Had all day..just had to milk the runs from the opposite end that Anderson was bowling but no ..Haddin has to chase/poke at one and gets caught behind. Pattinson had the right idea..play straight keep the good ones out and just score easy from Swan with the field offering singles everywhere..
I thought we could win, all the hard work for nothing.....following Australia is like following Carlton..teased to the end and then we lose the close ones....
I think we will win it....England have used up their luck when batting and the wicket is good. No doubt Anderson will be bowling after lunch which isnt ideal but I think we can get the runs down the other end and have a famous victory. England had their chance when Finn dropped that catch and its going to be our day....
Watson was never a specialist defender at U18 level and it was his rebounding, sweeping ability with precision long kicking that made him a standout. He is really having to learn the basics of playing KP from scratch and while having the mature body doesnt have a mature defensive mind....you look at McInnes who doesnt have the skills of Watson but has a mature defensive mind that relies on reading the play and concentrating on his man.
Fair post this one.....Mike Pyke stands out in terms of development...was the biggest dud in the league and couldnt play the game at all but now is No 1 ruck and a very good player who has mastered the basics very well. The Swans never bottom out and they must be doing something right regardless of any salary cap advantages....
@EB1 Elwood, I think we may be happy to keep Levi for another year, slowly cookin' on the back-burner. If he can improve his kicking I see a massive upside for us.
+1.
I wouldn't necessarily put Rowe ahead of Levi long term on that one performance, although it was very encouraging from Rowe. Levi is just 22, as well as his good marking he works pretty hard defensively inside the forward 50. His kicking can be worked on, its not broken just needs more work. Worth a spot on the list IMO
Problem with his kicking is it isnt even close to Rowe's.....its a mile away IMO, poor ball drop and poor action. I cant think of many players who are woeful kicks that become good ones...Stewart Lowe is the only one I can think of and his kicking action even when bad was way better than Casboults. I dont mind keeping him on the list but I'm not so sure if MM will have the patience...
Lacking match practice and fitness IMO........bit more pressure on him with Cachia and Curnow tagging well and I still think his nose was out of joint after being passed over for captain and his intensity hasnt been there since.
Watson kicks out from Fullback to Centre Half Forward where Casboult marks it... not sure what happens after that though....
Well if he kicks it its a 50/50 chance to be a turnover.....
I think Casboult is in a bit of trouble to keep his place on the list, Rowe is a more accomplished KP player IMO and more capable of playing at both ends of the ground. Casboult while probably shading Rowe in the ruck he doesnt do enough when played forward and being such a poor kick wont appeal to Malthouse IMO.....he best chance to remain on the list is if either warnock or Hampson are traded out...
Heard that Sticks came out in the pre match and defended our list. Seriously, is he for real ? Confirms what a lot of us are thinking about him and his board!
Should he do a Collo and come out and say they are shizen? Even if he did believe that, what good could it possibly achieve?
Sticks need to keep on being a figurehead and leave any thinking to others more capable...rather Malthouse comment on the list and recruiting issues.
I'd be tempted to play Waite as CHB when he's available and use him as a swingman with Hendo. Let Hendo and Rowe settle in the forward line a while
I still reckon Waite has played his best football at CHB.
Leave him forward with Henderson. May as well make the forward line as potent as possible. Still remember big bodies like Brown smashing him and kicking 10 on him when he was CHB.
Agree...he can kick straight which is what you want down forward ....you cant have dodgy kicking players wasting limited opportunities.....
Just turned over from the footy and we are having a crack at it, 0-51 at the moment.
Would be sensational to get up and pinch this Test, the Poms would be filthy if we did.
This what I want to see..no more sooking over Broad just get on with it and play some tough cricket ourselves.....we can win this match and England are not as good as they think they are and we can have the last laugh in this match...
What Rowe and Watson give us is structure, while unproven over the journey and with plenty of tests still front of them they are genuine KP players not ruckman trying to be turned into Kp players. Rowe does have an edge in experience and knows how to play the position, also his kicking is excellent....but can he deliver 4 quarters each week and vs better opponents who wont give him space and front position where he can use his extra height.
Watson did some good spoils and his kicking was very good.....like Rowe its about him working hard for 4 quarters week in and week out. He clearly doesnt put the effort in when playing for the NB's and like Rowe is a better player when playing with better players who can give him some easy ball to use those nice skills.
Forgotten man is Andrew McInnes in this equation...didnt look real comfortable on the more heavily built Lee but ran out the game well and keeps on keeping on. A good player to have down back as a reliable type who knows his limitations and can help cover for any loose play from a player like Watson.
Henderson and Rowe may not be everyones ideal combo down foward but at least they can convert and you have confidence when they do shoot for goal.
A small step forward tonight and we are learning more about players who have had question marks next to their name....
Simpson played very well tonight down back and our physicality was much better.....broke the Saints hold over us and now its our turn to dominate them...
re: Rowe....more sophisticated player than either Casboult or Hampson and a ten times better kick than either. Has problems running out second halfs of games and keeping up chasing and tackling but in terms of skill is a better player than the other two.
Henderson at Full Forward.....good value, problem being Watson and McInnes have to learn to pick up the slack down back but I think we have to keep persisting with the structure we have tonight.
Murphy looks injured and I was going to bake him for lack of chasing etc but he cant stretch out...
Simpson...great down back but everynow and then doesnt kick well unlike Dal Santo who even when off balance finds players.
Yarran...FFS just play some basic footy and forget about the show pony stuff.
Curnow...not good enough by hand or foot...Cachia is a better player IMO...
Judd...great contesting....
Walker ..like to see him in the game more...
Kruezer..cant take a mark but is competing well in the ruck.
To be an A grader you need to be good every week...Mitchell, Jobe, Pendlebury, Gazza, Judd(when at his peak), J. Selwood, Bartel, Cotchin, Martin......even Swan....they dont have many bad games, we dont have enough of those players who can be good most weeks at an A grade level...Kruezer can be handy but has played probably 2-3 A grade games in his life, ditto to Gibbs. Murphy and Judd when in his prime are the only players who we have who consistently knocked out A grade games and with Murphy now getting the best tagger thats not going happen too often and Judd struggles to impact on games even when getting the footy and working hard.
You need 3-4 of your best players performing at A grade output every week to be a threat......we dont have that.
