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    John Nick said:
    100%
    Healey should have been on the bench last week especially when Egan is injury prone. Tmm at 14 is a complete waste
    Click to expand...
    Egan has only missed 1-2 games all season, Healey is a much bigger waste on the bench.

    People are overreacting due to Egans early injury.

    Fact of the matter is, Te Maire covers 1, 6, 7 very well. Covers centres averagely and covers 9/13 poorly.

    Healey covers 9 very well. Thats it. He would barely get 20 mins if Egan is fit the entire game. Thats a wasted bench spot.
     
    I think anyone expecting anything different from what we are seeing now from Webster will be disappointed. He is conservative in his approach and style. As much as there was talk about learning from last season, I'm not seeing it. Capewell clearly busted, CHT looks like he is too (3 runs for 19m against the Titans) Add in CNK and DWZ. He would rather play them than rest them to get them right even with someone like TT available. SJ and Tohu from last season ring any bells? Talk of not playing Egan for 80min a game but still doing so this season. We were comfortably in the top 4 with a buffer. If not against the last placed Titans when is a good time to actually manage the rosters work load especially with all our byes taken now? Last season he only really made changes after being absolutely forced to and then changed back to type from something that was working as soon as he could. Our gameplay this season is based on effort and out enthusing the opposition. Which is fine but over the course of the season takes its toll, particularly if you don't appear to have a plan B. There is only so long you can get up for the fight after week on week effort. Rugby League also isn't just about defense. Having the ability to convert position and possession in to points is crucial. We are approaching the pointy end of the season now and those sides that we managed to beat in effort areas have improved and matching that. That's literally all the Titans did, matched our effort areas, completed their sets but had the attacking gameplan to convert in to points. The attack asking questions of the opposition makes it so much harder to defend and following on from that it takes your energy away when you do have the ball. As has been talked about for the majority of the season, our attack has been very limited, I think 12th best attack in the league now? And how many tries have we scored from kicks? Must be close to top of the league in that regard? Our conversion of possession in the opposition 20 to tries is or very close to the lowest in the competition. And that has been for the most part with a very competitive forward pack and in most games a dominant one until Barnetts injury. Yet very rarely do we create space through attacking play. Rarely do we see variety when trying to make yardage, to often one out hit ups and kick. We are essentially the knights, defensively fairly strong and good effort but we have managed to close out the tight games early in the season through some individual play. I think the results have masked over a number of issues and many are quick to dismiss them because we managed to squeak some wins we probably shouldn't have got. The reality is we are a 6th - 12th type team currently. We do have some x factor available if AW wants to use them but that would mean being a little more flexible in his gameplan. We have the second worst winning percentage of current top 8 sides this season for games against top 8 sides. Something needs to change if we want any hope of not getting knocked out in the finals straights away - assuming we don't completely bottle it and miss the 8. I mean anything could happen in the finals but I don't fancy our chances currently against the majority of the teams in the 8 now.

    Don't take this as an anti Webster post either. He is the best option for us currently. That doesn't make him beyond criticism or scrutiny though.
     
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    sup42 said:
    Dear Andrew Webster.

    Please do not listen to the experts in here, me included.

    Webster has the correct game plan, the sport is defensive. It is an attrition and endurance based.

    What Webster lacks is the best possible players to deliver that plan, so he has worked miracles with this sub par group to get them to over achieve.

    People calling for more attacking players are ignoring the fundamentals of the sport. They are ignoring the past three decades, where not placing the foundations first, has seen the Warriors rarely make it into the finals.

    If Webster went out tomorrow and played all the names I constantly read in pick your team, he would destroy what he has built and turn this place back into the old Warriors, he would turn us into the Titans....fast exciting attack, no fundamentals of Rugby league.

    What people tend to misunderstand, is that many players cannot learn the fundamental defence of this sport, nor develop the endurance to deliver consistency for eighty minutes.

    They think that you take a bunch of attacking players who are rubbish at defence and you 'coach' them with some magical fantasy football coaching secrets and make them into defensive players.

