Through green eyes 2020

All the news on the Canberra Raiders NRL team, all in one place

Moderator: GH Moderators

User avatar
BadnMean
Steve Walters
Posts: 7593
Joined: May 13, 2013, 5:30 pm
Favourite Player: chicka

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by BadnMean »

That was one for the ages. On some general rugby league supporter sites only 6% (a lone punter) gave the Raiders a chance of winning.

There were a lot of promising signs and quite rightly a win like that screams mostly of attitude. Glad they have a long turnaround now as every match lately just looks exhausting- mentally as much as anything.

I wouldn't have argued with an 8 for Lui. Did all the things he _hadn't_ been doing- tackle breaks, bending or busting the line- and his defence stayed solid. That was no powderpuff pack they were up against. Had a bit of work to do to finish that try. And his steals were honestly a huge game turner- we were on the rack.
User avatar
greeneyed
Don Furner
Posts: 145091
Joined: January 7, 2005, 4:21 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by greeneyed »

Through green eyes: Half time report

Image

We headed into the 2020 season with hopes high. The Raiders made their first Grand Final in a quarter of a century, and they were the better team for most, if not all, of the match. It was a Grand Final marred by officiating controversy, by "Six Again" and "Trainergate" - and it had a material impact on the result. It had been a wonderful ride to Grand Final day. In the end, our hearts were left broken. But we certainly had high hopes for 2020. Finally, the Raiders had a squad that was a genuine contender for the premiership.

Then coronavirus struck. Sporting events and seasons were cancelled around the world on the very day of the Raiders' first match of the year. Just two rounds were played before the NRL season was suspended. For a long time, it wasn't certain the footy would resume. But we're now 10 rounds into the reduced, regular season, exactly at the half way mark. So how do the Raiders stand as they head into the back end of the season?

The Raiders won those opening two matches - against teams they were expected to beat. First, the Titans at Canberra Stadium, and then the Warriors at their temporary "home" on the Gold Coast. Months later, when the season resumed, they were instantly installed as premiership favourites, after defeating the Melbourne Storm in Bleak City. That tag lasted only a week. Due to the NRL's coronavirus protocols, the Raiders were forced to play their home games at Campbelltown Stadium. They were the only team required to travel more than an hour to their games, every week. It was often three hours in a bus, each way on game day. The Green Machine finally came home to Canberra Stadium in Round 8. But the travel took its toll, and so did injury.



By Round 10, the Raiders were missing six of their Grand Final team due to long term injury, their main play maker, Josh Hodgson, out for the season. Star forward John Bateman had not played a game all year. Three of the top 17 middle forwards, Sia Soliola, Corey Horsburgh and Emre Guler, were on the sidelines. The horrible injury toll had left the Green Machine with a squad of just 18 fit players who had any NRL experience.

So the Raiders have faced some very significant challenges in the past two months. But they still find themselves in sixth place on the ladder, with a 6 and 4 record - and are just one competition point away from the fourth placed Knights. The top three teams have eight wins, but a top four finish is still in reach. The Raiders have only lost once by a large margin - to the Knights. They took the Eels to golden point in Round 7, losing by a field goal, and they played well in the six point Round 9 loss to the Storm. The backs to the wall victory against the Roosters in the Grand Final rematch in Round 10, showed how much courage, heart and pride there is in the green jersey.



Defence: The defence has been the strongest point. At the half way point, the Raiders rank equal fourth for fewest tries conceded (25, with the Panthers) - behind the Eels, Storm and Roosters. In four games, the Raiders conceded just six points and one try. The defensive record has slipped as the season has progressed, but the Raiders have only conceded an average 15 points per game. That's under the "magic" 16 points that premiership winners generally achieve. The right edge defence was a particular problem, with Nick Cotric (9) and Curtis Scott (7) having conceded the most try causes. Coach Ricky Stuart has now responded, with Cotric switched to the left and Scott dropping out of the starting team.

The switch to the "six again" rule for ruck infringements from Round 3 has been a challenge for Canberra's defensive patterns. The Raiders lifted its emphasis on defence in 2019, and it is probably fair to say that they adopted some of the style of the Storm and the Roosters. Putting the inconsistencies in the officiating of the ruck, double markers and off side play aside - it is tougher to work the rucks and to defend than it was in 2019. However, the likes of the Storm and Roosters have still found a way to control the running metres conceded. The Raiders rank eighth in the competition on that score (1483 metres per game - which compares with the benchmark of 1278 metres for the Storm).

