2024 Round 2 v Tigers: Game Day

[exrefhollywood]

The next three weeks will tell us more where we are really at!!!!! WARRIORS/SHARKS/EELS…..Great two weeks to start the season, many positives, but plenty to consider moving forward!!!!

[Botman]

Is Cotric next in line though? We know what he brings and it’s good not great. I’m hearing Schiller is tearing it up and Asomua has the goods. I’m keen to roll the dice on an up and comer and see if we can’t unearth another star rather that going back to steady as it goes 1 step forward 3 steps sideways.

The coach spoke during the week about how tough the Cotric/Hoppa decision was, he'll go with Cotric im betting
But i wouldnt. I'd get a little look at Asomoko and maybe when Kris comes back... we've found out back 5 until Chev is ready

[julian87]

We are going alright when the hot argument is over a 20 minute bench role.

Guler had 48 minutes today according to NRL.com
That was more than any other front rower other than Tapine. So it's not actually a small role he plays. And as per above, if there is a person on this site who has defended and praised Guler for the player he is more than me, i'd love to see them. But i call it how i see it. Guler's not been good enough imo.

And I dont believe in this notion you cant change a winning team. I am looking to take what we've got here and build on it and get better. And i see a clear way we can get better.

This is me. I think Guler is fine. He’s better than Saulo imo. Especially with Smithies at lock. The anti Guler hysteria amongst Canberra fans is insane.

I’d have Mooney and Hors straight in for Saulo and Guler. But I don’t think it’s a major issue week to week (taking Mooney off contract out of it).

Saulo v Guler. Saulo’s stats always look better because he takes easier runs. I’ll die on that hill. He’s a sucker for a 4th or 5th play run or at least a run on the back of a strong carry. Guler is a stronger player as a prop though. Stronger defender and carrier when it matters.

All that said. Pre Whitehead return the 3 running forwards on the bench should be Horsburgh, Mariota and Mooney.

[julian87]

Saulo still isn't bending the line, he revs up but just doesn't seem to be able to handle the initial contact like our other forwards.

I would argue that his play the balls are quicker than any other forward that always provides for the next play.

Because he takes the easiest hit ups of the set. It would be criminal if they weren’t. And today the quickest ptb speed in the pac was actually Guler.

[dubby]

We are going alright when the hot argument is over a 20 minute bench role.

Guler had 48 minutes today according to NRL.com
That was more than any other front rower other than Tapine. So it's not actually a small role he plays. And as per above, if there is a person on this site who has defended and praised Guler for the player he is more than me, i'd love to see them. But i call it how i see it. Guler's not been good enough imo.

And I dont believe in this notion you cant change a winning team. I am looking to take what we've got here and build on it and get better. And i see a clear way we can get better.

This is me. I think Guler is fine. He’s better than Saulo imo. Especially with Smithies at lock. The anti Guler hysteria amongst Canberra fans is insane.

I’d have Mooney and Hors straight in for Saulo and Guler. But I don’t think it’s a major issue week to week (taking Mooney off contract out of it).

Saulo v Guler. Saulo’s stats always look better because he takes easier runs. I’ll die on that hill. He’s a sucker for a 4th or 5th play run or at least a run on the back of a strong carry. Guler is a stronger player as a prop though. Stronger defender and carrier when it matters.

All that said. Pre Whitehead return the 3 running forwards on the bench should be Horsburgh, Mariota and Mooney.

Jules, I respect your opinion and contribution, but on this I can't agree

[Botman]

100% agree Julian and for the reasons you've articulated well is the reason i've always been Guler over Saulo
But i would say so far this year, Guler hasnt been where i think he should be, and Saulo has been slightly better.

But ultimately, Tapine, Papalii, Hors, Mariota and Mooney are imo our best middle forwards.

[Neeeegz]

I think when Whitehead comes back, it should be via the bench.
He can cover a number of positions from 2nd row to lock to centre and he thinks he's a 5/8, perfect for what we need.
Which is heaps more Hosking
And we saw today how the side had to shuffle positions with hias

[Lui_Bon]

Hats off to Hopoate. Whatever he did between the trials and now he's catching well. Let's hope it continues.

