As an ardent St George supporter, I’m afraid…. very afraid. I have watched both their games this year and on both occasions had an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
Is it groundhog season again? When will I wake up from this nightmare and be free to enjoy a victory without a big black cloud of impending doom hovering overhead?
I’ll tell you when, when Wayne Bennett realises that the epitome of stupidity is doing the same thing twice and expecting a different result.
Is Wayne a “one-trick pony”? Is he coaching “scared”? Or do I have “baggage”? These questions and more will be answered come September. Whatever the case, his fragile tactics leave me cold and concerned.
A game of statistics can work when you’re in control of the scoreboard, but the wheels can fall off quickly, and without the necessary tools in the box to fix it, a resulting loss is inevitable.
I say “fragile” tactics because all it takes for a game of statistics to unravel is an opposition that plays an unconventional game, case in point; final round against Canberra last season. Canberra had nothing to lose and played with gay abandon, a rushing defense and a hot potato attack left the St George players dumbfounded, without reply, and defeated.
They never recovered from that defeat, it haunted them for the rest of the season, and may continue to.
There’s no ad-lib, no contingency and even if there were it would be too new to them to effectively employ.
In other words if a side gets in front by any decent margin or rattles their cage, they become stupefied and lost.
Wayne Bennett seems like fairly conservative fellow and probably drives wearing a helmet, and that’s okay if the helmet doesn’t keep slipping over his eyes and causing him to crash into the same tree again and again.
I like Wayne Bennett, but as much as I’m sure he’s happy to hear that Polyglot likes him, I’m sure he needs to think beyond statistics and prepare now for sides that are onto his one dimensional tactics.
If not he will surely feel like “the little trainer that couldn’t”, and I, like a sad character in my own perpetual nightmare. Who said it’s only sport?
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Former NRL star Blake Ferguson has had his contract shockingly terminated by the Kurri Kurri Bulldogs effective immediately, having played just one game for…
It might have been that simple all along. As much as the structures, coaching and roster come under pressure at the Roosters, the solution…
What is the point of rugby league? To win, or to not lose? It’s philosophical question as good as any in the game. Since…
The St George Illawarra revival is now prompting a question that was on nobody’s radar heading into the 2024 season - can the Dragons…
Zac Lomax has added further to his Origin case with another strong performance in the Dragons' stunning 30-12 boilover win over the Warriors in…
Who are the hardest working big men in the NRL?
