2023 Season General Discussion Thread

[gotitans101_]

Nathan Friend.

[RavShamrock]

Mate I thought if they were still playing would be a better help

[gotitans101_]

Wait do they have to be still playing?

Uhh...I'd have to have a think about it.

[Ausphin]

Nathan Friend.

Nice pick. 100% effort player.

- - - Updated - - -

Wait do they have to be still playing?

Uhh...I'd have to have a think about it.

No they don’t have to be still playing. Total fantasy, but you’re getting the player (and their form) when they played for the titans.

[RavShamrock]

What the hell Aus how does this help us now?
We need now

[gotitans101_]

I'm not sure how Friendy would go nowadays though with the speed of the modern game. But he was without a doubt the best 9 we ever had.

[Ausphin]

What the hell Aus how does this help us now?
We need now

Haha, what we need is a distraction. We’re not getting anyone to help now and there is no standouts coming off contract end of this season either.

[RavShamrock]

I understand this Aus I was just bringing some type of reality to the equation

[Ausphin]

For me its Greg Bird. Never backed down and would be spraying his teammates if they misses a tackle or made an error. Was never my favourite player, but the sort of player we desperately need. Not sure how long Birdy would be on the field for though given current crack down and sin bins.

Honorable mention to Luke Bailey and Mat Rogers.

[Cowabunga]

With this team Greg Bird at 13 makes us so good but he's a scumbag but still, He'd make this team top 4.

[NZTITAN]

Wasn’t sure where to place this and it’s total fantasy (just like those who say they are leaving the club after today’s loss), but i’m interested in other’s opinion. If you could sign 1 previous Titans player to bolster our squad (for the next 2 seasons only) and bringing the form they had when they were a titan, who you grabbing. I got my pick, just curious in other answers. No ridiculous answers like Michael Henderson either.

Went a bit left-field here but if we're going strictly on Titans form before leaving I don't know how the answer could be anything other than 2015 James Roberts?.

Other than that Jai Arrow, David Mead and Max King would be strong candidates.

Can I instead go back in time and inject Chris Grevsmuhl with a 'anti-f*ckwit' serum? Would be the best 13 in the game by a pretty serious margin and would be a perfect partner for Tino.

[Cowabunga]

Honestly what is Holbrook saying in these half times or what the hell is going on to where these collapses keep happening and it's with different spines and players constantly, This is I think the 6/7th big one from half time in the last 4 years but we have constantly fell away in games over this period. I'm actually curious at this point hahahaha.

I'd love to see how many second halves we've won under Holbrook because I don't think it'd be many at all. I also don't know if it's just him, Tinos incredible but is he maybe a bit to nice to the boys? With Tino and Holbrook you got two nice guys, Apparently Foran is bringing professionalism but then he does that stuff on the field. Do guys know they're untouchable so do whatever they want? is Holbrook even running the show or do players respect him?

We've been doing it for years now with different players coming in. Surely Foran has to sit a week just for that 2nd tackle kick haha, like that's stuff that should get you pulled.

Then the bench, I seriously don't know how Holbrook thought it was a good idea when everyone here could see a small bench doesn't work for us and especially against Dolphins.... But he did it anyway. There's clearly no plan for JC...

I'd say the biggest red flags are Holbrook and everyone talking about the focus on defence and fitness and we're still dishing these horrible performances and the same bad things are appearing. I think this close to makes Holbrook gone for me but then again, Who do you get and what timing?

[Hail Sezer]

Honestly what is Holbrook saying in these half times or what the hell is going on to where these collapses keep happening and it's with different spines and players constantly, This is I think the 6/7th big one from half time in the last 4 years but we have constantly fell away in games over this period. I'm actually curious at this point hahahaha.

I'd love to see how many second halves we've won under Holbrook because I don't think it'd be many at all. I also don't know if it's just him, Tinos incredible but is he maybe a bit to nice to the boys? With Tino and Holbrook you got two nice guys, Apparently Foran is bringing professionalism but then he does that stuff on the field. Do guys know they're untouchable so do whatever they want? is Holbrook even running the show?

We've been doing it for years now with different players coming in. Surely Foran has to sit a week just for that 2nd tackle kick haha, like that's stuff that should get you pulled.

Then the bench, I seriously don't know how Holbrook thought it was a good idea when everyone here could see a small bench doesn't work for us and especially against Dolphins.... But he did it anyway. There's clearly no plan for JC...

I'd say the biggest red flags are Holbrook and everyone talking about the focus on defence and fitness and we're still dishing these horrible performances and the same bad things are appearing.

For mine it's a philosophy thing that ends up filtering through the players.