Yeah, he was good under the high ball this game. Credit to him.

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I was not paying attention but didn't he drop the kickoff to the game?*

*was distracted by the magical panoply of a Raiders home game

[BJ]

Guler always good for at least one drop a game. Lucky for us this time led to a try.... For us!

In defence of Guler he didn’t drop it. Correct penalty. Clear hand on the ball by API to push it out.

[Lui_Bon]

We are going alright when the hot argument is over a 20 minute bench role.

Guler had 48 minutes today according to NRL.com
That was more than any other front rower other than Tapine. So it's not actually a small role he plays. And as per above, if there is a person on this site who has defended and praised Guler for the player he is more than me, i'd love to see them. But i call it how i see it. Guler's not been good enough imo.

And I dont believe in this notion you cant change a winning team. I am looking to take what we've got here and build on it and get better. And i see a clear way we can get better.

This is me. I think Guler is fine. He’s better than Saulo imo. Especially with Smithies at lock. The anti Guler hysteria amongst Canberra fans is insane.

I’d have Mooney and Hors straight in for Saulo and Guler. But I don’t think it’s a major issue week to week (taking Mooney off contract out of it).

Saulo v Guler. Saulo’s stats always look better because he takes easier runs. I’ll die on that hill. He’s a sucker for a 4th or 5th play run or at least a run on the back of a strong carry. Guler is a stronger player as a prop though. Stronger defender and carrier when it matters.

All that said. Pre Whitehead return the 3 running forwards on the bench should be Horsburgh, Mariota and Mooney.

Jules, I respect your opinion and contribution, but on this I can't agree

I'm with Dubby, Guler's hitups have less venom than Saulo's do, he is statistically more likely to drop the ball (I challenge you to disprove my facticule) and his tackling is less effective. Trey Mooney would be an improvement on either. I mean, see that bloke up close like I did today and you can tell that total size is irrelevant to the kind of height and weight that Saulo and Guler are bringing on the field. Mooney is clearly an absolute warrior beast. And will probably soon be a Warrior if we don't actually pick him in first grade.

[Billy Walker]

Is Cotric next in line though? We know what he brings and it’s good not great. I’m hearing Schiller is tearing it up and Asomua has the goods. I’m keen to roll the dice on an up and comer and see if we can’t unearth another star rather that going back to steady as it goes 1 step forward 3 steps sideways.

The coach spoke during the week about how tough the Cotric/Hoppa decision was, he'll go with Cotric im betting
But i wouldnt. I'd get a little look at Asomoko and maybe when Kris comes back... we've found out back 5 until Chev is ready

There isn’t much between Hoppa and Cotric and each on their day is better than the other. I think Hoppa is showing more improvement and potential upside, but I’d love to see Asomua or Schiller take a chance and not look back. I know what Cotric will bring and it’s not elite. Let’s try to find elite.

[denissnowy]

Probably been said already, but outstanding game from Strange today. We have an absolute gun on our hands. The try was great but the tackle on Staines (yes it was penalised) after missing the tackle on Papalii was simply outstanding for a player his age and three games in. Effort play after an error that saved a try. He's a goodun.

[Lui_Bon]

Probably been said already, but outstanding game from Strange today. We have an absolute gun on our hands. The try was great but the tackle on Staines (yes it was penalised) after missing the tackle on Papalii was simply outstanding for a player his age and three games in. Effort play after an error that saved a try. He's a goodun.

if it hasn't been said already, and even if it has, it got the biggest cheer of the day

[Billy Walker]

Probably been said already, but outstanding game from Strange today. We have an absolute gun on our hands. The try was great but the tackle on Staines (yes it was penalised) after missing the tackle on Papalii was simply outstanding for a player his age and three games in. Effort play after an error that saved a try. He's a goodun.

Yep - even when he was interviewed after the game you can see there is a hardness and maturity about him that suggests he’s going to be something special.

[BJ]

We are going alright when the hot argument is over a 20 minute bench role.

