Pick Your Team Dolphins vs Warriors - [Round 23, 2024]

[run_it_str8_again]

So I feel what you are saying is let's play to put some pride back into the jumper. Otherwise things could get nasty on the scoreboard,

I actually don't think the team is gutless at all or can be faulted on effort in anyway. Most of the time quite the opposite. They are trying too hard and over play their hand instead of sticking to the game plan and only making percentage plays. Eg. Ali tried to make a game breaking play by errantly going for an intercept late in the tackle count nek minit eels try.
If anything we need to take giant chill pill and stop trying so hard. Just relax. Then MGT would not have dropped a pass last night that normally he would have caught easily at NSW cup level.
My mother in her university courses somehow took a course on high performance. IF you are too relaxed you will be lethargic. You need to be amped to be an athlete in a competitive match. If you are too amped your performance deteriorates. And this has been the warriors this year. Too amped too pumped up about winning. We are absolutely trying and actually trying too hard.

Which brings me to Websters presser last night. We lost because we dropped our bundle apparently. So the emphasis this week from the coaching staff will be the players trying harder and having a better defensive attitude next week. OK it all leads to rinse and repeat losses from players being too amped. Players are always motivated. That is what modern literature on employees says. You don't need to motivate them. They need tactics and a game plan and that is where our efforts should go. Not speeches about dropping bundles or try harder next week.
In my years playing cricket we never lost by not trying hard enough. Yet somehow the Warriors lose by not trying hard enough and Benji has accused the Tigers of not trying hard enough. How about the Tigers don't win because of their roster? That would be a better answer. How about the Warriors don't win because SJ our leader has gone off the boil and only had 3 wins in 12 appearances this year. SJ is trying. AFB is trying. they are all trying.

I think we should spend the rest of this year with SJ and our best line up each week so that we can learn more about who is up for next year without having to spend the first 8 games next season still deciding in CNK should stay at fullback. Let's give CNK all the last games at fullback and let his play decide this issue of who is fullback in 2025.
There is a lot we can get out of these last 4 games. Including making a decision on SJ.
Sorry for directing all of that in my reply to you I went way off script from your answer. My apologies.

I like it. It's indicative of how many ways we can discuss what works, what doesn't, what we think, how we see things. As I read your response I also mentally replied on a bunch of off script angles so keep it up and we'll solve world hunger, poverty, the apparent housing crisis, cost of living pressures and where Roger Tuivasa hyphen Scheck fits in our team.

 

[John Nick]

Notice I said stats AND results?

Yup SJ, 3 try assists last night in a LOSING game against the second to last team with 12 players and with our season on the line.

Results with SJ this season at 7 even when fit and with close to a full strength team are telling.

Dismissing TMM from the conversation as our 7 puts us exactly in the position we now find ourselves with SJ as our halfback.

Let's see how we go for the rest of the season with him there. Should be able to jag a couple of wins surely?

How about we dismiss the games SJ seemed to be injured - the dragons, titans, knights, roosters games leaves 9 games 3 wins a draw and 5 losses. Versus TMM 7 games 5 wins and 2 narrow losses.

Imagine it was TMM at half last night dishing up that performance. I know what the comments and calls would be It appears to me it's not whether I like him but more sone can't see past the SJ reputation. I couldn't care less who plays 7 if the team is delivering wins. It seems others prefer to lose.

Imagine pulling the team out of the shit and back in to contention only for the coach to bring back an injured player to take that position and derail it again. And then again. In the immortal words of a champion player 'youse got what you wanted'

Doesn’t change the fact that our halves are not up to championship winning standards and lack x factor, speed kicking
and match winning ability.
Metcalf has been missed but still isn't the finished thing but does have the potential.
The others don't

 

[Wrighty]

Doesn’t change the fact that our halves are not up to championship winning standards and lack x factor, speed kicking
and match winning ability.
Metcalf has been missed but still isn't the finished thing but does have the potential.
The others don't

Metcalf can't stay on the field for more than 5-6 games before getting injured. I think his body is knackered and i would terminate his contract by mutual agreement.