    Yet this competition proves that there are some where this is possible and many who will never get it...the latter being the kind of exciting attackers Craig Bellamy will not hire...because he know's he hasn't got a magic wand, he has magic game plan, staffing set up, magic salary cap (players willing to sign for unders) and he only hires people that can be taught.

    Webster needs to stick to the plan. It is a five year vision, one where some kids will become the next Leka Halasima etc, and many will never get there, despite what they are doing in cup or lower grades right now.

    The cold hard truth is some do not have the heart, the motivation, the drive, the intelligence, most of all the desire to turn their talented physical gifts into
    the type of player that can play Webster ball.

    And I know many hate that, but without it we are back to the same rubbish.

    If the Gods are with us, a decent bunch of these star juniors come through the system that Webster has built, play Webster ball, play percentages, and bring the attack everyone craves.

    Time.
    Click to expand...

    Here, here.

    Some people have short memories. This club was rudderless, pre 2023.

    We at least look competitive for a large portion of the season now.

    Webby knows what he's doing and I think it is pretty clear that all the young guys have picked up on it really well.

    Demi V looks like a future captain and leader to me, very akin to a young JFH.

    Stay the course. We will see the results in the near future.
     
    Dear Andrew Webster.

    Please do not listen to the experts in here, me included.

    Webster has the correct game plan, the sport is defensive. It is an attrition and endurance based.

    What Webster lacks is the best possible players to deliver that plan, so he has worked miracles with this sub par group to get them to over achieve.

    People calling for more attacking players are ignoring the fundamentals of the sport. They are ignoring the past three decades, where not placing the foundations first, has seen the Warriors rarely make it into the finals.

    If Webster went out tomorrow and played all the names I constantly read in pick your team, he would destroy what he has built and turn this place back into the old Warriors, he would turn us into the Titans....fast exciting attack, no fundamentals of Rugby league.

    What people tend to misunderstand, is that many players cannot learn the fundamental defence of this sport, nor develop the endurance to deliver consistency for eighty minutes.

    They think that you take a bunch of attacking players who are rubbish at defence and you 'coach' them with some magical fantasy football coaching secrets and make them into defensive players.

    Yet this competition proves that there are some where this is possible and many who will never get it...the latter being the kind of exciting attackers Craig Bellamy will not hire...because he know's he hasn't got a magic wand, he has magic game plan, staffing set up, magic salary cap (players willing to sign for unders) and he only hires people that can be taught.

    Webster needs to stick to the plan. It is a five year vision, one where some kids will become the next Leka Halasima etc, and many will never get there, despite what they are doing in cup or lower grades right now.

    The cold hard truth is some do not have the heart, the motivation, the drive, the intelligence, most of all the desire to turn their talented physical gifts into
    the type of player that can play Webster ball.

    And I know many hate that, but without it we are back to the same rubbish.

    If the Gods are with us, a decent bunch of these star juniors come through the system that Webster has built, play Webster ball, play percentages, and bring the attack everyone craves.

    Time.
     
    I do find the sentiment in here pretty funny at times. (I'm guilty of this stuff too).

    Since the 2011 GF (13 full seasons) we have an average ladder position at seasons end of 11th!

    Were clinging into 4th and people want to check the coach.

    It's a good reminder we're on an upwards trajectory at the moment, but not much more than that.

    And long may that continue.
     
    Dear Andrew

    I hope this message finds you well.

    Over my 20 years of coaching from the couch, I have come to a significant realization: good teams improve as the season progresses.
    Please bear with me, as the point I wish to make is not immediately obvious.

    Our style of play has been quite safe and conservative. Many would argue that this approach has secured our position in the top four after 21 rounds of rugby.
    They believe it is too late in the season to make any changes, and the same argument is made for not dropping senior players.