Guler had 48 minutes today according to NRL.com
That was more than any other front rower other than Tapine. So it's not actually a small role he plays. And as per above, if there is a person on this site who has defended and praised Guler for the player he is more than me, i'd love to see them. But i call it how i see it. Guler's not been good enough imo.

And I dont believe in this notion you cant change a winning team. I am looking to take what we've got here and build on it and get better. And i see a clear way we can get better.

This is me. I think Guler is fine. He’s better than Saulo imo. Especially with Smithies at lock. The anti Guler hysteria amongst Canberra fans is insane.

I’d have Mooney and Hors straight in for Saulo and Guler. But I don’t think it’s a major issue week to week (taking Mooney off contract out of it).

Saulo v Guler. Saulo’s stats always look better because he takes easier runs. I’ll die on that hill. He’s a sucker for a 4th or 5th play run or at least a run on the back of a strong carry. Guler is a stronger player as a prop though. Stronger defender and carrier when it matters.

All that said. Pre Whitehead return the 3 running forwards on the bench should be Horsburgh, Mariota and Mooney.

Jules, I respect your opinion and contribution, but on this I can't agree

I'm with Dubby, Guler's hitups have less venom than Saulo's do, he is statistically more likely to drop the ball (I challenge you to disprove my facticule) and his tackling is less effective. Trey Mooney would be an improvement on either. I mean, see that bloke up close like I did today and you can tell that total size is irrelevant to the kind of height and weight that Saulo and Guler are bringing on the field. Mooney is clearly an absolute warrior beast. And will probably soon be a Warrior if we don't actually pick him in first grade.

I previously had Guler over Saulo. But Passami has outplayed Guler in the trials and last week as well. Couldn’t split the two today.

Saulo occasionally has a lightning play the ball Tapine style.

[Butters]

Where did Fog get the extra 30m in height on his bombs. Wowee.

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[zim]

Hats off to Hopoate. Whatever he did between the trials and now he's catching well. Let's hope it continues.

Yeah, he was good under the high ball this game. Credit to him

I was not paying attention but didn't he drop the kickoff to the game?*

*was distracted by the magical panoply of a Raiders home game

No. He tried to trap it and ended up toeing it ahead, but he got to it and didn't knock it on. Not a great start. I didn't count that as a poor catch.

[gerg]

Just caught the replay. Really solid game from Hoskingsons's. How does Ricky bring EW back in with Hoskingsons's playing so well. Another not so bad game from Levi. Still has a bit of standing up to pass instead of passing off the ground but his defence is strong and good support for the try today. Papalii playing well, hopefully nothing serious with the thumb.
Kris looked sharp and the loveable lunatic at the back was in everything. And Strange will hopefully just keep improving every week, Jack who?

Great to have a strong start to the season.

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[MrPosh]

This Ethan Strange kid has the goods, Hosking is excellent, Jamal looks to have the platform to make his kicking game shine - I haven't been this excited about our future in quite a while.

How about Sezer still arguing with Rapa at the end of the game about whether his shot was high...hit him on the chin!

Aside from Api carving us up for a short period of time in the first, it was another good performance.

Despite everything, I still have a soft spot for Jonneh...you can't say the man doesn't give everything for his team and he was absolutely critical to our Grand Final appearance.

I agree on Strange 100%.

And I also have a soft spot for Bateman. Different type of player but I get the feeling Smithies brings similar qualities to our team.

Bateman's the tough Dad, who makes sure everyone does their chores.

Smithies is the enthusiastic Dad who gets up early to do all the jobs so everyone can have fun.

Same end product.

[greeneyed]

This Ethan Strange kid has the goods, Hosking is excellent, Jamal looks to have the platform to make his kicking game shine - I haven't been this excited about our future in quite a while.

How about Sezer still arguing with Rapa at the end of the game about whether his shot was high...hit him on the chin!

Aside from Api carving us up for a short period of time in the first, it was another good performance.

Despite everything, I still have a soft spot for Jonneh...you can't say the man doesn't give everything for his team and he was absolutely critical to our Grand Final appearance.

I agree on Strange 100%.

And I also have a soft spot for Bateman. Different type of player but I get the feeling Smithies brings similar qualities to our team.