 

[Inruin]

I think we should spend the rest of this year with SJ and our best line up each week so that we can learn more about who is up for next year without having to spend the first 8 games next season still deciding in CNK should stay at fullback. Let's give CNK all the last games at fullback and let his play decide this issue of who is fullback in 2025.
There is a lot we can get out of these last 4 games. Including making a decision on SJ.

This is what I think too. And it makes sense. However I think AW is too stuck in his ways and conservative to make a call against those players regardless. It will be ,'they trained well in preseason, they look as good as I've ever seen them' etc etc.

 

[John Nick]

Metcalf can't stay on the field for more than 5-6 games before getting injured. I think his body is knackered and i would terminate his contract by mutual agreement.

Tough call Wrighty. Injuries can happen to anyone.
A broken leg is just unfortunate and not something that can be controlled.

 

[Wrighty]

Tough call Wrighty. Injuries can happen to anyone.
A broken leg is just unfortunate and not something that can be controlled.

I am saying the next answer to be funny... but Nathaniel Roache says hello.

 

[Inruin]

Metcalf can't stay on the field for more than 5-6 games before getting injured. I think his body is knackered and i would terminate his contract by mutual agreement.

Wow. I'm obviously not his biggest fan and he has had a horrible run with injuries but even I don't think that's a good idea.

In fact I'm actually warming to a TMM 7 and Metcalf 6 combo being a very good option.

 

[Wrighty]

Wow. I'm obviously not his biggest fan and he has had a horrible run with injuries but even I don't think that's a good idea.

In fact I'm actually warming to a TMM 7 and Metcalf 6 combo being a very good option.

Metcalf 2023 - 12 games
Metcalf 2024 - 4 games

 

[John Nick]

I am saying the next answer to be funny... but Nathaniel Roache says hello.

Not funny if you are Nathaniel or Luke.
Tough game we play and follow

 

[Inruin]

Metcalf 2023 - 12 games
Metcalf 2024 - 4 games

Yes I get that. But we also are short of halves and we don't seem to have many other options coming through. His hamstrings are a concern but he looked to have bulked up and worked on that this season before his broken leg, which was unfortunate. Not so worried about this seasons games.

 

[Wrighty]

This is what I think too. And it makes sense. However I think AW is too stuck in his ways and conservative to make a call against those players regardless. It will be ,'they trained well in preseason, they look as good as I've ever seen them' etc etc.

Perhaps but the 4 games this year will be 4 less games he spends next year before pulling the trigger if he does pull the trogger.

Yes I get that. But we also are short of halves and we don't seem to have many other options coming through.

Not for want of trying by the Warriors recruitment team. Jett Cleary one of 5 or 6 irons in the fire we have in our Junior stocks. We are really working hard on growing halves. Maybe there isn't a Galvin amongst them but maybe a Strange. We have a smart front office. Things just didn't roll for us this year and seasons are all based on momentum.

 

[Inruin]

Perhaps but the 4 games this year will be 4 less games he spends next year before pulling the trigger if he does pull the trogger.

Not for want of trying by the Warriors recruitment team. Jett Cleary one of 5 or 6 irons in the fire we have in our Junior stocks. We are really working hard on growing halves. Maybe there isn't a Galvin amongst them but maybe a Strange. We have a smart front office. Things just didn't roll for us this year and seasons are all based on momentum.

Yeah, I don't think AW is one that likes to pull the trigger. Maybe that will develop with a season review.

Yes we have got a number of irons in the fire but they are slow burns and need time to heat up. Potentially in 2-3 years we may have something there.

As an aside, fans may just have to realize that in the short term we are probably going to struggle more than succeed until the development in youth really starts to kick in.

 

[Wrighty]

Yeah, I don't think AW is one that likes to pull the trigger. Maybe that will develop with a season review.