The Raiders also rank eighth for line breaks conceded (3.9 per game, 2.8 for the benchmark, the Storm) and fifth for missed tackles (28 per game). Only the Titans, Sharks, Cowboys and Bulldogs have missed more tackles than Canberra. However, the Raiders have been good at containing offloads (7.7 per game, compared with the 6.1 benchmark set by the Tigers). That has partially saved the Raiders' effective tackle rate - 88.2 per cent, which compares with over 90 per cent for the Dragons and Knights.

The Raiders' discipline could also be better. They concede an average of just under six penalties per game (ranked fourth in the NRL) and 4.4 set restarts per game (ranked equal sixth). They are awarded just under five penalties per game (equal third lowest in the league) and 4.4 set restarts (ranked equal fifth). They concede 12 errors per game (ranked fifth). Given all that, the Raiders have done very well to defend their line.

Attack: The attack has been lagging. The Raiders rank 10th for most points scored (18.8 per game, compared with around 29 per game for the benchmark Roosters) and tries scored (3.3 per game, compared with 4.8 for the Roosters). They are middle of the pack for running metres (1447 per match), line breaks (4.2 per match) and tackle breaks (26 per match). The Raiders' style has continued in the conservative vein of 2019. They rank second for fewest general play passes (72 per game, behind only the Broncos), third for one pass hit ups (88 per game, behind the Knights and Eels), fifth for dummy half runs (9.5 per game) and second for fewest offloads (seven per game, behind only the Rabbitohs). The Raiders are bottom four for line engagements.

The Raiders combine that conservative style with lots of kicking. They kick long and to corners, with the aim of pinning their opponents in their own half (593 kicking metres per game, behind only the Dragons). They rank first for weighted kicks. They often kick for the line to control the tempo (10 per game, ranking fifth). While Jack Wighton still makes the occasional error, his long kicking game has really been very effective. George Williams has a good short kicking game and he's produced quite a few try assists as a result. But the Raiders rank fourth for fewest attacking kicks (8.7 per game) and equal fourth for fewest forced line drop outs (just over one per game). The Raiders regularly prefer to run at the goal line on the last tackle, rather than risk a seven tackle set.

The Raiders adopted a more conservative attacking style, so as to assist the defence through high completion rates. But the error rate has meant that the Raiders only rank in the middle of the pack for completions in 2020 (77 per cent). The Raiders have improved their attack in recent weeks, scoring four tries against the premiership favourites, the Roosters - one of the best defensive outfits. But that will need to keep evolving in the second half of the season.

Forwards: As mentioned, the forward pack has been decimated by injury. Soliola, Horsburgh and Guler were performing strongly before they were sidelined. Josh Papalii, Elliott Whitehead and Joe Tapine, however, have stepped up to lead a group of young forwards in inspirational fashion. Papalii has said that he has been playing below his best, but in the past couple of weeks, he's put that behind him. I think he's the best prop in the game, and, in my view, has been the Raiders' best. He's averaged 55 minutes, 145 running metres, 27 tackles and two tackle breaks per match. Whitehead's contributions haven't been far behind. He and Tapine average around 30 tackles per game, but they've been no slouches with the ball in hand either. Dunamis Lui started the season in pretty average form, and was dropped not so long ago. But since coming back into the team, he's been terrific. Given the holes in the pack, the Raiders will need him to consistently play at that level. Hudson Young, Ryan Sutton and rookie Kai O'Donnell have all done well since coming into the team.

Best performer: Josh Papalii

Backs: The backs have struggled a bit. As mentioned, early on, the new right edge was left searching for combinations, particularly in defence. New signing Curtis Scott has probably been affected by his off field concerns, and he hasn't had the impact that had been hoped. Jordan Rapana came back from union in Japan, joining the Raiders for the resumption of the season. But he was not at peak fitness and he's been moved around a fair bit. He's not been the same player he was in the days of "Leipana". Captain Jarrod Croker has been a rock at left centre, but even he suffered a bit of a try scoring drought. Despite Cotric's nine try causes, he's probably been the best of the outside backs. He has five tries so far, six line breaks and 52 tackle breaks - which ranks in the top five players in the NRL. Sadly, he'll be with the Bulldogs in 2021.

