2024 will be one of those years. Won't be in the conversation for finals. Side looks slow, fatigued already. Lots of very ordinary players, a few not up to first grade.
TMM - have seen enough. Did nothing for me last year and even less this year. Isn't a half, can't kick, can't pass. Heaps pressure on
SJ by being completely ineffective.
Montoya - Nothing else to add that hasn't been said already. Not up to standard, would struggle to make any other side in the comp.
DWZ - Inexplicable errors. First try to let the Titans back in was 100% his fault. Deserves a week in reserve grade but won't have to due to literally nobody to replace him.
Berry - Is okay in defence. Offers very very little on attack. Would be fine if the side as going well (as it was last year), less fine when losing.
Ford - Looks horribly short of confidence and is virtually ineffective ball in hand. Fringe first grader at best.
Game plan was a fucking disaster. That is on the coach. RTVS looked our most likely threat early yet
SJ spends the entire half bombing to the right - with literally nothing to show for it. That will have been part of their plan but the fact that there was nobody capable of re-thinking it points to very one dimensional coaching.
Defence was atrocious. That's on the players, it's an effort thing and it wasn't there.
Club has big problems, an old-ish side with some very slow, ordinary backs (primarily) and sweet F all I can see in the lower grades coming through. Which, after 30 years, still boggles the mind that Auckland struggles to produce outside backs.