Bateman's the tough Dad, who makes sure everyone does their chores.

Smithies is the enthusiastic Dad who gets up early to do all the jobs so everyone can have fun.

Same end product.

Maybe once upon a time it was the same end product. Not any more.

[BadnMean]

In terms of speed, is Strange fast?

Because at this stage we are not missing Wighton at all.

Strange defends as good, he kicks well, he reads the game and is doing everything right.

We actually look a bit better so far without Jack throwing the ball to Cooma or his erratic kicks.

Fog seems to enjoy being in charge

Not sure of his top speed but he steps well, seems very agile with his changes of direction and bumping out of tackles. As a half that can create chances which is what you really want from a half. Create something then release the outside backs where we have genuine speed outside him now in Kris and Savage.

[Raoul Duke]

Very happy with that performance.

Big Red not due back to round 4, EW round 3-4.

Kris likely out next week, Cotric will come in. Rest stays the same.

Guler will stay in the bigger minute bench role until Horse returns and takes the role over.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see mooney get a bench spot in the next few weeks for some NRL game time.

Is Cotric next in line though? We know what he brings and it’s good not great. I’m hearing Schiller is tearing it up and Asomua has the goods. I’m keen to roll the dice on an up and comer and see if we can’t unearth another star rather that going back to steady as it goes 1 step forward 3 steps sideways.

Schiller looked excellent in Cup but the Magpies were hardly elite opposition. Asomua has the body type to be a dominant player in the NRL, lots of upside there but not sure he is ready just yet.

[BadnMean]

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the departure of Michael Maguire has improved our defence. Fogarty such a better player without Wighton there too. We look so much better than last season with a few key changes.
Hosking will come close to buy of the year and can see why Hoppa is in the team over Cotric. Credit where it’s due to Ricky Stuart so far.

Thing about Fogarty is he's found an extra 20m length on his boot and height to match. He was generally pretty precise but limited in range, all of a sudden he's got massive torpies relentlessly landing right on the money 5m out. Shades of Ricky in there.

I wonder if he just had niggles all last season or tweaked a technique.

[Coastalraider]

I actually think it’s pretty easy
I think he’s flat out a better player right now than both. No development needed

But it’s a winning team and winning well. A “tough” call will need to be made for Hors, but for me that’s not tough

Would you drop Emre for Trey going into next week? We just won by 20.

But nit because of Emre.

There is a noticeable drop off in middle momentum when Emre and Saulo are on. They ‘hold their own’.

Having Horse and Mooney means we have bench impact, not just holding the line until the good props get back on - big difference.

[Rickmando]

How good has it been uncovering a couple of mystery boxes in Strange, Smithies and Hosking!

More please - we have a lot of guys where we know what they are at NRL level. Here’s hoping we get to see what Asomoua, Stewart, Mooney and Puru are made of at some point this year.

Also - great to see Seb Kris back in his natural position and looking so potent outside Strange. Jack who??

[Coastalraider]

Saulo still isn't bending the line, he revs up but just doesn't seem to be able to handle the initial contact like our other forwards.

I would argue that his play the balls are quicker than any other forward that always provides for the next play. I have been his biggest critic but he’s actually been playing quite well. 9 runs for 88 metres and 25 tackles. Solid effort off the bench.

I think it’s a moot point anyway.

Full strength unfortunately does not have him in the 17.

Nrl.com has him as the slowest average ptb of all our props in this match, but not by much.

[Raidernation]

The raiders and tigers should really cultivate this game into a real grudge match. You get the feeling that both teams don't like each other but we seem to play it down. Personally I'd like to see the raiders really gaslight the tigers and cultivate the hatred between teams. For me this game should be a Hallmark of every season much like roosters v rabbits.

[-PJ-]

Sitting atop the NRL ladder with a +36 PD.

Am I squinting ?

Should’ve gone to Specsavers.

[Bluesbrother]

I actually think it’s pretty easy
I think he’s flat out a better player right now than both. No development needed

But it’s a winning team and winning well. A “tough” call will need to be made for Hors, but for me that’s not tough

Would you drop Emre for Trey going into next week? We just won by 20.

