NRL Round Discussion NRL Round 1, 2025 Discussion

[Matiunz]

Definitely a bit of a gulf instantly appearing;

Top tier
Melbourne
Brisbane
Manly
Penrith
Sharks

Ok Tier
Canberra
Bulldogs

Shit tier
The rest

Guess our goal is to move out of shit tier and into ok tier

 

[snake77]

Definitely a bit of a gulf instantly appearing;

Top tier
Melbourne
Brisbane
Manly
Penrith
Sharks

Ok Tier
Canberra
Bulldogs

Shit tier
The rest

Guess our goal is to move out of shit tier and into ok tier

Pretty fair assesment of round 1. Our problem is this week we more from an opponent in the OK tier to the Top Tier.

If I was going to try and find positives out of it. Maybe our game being on a bigger stage (stadium, Vegas), faster game we may not be as bad as shown in that game. However, the flip side to that is a repeat of last week I could see the confidence eroding like last year.

Last season we started as a favoured side. As the season went on we got worse.

The Dragons got a lot of calls against the Bulldogs. The score was closer than some of the other games but that was due to a few late tries. The Friday games were pretty poor.

Teams form will fluctuate during the season. Mainly the lower sides. Let's hope we sort ourselves out quicker than the others.

 

[Canonball]

Pretty fair assesment of round 1. Our problem is this week we more from an opponent in the OK tier to the Top Tier.

If I was going to try and find positives out of it. Maybe our game being on a bigger stage (stadium, Vegas), faster game we may not be as bad as shown in that game. However, the flip side to that is a repeat of last week I could see the confidence eroding like last year.

Last season we started as a favoured side. As the season went on we got worse.

The Dragons got a lot of calls against the Bulldogs. The score was closer than some of the other games but that was due to a few late tries. The Friday games were pretty poor.

Teams form will fluctuate during the season. Mainly the lower sides. Let's hope we sort ourselves out quicker than the others.

I saw enough to know that the chooks without Walker (and less so the other injured) are very much in the shit tier, same goes for the eels w/o Moses... god knows what's happening at the Cows, they shouldn't be that bad ... but I refuse to see us at that level - we can't be in with those 'baddies', surely?

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

I saw enough to know that the chooks without Walker (and less so the other injured) are very much in the shit tier, same goes for the eels w/o Moses... god knows what's happening at the Cows, they shouldn't be that bad ... but I refuse to see us at that level - we can't be in with those 'baddies', surely?

That Cowboy's squad is way to good to keep playing like that. I can see them getting played back to form in round 9.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

I saw enough to know that the chooks without Walker (and less so the other injured) are very much in the shit tier, same goes for the eels w/o Moses... god knows what's happening at the Cows, they shouldn't be that bad ... but I refuse to see us at that level - we can't be in with those 'baddies', surely?

Unpopular opinion - but game wise I didn't think we were terrible.

Look at the majority of the stats from the game, and both us and the Raiders were fairly even across the board.

There were about 3 or 4 key moments by individual players that resulted in tries for Canberra, you iron out some of that and the game was much closer than the scoreline suggested.

Our attack was mud, as was our punch through the middle.
We fix the individual errors that lead to tries, we tweek the attack so we're 10% better and I think already, were going to be creeping up to a mid range team.

Year of the ambush baby

 

[snake77]

I saw enough to know that the chooks without Walker (and less so the other injured) are very much in the shit tier, same goes for the eels w/o Moses... god knows what's happening at the Cows, they shouldn't be that bad ... but I refuse to see us at that level - we can't be in with those 'baddies', surely?

I was going to write the other day what the journalists would say the reasons were for Eels, Roosters and Cowboys. I could think of something they'd argue for the Eels and Roosters.

The Cowboys were a bit of a struggle. They have started slowly in the past and got better as the season went on. But you have to wonder if Payten would be one of those intense coaches where the relationship breaks down.

 

[Canonball]

Unpopular opinion - but game wise I didn't think we were terrible.

Look at the majority of the stats from the game, and both us and the Raiders were fairly even across the board.

There were about 3 or 4 key moments by individual players that resulted in tries for Canberra, you iron out some of that and the game was much closer than the scoreline suggested.

Our attack was mud, as was our punch through the middle.
We fix the individual errors that lead to tries, we tweek the attack so we're 10% better and I think already, were going to be creeping up to a mid range team.

Year of the ambush baby

F'ing A.... I'm a believer - don't make fool of us, please webby

 

[Canonball]

I was going to write the other day what the journalists would say the reasons were for Eels, Roosters and Cowboys. I could think of something they'd argue for the Eels and Roosters.

The Cowboys were a bit of a struggle. They have started slowly in the past and got better as the season went on. But you have to wonder if Payten would be one of those intense coaches where the relationship breaks down.

I saw something about them resetting their feeder club arrangements, which demonstrated a managerial split or drift - I reckon the broader organisational stuff has a massive impact - I mean that squad is stellar, they shouldn't be so meager, and yet there it is - so shit

 

[juju]

Two teams being ruled out of serious contention by conceding 50 week one... not good for the comp.