This whole "go out there and play footy" and "keep playing footy" thing is cute when we've got momentum and can be dismissed as coach-talk but then you see the bench he named yesterday and unfortunately I think he's serious about playing touch football and then relying on Kieran Foran's "experience" to resolve the issue of the middle collapsing against momentum. Our spine isn't the problem when we're collapsing against momentum...it's our defensive resolve (the middle particularly), inability to fall into system on both sides of the ball, and largely the personnel we have out there. Compounding poor decisions definitely don't help, but those come as a result as the pressure we're being put under.

The thing that should be most concerning for Holbrook is the misalignment with what we hear from Steve Mitchell, Dennis Watt, and anyone else who speaks on behalf of the club. I listen to all their interviews because it's a great way to get an alternative perspective from within the four-walls and those guys are constantly saying the same thing about prioritising defence. And that goes beyond just getting a new defensive coach - it needs to be a funamental driver for your roster construction, week to week selections, and within the mindset of every player who takes the field. They need to understand it and believe that this is the kind of team we want to be.

Now the pre-season was legit. They did the right things, adjusted their approach, and you can see that in periods with how improved some elements of our defence is. But to be able to maintain that week to week during the season, and during periods of adversity, requires a dedicated approach from the coach and leaders within the club, and it can't just be a box ticked over pre-season after which you can then revert to coaching exactly how you did in previous years. Again, the players need to see the coach believes in it, and that's reflected in everything - selections, bench rotations, communication, key measurables week to week everything. That's how you make your players buy-in IMO. Unfortunately we're not privvy to most of what's being communicated week to week at training and in the locker room but it's clear that it's not producing what we want on the field.

How can you roll out a bench of JC, Leeming, Clark and Mikaele and then genuinely think your players are going to believe you're invested in the team being a defence-first oriented group. This is my concern.

[Cowabunga]

100% HS. Last week surely most of the review and focus was about the fade away in the second half against Broncos and yet they just keep happening but also going in with that bench you are never trying to grind out a win. Like you said part of the crazy thing about this for me is that there is actually some improvement.

THE WAY WE PLAYED AGAINST DRAGONS IS WHAT THE FANBASE WANTS DENNIS AND STEVE. It seems now because it was Toby playing Holbrook came up with a plan instead of Foran just being given free reign, There was a clear gameplan to grind down the Dragons.... and it worked..... with one starting spine member who's the youngest.

I had massive concerns last year because our defence in 2021 was always bad and it was clear we needed to fix it way earlier then this season. It should never have been allowed to get to the levels it did in 2022 at all levels of the club. It's very clear that Holbrook just can't find the right answers for a lot of our things or refuses to confront them seriously during games or in season. Like we clearly had a good offseason and recruited well, so something at coaching level has to be the problem.

He puts the team in so many bad situations due to his coaching. Even with the terrible play, IMO His coaching decisions lost us that game and and most games and it's in a variety of ways, His subs, game plans and just everything seem to fail when we need him. His bench use for years has been a shambles imo. For some reason a 22 team lists popped up and he was doing the same stuff last year playing Ersan and Boyd on the bench... He just seems to get flustered and it goes back on the team.

We have improved like you said, that's what's probably most concerning about all this, we're still worst defence in the league hahahaha. In review today or tomorrow, Holbrook should take responsibility for the interchanges or his decisions with the bench or how he let Foran have free reign with the attack despite him doing dumb crap...

The club has done a lot for Holbrook and keep bringing in what he wants staff and player wise, and these clear issues keep happening.

[Whats Doing]

Agree with HS and Cow.

The main message from Holbrook at half time apparently was to continue to play footy. Holbrook failed to realise that the forward pack being sent on in the 2nd half included Clark, Leeming and Randal. With such a small forward pack and 2 hookers, how were they going to play "some footy" and they were always going to struggle against a big forward dominant team and as such line speed and defence should have been the main message whilst he had such a small forward pack coming on in the 2nd half.

It seems Holbrook doesnt understand the issues at hand when he makes decisions and his use of the reserves is usually dumb founding. The main message at half time should have been to have good line speed and get in the grind for 40 minutes and if the opportunity arises in their half, play some footy.

His use of JC is going to drive him from the club. How is JC going to impact on a game when he is brought on as hooker with 9 minutes to play. It just beggars belief and shows Holbrook does not have a plan for him. JC is too good a player not to be in the starting lineup and his time on the bench is just a wasted opportunity to his development. BTW, he is not a forward let alone a hooker.

Unless Holbrooks mindset and constant messaging changes to a more defence orientated approach, we will continue to be the soft touch team of the competition.

We are in the NRL and not Super League