Because Emre has started the year poorly and Trey Mooney is playing dominant football.
He’s also straight up a better player than Guler (and saulo too)

Won’t happen but it should. Winning doesn’t mean we can’t improve.

Not sure how Emre has been poor in the 2 games? I get that you have a boner for Mooney but you have to try to be objective. We've played really well last 2 weeks.

We have played well in the last two weeks. No one is disputing that.
There is a reason why Seb Kris came back into a winning team, and there's a reason why even if we win next week Hors will come into a winning team too.
Pick your best players. Always continue to strive for improvement.

I dont think he's played well enough to hold his spot ahead of a bloke who's being dominant in lower grades. If you think he has, good for you.

Fair call Botman. We will wait and see. I'm keen to see what Trey can do with some time in the top grade.

[BadnMean]

I actually think it’s pretty easy
I think he’s flat out a better player right now than both. No development needed

But it’s a winning team and winning well. A “tough” call will need to be made for Hors, but for me that’s not tough

Would you drop Emre for Trey going into next week? We just won by 20.

But nit because of Emre.

There is a noticeable drop off in middle momentum when Emre and Saulo are on. They ‘hold their own’.

Having Horse and Mooney means we have bench impact, not just holding the line until the good props get back on - big difference.

In a big game you might be down after 20 minutes and need someone to come on and change momentum in your favour. Horse and Mooney can do that. I have doubts Emre and Saulo can, even though Saulo is improved this year again.

Papa, Tapine, Hors, Mooney is a terrifying prop rotation. I'd breathe a sigh of relief if I was the opposition and we rolled out Guler and Saulo in the middle period instead.

I agree with RIcky in the presser we are worrying about which good Fgers to pick now, as they are all decent NRL props at worst.

[Regs Revolution]

Saulo still isn't bending the line, he revs up but just doesn't seem to be able to handle the initial contact like our other forwards.

I would argue that his play the balls are quicker than any other forward that always provides for the next play. I have been his biggest critic but he’s actually been playing quite well. 9 runs for 88 metres and 25 tackles. Solid effort off the bench.

I think it’s a moot point anyway.

Full strength unfortunately does not have him in the 17.

Nrl.com has him as the slowest average ptb of all our props in this match, but not by much.

Is there data on each individual play or just do they give the overall number as there are some very quick plays with him that provide us 15-20 metres from the next play?

[NoMan]

PTB speed is a pretty rubbery stat and there is not much consistency at all week to week from players (see Guler vs Saulo last week for example). I am pretty doubtful about how accurately people are manually able to record it over a whole game, and if a player has one really slow play the ball because of something like getting hit in the head or not hearing a held call, they easily blow the entire average out. See Rapana's or Timoko's average yesterday or Mooneys in NSW cup.

I mean I really doubt there is a practical difference between 2.8 seconds and 3.16. It's probably an indicator of discipline over anything else. I reckon a better stat would be "fast ptb" based on the number under 2.5 or 3 seconds.

[Northern Raider]

PTB speed is a pretty rubbery stat and there is not much consistency at all week to week from players (see Guler vs Saulo last week for example). I am pretty doubtful about how accurately people are manually able to record it over a whole game, and if a player has one really slow play the ball because of something like getting hit in the head or not hearing a held call, they easily blow the entire average out. See Rapana's or Timoko's average yesterday or Mooneys in NSW cup.

I mean I really doubt there is a practical difference between 2.8 seconds and 3.16. It's probably an indicator of discipline over anything else. I reckon a better stat would be "fast ptb" based on the number under 2.5 or 3 seconds.

That would be more useful stat although baseline should be on the lower side. Too many outliers can affect average PTB speed.

[Seiffert82]

Where did Fog get the extra 30m in height on his bombs. Wowee.

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Yeah, his kicking game has been great.

For me there was a marked improvement in his long kicking game and bombs last season, and it progressively improved.

IMO the field position we got on the back of his kicking game kept us in a number of contests last year we had no rights of winning.

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[Kryptonite]

Can't watch but looking at highlights and commentary, great to see the Kravage combination off with a bang

I thought it was Krissaviour


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