Is it just the coach though? Because it seems that no matter who our coach is, the club makes the same stupid decisions year after year. We never really get better.
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Attitude and defence would go a long way in 2022.
Ok then what a meltdown.
I saw us not as a top 8 team anyway long ago and making the 8 this year would be painting over the cracks or polishing the turd.
Anyway I’m sorry that I was right but this is for the better in terms of winning an actual premiership.
I thought we actually played pretty good. The defence was a bit better tonight.
Didn’t make too many errors in attack either.
Oh well had a feeling this was going to happen putting Peachey at 5/8 was not the right call I think anyway
Hoping he does not get a contract for next year off us to be honest but not his fault tonight we are not the right team yet to need a HOOKER simple as that and more speed around the ruck thanks for the comments this year guy all the best for next season
I don’t blame the team, I fully blame Holbrook, Dymock and that joke of a conditioner.
Holbrook - You have your best player on the bench for 30 minutes. You think you are smart but that is as dumb as a play as I have seen in many a year. You have not improved the team and in fact with all the games played in Qld, you have in fact gone backwards.
Dymock- You coach 1980’s defence but the world has past you and you have not kept up with the times
Conditioner- Whoever the *^%k you are, the team would be one of the least fittest teams in the competition. The team was gassed all 2nd half and they are so far behind in fitness.
Newcastle had 3 top forwards out and we still could not put them away.
Unless there are massive changes in the off-season, the way the lower teams have aggressively recruited for next year, our recruitment are asleep when it comes to improving obvious positions, we are a sure thing to be in bottom 4 next year and battling to avoid the wooden spoon.
The club is a joke and amateur at its best
I’ve started a 2021 Post Mortem thread to run down this **** show of a season
See you in 2022, may as well punt Holbrook, Dymock and Mal. The players would get the same results coaching themselves!
I’m calm because I saw the writing on the wall for this season long ago.
Those matches where we’d give up 20+ points in no time at all told me we were not a top 8 team, are nowhere near it and we have huge issues to confront.
The defence coach and the conditioning needs serious review ASAP and of course the playing roster and salary cap needs further reshaping.
Trying to identify which players improved this year over last- Mo, Fermor and Joliffe are the only ones I can confidently say.
But for the ones who have declined- Kelly (big time) Sami, Taylor, Clark, Boyd ( where has he gone), Proctor, Peachey…??
A season that never really got going.
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Round 23 and we still not settled on starting 9 and halves, sort of answers why we had the season we had.
Sort of answers why Holbrook just does not pass the test as he has had the same players for 2 years , who continue to show the same deficiencies and errors but Holbrook still cannot make up his mind.
The club is a shambles and MIA Mal needs to be punted and bring in a whole new coaching setup starting with Bennett
At least he will bring in credibility as a club, attract players, and improve our defence
Keep Mal in recruitment only, need to change assistant coach or coaches, not a popular opinion but I like the hard edge of Flanagan, I know it’s commentary but what he says makes sense.
Not settled because the options are rubbish, yet the club has done nothing serious about fixing it for next year. As it stands season 2022 is a non event as we are not competitive with this spine. I would also add AJ to your list of declining players this season, or at least didn't kick on as expected.
Mal really has been the scarlet pimpernel this year hasn’t he??
I used to call the CEO Steve Mitchell the scarlet pimpernel but Mal Meninga is it now.
The last I heard of Mal was when he was our Denis Denuto in being our legal counsel I think for Mo at a judiciary hearing.
We are actually still a good shot for the 8, not that it matters much. 7 & 8 will be gone first game.
I see 3 teams finishing on 22 points. Depending on scores we get there on F&A.
Having somehow managed to sit through it, very disappointed and here are my comments = blank
Avoided this thread last night and glad I did. I’m sorry but some of the comments sound like a drunk teenager having a hormonal tantrum. Losing sucks and the year has been frustrating to no end but sheesh, if we’re an amateur joke of a club then half of the NRL are a few notches below that. If you can watch 80 minutes a week from the couch and have the extreme intellect on every facet of coaching, conditioning, roster management, and everything else, to then denegrate the entire organisation, I applaud you. Funny how the same posters never have anything to say when good/positive things are posted.
On the game - low quality grinding match. Ponga the difference - iced 2x opportunities to give them both their tries.
