Round 9: Gold Coast Titans vs Wests Tigers

[DavidBouveng]

14,300 crowd is a good thing to come out of tonight, if we could get some 18000s by end of year thats pretty decent in this climate i think.

[Titanic]

Player assessment:

1. Graham deserves another chance ... some really poor bounces and Gordon got in his way badly for that almost airswing.
2. Gordon ... good jump but far from fit imho
3. Peyroux ... QCup beckons and I still think that Rankin with some space and less pressure can do the job there.
4. Idris ... to the bench and put Zillman there. Idris I am lost for words ... he's just so unfit.
5. Mead needs a centre who will put him away but he is not a fullback.
6. Rankin ... as above but I thought he had a good go, obvious errors aside.
7. Sezer will be great for a long time at 6 and needs some time outside Prince because Cartwright can't give him anything.
8. Bailey looked like he had the flu ... not knocking him but took a long time to get going and didn't bend the defence like we expect.
9. Srama needs to stop reading the newspapers. He has the goods but be careful Falloon is back real soon.
10. Myles was fine but to the second row and Douglas starting please.
11. Bird ... what would we do without him.
12. O'Dwyer ... sorry bud but the QCup is for you.
13. Harrison ... first game back and played like it.

14. White ... sorry bud QCup is for you and bring back Lawrence please.
15. Douglas starting please and put James/Page here thanks
16. Minichiello but come off the bench on the right hand side.
17. Thompson digitus extractus or Jamal's big **** will knock you off the bench

[teke]

His 40 tackles were pretty handy , nothing to do with our match but our previous Tackling machine in Friendy broke his jaw tonight in the 3rd minute & played 80 making 53 tackles ...

I watched Friend closely tonight, his service and decision making is what lil Matty should be striving for. I thought Friend looked uncomfortably coming off a few tackles during the game.

What about McCulloughs 68 tackles, jeepers

[teke]

Player assessment:

1. Graham deserves another chance ... some really poor bounces and Gordon got in his way badly for that almost airswing.
2. Gordon ... good jump but far from fit imho
3. Peyroux ... QCup beckons and I still think that Rankin with some space and less pressure can do the job there.
4. Idris ... to the bench and put Zillman there. Idris I am lost for words ... he's just so unfit.
5. Mead needs a centre who will put him away but he is not a fullback.
6. Rankin ... as above but I thought he had a good go, obvious errors aside.
7. Sezer will be great for a long time at 6 and needs some time outside Prince because Cartwright can't give him anything.
8. Bailey looked like he had the flu ... not knocking him but took a long time to get going and didn't bend the defence like we expect.
9. Srama needs to stop reading the newspapers. He has the goods but be careful Falloon is back real soon.
10. Myles was fine but to the second row and Douglas starting please.
11. Bird ... what would we do without him.
12. O'Dwyer ... sorry bud but the QCup is for you.
13. Harrison ... first game back and played like it.

14. White ... sorry bud QCup is for you and bring back Lawrence please.
15. Douglas starting please and put James/Page here thanks
16. Minichiello but come off the bench on the right hand side.
17. Thompson digitus extractus or Jamal's big **** will knock you off the bench

You would give Graham another chance over Zillman?

[TITAN PETE]

I watched Friend closely tonight, his service and decision making is what lil Matty should be striving for. I thought Friend looked uncomfortably coming off a few tackles during the game.

What about McCulloughs 68 tackles, jeepers

Massive the guy is a future star, huge effort from the Donkeys without Wallace for more than half the match... But I still hate the Wayne Carrs

[DavidBouveng]

Player assessment:

1. Graham deserves another chance ... some really poor bounces and Gordon got in his way badly for that almost airswing.
2. Gordon ... good jump but far from fit imho
3. Peyroux ... QCup beckons and I still think that Rankin with some space and less pressure can do the job there.
4. Idris ... to the bench and put Zillman there. Idris I am lost for words ... he's just so unfit.
5. Mead needs a centre who will put him away but he is not a fullback.
6. Rankin ... as above but I thought he had a good go, obvious errors aside.
7. Sezer will be great for a long time at 6 and needs some time outside Prince because Cartwright can't give him anything.
8. Bailey looked like he had the flu ... not knocking him but took a long time to get going and didn't bend the defence like we expect.
9. Srama needs to stop reading the newspapers. He has the goods but be careful Falloon is back real soon.
10. Myles was fine but to the second row and Douglas starting please.
11. Bird ... what would we do without him.
12. O'Dwyer ... sorry bud but the QCup is for you.
13. Harrison ... first game back and played like it.

