Having been a Waratahs supporter for over 20 years I am almost over it. I now truly believe that this is a group of young men who don’t play like a team and appear to not even like one another.
There appears to be little or no talk on the field and I am really over the tactics of aimless kicking and hoping the opposition make a mistake.
The Waratahs never make any positive plays and the kick chase is a bunch of guys trotting after the ball and the only chaser, if there is one, is the kicker.
The game is played by the Waratahs at a pedestrian pace and they seem ‘all weight work and no speed mate’ to quote ‘Once were Warriors’. There is no intensity in their game and it all seems to be about patience and the opposition will stuff it up, which must be the most negative way to win a game anyone could dream up.
With 2 mins to go and the Crusaders in possession they still would not throw players at the ruck and only one forward tried a counter ruck on his own and was thrown back like an old blue lunch bag from a trawler.
I am also sick of seeing 3 or 4 players (always Phil Waugh) doing all the work whilst the rest of them bludge through the game, or worse still they wake up for a while and then go back to sleep.
Phil Kearns said about a Crusaders player (Waldron) that he only makes about 1 mistake a game and zero is unheard of, I disagree, we have 10 Waratahs who wont put their hand on a ball or try to catch a kick for fear of stuffing their zero mistakes game. The fact that they do nothing seems to have been ignored.
This game was appalling and a comparison to the game prior of the Chiefs v Blues was like day and the darkest night. The Crusaders if they have any sense will take nothing out of this game as it was played barely out of second gear.
These guys are in deep crap but they don’t know it, I haven’t enjoyed watching any game this year and it seems to me to be Ewan’s tactics by a bunch of incompetents.
Where is Chris Hickey? Why isn’t he being more proactive in building a team that can get passionate about their game?
I was lead to believe by a couple of guys who know, that Chris was a great coach, if that’s so it’s time to start coaching or we are back on the hunt again for next season.
At one low point after another pointless unchased kick that the Crusaders ran back at us 40m and then knocked on the Waratahs looked a beaten team given a small torch of hope by the fact that they knocked on.
The long suffering fans of the Waratahs deserve so much more and I don’t think they will get it this year.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
presumably, Stillmissit, your GPS has advised you to make a U turn and return South down the Pacific Hwy!!!!!
tarpo
Guest
OJ, don't always agree with your POV, but usually enjoy your insights nevertheless. All the best for the wedding, wishing you & your wife a life filled with good health, love, money,& time to enjoy them.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
OJ - yes you are right, Alison my partner is always going on about how they get into the 22, dont score a try, and then just keep banging their heads against the wall rather than grab 3 points with a drop goal and go back and start again. She may have something.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Stillmissit, Thanks for the well wishes. A lot of those structures they're trying to put in place have been successful for other sides and it seems to me that the Waratahs have been trying to emulate the better sides. I think they should study how the Bulls scored from a set play in the 22. Counter attacking -- as pretty as it may be -- is opportunitistic. TIme spent in the opposition 22 is an overriding statistic in the modern game. In the past the ball moved quickly from one 22 to the other, but these days a lot of the game is spent in the midfield. You've got to make the most of your opportunities in the opposition 22 and while the Tahs are one of the better sides at barrelling over from the pick and go, it leaves their outside backs cold. It's amazing how often Super 14 teams blow their opportunity deep in the opposition 22.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
ohtani's jacket - good luck with the wedding, I am sure most of the Roarers here will be wishing you well. You may be right about them not being sure about their game 'identity' but after about 4 years of the same thing, I think they know what they want to play and that is: 1. Commit the minimum to the breakdown to ensure we have a solid defence. 2. Ensure our set pieces are adequate to get basic ball. 3. Never attack their line from anywhere but inside their half but preferably only in their 22. 4. Kick the ball up-field and keep our defencive line, that will take care of any counter attack and maybe we can win a T/O. 5. Your first reaction should be to maintain structure not take on the defence yourself. 6. Stay calm even if there is only 2 mins left and the opposition have the ball don't over commit to the breakdown. 7. We live off their mistakes. I don't know what you guys think but as tactics I prefer players to play structured rugby up to a point and then break out using their god given skills and speed.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Hen - I can see where you are coming from as a long suffering Reds fan. At least your team in improving who knows what is happening with the Waratahs. We watch all Australian games and have done for years. My partner and I were suddenly impressed with the development in the Reds attitude about this time last season. We loved Horwill and thought Barnes was playing very good football, although we didnt like it when he was moved to 12 to give him a chance of playing outside Giteau in the Wallabies. We REALLY liked the guts and determination of Peter Hynes but thought he would never get picked for the Wallabies. Ionane has great speed and McMeniman looked the goods, but how could you tell from about 30mins on the park all season. The main thing about them was that they were putting in a total effort considering their skill set every week and Mooney is doing a great job and should be the next Wallaby coach after Deans takes over the AB's. My prediction is that they will make the semi's this year so hang in there. I think the Reds are in a better place as a team than the Waratahs at this time. Watch out for more Reds in the Wallabies before the World Cup comes around.
Hen
Guest
Stillmissit, Being a long time Reds supporter I have two things to say - firsly good on you for coming to your senses and supporting the Reds, secondly - ARE YOU MAD!?!? Here are a few tips I picked up over the past few seasons for coping with begin a Reds supporter: 1 Set expectations low, very low, so low that you even expected them to lose the 'bye' fixture mid season. 2. Stare at the sun through your binoculars - when you can handle that pain - you might cope with watching the full eighty of a Reds game. 3. The Reds only have one good game a year in them - this years was the Sharks. 4 If a Reds player starts to perform - he'll either suffer a season ending injury - or move to Force, Brumbies, Waratahs the very next game.