Canberra's depth in the backs has been tested with the loss of Bailey Simonsson for the year - and a couple of other injuries to Scott and Michael Oldfield. Semi Valemi was called upon to make his debut in Round 10, and Harley Smith-Shields is slated to make his debut in Round 11. Hopefully, the youngsters can now step up and develop some good combinations with the likes of Croker, Cotric and Rapana.

Best performer: Nick Cotric

Spine: George Williams has made an impressive start to his NRL career, and has eight try assists and a couple of tries to his name. Jack Wighton has been a touch off the form that saw him win the 2019 Clive Churchill Medal - the best player of the Grand Final in a losing team. But not far off. He's been very good, with four tries and five assists. In combination, the halves ensure the Raiders have a good kicking arsenal. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has also been a little off his 2019 form - and showed some uncharacteristic uncertainty under the high ball in a couple of matches. However, he's still among the top five players in the game for running metres, and he's working on his ball playing.

The loss of Josh Hodgson for the season - after he suffered an ACL injury in the Round 9 loss to the Storm - was a huge blow. However, it has created an opportunity for the hooking duo of Siliva Havili and Tom Starling. Both performed very well in the Round 10 Grand Final rematch, playing direct and giving good service to the Raiders "running" halves. Starling was very nippy around the rucks. How they perform in the second half of the year will be crucial to the Raiders' finals chances. The potential is there and there is still plenty of strike in the spine.

Best performer: George Williams

Finals prospects: The Raiders are set to bring Bulldogs forward, Corey Harawira-Naera, into the squad immediately, on a deal that runs to the end of 2022. And it appears that they will add young Broncos forward Ethan Bullemor to the team before the August 3 cut off on a loan deal. That will significantly bolster the forward pack, as will the impending return of John Bateman from injury. Finishing in the top four might be tough but it's not out of the question. The Raiders have an easier draw in the second half of the year, facing just three teams currently in the top eight. But they'll have to win most of the expected games - and take points off the teams in the eight - if they're to make the top four. Believe.

HALF TIME REPORT CARD

Attack: C
Defence: A
Forwards: B
Backs: C
Spine: B
Overall: B

****

The Raiders return to Canberra Stadium this Saturday night for a clash with the South Sydney Rabbitohs. It was the scene of the last clash between the two sides - the historic 2019 Preliminary Final played in front of a seething, sell out crowd. Anyone who saw the game will never forget the winning try scored by Josh Papalii, and the unbridled outpouring of emotion in the stands as the Raiders qualified for the premiership decider.

The Raiders should have the edge in this one, but it will by no means be an easy contest. Last week, the Rabbitohs scored three tries in the space of seven minutes, to seriously challenge the Knights late in the match. They looked to be outplayed for much of the game, but that comeback underlines that they can be very dangerous in attack. Despite the return of John Bateman to the extended squad, the Raiders are still suffering from a major injury crisis - and they may well suffer a bit of a let down after the Grand Final re-match last week. But if the Green Machine shows the same courage and intensity as they showed in the clash with the Roosters, Canberra should be too good. I'm tipping the Raiders by six.

****

The revamped Canberra Raiders Cup, the CRRL Cup, will kick off this Saturday. Only four teams are participating, with six of the regular Canberra Raiders Cup teams deciding to sit out the coronavirus affected season. The Queanbeyan Blues and Gungahlin Bulls face off at Seiffert Oval, while the Woden Valley Rams meet the Canberra Raiders Under 20s at Phillip - with both matches kicking off at 3:00pm. We are still waiting to see how the teams will line up - and how many players from other clubs will be turning out in different colours.

We're also still waiting to see whether crowds will be permitted and how many spectators can attend. The CRRL has said it is recommending that there be no more than 250 people at a game, including teams and officials. In the ACT, however, the official limit is 100. So the chances of spectators seems more likely at Seiffert Oval. Hopefully, games will be live streamed, so everyone can watch at least one of the games.

****

Every week I rate the Raiders players on a scale of 0-10... and here are the total points and average points per match after the Round 10 clash with the Roosters. Tell us what you think of the ratings.