MT is on the money when he says we’re battling uphill with our 6/7/9. Improve them and we’d be an entirely different football team. IMO equally as important is getting those positions right from a salary cap perspective and I’d say that’s why we are sitting on our hands until we know what our hooker situation and that big money is sitting for 2023+. Thing is we can’t afford to sit here losing in the interim. Good luck Holbrook & friends.
Will save my other broader/season/more general criticisms for that post-mortem thread (great idea 5YC)
Not much more to say. Disappointing and not making the 8 is not a successful season. Everyone knows that, even Dennis Watt mentioned it on the radio the other day. The board will respond accordingly in the off-season id say and there will be some tough questions asked. The people running this club are anything but amateur.
Definitely missed taylor last night. Peachey is better playing a link position. We seemed lost at times, particularly organising our structure in attack on a positive, fermor is looking better by the minute. I for one like Holbrook. Didn't agree with his selections this round, but at least he's not going to die wondering.
This is directed at my post and really, your comments are really inappropriate when forum members post views that are not consistent with your views.
The reality is Mal, has not been seen for months, Dymock defensive strategies are not working and has failed to address the obvious shortcomings, our new conditioner has not got the team as fit as the top sides and were gassed in that second half, Holbrook has not improved the team and continues to make some bewildering decisions including last night's must win game, and our recruitment has failed to address the obvious weaknesses in the team for next year.
Yes we are in front of other teams this year, but most of those teams have aggressively gone about to fix their problems. Dogs getting Gould and recruiting well, Broncos getting Ikin and recruiting to address their problems such as Reynolds.
My comments were directed to the operational areas above and not at Kelly, Frizelle and Watt and the management needs to hold those to account in what has been a failure of a season.
Well said HS.
I would say our game was pretty high quality in relation to our terrific completion rate. Blaming this team’s failure on props having brain snaps is not right. Every prop in the comp have brain snaps, always did, always will! Backline defensive mistakes always happen, dropped ball on heavy contact (Mo) happens to every team, every player is capable of letting a lazy arm slip too high in the tackle etc. I don’t think we’re dumber than other sides except in one regard.
For at least a decade we’ve lacked a clever footy brained, game managing half and/or number 9. This Titans team with a Cleary, Reynolds, Cronk, C Smith, DCE, Munster or dare I say, Pearce gets home last night once we went up 12-6
Ponga didn't win it, we lost it with a lack of interest in a must win game and lets not forget who ****ed us with TLT.
Holbrook lost us the game when he **** the bed with this weeks team selections. Ash hasn't been performing all year but decides a must win game is the game to hook him. GM is killing it and replaces him with useless. KP not first grade material but "he's our captain". Tobi > Fogarty but gets hooked after one loss. Fifita 9 mins first half. Interchanges have been two sets too late all season.
Meninga is a ghost and a drain on resources.
Dymmock, well you tell me his worth?
If we want to be top 4 what top 4 club would allow this mediocrity? Everyone on camera and behind the scenes is accountable for this years lack of success. Who will pay for it? Fans first and foremost and then a couple of sacrificial lambs. Who will we replace them with? Who wants to come here unless you want early holidays and you can be more wrong than a weatherman and still retain your job.
I think we've earned the right to be ****ing upset.
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https://www.titans.com.au/news/2021/...ss-conference/
For anyone that wants a summary. Why did we throw the ball back 20m to Herbert for a field goal that was silly. He's disappointed boohoo and Sami was exceptional
Tell us how ya really feel JB :?)
I said Ponga because...take Ponga out of the game - do we still lose? We weren't good but we also lost by a field goal after 2 tries - scored & set up by Ponga. They didn't look likely otherwise. It doesn't mean we play any better, but I think he had the biggest influence on the outcome of the game.
No debate about selections or Meninga, although all he does is call in to help with recruitment. The worst thing we did was call him the head of culture or whatever a few years back. That was just a PR spin that has v much backfired and got meme'd into oblivion
Not sure what you are wanting me to say about Dymock. He no good.
Mate I don't think the club is allowing mediocrity. Hence why they've developed one of the stronger junior development systems in the NRL, have one of the strongest corporate positions in the NRL, has reconnected with the community, are connecting with local schools, and have developed a desirable culture within the playing group, have cleaned out half the roster, are re-signing local juniors early, among a bunch of other things. This all from a club that was barely surviving 5-10 years ago.
