back, takes full advantage of a team firing on all cylinders. But, let me ask you this.

Have any of our victories with him as half back looked anywhere as sharp as the last three? I could think of one (bunnies), but cmon...

The beauty of my sceptism is that if I'm wrong, the team will do well.

 

[Kav1]

Tbf feldt gets under everyone’s skin- he’s a massive pest.

I didn't realize that -thought he was just a whinger. Explains a lot.

 

[Inruin]

View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C78yamdPxpq/?igsh=MW1nOXlpM29lZWowMw==

 

[Beastmode]

Those sin bins aye

What a laugh

CHT drops on the on Chads beautiful hair

10 in the bin!!!

Chad, you’re good looking lad.

You can have 10 also to fix your luscious hair!!

 

[Inruin]

View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7-guxQvTzl/?igsh=cTlsZ3RmNGRoNHZl

 

[Wah's Up]

SJ comes back in at 7 and TMM to 6 for me.

Question: if that was Sj at 7 last night with TMM at 6 and TMM played the same as CHT did in the game, would people be saying TMM is shit and offers nothing?

When SJ comes back in, whoever is at 6 is going to see less ball and opportunities than 7.

Re-watch the game and see how well Walker played at 6 while CHT was in the bin.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

The only thought that keeps sneaking in to my head is that we all felt at the end of last season that the team needed some more creativity and speed. Currently the team is very similar player for player as it was then. Is it enough to challenge this year?

Yeah mate some great questions!

For me, I feel that we weren't too far away last year.
Add in the top tier teams like Penny and Brisbane losing a few players and we gained a few in Capewell and RTS I thought we'd be there or there abouts this year.

The funny thing is, Capewell and RTS actually haven't moved the needle for us (thus far in 2024), yet at times - when we've been playing well - I feel that we look as good, if not better than the top teams this year.

As boring as it was, I enjoyed the plan that we had of kicking to the corners, Berry chase and mow them down. Imo it's great game management, it builds pressure and it relies on the other team having to knuckle down and get in to the grind. I don't think a lot of teams can keep with us when we're sticking to that plan, however through injuries, poor discipline and poor reffing I think in those 4 games we were so shit, we weren't able play the way we wanted.
Imo, if we can stick to that plan whilst incorporating a bit of what TMM and the rest of the team has shown over this last month, I think well win the comp.

Thats a HUGE if though. So to summarise, yes I think we have enough to win it this year lol.

What about you....do we have the team to win it all in 24?

 

[CWC]

I know there was quite a bit of worry from a lot of people before this match about how we had lots of players returning, and that as we had won a few on the trot with out them, maybe we shouldn't pick them/stick with the youngens who got us over the line the previous two weeks.

I'm curious about what their thoughts are given how well we played - imo this was our best, complete performance of the year.
I loved our two victories against Penny and the Fins, but that was backs against the wall stuff and imo not sustainable over a season. This game we were dominant - our attack was vicious, our defence was amazing, and everyone stepped up.

Seeing how well we performed when all our big players have come back, I'm wondering why there's so much reservation about SJ coming back? Even when injured for a lot of this year he was playing better than he was last year when everyone thought he was the best player in the comp (aside from his defence which has been impacted by his injury).

The only issue I can see is whether Webby has enough time to come up with a decent game plan that incorporates both TMM and SJs best qualities so we're getting the best of both worlds.

Probably already has the plan since the win against the dolphins, problem now is their first game back together trialing and executing the new plan, is against the Storm

Could be clunky af, or we could pile on 20 points to start the game as Bellamy has no idea what’s hit them

Imagine TMM roaming both sides and SJ stays on the left

 

[sydneywarrior92]

After the dominant performance, it would be such a massive letdown if we only go up to 12th if Newcastle and Parra find a way to cause further upsets today and tomorrow.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

For me, I feel that we weren't too far away last year.

We were found out by Brisbane's power at speed.
We were found out by Penrith's better execution of our similar plan to theirs. They were better at it.

As boring as it was, I enjoyed the plan that we had of kicking to the corners,

The plan is sound. But it can't be the only plan. But when it's the actual plan both discipline and accuracy are key to implementing it. We stumbled through our four loss period this year.

do we have the team to win it all in 24?

Absolutely. Will they all be available? Highly unlikely.

Can we still do it? I think Webby figured out that we can't sprint for 80min but we can for bursts and then back our discipline and defence to be able to fire again at sprint pace.

 

[Gummy bear]

I thought he went missing for a while at the end of that game.

yes, for 10 minutes it was like he wasn't on the field.

 

[CWC]

Yeah mate some great questions!

For me, I feel that we weren't too far away last year.
Add in the top tier teams like Penny and Brisbane losing a few players and we gained a few in Capewell and RTS I thought we'd be there or there abouts this year.

The funny thing is, Capewell and RTS actually haven't moved the needle for us (thus far in 2024), yet at times - when we've been playing well - I feel that we look as good, if not better than the top teams this year.