Yes we have got a number of irons in the fire but they are slow burns and need time to heat up. Potentially in 2-3 years we may have something there.

As an aside, fans may just have to realize that in the short term we are probably going to struggle more than succeed until the development in youth really starts to kick in.

Let's hope it is a great season review.

I have been thinking about a post someone made ten pages back.
Apparently Webster said in the pre-season we would simplify our attack this year so it will become predictable and the opposition will see it coming yet not be able to stop it as we will execute it so well.

That really ticks a lot of boxes for me on how our red zone offence has looked.
We don't need new halves. SJ is good enough. So is TMM and CHT.
We just need a better set of play options and shapes in the red zone. The current plays they run are useless. And right now Nikorima and Asi are looking better than SJ as a result.
This year, a lot of it was about our stink tactics rather than how talented our roster was,
I actually stand by our pre-season comments that our roster was good enough to win the premiership in 2024.

 

[snake77]

Metcalf can't stay on the field for more than 5-6 games before getting injured. I think his body is knackered and i would terminate his contract by mutual agreement.

Man this is a hell of a turn around. Before he arrived you were his main supporter. Pretty much had us building the side around him.

I'm not concerned about his run of injuries. The hamstring was mechanical. The club and Metcalf did all they could on that as it meant re-training how he did thigs. This years injury was a freak accident.

Some of the best players of all time have had bad injury runs early in their careers and ended up having long careers. Laurie Daley and Benji Marshall are good examples. Both of them had people wondering if their bodies were up to it.

I hope he gets another half a game or gets a full game in NSW Cup. Give him a run of games there to finish the year and another pre season.

I suspect we will see him in first grade by the end of the year. I wouldn't be surprised if Webster wants him paired with Johnson to see that his initial planning for the year would have worked. That really would only be of use if Johnson plays on.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Metcalf can't stay on the field for more than 5-6 games before getting injured. I think his body is knackered and i would terminate his contract by mutual agreement.

I think some blokes need to mature a bit more physically for the modern game.

 

[Tragic]

Man this is a hell of a turn around. Before he arrived you were his main supporter. Pretty much had us building the side around him.

I'm not concerned about his run of injuries. The hamstring was mechanical. The club and Metcalf did all they could on that as it meant re-training how he did thigs. This years injury was a freak accident.

Some of the best players of all time have had bad injury runs early in their careers and ended up having long careers. Laurie Daley and Benji Marshall are good examples. Both of them had people wondering if their bodies were up to it.

I hope he gets another half a game or gets a full game in NSW Cup. Give him a run of games there to finish the year and another pre season.

I suspect we will see him in first grade by the end of the year. I wouldn't be surprised if Webster wants him paired with Johnson to see that his initial planning for the year would have worked. That really would only be of use if Johnson plays on.

I can't see Metcalfe making it. He is quick but never seen him set up his outsides, so probably a passable 6 if things go right and he can stay on the field. He is 25 so ain't getting quicker and that's his secret sauce.
Definitely shouldn't be in the same sentence as Benji or god forbid Laurie the goat Daley.

 

[snake77]

I can't see Metcalfe making it. He is quick but never seen him set up his outsides, so probably a passable 6 if things go right and he can stay on the field. He is 25 so ain't getting quicker and that's his secret sauce.
Definitely shouldn't be in the same sentence as Benji or god forbid Laurie the goat Daley.

The comparison was more their run of injuries. The point was some players get injured a lot at a specific point of their career but then can end up getting a run injury free.

 

[BigUCE]

I’ll reserve judgement on Metcalf until he can string consecutive first grade games together, but I still see his best position being fullback.

 

[Tragic]

I’ll reserve judgement on Metcalf until he can string consecutive first grade games together, but I still see his best position being fullback.

Cool we need another one of those then we will have 5 good ones

 

[John Nick]

.

Cool we need another one of those then we will have 5 good

So what do we do for halves because our current lot are either past it or never had it