I think every Titans fan is disappointed with this season, 100%. But finishing 9th (results pending) when you're meant to finish 7th or 8th isn't exactly "this club is a joke" territory. There is no doubt Holbrook & the football department will be held accountable by the board for an unsuccesful season but at this stage we've still got another game to go to ice off the year
And my turn:
1. The game:
(a) I had the impression that our left side was constipated in attack. The early try came off Fermor’s fend and any back line play was shut down or ineffective. Our other try came from Fifita’s strength. With only Fogarty kicking we were predictable. Summary, Peachey was a bust.
(b) Sami scored a try all of us could have scored and certainly Thompson but the latter’s step was nullified by being on the right and we lost Marzhew’s efforts . Summary: Sami was a bust.
(c) Fifita was underused game wise and imho on the wrong edge. Fermor is going well but he’s not Fifita. Ditto for Mo. Summary: rotation is a bust.
(d) Both our captains are courageous and enthusiastic but largely ineffective. Summary: the team’s onfield brains trust is a bust.
(e) Rein and Clarke both have passing deficiencies and put the team under pressure nearly every ruck. Summary: our hookers are a bust.
(f) Our line speed is atrocious whether it’s because of fitness, structure, motivation or a combination of all of that. Summary: our defensive system is a bust.
2. The club issues:
(a) Something is off in the playing group, whether it be angst among the playing group or coaching/selection issues but there is something publicly unsaid. The coach’s reasoning for team changes was too illogical. His taking the hit has to be covering something larger.
(b) Retention and recruitment seems to be progressing considering who’s been in the market. We haven’t missed anybody I’d really want and we’ve signed those I’d want to retain with the exception of both our captains who in fairness are depth at best. Yes we need a good 9 but not a mediocre one.
(c) I feel the administration’s done a pretty good job throughout the covid period which I’m sure hasn’t been easy.
3. My personal issue:
I am bitterly disappointed and deflated, not in losing but in the manner that we lost. I never once last night thought we had the gas to win. The commentators did their best to talk up our attack but we were clunky and disjointed. The players tried hard but they weren’t a team.
At least you only have to put up with my rants if you want to. Imagine living with me.
Some aspects that we get to see disappoint me. Sending Mal and Anthony as legal reps for judiciary hearings is amateurish.
Translating community connectivity to memberships, not seeing it. What I do see is the circle of people I see who were starting to see the Titans as their second team are now backing away back into the shadows after another subpar season.
If not the worst thing is now I have to barrack for the Donkeys for a win against the Sharks.
I’m sure that I’ll be told I’m wrong but I feel that there is a big disconnect between hooker and half when Clarke goes on. Hopefully Booth gets the gong next year. But agree with most. We need to settle our spine as it doesn’t matter we have DF , Tino etc if we can’t get into the right spots to keep the game plan going.
Lol that judiciary representation gag was peak Titans, just so bad. Made for good forum jokes though. Bodsy almost went viral
I reckon you're right BT. Could just be me but I get the feeling a few of them get frustrated playing with Fogarty. Fifita for example who was almost over-complimentary of Sexton after the first time playing outside him
Well as depressed as I was about last night , at least we had a crack in our must win game unlike the Raiders who are down 16-0. Never thought I’d say it but up the Broncos tomorrow!
I wasn’t happy with the selections of fogarty and Sami but overall they played well. Sami ran with intent and overall when he has been playing I think he has improved the last few months. Obviously I would prefer marzhew but Sami played ok. Also fogarty was under enormous pressure on his kicks, being the only option, but kicked really well.
Well **** me that aged well, sorry gang
Just my thoughts on what we missed. We really needed another kicking half peachey I honestly don’t think is nrl quality at the moment. Very lazy in defence and hasn’t looked like improving all season in that area. Another note is I’d love to get rid of Wallace he plays like Dave Taylor and thinks he’s a 5/8. Hope Liu takes his jersey and shows him what a front rower is meant to do. If you take those two players out of the side we cut out at least 2 sloppy penalties a game. Another thing is with Fifita on the bench and bringing proctor off you waste a bench spot because proctor doesn’t come back on, I’d rather Lisone on there and come on to keep the energy going. Too late now but I think sexton and Fogarty would have been the better choice. Geez I hope we can find a quality Hooker also because at the moment we’ve got 2 q cup quality hookers.
Latrell is a piece of crap. Almost took Manu's head off tonight with a dangerous swinging arm. Should be gone for the season but have a feeling the NRL will go easy because it's almost finals time. Manu wasn't happy.