Total points

Josh Papalii 73
George Williams 72
Jack Wighton 69
Elliott Whitehead 66
Nick Cotric 65
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 63
Joe Tapine 62
Jarrod Croker 61
Josh Hodgson 56
Siliva Havili 54
Emre Guler 49
Sia Soliola 45
Curtis Scott 41
Dunamis Lui 41
Corey Horsburgh 40
Jordan Rapana 40
Ryan Sutton 36
Bailey Simonsson 34
Hudson Young 31
Michael Oldfield 20
Kai O'Donnell 10
Tom Starling 7
Semi Valemei 4

Average points per match

Josh Papalii 7.3
George Williams 7.2
Tom Starling 7.0
Jack Wighton 6.9
Joe Tapine 6.9
Corey Horsburgh 6.7
Elliott Whitehead 6.6
Nick Cotric 6.5
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 6.3
Josh Hodgson 6.2
Hudson Young 6.2
Emre Guler 6.1
Jarrod Croker 6.1
Ryan Sutton 6.0
Dunamis Lui 5.9
Jordan Rapana 5.7
Sia Soliola 5.6
Siliva Havili 5.4
Curtis Scott 5.1
Kai O'Donnell 5.0
Bailey Simonsson 4.9
Semi Valemei 4.0
Michael Oldfield 3.3

Image

Plus follow us on Facebook: The Greenhouse Forum and Twitter: @TheGHRaiders

If you can put some sentences together and you'd like to write a regular column for The Greenhouse, let us know! We are keen to have more contributing writers!
Image
User avatar
gangrenous
Laurie Daley
Posts: 16584
Joined: May 12, 2007, 10:42 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by gangrenous »

Can it really be claimed that 6 again was brought in because of the grand final when it isn’t applicable in the grand final scenario?
User avatar
greeneyed
Don Furner
Posts: 145091
Joined: January 7, 2005, 4:21 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by greeneyed »

gangrenous wrote: July 23, 2020, 6:26 pm Can it really be claimed that 6 again was brought in because of the grand final when it isn’t applicable in the grand final scenario?
I don't think I was doing that? Sorry if there's that implication, but I can't see it atm.
Image
User avatar
gangrenous
Laurie Daley
Posts: 16584
Joined: May 12, 2007, 10:42 pm

Through green eyes 2020

Post by gangrenous »

My bad, long day. Meant to say Captain’s Challenge. Not so much your claim as the NRL’s I think?
greeneyed wrote: There was a certain sense of justice in the moment, given that Sutton was one of the referees involved in the "six again" call in the 2019 Grand Final - which led to the introduction of the captain's challenge.
User avatar
greeneyed
Don Furner
Posts: 145091
Joined: January 7, 2005, 4:21 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by greeneyed »

gangrenous wrote: July 23, 2020, 6:51 pm My bad, long day. Meant to say Captain’s Challenge. Not so much your claim as the NRL’s I think?
greeneyed wrote: There was a certain sense of justice in the moment, given that Sutton was one of the referees involved in the "six again" call in the 2019 Grand Final - which led to the introduction of the captain's challenge.
I do think the NRL introduced captain’s challenge because of the six again call in the Grand Final. I could be wrong of course!
Image
User avatar
gangrenous
Laurie Daley
Posts: 16584
Joined: May 12, 2007, 10:42 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by gangrenous »

But it makes no sense! You can’t challenge any aspect of the 6 again call?!

Might as well say it’s introduced to address HIAs
User avatar
greeneyed
Don Furner
Posts: 145091
Joined: January 7, 2005, 4:21 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by greeneyed »

gangrenous wrote:But it makes no sense! You can’t challenge any aspect of the 6 again call?!

Might as well say it’s introduced to address HIAs Image
Regardless, it is what stimulated the NRL. V’Landys has said it publicly. I’m also not sure that call could not have been challenged under today’s rule... but happy to be corrected. It was a break down in play and the referee changed a call... which isn’t permitted under the rules. Which could surely be challenged. As I say, I’m happy be corrected... I haven’t trawled the rule.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Image
User avatar
gangrenous
Laurie Daley
Posts: 16584
Joined: May 12, 2007, 10:42 pm

Through green eyes 2020

Post by gangrenous »

I think you’re right about the NRL saying it.

