Round 7: Reds v Brumbies - Friday April 7 @ Suncorp 7:35pm

[KOB1987]

Blythe you fuck-knuckle - I have both you and Corey Toole in my fantasy team.

There‘s a bit of chat on other socials that the Reds don’t look up to it physically - in the dressing room, I.e. they aren’t conditioned

 

[Dan54]

Well after a sleep, I still enjoyed game. Brumbies are a pretty good team aren't they, seem a step above the other Aus teams to me. Can see Eddie building Wallabies around them this season. Reds after watching them for quite a few years while living over Brisbane, have got me beat why they just don't seem to be able to look like a team that can play smart rugby! I know it maybe unpopular view, but I can see why Eddie has dropped Tate, he scored one great try, but really rest of his game looks a little short on skills (ie passing etc) and a 25 sec run isn't quite good enough. Forwards don't help , they seemingly get confused on their jobs at times, and I don't see many (apart from McReight) that look like they should be considered for higher honours?
Ok I a neutral, but after as I said having Reds as my Aus team while living there, I am real disappointed with their direction. Also as I said am very impressed with Brumbies, who look a cut above other Aus teams.

 

[Confucius Say]

If you were naming a “Breds” team after that game, QLD would maybe get 4 players.

Petaia, Wright, Campbell (wing) and McDermott.

Outplayed in every other position.

 

[Marce]

Which is exactly how Kiwi sides beat Aussie sides every week. Wait for them to melt

Absolutely. The Ponies have to be the base of the national team and pick carefully individual talent from other sides. Like Leinster is for Ireland

 

[Tomthumb]

Absolutely. The Ponies have to be the base of the national team and pick carefully individual talent from other sides. Like Leinster is for Ireland

To be fair, even Brumbies players have turned into chocolate soldiers for the Wallabies in recent years

 

[stillmissit]

We are making far too many unforced errors.

The big ones are things like Blyth’s card. But there are a bunch of other lazy penalties. Our defensive spacing is all wrong and we had two tries scored where we were just easily outflanked. Dropped balls (both under pressure and without). Numerous times our whole attack stopped because we didn’t seem to know where we were going. We missed tackles we should have made and turned over ball at least 3-4 times we should have had control of at the break down. Twice Daugunu chases kicks and chased too far in with no one on his outside. We missed the tackle and the Brumbies went from being under pressure to being in attack.

Liam Wright I thought was very good. Otherwise I thought everyone else was a mixed bag. Almost everyone did some good things, but everyone made mistakes too and cumulatively we just keep taking the pressure of the Brumbies.

I tried to see the positives in Zander but his scrummaging is just too far below par at this level. To be fair though our whole right 5 has to wear blame for our scrum - but he is just always under pressure.

We really miss the NRC. When Thorn started his tenure he was able to bring through a host of young Wallabies and ground them in NRC and use it to ID guys like BPA, Campbell & Daugunu. Qld probably made best use of it and we seem to have handled loosing it the worst.

Sorry for the rambling post - but gee that was disappointing to watch.

Agree with all of this apart from the NRC bit. Daugunu had a woeful night and missed tackles which cost tries. I thought the worst player was Thomas and wondered why they have a guy who farts around at the back and gets rolled, his passes are like rainbows and he seems to lack any awareness of any opportunities. I'd have played Tate for the 80.

 

[stillmissit]

Which is exactly how Kiwi sides beat Aussie sides every week. Wait for them to melt

This brings up the obvious question are we fit enough? If we get rolled in the 2nd half and I agree this happens with all apart from Brumbies when playing kiwi's. The other issue the Reds faced is their poor passing and catching compared to the Brumbies. Their D coach seems to be totally incompetent. The only bright spot was how well Petaia is going.
I suspect Thorn's days are done after this season.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Both are true but, honestly, did the Brumbies play that much better in the second half than the first? I don't think so. They just kept doing what they do and the Reds capitulated.

Derpus you might say they play for 80 minutes? But I reckon they actually do lift the tempo in the second half when they bring on their bench. At the 50 minute mark last night they replaced their two Wallaby props and not long after their No 9 a lock and a backrower. From that time on they started to turn the screws on the Reds.

I'm not sure many of the Reds players would agree that they capitulated. They were just beaten by the better team on the night.

 

[TSR]

Agree with all of this apart from the NRC bit. Daugunu had a woeful night and missed tackles which cost tries. I thought the worst player was Thomas and wondered why they have a guy who farts around at the back and gets rolled, his passes are like rainbows and he seems to lack any awareness of any opportunities. I'd have played Tate for the 80.

I guess my point with the NRC was that the Reds embraced it and were able to use it as a bridge between Prems and Super. Daugunu was one product if that.