    However, if we continue with this low-risk, safety-first approach, we risk being outplayed in the remaining rounds of the season.
    This strategy worked earlier when teams were still adjusting, but now, as the season concludes, their error rates have decreased and their attention to detail has increased.
    Essentially, playing it safe will likely result in losses nine times out of ten.

    Andrew you need a game strategy that evolves throughout the season.
    While starting with a low-risk, conservative approach is sensible, we must transition to a more expansive style as the season progresses.
    Currently, we are stuck in first gear while other teams, notably Penrith, are firing on all cylinders.

    Our reliance on non-contested bombs, the lack of offloads, and the failure to hold senior players accountable for recurring mistakes, such as DWZ, are not winning the trust and support of the team and fans.

    The style of play last night mirrored the same approach we've had since round one.
    The problem now is that the opposition is more focused, determined, and has studied our conservative, non-threatening approach.
    The Titans executed this perfectly by keeping possession, avoiding mistakes, identifying our weaknesses, particularly on the right side, and using their speed and decoy runners to exploit those weaknesses.
    This resulted in an easy victory for them. We put zero pressure on them.

    We didnt deserve to win, we didnt win, and we wont win if this is the game plan for the rest of the season.

    Wake up and smell the coffee Andrew. It’s still not too late for 2025.

    If you need more proof, consider the 2023 finals, particularly the game against the Broncos. We stuck to our usual approach of not contesting bombs and exerting zero pressure on them. On the other hand, the Broncos suddenly employed a full offload strategy, continuously passing and playing expansive finals football. This approach could have, and probably should have, won them the Grand Final if it weren't for the individual heroics of Nathan Cleary. The strategy and formulation for winning finals football were clear.

    It's time to abandon the conservative approach. Now is the moment to step things up, Andrew. Make the changes. It's not too late.

    Kind regards
    AI Co-Pilot aka Beastmode.
     
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    Probably all been said on the thread already but can’t be bothered trolling back through all the pages.

    Was at the game and obviously we came out ready to roll. I thought we would go on with it.

    Their first try was just a numbers game with Egan on the deck. Taken advantage of well.

    The second, which was on Dals edge was on Capewell coming flying in leaving him in no man’s land.

    From there we could just get no momentum with the titans completing high, and numerous six agains and penalties, which was frustrating as hell to watch. Sutton didn’t have a great game.

    We also lost out way when Fish and Clark were off at the same time.

    Yes DWZ is well out of form and I’d prefer TT there at present, but Capewell wasn’t great last night. I can now see why he has the highest missed tackle count - rushes up quickly and makes contact but hardly ever seemed to stick.

    Our missing troops really showed through tonight. I didn’t think Tanah was that bad, took on the line a number of times and is pretty crisp with his distribution, but we miss Metcalf’s speed and X factor for sure.

    I always think a teams PD is a better indicator of where they should be on the ladder, and think 6th is deserved. Just hope the boys hang in there over the next month or so and notch up enough wins, but can also see some teams smelling blood at this point.
     
    out the gate said:
    Just when you thought the Eels beating the Broncos couldn't be topped. Then this happens 🤦🏽‍♂️. Very disappointed in our performance tonight. Sure the Titans deserve credit for holding us to 6 points for 70 minutes, but to have a dream start like we did then produce that performance is very frustrating. I hope this loss doesn't come back to haunt us come September. Sort them out Webby!
    Click to expand...
    The Titans basically played the way we played early season to get to where we are.

    Low errors, good discipline, high completion rate, kick long, defend well.

    We got outplayed at our own game.
     
    Preface what I'm saying with; I was at the game watching high and side on. Have no idea about the stats nor had multiple views. So later I'll likely double down or double back on this.

    Surprised to see so many only mention attacking within the 20 and our defense on the edges. I'll need to rewatch but I honestly think we lost because we did not play our style well.

    We lost the grind, plain and simple. They gained more meters per run than we did. Kicked further than we did. When they got a penalty they were more ambitious with kicks for meters instead of us. Which just resulted in them having more chance on ourside. Where it felt like we only had about 20 mins of the game in there's defensively or offensively.

