Re: RD 3 | Catalan Dragons (H) : Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:19 pm  

Once were Loiners wrote:

We 'reached the semi finals' from 5th. We beat a Wigan side praying for the season to end and in our first proper test Sts wiped the floor with us. This year we are supposed to be better - new halfbacks, fewer injuries and a full off season. Never mind competing with Sts, we look likely to be in another season where our peers are Wakefield, Toulouse and co.

Im not sure about fewer injuries, we’ve had a mare with them so far.

As i say its round 3, if were languishing at the bottom end half way through the season ill be as concerned as anyone, im not overly concerned yet, i am however very very disappointed

Re: RD 3 | Catalan Dragons (H) : Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:19 pm  

Out attack does look clunky reminded me a bit of 2018/19 season tonight we looked clueless in opp 20 and hoped for a bit of magic from someone like Austin. I think Agar has too bite the bullet now we need too change our attack formation and see if anything changes I hope next week we have Fusitu'a & Newman back and I'd go for.

1. Fusitu'a (Walker has been steady away but I think he kills our attack & with Myler out I don't wanna over play him especially after last couple of seasons)
2. Tindall
3. Newman
4. Broadbent
5. Handley
6. Austin
7. Sezer
8. Oledzki
9. Leeming
10. Tetevano
11. Sutcliffe
12. Gannon
13. Smith

Subs
Dwyer
Prior
Thompson
Donaldson

I think Fusitu'a would add strike at full back, he probably doesn't have a passing game but neither does Walker and Fusitu'a coming out the back of a shape in the opp 20 would be more dangerous imo. He's a very big man too stop out wide. Tindall has done well for me and I like how he plays he's pretty safe under kicks and quick and a decent weapon too have on wing if he has a decent Centre. Newman we know what he brings just need him fit. Sutcliffe made couple of breaks tonight but some poor errors as well Broadbent deserves a shot and with Mellor getting a bad knock we could use Sutcliffe in Second row with Bentley still banned & Martin in Oz.

Re: RD 3 | Catalan Dragons (H) : Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:21 pm  

Frosties. wrote:

Tough to take that one, considering they lost a forward for a HIA aswell as having quite a number missing for the game. An opportunity missed for sure. If agar is going to pick players out he needs to look at Sezer this week as that was very poor from him, I would genuinely be looking at bringing Sinfield in next week.

Im not sure bringing a teenager who hasn’t played first grade into a team lacking confidence will do anyone any good.

We have new halfbacks, and lost a pivot, ot mightvtake a few games for them to click.

Weve not hot the luxury of being able to drop s load of players

Re: RD 3 | Catalan Dragons (H) : Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:22 pm  

christopher wrote:

We did reach the semi finals in 2021 though, we are only 3 games in, a lot can change, but it needs to start next week

Froze my ass for two weeks and all for nothing. Total cr*p tonight. I know we are missing quality players, but what is clear at the moment is that there is a really big drop off in terms of replacements. I don't think I can take another week of Briscoe & Sutty in the centres. For those old enough to recall they both have the attacking threat of Dave Heslewood in his prime.

Re: RD 3 | Catalan Dragons (H) : Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:50 pm  

Those replacements keep getting re-signed and then picked at the drop of the hat. Meanwhile the likes of Broadbent, who did a great job for a tyro last year, sits on the sidelines.

I really think a lot of the problem with Agar is he is so risk averse in selections and gameplans. There's no sense of adventure or fight, and when things go wrong the team collectively curls up in a ball with everyone looking for someone else to sort things out rather than take responsibility themselves.

I've no doubt our attack will look a lot better with Fusitu'a and Newman back, Bentley will help etc. But shouldn't we expect more from the 17 selected than that?

Re: RD 3 | Catalan Dragons (H) : Fri Feb 25, 2022 12:02 am  

Once were Loiners wrote:

I really think a lot of the problem with Agar is he is so risk averse in selections and gameplans. There's no sense of adventure or fight, and when things go wrong the team collectively curls up in a ball with everyone looking for someone else to sort things out rather than take responsibility themselves.
?

I think that’s unfair, last year bar a few games against saints thats the exact opposite of how we played with a lot of adversity aswell.

Weve been very poor for the last few games but im not writing them off yet

Re: RD 3 | Catalan Dragons (H) : Fri Feb 25, 2022 12:29 am  

Ive just watched the game back.

Weirdly I’m not as annoyed as i was at the ground, I though Catalans played better than i thought live, especially in defence. We bombed far too many chances with a a few poor decisions and some handling errors.

Onto next week, pease can we have some nicer weather, standing at Wakefields dump of a ground in this weather will be torture.

Re: RD 3 | Catalan Dragons (H) : Fri Feb 25, 2022 12:39 am  

batleyrhino wrote:

We look weak don’t we. Briscoe will never be a centre as long as I have a hole in my butt?

You can add Sutcliffe to that as well.

Re: RD 3 | Catalan Dragons (H) : Fri Feb 25, 2022 12:41 am  

If you don't like our dump of a ground don't come.

Re: RD 3 | Catalan Dragons (H) : Fri Feb 25, 2022 1:07 am  

I’ve certainly not been as cold at a game for a long time. Bloody freezing and pretty dire/boring game to watch on top of that.

Sezer had some poor moments, in fact very poor moments but I thought there were a few signs of good things to come and I don’t think he was our worst performer.

Must be frustrating as a half to know you’ve zero strike in the centres with Briscoe and Sutcliffe and no one running good lines and then people dropping balls when put through holes and players bombing chances from clear overlaps by hanging on to the ball.

In our outside backs I thought only young Tindall stood out.

Walker at FB shows how badly we miss Myler. He has zero passing game and butchers so many moves by getting the ball and running across to the touch line and either getting tackled or passing to someone who has nowhere left to go. He takes away all the space and needs to straighten up play before passing wide. Myler is very good at this and will put the centre in space or a cut out ball to the winger.

Without Myler at full back I think it stifles our attack even further and makes the halves look probably worse than they are

We just miss strike all over the park whether it be outside backs or in the 2nd row and seem an easy team to defend against at the moment. Obviously (hopefully) that will all change when Newman, Fusitua and Myler come back and I think we missed Martin tonight as well as I don’t think we’d have butchered one of the clear scoring chances we created tonight in the 2nd half with him in that channel.

Lastly, what must Broadbent have done to not deserve a chance in the centre over Briscoe and Sutcliffe? I reckon Keith Senior playing at his age now could offer more than Sutcliffe and Briscoe..oh for the days of a marauding Senior in full flight out wide