NRL Round 6 - Tigers Vs Knights - 4:05pm Sunday, 12th April - Campbelltown Sports Stadium

So is we got smashed in the middle 1/3 in that game and warriors, but did a good job in sound opposition packs in previous weeks.

Um, what's gotta change?
 
Treadly said:
So is we got smashed in the middle 1/3 in that game and warriors, but did a good job in sound opposition packs in previous weeks.

Um, what's gotta change?
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Not surprising really, they’re the two best forward packs they’ve faced

Cowboys, Manly, and Dogs have no better packs than ours. Most people would rate the Raiders over ours but they’re not performing that way.

Think we’ll still struggle again against Roosters, Panthers and Souths with Lucas and Frizz out. The rest of the teams they should go ok against
 
I don’t know I was actually kind of heartened that they were getting mauled but they kept playing and actually found ways to create breaks in their limited chances. This team is going to struggle with the more relentlessly physical teams atm, that’s just a fact, carrying some inexperience and our roster is tilted more towards pace and skill than physicality.

Heartened too by how well Jermaine McEwen played in a badly beaten side. He’s a real guy. He’s legit. I hope we extend him ASAP.

If they stick to it, keep getting experience into young guys etc, they’ll get better at forcing games to be played the way they want them to as opposed to being dragged into the way Wests/NZ wanted the game to go. If you get good enough at doing everything at pace and converting half chances into an avalanche of points, few teams have an answer to it.

I think we’re on the right track.
 
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Die Hard said:
Cant wait to hopefully have our whole squad back one day
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Hopefully before we are out of contention for finals footy.

I have no doubt it will happen, but will we get more than a week out of it? Always had the ****test luck with injuries this club.
 
Treadly said:
Thank you HVG that was an excellent post.

I love the optimism from so many. So good to see so many buying into this teams ability.
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It’s a lot easier to buy into now when you see it in action.

Always kind of suspected these players had a bit more in the locker than they’d been allowed to show under AOB, but so far it’s looked to me like they have a lot more. I rated Sandon very highly but he’s going better than I thought he would, I still have some misgivings about Fletcher stylistically at 6 but he’s so talented he’s a massive net positive still even playing on a **** knee, McEwen is going incredible for a player his age, Jacob looks like a top ten prop in the game atm, Dom Young is all the way back… all great stuff.

I think this is a top six team unless injuries **** us all year, and I didn’t remotely think that before the season kicked off.
 
Yeah it looks like the faith so far has been provided in the right top 19 players.

Tom cant is a weird one still, does his job but doesnt look brilliant doing it. A bit like Croker did until this year. What do you think his best role is? He doesnt look like an impact player, he looks like, well, Croker.

Outside that, centre and middle forwards beyond our first 17, still need to develop and prove themselves.

If we can go well enough this year, that 2027-8 sweet spot should see enough improvement in the young guys before too many top 17 age out or get priced out.
 
I have no idea re: Cant. I think he's just a guy who can do a job if called upon. You would be rapt if he turned into a Mitchell Aubusson level player.
 
mozza said:
I’d cop Cant’s vanillaness in attack if he was a good defender which he isn’t. NSW Cup is his ceiling.
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Similar was said for Croker and he’s going great now. Hopefully he follows the same path, he’s certainly got the heart, hopefully he keeps improving with the chances he gets 🤞🏻
 
listo said:
Similar was said for Croker and he’s going great now. Hopefully he follows the same path, he’s certainly got the heart, hopefully he keeps improving with the chances he gets 🤞🏻
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I hope so. I just think we’ve got several better options. ESL deserves a crack starting more than Cant does.
 
listo said:
Similar was said for Croker and he’s going great now. Hopefully he follows the same path, he’s certainly got the heart, hopefully he keeps improving with the chances he gets 🤞🏻
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Im hoping cant plays 30 - 50 minutes and is then replaced by manuleleua. Cant's D (first contact) has improved and hopefully he is capable of holding his own on that edge, but cant see him contributing much in attack. Hopefully we can get some front foot footy at the back end of the game and we get to see a glimpse of manu's potential...
 
Not a Cant fan but he must be doing everything the coach asks plus some so if so then credit where credit is due, bottom line is that if others including ESL and Manuleleua they need to show they deserve the opportunity by actions and success on the field.
 
I think also what people are missing is that as happy as we are with the progress of some guys in reserve grade, Cant was absolutely beating down the door at that level, yes more than ESL/Hopwood have been. As well as outperforming them in the trials. And then when called upon in the NRL this season he’s honestly been fine. I don’t think you can insist on merit-based selection and question why he’s being picked. What you’re really saying you want is potential-based selection.

He’s getting picked because he’s the safest option & is less likely to lose us the game on Sunday than ESL or Manu in the starting lineup is. Simple as that.
 
Cant will be ok. Just looking at him this year, you know hes put a lot of effort in during the off season. He has put on a lot of size.. give him time under a decent coach that will lift his confidence and give him simple instructions to follow.
He may never be a super star, but i rekon he will get to a level that hes looked at as a genuine nrl player that shows consistent effort week in week out.
 
Bottom line, you want to be an elite side, the elite talent is only half the equation. The other half is getting net positive or at least neutral play from the players that are taking up below average salary. Particularly when you’ve paid very dearly to get your elite cornerstone talent.

We should be cheering for the Tom Cants of the world to succeed.
 
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