When a coach does his ‘nana’, his team had better react otherwise the man in charge really has nowhere else to go.
I saw the Raiders live in Canberra against Newcastle in Round 2 in a game they could have theoretically won. The Knights were more persistent and chipped away, eventually snaring a close 30-28 win.
Bookended by two other close losses, the nation’s capital looked in dire straits in terms of finals representation for 2018.
Last week was a different story altogether, and a 32-16 loss to the low flying Eagles could easily have been described as an insipid performance. The Raiders’ courage, pride and commitment were clearly questioned by the coach in the post-match analysis.
Thank goodness the Raiders responded, and Stuart’s body language on the sideline suggested that their approach had been collective. The ‘line in the sand’, ‘all hands on deck’ attitude was evident through their desperation and commitment. The kicking game was vastly improved and the forwards dominated the Bulldogs through the middle of the field.
Dean Pay experienced far different emotions as his pack was bullied, his impotent halves and blunted backline rarely threatened the Raiders defence. Without a point in the first half, which is a continuation of a problematic theme in point-scoring, the Dogs were only able to scramble tries to Kieran Foran through an opportunistic effort and a consolation four-pointer to Josh Morris.
The blue and whites are in a rebuild whether or not the club, fans or media choose to acknowledge it. Pay is already quite grey, and by season’s end things will probably look even snowier on top as he grapples to discover new players and choreograph new tactics that will make them more competitive.
(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
After the earth-shattering defeat at Allianz Stadium at the hands of the Warriors last week and with things looking rotten in the state of Bondi, the Sydney Roosters have made a statement at Southern Cross Group Stadium and spanked the Sharks by twenty.
I fell for it and I’m sure many others did as well. The tipsters seemed pleased with the supposed overrated Roosters faltering and their elite squad struggling early in the season.
The rumours of a faltering Roosters pack stacked with proven superstars, a genius half-back with an unrivalled pedigree struggling for form and a backline full of class and speed that had lost its way all fed the media analysis of a club on the decline.
The typical Rooster-bagging media didn’t take into account the spirit of the tricolours and the chooks played like they had something else in mind.
Rather than folding under the pressure of failed expectation, a resilient football team travelled to the shire and put the cleaners through a Sharks mob that looked far removed from the premiership squad of 2016.
There is something clunky about the Cronulla squad right now, and with 16 points as their highest game total for the year, it isn’t hard to see why they are struggling with only two wins up against three losses.
The Sharks weren’t disgraced yet in another topsy-turvy result that the NRL keeps throwing up. It wasn’t the close game that many had anticipated.
The Roosters had their measure in every facet of the game for much of the contest and thoroughly deserved their victory. Shane Flanagan has some serious thinking to do if he is to transform this Sharks squad into a unit capable of making a serious run at the premiership.
Right now they look a little busted and no chance of seeing action in September.
(Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
I know we have said it all before, particularly the Dragons fans, but this St George Illawarra team is different.
Stemming from the blue and white side of the boundary that runs somewhere along Canterbury Road, separating the salubrious suburbs neighbouring Kogarah Oval and the working class areas to the west, I am not one to laud the Dragons without merit.
However, this team looks a little more polished and professional than those we have seen in recent times – in fact they appear to be the best we have seen since Wayne Bennett was at the helm.
In truth South Sydney were outclassed, out-thought and outplayed at Jubilee Oval despite a late flourish by the visitors with tries to Cody Walker and Greg Inglis.
When it really mattered the Dragons were far superior and set up their victory on the back of a solid first-half that kept the Bunnies tryless.
While creating some late interest in the game, the late points to South Sydney did not mask the clear domination of the Dragons and the attacking limitations of the Bunnies that were also evident in their clash with the Bulldogs last week.
The unpredictability remains and where the competition heads in the next few weeks is anybody’s guess.
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