    It felt like a mixture of our kicks just not getting as far as they used to as the titans put immense amounts of pressure on Boyd.
    Our kick chase being non existent (maybe if we booted it more to our one good edge on the left...).
    And finally we had no defensive line speed. Foren had all the time in the world to do anything he wanted. They made massive meters per run compared to us.

    There are only a few teams who can match the titans in speed. We are probably the worst at it. If we cannot grind them until we're on their 20 to start some attacking sets. We are not scoring. No linebreaks before then has a player (outside of Leka) who has the speed to score anymore.
    So the game was over for us in the last 15 when we started trying that.
     
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    The balance is wrong and needs to be urgently addressed.

    Capewell
    Niukore
    Ford
    Laban

    All playing out of their best position.

    Marata to 10
    Laban to 12
    Capewell to 11
    Ford to bench

    Put Leka at centre if we must play a backrower there.

    Above all though, we lack some serious punch.

    Criminal (and quite frankly unjustifiable) that TT can't make the team. Two major defensive plays last week, thanks very much you've earned reserve grade.

    Healey too, for what reason is he not in the 17? He'll get another shot next week and can't wait to see him play again.

    We are not a top 4 team, but we are in the top 4 so we need to find a way to hang on.
     
    Worked hard early season to put ourselves in this ladder position, but some of the wins were super unflattering. Comprehensively beaten by baby Riff and Broncs. Score flattering win against Tigers, crack covering win last week, extremely poor tonight. This team is on the slide sadly.

    - Bringing CNK back when he isn't even 100% for TT, for him to then also kill any attack when he touches the ball.
    - Playing Capewell at centre when hes not even fit. Gaining absolutely nothing there going off the past two weeks.
    - No ruck control and poor first contact, letting Titans blast 55-60m most sets.
    - Not contesting kicks, then also not even pinning them also. Like WTF is the point in that style then?
    - One out running for majority of the final 70mins.
    - Right edge in both attack and defence not first grade standard.
    - Ford getting dominated both with the ball and without the ball giving away six again putting us under huge pressure.
    - Marata...just like fuck me man.

    Webby is a great coach, but some of decisions are making absolutely no sense.

    We are doing our absolute best to give Penrith fourth spot, and who knows how far this form slide without Barnett specifically and also Metcalf could have us end at.

    Such a Warriors performance and at home again.
     
    A few things...

    - DWZ is absolutely the worst player in the side and by some margin at present. He needs some NSW Cup time ASAP. There is no possible way someone like Taine would do a worse job.
    - Capewell back to the backrow and play whichever fit and available centre we have. He is a non event defensively. Move CNK if need be. Capewell just cannot continue here unless it is a mid-game shift to cover injury.
    - CHT is shite, but there's no one else to replace him.

    Titans played well. Won every department pretty comfortably and completed high 90s.

    In other quite sad news, I've just run the ladder predictor. Assuming we lose to the Phins next week, then to Dogs, Manly and Titans away, but win against Eels and Dragons - we will finish 8th. I think that is a far more likely scenario than top 4.
     
    Could smell that loss from a mile away. Should change our name to the One dimensional.
    Webbys stubbornness and loyalty to certain players is ridiculous, along with his conservative game plan. Taine’s only loss 1 game he’s played for us at fullback and that was against the storm where Coates scores in the last minute. And he gets dropped for Charnze and Dallin.
    We have young boys in cup killing it, put them in.
     
    Our game plan 101 is to grind teams to death......the Titans we;re up for it with 94% completion

    And we dont have the strike to run a B or C plan when its not working.

    CNK at fullback and Capewell at centre is doubling down on the _"we have no strike so we'll bore u to death".

    Absolute shame no place is found for Tauapiki......well and truly past time Charnze needs to take one for the team and play centre.

    Congrats to the Titans they thouroughly deserved the win and were the better team.

    And you guys who post every week why oppositions are absolutely no chance against us.......can u just stop.
     
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