Bob McGregor
Guest
Hoy. But by standing deeper than the Tahs the Reds can switch/run different angles. When Tahs do so on a flat line at/near the gain line they inevitably trip over themselves. Think about the tries the Reds scored against the Sharks by switching lines. Brilliant!
Hoy
Guest
The reds are the same. When you watch from the ends of the grounds, they crab like noone's business.
Bob McGregor
Guest
Past His Best. Such sideways drifting is exacerbated by having such a flat line attack. Everyone becomes cramped and it is much easier to defend. Crusaders - indeed all NZ teams - stand much deeper with only the "illegal blockers" anywhere near the gain line when they are on attack. We should learn from their deeper structures. It sure works for them.
PastHisBest
Roar Guru
I watched the game again last night and one thing I noticed (i don't know if this happened in other games), is that a lot of the time Beale runs bloody sideways! Toward his inside centre! He hardly ever runs straight to draw the defense and then pass. All this does cramp the backline and drag defenders across. Madness.
southernwaratah
Roar Rookie
My online name came about because I'm a Waratahs fan living in Melbourne, I'm glad I didn't move back to Sydney a few months ago because I'd have bought a membership....
Bob McGregor
Guest
When Waugh left the field the referee asked who's the Captain. I heard this on Sports ears - unless I'm totally deaf [I'm on the way] I'm fairly positive the answer was one Lote Tuqiri. What good can he do way out there? On Saturday the Tahs had enough ball/breaks to win the game comfortably. They could not finish their many opportunities. My belief is - and I've expressed this here many times - our backline is far too flat. Beale threw a great pass to put Horne into space but he put it down. It was virtually on the gain line. Had he been slightly deeper his sight would not have been impaired by defenders and possibly caught the ball with line wide open. Who's the backs coach? Far too influenced by Randwick's [Cyril Towers' ] flat line attack/keep ball in hand under ALL circumstances mantra. Until they can think otherwise the Tahs will struggle.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
OJ, on the money yet again. I also remember the current situation, and the Roarers reaction, being very similar to last season, just with even more ineptitude on the field from the players. Same poor effort, same negative body language, same frustration from the fans, same kick, kick, kick tactic. Then it changed against the Blues, I believe. Burgess started. He ran the ball, spiced up the attack, was supported by Palu and others and the boys started enjoying themselves again. Carter was everywhere. But last year was let degenerate much further than so far this year. So, can they lance the boyle now or will it continue to fester?
Big Steve
Guest
The most noticable change from winning to losing this year has been the breakdown. The first 4 weeks the tahs won the breakdonw the last 2 they got shut down. Surprisingly Ben Mowen started the first 4 games and has been on the bench for the next 2? Why can't any of the backs cut back inside or run even a slightly different angle. SNK is the only one a few times a game. Tiquiri and especially turner just wait on the wing.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Stillmissit, Things are going well in Japan. My family are coming over for my wedding at the end of the week, which reminds me -- I should be preparing!! One last comment -- The 'Tahs seem to be in two minds at the moment. They won a few games and people criticised them for boring, negative rugby. They tried to move the ball a bit against the Crusaders and they were criticised for lacking the basic skills to do so. It makes you wonder how they'll approach the next game. Halfway through the competition is not a good time to be searching for your identity as a rugby team.
True Tah
Guest
stillmissit Im not too sure about Lote being a disruptive influence at the Tahs, Im fairly certain playing with Lote was one of the reasons Beale decided to stick with rugby and he also got his cousin in the Tahs squad as well, even if Big Ratu has yet to have a game. Having said that, those bloody fluoro green boots have to go Lote.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
ohtani's jacket - Good to hear from you how are things in Japan (I think)?. Yes we were beaten in the rucks as well as in the backs. The Crusaders out defenced us and out muscled us generally. I think most of us believe that the forwards can front up if they feel like, it but the disorganisation in the backs is almost a criminal waste of what good ball we have. Note: we dont seem to get much in terms of good ball to attack with. Ben - I would be surprised if they were. It just seems, looking from the outside, that they dislike one another very much. Maybe its one of the reasons SNK is leaving at the end of the season. I am also of the opinion that Lote is a disruptive influence in the Waratahs and wouldnt make it past the 'no dickheads' test for the aerial ping pong boys in Sydney.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Why are you focusing on the backs so much? The Waratahs were beaten at the rucks by the Brumbies and again by the Crusaders, this time without Richie McCaw. You can have all the backline talent in the world, but if you're losing the battle in the contact area then you're going to struggle.
Ben
Guest
are tquiri and norton-knight still fighting over the push in the back incident 12 months ago?? you see them walking back in the line as though they cant stand eachother. I've also seen each Tahs game this year, and not too motivated to get back again. i think they've had a couple of lucky wins with stu dickinson as ref, and have played dead-boring footy. I hate to admit it, but the rabbitohs v roosters the week before was an awesome game of league - end to end and loads of attacking and points, chris hickey could learn a lot from rugby league attack. as for beale - maybe he does need a couple of years in the NRL to hone his attacking flair. at the moment i cant see the boy wonder we all thought he'd be when playing for joeys.