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Just caught up with the Chiefs v Blues game. Was I watching the same game as our pre-season? I think we may be in for a long season. I hope not but the signs are ominous.
I really don't think that you can compare pre-season matches. Nor do I think you should hold much stock in Pre-Season results.
Different Coaches have different mindsets when it comes to Pre-Season fixtures. Some want to test combinations, some want to make sure that the whole squad gets a run.
One thing that you can count on - they wont reveal tactics or plays for the season.
So, Truth, my friend. Relax. We got this.
In Simon we trust.
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
Managed to catch a replay in the hotel on the way home
We all know you can’t concede that many penalties. The discipline has to be sorted out.
Plenty of good points to get frothy about. A lot of the new players look quality. A real sense of depth in the squad now.
If only Pasitoa was fit. Hoping Stewart and Hegarty will bridge the gap for now
Great game, Fucken battled right through to the 80!
I hope you're right X. Have you listened to this....
https://omny.fm/shows/sports-line/sp...force-17-02-23
Tony was pretty scathing, I thought; and seemed to think the coaches would be similar. He said next Saturday's match shapes as the most important for the club in quite a while. Six sleeps until we find out if they turn it around. I think the CEO is right; the SoB will struggle to cope with a first-up loss to that Rabble & it could derail membership sales.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
You can be critical of the side you support and it doesn't mean you don't support them.
We've seen coaches come and go talking up things like skills, culture etc. We've heard it all before Cron (had to look it up because I forgot what his name was).
We've heard all his empty platitudes before. Results on the pitch count.
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
Not to be a dick, but do you honestly think Simon Crom told the boys to go out and give away a bajillion penalties because it's a trial?
The score means shit, obviously, but the skills and the general shape of our attack is still a useful indication of where the team is at.
I still see disconnection in the centres as a real problem and we've seen pretty much all the combinations there (but mainly Spink at 13 with shuffling around that)
Cron needs to figure out how to plug that leak before Friday because losing game 1 to the rebels would be unacceptable.
Last edited by GIGS20; 20-02-23 at 08:54.
C'mon the![]()
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OK - to be a Dick - the Coaches name is Cron. If you are going to hate on someone - lets at least get his name right.
We scored 6 tries at will against the Drua. From a try-scoring perspective alone, its one of the better Force performances we have seen since 2017.
This I don't get. What is your problem with Spinks? He had a great game at 13. Excellent work on and off the ball. Did you even watch the match? It was on STAN - Thursday night. Still available on replay if you are interested.
As I have said before - we got this. Force by 12.
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
I don’t know what the post match protocol is but I would hope the coaches could get the refs perspective on penalties. I haven’t watched the whole Blues/Chiefs but penalty count was the difference in score line in the first and second session…..
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
Fair, but I actually wasn't ripping on the coaches, more on the players who were clearly not doing what they were told, because (as I said) the coach isn't going to be telling them to give away a bunch of penalties just because it's a trial.
Defense and penalty count still wasn't awesome though was it?
I reckon my problem is that much of the pressure on our line came between 12 and 13. Spinks has seen a lot of time at 13 so I guess yeah, I do point at him a fair bit. That might not be fair, but he's there and a part of that unit a lot so.....
The good news is, I'm not entering this season with mountains of false hope and our first game is against the team that is more likely to suck than us...it might get the attitude right and start the boys on a winning path like we haven't seen before. Perhaps the coaching team hasn't shown their numero uno killer combination through the trials and I'll be eating my words come Monday, shit I hope so!
C'mon the![]()
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