14. White ... sorry bud QCup is for you and bring back Lawrence please.
15. Douglas starting please and put James/Page here thanks
16. Minichiello but come off the bench on the right hand side.
17. Thompson digitus extractus or Jamal's big **** will knock you off the bench

agree with most.

bodene had his worst game for us this year i think. usually adds spark. but tonight he, and the rest of the bench, didnt add much at all. douglas needs to start though.

i think Graham had alot of composure and helped our defense ALOT, beckoning and calling players out more than ive ever seen Zillman do.

I think we were more of a team tonight, and i would say out of our last three games, we have played 5 out of 6 halves quite well. just the cluster**** of errors against brisbane was our lowpoint.

we are streets ahead of penrith, parra and should be beating teams like canberra , roosters and tigers. even newcastle.if we keep improving, we will be a team worthy of the lower end of top 8, but without enough early season points to get there.

[Titanic]

Yeah mate ... I don't like Zillman at all at fullback. I think he doesn't read the game very well and doesn't talk enough but I think we need him at left centre ... but that's just me.

I agree with a lot of the positives on here too and feel we turned a corner in team dynamics tonight.

[teke]

Yeah mate ... I don't like Zillman at all at fullback. I think he doesn't read the game very well and doesn't talk enough but I think we need him at left centre ... but that's just me.

I agree with a lot of the positives on here too and feel we turned a corner in team dynamics tonight.

I must say that was the most errors I recall from Graham in a match, he is usually fairly solid at FB but his form hasnt required a call up from Q Cup and def not in place of Zilly. If it means getting Idris out of left centre then Im all for Zilly there

If Zilly or Graham or whoever else are FBs then Mead def is, I have seen him play very well in Q Cup and against the Aussies at that position. Lets face it, why hope for someone to pass it to him on the wing when he can get it whenever he wants.

[shamus]

I didn't mention Idris. He is a USELESS FAT PR!CK.

He didn't even try to lay a hand on Ashford when he scored on him in the second half, he was pathetically lazy on kick chases and he bombed a clear chance at a try when he grassed Gordon's pass back on the inside. I bet if Gordon had thrown the FAT PR!CK a kebab instead of a footy he would have had no worries catching that!!

Well I prefer to be a little more diplomatic than you Karnage..........I sort of said the same thing a few weeks back (but was less forthcoming). For the money the guy is on his workrate should be 10 fold!

........and that freakin' release (pass some would call it) on the 5th with minutes to go was a brain snap!

[Titanic]

He plays that way for PNG because they are in awe of him and give him the ball twice every set. He is a great right wing, even if he can't catch ... I take the point that he is catching under pressure but if you go back over his games he is a 50/50 without the pressure.

Regarding Graham, everybody should get a chance to redeem themselves and he is a first grader who has been languishing.

[shamus]

I forgive Graham.........first game back in the NRL this year.
I forgive Rankin..........the guy is only 21 and can only improve.
I forgive Idress...........coz he is a big bastard and may recognise me.

[DavidBouveng]

we cant discount rankin as a FB still either.

if prince is really gonna play till 2014, we need to find a spot for rankin and he looks good in the line, just needs to release that long ball to the wing sometimes instead of cutting back in.

he just shows a bit of spunk and with srama, prince, sezer and rankin we would be a team with multiple points of attack.

i feel like its a long way off, maybe we need injuries to force our hand there as well.

but in meantime, zillman/graham as a solid option with sezer srama and prince is still quite flavoursome.

im more happy that we look to be united and 'digging' in for each other.

[teke]

He plays that way for PNG because they are in awe of him and give him the ball twice every set. He is a great right wing, even if he can't catch ... I take the point that he is catching under pressure but if you go back over his games he is a 50/50 without the pressure.

Regarding Graham, everybody should get a chance to redeem themselves and he is a first grader who has been languishing.

Bias aside 50/50 without pressure? I have every game of his ever played and that's not true at all.

He has only played 4 times at FB for PNG, Im talking about the 10+ games straight in Q Cup, he is very capable of playing FB well. Shannon Walker gets a go, Presto gets a go, Zilly gets a go, Rankin gets a go and Graham gets a go but Mead doesnt because of a hunch....hmmm. I think its more contractual than anything else.

[DavidBouveng]

I forgive Graham.........first game back in the NRL this year.
I forgive Rankin..........the guy is only 21 and can only improve.
I forgive Idress...........coz he is a big bastard and may recognise me.

lol, well played.

but seriously, how long till someone addresses the elephant in the room and says hey big guy...Lose some ****ing weight and get fit! your an athlete who gets paid well to play football AND prepare yourself as professionally as possible to do so.

He cant do it mid season without having a block of like 6 games off, but even then he needs a full off season and continued dedication to it. it would be an awesome sight if he could pull it off, but im not holding my breath

[teke]

.
I forgive Idress...........coz he is a big bastard and may recognise me.

Recognise your voice from the abuse directed his way?