Theres an obvious yawning gulf between the elite teams and the field.
Might be better to start slow and build into the season - the NRL is a long season and form fluctuates eventually.

 

[Matiunz]

Pretty fair assesment of round 1. Our problem is this week we more from an opponent in the OK tier to the Top Tier.

If I was going to try and find positives out of it. Maybe our game being on a bigger stage (stadium, Vegas), faster game we may not be as bad as shown in that game. However, the flip side to that is a repeat of last week I could see the confidence eroding like last year.

Last season we started as a favoured side. As the season went on we got worse.

The Dragons got a lot of calls against the Bulldogs. The score was closer than some of the other games but that was due to a few late tries. The Friday games were pretty poor.

Teams form will fluctuate during the season. Mainly the lower sides. Let's hope we sort ourselves out quicker than the others.

Yeah Dragons were probably the other team I was tossing up putting with the Bulldogs/ Canberra tier but the concerning thing for them was their big name signings being pretty lacklustre

 

[run_it_str8_again]

I think I dislike Harry Grant more than any player ever.

Has become the new Cameron Smith

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Unpopular opinion - but game wise I didn't think we were terrible.

Look at the majority of the stats from the game, and both us and the Raiders were fairly even across the board.

There were about 3 or 4 key moments by individual players that resulted in tries for Canberra, you iron out some of that and the game was much closer than the scoreline suggested.

Our attack was mud, as was our punch through the middle.
We fix the individual errors that lead to tries, we tweek the attack so we're 10% better and I think already, were going to be creeping up to a mid range team.

Year of the ambush baby

Of the 3 major issues identified after toast game, I’m more worried about our attack than our defence or bench use.

I can see us upping intensity. I can see tweaks to the bench. But I don’t see where our paints are coming from this year and see a repeat of last years domination of the stats with nothing to show for it.

 

[John Nick]

Of the 3 major issues identified after toast game, I’m more worried about our attack than our defence or bench use.

I can see us upping intensity. I can see tweaks to the bench. But I don’t see where our paints are coming from this year and see a repeat of last years domination of the stats with nothing to show for it.

Our attack will never improve until we have some go forward upfront. Lay the platform & give the halves time & space.
All starts with forwards pushing thru the defensive line.

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Our attack will never improve until we have some go forward upfront. Lay the platform & give the halves time & space.
All starts with forwards pushing thru the defensive line.

That is key 100%.

Our halves, including Walker need to develop their kill ability.

To simplify, once you are able to get dominance in the tackle - you break the line. This works even coming out of our own end.

The only other approach is to relentlessly complete our sets and grind the opposition down. But we can only do that once a season really.

 

[Tookey 2.0]

That is key 100%.

Our halves, including Walker need to develop their kill ability.

To simplify, once you are able to get dominance in the tackle - you break the line. This works even coming out of our own end.

The only other approach is to relentlessly complete our sets and grind the opposition down. But we can only do that once a season really.

Bit of a concern when we have players like Ford and Capewell often starting or playing big minutes as neither has that punch or bends the line.

I would have thought that if Jackson was going to be in the middle rotation this year be could have put on a few extra kgs to throw around, however he still looks to be about the 100kg mark which means when he's up against Papalii, Tapine and co he has no real punch.

Surely if Fords talent lies in his fitness and motor, starting him off the bench and coming on against tiring forwards could be the way to utalise this, as opposed to getting bashed for 50m and making very little inroads as a starting prop

 

[John Nick]

That is key 100%.

Our halves, including Walker need to develop their kill ability.

To simplify, once you are able to get dominance in the tackle - you break the line. This works even coming out of our own end.

The only other approach is to relentlessly complete our sets and grind the opposition down. But we can only do that once a season really.

If you watch Penrith they come up in continuous waves. In attack and also defence. Extremely fit which allows for concentration

 

[run_it_str8_again]

If you watch Penrith they come up in continuous waves. In attack and also defence. Extremely fit which allows for concentration

I haven't watched much but they are exactly what you described. And we exactly aren't

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Bit of a concern when we have players like Ford and Capewell often starting or playing big minutes as neither has that punch or bends the line.

I would have thought that if Jackson was going to be in the middle rotation this year be could have put on a few extra kgs to throw around, however he still looks to be about the 100kg mark which means when he's up against Papalii, Tapine and co he has no real punch.

Surely if Fords talent lies in his fitness and motor, starting him off the bench and coming on against tiring forwards could be the way to utalise this, as opposed to getting bashed for 50m and making very little inroads as a starting prop

We are neither fiercely strong or extremely fast as a pack. The only ones that will improve that are the Laban, Vaimauga and Halasima trio.

Fish and Mitch can hold the front row but then we would need to start the young blokes and I'm telling myself to shut up because this has been said a thousand times in this forum.