For me Daugunu was like a lot of the other guys - did plenty of good things but also made too many mistakes.

BR appears to need some affirmation/acknowledgement this morning from Reds fans - so I’ll help him out.

Good teams are able to consistently sustain pressure until they turn them into points. But, just as much, they can absorb pressure until they get an opportunity to turn it around and then they strike quick and hard. Watching the Brumbies defend last night - even when the Reds strung some really good phases together - I had a sense that they came into the game confident they could absorb the Reds pressure until they made a mistake and had confidence in their own ability to take their opportunities - created by both attacking and defensive pressure. I thought that showed the difference between where these two teams are at.

I got a sense that if you compiled a selective highlights reel of the game you would be able to make it look like it was much closer than it was. (Or you could make it look a horrid mismatch which was closer to the truth). The Reds had plenty of sparkling play and the Brumbies did force a bunch of errors but, with all due respect to BR, the Reds also shot themselves needlessly in the foot time after time.

 

[liquor box]

What’s happened to the Reds, the first half of Thorns rein their pack was nasty and brutal. They were a cold hearted pack but had very little in the backline, now they have the backline but that pack would be close to the least bruising pack in the comp. There is nobody that’s capable of sitting opposing players on the ground and very few that can put a hit on. Ryan Smith is nasty but he’s about the only one you’d pick in a bar fight to back you up.

Thorn was all about forward play in first few seasons now it’s almost like a different coach in charge.

Angus Blyth?

 

[liquor box]

As frustrating as tonight was, I still prefer watching the current Reds then the team before Thorn took over.

I think his time as head coach is probably done though.

How much before? Immediately before he took over or years prior?

 

[Misunderstood fan]

This season the Reds are missing intelligence. Including the coach’s player selections. Every week I read the starting team my instant reaction is ‘sabotage’. JOC (James O'Connor) on the bench and coming on with 10 to go, and taking McDermott off when he is playing his best this year is mind boggling. The player’s talk of playing unstructured is a cop out and only an excuse that their game plan is up the shit. I’m losing my faith in the entire Red’s setup.

 

[Derpus]

Blythe you fuck-knuckle - I have both you and Corey Toole in my fantasy team.

There‘s a bit of chat on other socials that the Reds don’t look up to it physically - in the dressing room, I.e. they aren’t conditioned

Hard week for fantasy footy with all the byes

 

[TSR]

How much before? Immediately before he took over or years prior?

I feel like the origins of my discontent started with Jim Carmichael

 

[dillyboy]

This season the Reds are missing intelligence. Including the coach’s player selections. Every week I read the starting team my instant reaction is ‘sabotage’. JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) on the bench and coming on with 10 to go, and taking McDermott off when he is playing his best this year is mind boggling. The player’s talk of playing unstructured is a cop out and only an excuse that their game plan is up the shit. I’m losing my faith in the entire Red’s setup.

There's a gameplan?

 

[Sam Old]

As someone mentioned in this thread, Tupou‘s dominance and brilliance papered over deficiencies in the Reds game plan and coaching. They flogged a once in a generation tighhead to death in their season of success and without him it’s been a sad struggle unfortunately.

 

[Dan54]

This season the Reds are missing intelligence. Including the coach’s player selections. Every week I read the starting team my instant reaction is ‘sabotage’. JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) on the bench and coming on with 10 to go, and taking McDermott off when he is playing his best this year is mind boggling. The player’s talk of playing unstructured is a cop out and only an excuse that their game plan is up the shit. I’m losing my faith in the entire Red’s setup.

Mate over in Brisbane who never renewed his membership quoted much the same, reckoned he felt whole Reds set up, said last year he was struggling with it.

 

[mst]

I see Ben O'Keeffe remains as hard to watch as ever.

Yep, and I fear he might have started the trend of offloading the responsibility of the full red card decision on the TMO to avoid any potential criticism. The issue is the TMO can only issue a 20min red, not a full red like the on field referee can.

I personally think this Law needs a re-think and some amendments

 

[Dan54]

Absolutely. The Ponies have to be the base of the national team and pick carefully individual talent from other sides. Like Leinster is for Ireland

I was thinking eactly same this morning while watching Leinster/ Tigers match. They got a team playing a winning style etc, so build next level up around it.

 

[Derpus]

Yep, and I fear he might have started the trend of offloading the responsibility of the full red card decision on the TMO to avoid any potential criticism. The issue is the TMO can only issue a 20min red, not a full red like the on field referee can.

I personally think this Law needs a re-think and some amendments

Nah its a great idea. One of SANZAAR's best law tweaks.

Accidental highs should be a 20 minute red card. Blyth was an idiot but it wasn't full red card worthy.