As boring as it was, I enjoyed the plan that we had of kicking to the corners, Berry chase and mow them down. Imo it's great game management, it builds pressure and it relies on the other team having to knuckle down and get in to the grind. I don't think a lot of teams can keep with us when we're sticking to that plan, however through injuries, poor discipline and poor reffing I think in those 4 games we were so shit, we weren't able play the way we wanted.
Imo, if we can stick to that plan whilst incorporating a bit of what TMM and the rest of the team has shown over this last month, I think well win the comp.

Thats a HUGE if though. So to summarise, yes I think we have enough to win it this year lol.

What about you....do we have the team to win it all in 24?

The difference was we sucked attacking in the red zone this year (cue like the games vs roosters and south in the rain last year) so when we execute and get to their 20-30m line we do the same bomb and Berry chase, and let the other team come out and kick down field, and we work our way to the red zone, have an useless attacking set, then dies with the ball on the last because there was no penetration so had to settle for field position, then we are back 70m back down our end and restart again, and when making a mistake we have no defense to recover, it was actually disheartening lol

Now that’s changed because we are putting 6 points most of the time we are in the red zone, which makes the bomb and chase plan viable again as long as it’s not done inside the 20-25m, even the commentators were pissed the cows were doing what Berry was doing before with bombs, after Charnz copped one from Holmes, and they were praising our players for contesting, what a change lol

 

[CWC]

Btw I thought Vaelia was playing for us at the start lol

 

[Noitall]

Btw I thought Vaelia was playing for us at the start lol

Happy to be way off the mark in being concerned about Vailea. He got dominated

 

[Inruin]

so to summarize, yes I think we have enough to win it this year lol.

What about you....do we have the team to win it all in 24?

Short answer is no, I don't think we do.

Or perhaps we do but some really tough calls would need to be made to have the best balanced team on the park?

We have a team that should be top 8, if not top 4 and I guess anything can happen from there. If we do make it to the finals I think that last round bye is going to be such a blessing for us

If we get some luck go our way we could do anything but Panthers and Broncos if they get back to full strength are on another level IMO.

The good thing though is I think AW has seen and learned a lot from that 4 week run of losses which should make us stronger in the long run.

 

[Kav1]

Yeah mate some great questions!

For me, I feel that we weren't too far away last year.
Add in the top tier teams like Penny and Brisbane losing a few players and we gained a few in Capewell and RTS I thought we'd be there or there abouts this year.

The funny thing is, Capewell and RTS actually haven't moved the needle for us (thus far in 2024), yet at times - when we've been playing well - I feel that we look as good, if not better than the top teams this year.

As boring as it was, I enjoyed the plan that we had of kicking to the corners, Berry chase and mow them down. Imo it's great game management, it builds pressure and it relies on the other team having to knuckle down and get in to the grind. I don't think a lot of teams can keep with us when we're sticking to that plan, however through injuries, poor discipline and poor reffing I think in those 4 games we were so shit, we weren't able play the way we wanted.
Imo, if we can stick to that plan whilst incorporating a bit of what TMM and the rest of the team has shown over this last month, I think well win the comp.

Thats a HUGE if though. So to summarise, yes I think we have enough to win it this year lol.

What about you....do we have the team to win it all in 24?

I think we are a better chance than 3 weeks ago but we have beaten Penrith after an unusual number of unforced errors by them and without Cleary, Dolphins who would be no chance of winning the comp and a very tired looking Cowboys.

 

[Boats n Hoes]

Last nights bench was the best bench I have seen in my tenure as a fan since 2017

In the early 2000s we once had a bench line up of

14. Lance Hohaia
15. Feka Paleassina
16. Richard Villasanti
17. Ali Lauiti'iti

You want a bench of impact and scare the shit out of the opposition?.......that was it.....none better.

Them were the days!

 

[CWC]

Short answer is no, I don't think we do.

Or perhaps we do but some really tough calls would need to be made to have the best balanced team on the park?

We have a team that should be top 8, if not top 4 and I guess anything can happen from there. If we do make it to the finals I think that last round bye is going to be such a blessing for us

If we get some luck go our way we could do anything but Panthers and Broncos if they get back to full strength are on another level IMO.

The good thing though is I think AW has seen and learned a lot from that 4 week run of losses which should make us stronger in the long run.

The amount of time it takes to rectify the year 2 issues is usually like, a year, so I feel we are playing in his year 3 standard right now, which is insane

And 2023 was supposed to be a rebuild year and he took us to the top 4 and GF qualifier, which is at least year 3 type of stuff at least. So we are like in year 5 when we are 1.5 years in. Webby probably graduated from high school at 13 or something lol

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

I remember back in the day at Mt Smart every player had a song that would play when they announced the team, that would be perfect for Wado

"Wayde Egans down! But he gets up again, you're never gona keep him down!"

 

[Inruin]

TMM had 4 try assists on the weekend and 3 against Penrith. That's fucking ridiculous. To put that in to context Cleary has only ever had 3 try assists in a game 3 times, and 0 times has he ever had 4 in a match. Same for SJ, he's never had 4 in a match (has hit 3 8 times in his career).

TMM is going ok for a player who some considered not up to first grade standard and I think someone else said he should retire?

Last 3 games: 2 Line breaks, 8 line break assists, a try, 7 try assists, no errors, no penalties conceded and defensively good.

And that's with a busted finger and in the Cowboys game a damaged shoulder.