Finals Week 1 vs Rabbitohs - 7:50pm Friday 11th of September - Allianz Stadium

Macca89 said:
Is what it is. We’ve had a far better year than expected. Whoever we play, we will put in a good performance with whoever we put out on the park. Unlike our run in 2023, I don’t see us capitulating the next few years. I really feel we are finally on the up and Holbrook has us believing we are. Just a shame we were crueled by injuries this season
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AOB really, really struggled to get us to play well when things weren't going to his plan, and clearly stressed the team out massively, culminating in 2025 where we just could not score in a brothel if we were wearing a suit covered in NVIDIA stock certificates. Even that win in 2023 we got punched in the mouth and looked rudderless & shellshocked till Gamblor stuck his arm in Wighton's mouth to fire us up.

I think all of last season we observed - look, we are not the only team with injuries in the forwards, AOB's idea that J Saf, Lucas etc being injured means the attacking game plan goes to **** - when we still had Sharpe, Ponga, Best, Gagai in a lot of those games - against all opposition, including teams that don't defend well, just did not pass the smell test. Where losing your forwards actually kills you more is your ability to defend. A big injury crisis in that positional group is an excuse to lose 40-26, but not an excuse to lose 28-0 in a game the other team is clearly barely trying in. Against a great side like Penrith, sure, getting held to blot makes sense. But few teams in the NRL right now defend well enough to hold teams out for long periods. Very few.

Whatever happens, we are not going to just passively accept a 36-0 drubbing, I don't think. This team has either punched first, hard, or responded to a punch in the mouth by punching back, in all but a couple games.
 
Bit concerned at Saulo’s lack of game time, NSW Cup biggish minutes previous week 1st game back but not much as sub v warriors.
Saf gone, Mooney doubtful, yes Frizell back, Hopwood and Crouch good to go along with Manu doubtful, would have to consider both Hola and Jones
 
Think roosters are hoping that Penrith pump tigers and warriors have tough game against manly so that if they lose to bunnies with their NSW cup squad that they only travel to whatever ground Penrith using in finals rather than flying to NZ

Unfortunate for us but it’s our own undoing with that Pitiful performance against Manly

Only hope that Souths even if they win get really banged up and a few top players are struggling fitness wise for the next week
 
Honestly, IDC anymore; it's been a great turnaround this season, and even playing in this game is a win. From last to a semi-final in one season, awesome. It really does feel like we'll be genuinely entering a premiership window over the coming seasons.

The club certainly has some of the central pillars of a premiership window in place: financial security, strong recruitment & development, quality coaching and a strong list. Now to build a winning culture and go out and get that trophy (and a bunch of others).

PS. Some luck with injuries and refs getting used to us winning and therefore maybe giving us a few calls in big/close games would help, but those are up to the footy gods.
 
Always keep your destiny in your own hands. Surely was the message. Didn’t work.

Has been a great season but let’s not kid ourselves, rotten luck and some poor discipline has cost us a shot at top 4, and at worst a home final.

Can only pray for better luck next year and Dylbags returning strong. What a ***** it was to lose him to that injury first year into a ten year deal!
 
I still think, mentally the squad is absolutely believing they are good enough to put a nail in the Rabbits, home or away.

No Saf isn't new for this team, Manu and Mooney playing injured wont be great but I feel we're about to see the making of Sharpe in this final's series. He'll be on the end of every 1/2 break and he'll create moments when we need it. Healthy backline is the best backline in the league Bar the Phins.

I think they'll repeat what they did to Wahs in opening half and continue on. Last two weeks we've had a sin bin and a send off and its derailed us. If we can NOT do that again, Souths wont catch back up. I feel like this team is in the same vain as the early 2000's squads. Scored plenty let plenty in, snag a GF or Prelim for a few years.

All the talk is about how dangerous Souths is and they are the dark horse outside the 4. Nothing better than no-one talking about us then go and blow the favorites out of the water first week of finals.
 
Even without Manu and Saf, playing with 12 players for 65 minutes, we were well in that game until their last try. It’s been so easy over the last decade to write them off after a bit of adversity - and history proves we were right to do so. That habit is a hard one to shake. But this team has really stepped up this year, not just when at close to full strength, but when they have every right to comprehensively beaten - players step up and there’s significant belief. (Maybe Holbrook’s a Ted Lasso fan).

If we turn up switched on and ready to play, I’d back us to get through week 1, maybe week 2.
We have strike power everywhere.

Mooney has really rolled his sleeves up, and I think he’s a massive out if he can’t back up. Looked like a burner the way he carried his arm, a dislocation would have needed reducing. Could also be AC joint or clavicle injury - but if fractured clavicle I think they’d have done surgery by now. Safs would have been a much welcomed addition to the finals push - but alas not.

Young back doesn’t help the crisis point much, Hunt did an good job in Doms big shoes. But still gives us a little extra threat out wide.

Crossland back would be immense. I think I saw him training Saturday morning at CoE. His ability to shift to Lock would be invaluable atm. Graham to 9, Crossland to 13 to spell Croker and then we can keep potentially Crouch, Saulo and ?Frizz/Cant for the middle/edg rotations.

I don’t mind Cant coming off the bench - but I don’t really want to see him starting Edge for 80 minutes - I don’t think he poses a threat that defenders need to worry about when playing 80. So would we play Frizz there, though I doubt he lasts 80 and we lose him in the middle rotation. Unless Kepaoa ( ESL out this week) gets the call up with a big game in Cup. Or ESL after a longer break. But I can see Cant getting the nod here - hopefully with 2 weeks of training we can get the runs and shape sorted, instead of filling in.

I feel better about Hopwood and Crouch after their game time while Safs has been out - they’ve been great. It would have been so good to have them on the bench - relieving Mooney and Safs.
 
Unfortunately @jamesgould I have to agree with you about Jsaf, just a high risk play no reason to jump out of the line like that. Not only Jsaf but the coaches should emphasise to cut that out of his game. He would be feeling like absolute **** right now.

Do we play Mooney and Manu if they are not 100%? Saulo comes in for Mooney and Frizz starts on the left edge I say.

Hollbrook mentioned in his presser he was not fazed if we don’t play at home, and our record away was good.

No one is rating us, everyone on the Souths bandwagon works in our favour. But I hate to say this I am a bit concerned about the reffing of the game. Just give us a fair game.
 
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