I don’t think it’s correct that the 6 again decision can be challenged. It can only be done at a stoppage, but there was none as the ref judged the alleged touch as play on. You can’t challenge a referee changing an action mid play. You can’t challenge being told to hand the ball over for last tackle.

Captains challenge can’t fix six again because the rules don’t allow for a challenge to be made.

I believe the NRL probably did bring it in to address the problem. Issue is that nothing they’ve ever stated publicly shows that they actually know what the problem was.
User avatar
greeneyed
Don Furner
Posts: 145091
Joined: January 7, 2005, 4:21 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by greeneyed »

gangrenous wrote:I think you’re right about the NRL saying it.

I don’t think it’s correct that the 6 again decision can be challenged. It can only be done at a stoppage, but there was none as the ref judged the alleged touch as play on. You can’t challenge a referee changing an action mid play. You can’t challenge being told to hand the ball over for last tackle.

Captains challenge can’t fix six again because the rules don’t allow for a challenge to be made.

I believe the NRL probably did bring it in to address the problem. Issue is that nothing they’ve ever stated publicly shows that they actually know what the problem was.
But there was certainly a stoppage... can you quote me the rule? Image


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Image
User avatar
gangrenous
Laurie Daley
Posts: 16584
Joined: May 12, 2007, 10:42 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by gangrenous »

What was the stoppage?

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/03/02/cap ... 20-season/

How it works:

- Only a captain or nominated co-captain can challenge a decision. Should the captain or co-captain be off the field, another player can be nominated to take his place.
- Each team is allowed one unsuccessful challenge per game.
- The only decision that can be challenged are ones which involve a structured restart of play (e.g penalty, scrum, drop-out, etc.)
- Challenges will not be permitted where the referee allows play to proceed.
User avatar
greeneyed
Don Furner
Posts: 145091
Joined: January 7, 2005, 4:21 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by greeneyed »

gangrenous wrote: July 23, 2020, 9:35 pm What was the stoppage?

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/03/02/cap ... 20-season/

How it works:

- Only a captain or nominated co-captain can challenge a decision. Should the captain or co-captain be off the field, another player can be nominated to take his place.
- Each team is allowed one unsuccessful challenge per game.
- The only decision that can be challenged are ones which involve a structured restart of play (e.g penalty, scrum, drop-out, etc.)
- Challenges will not be permitted where the referee allows play to proceed.
A turnover is a structured restart?
Image
User avatar
gangrenous
Laurie Daley
Posts: 16584
Joined: May 12, 2007, 10:42 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by gangrenous »

What are you challenging at the turnover?
User avatar
greeneyed
Don Furner
Posts: 145091
Joined: January 7, 2005, 4:21 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by greeneyed »

gangrenous wrote: July 23, 2020, 9:43 pm What are you challenging at the turnover?
The changed call of six again. Which isn’t permitted under the rules!

In any case... what’d you think of the mid season report card?!
Image
User avatar
gangrenous
Laurie Daley
Posts: 16584
Joined: May 12, 2007, 10:42 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by gangrenous »

Note it says the only “decisions” that can be challenged involve a structured restart of play. Calling six again and taking it back doesn’t seem to fit that bill. Nor am I confident they’d even let you challenge at a turnover anyway.

I completely agree with everything you wrote in the mid-season report. Otherwise I’d be arguing with you
User avatar
greeneyed
Don Furner
Posts: 145091
Joined: January 7, 2005, 4:21 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by greeneyed »

gangrenous wrote: July 23, 2020, 10:04 pm Note it says the only “decisions” that can be challenged involve a structured restart of play. Calling six again and taking it back doesn’t seem to fit that bill. Nor am I confident they’d even let you challenge at a turnover anyway.

I completely agree with everything you wrote in the mid-season report. Otherwise I’d be arguing with you Image
Clearly, I have to be more outrageous! I am confident a turnover is a breakdown. Graham Annesley?! Where are you?!
Image
User avatar
zim
Laurie Daley
Posts: 10639
Joined: July 8, 2015, 3:38 pm
Favourite Player: NRL: Joseph Tapine
NRLW: Grace Kemp
Location: Sydney

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by zim »

The report card is a great read GE.
Wonder if anyone is up for a half season haiku.
User avatar
gangrenous
Laurie Daley
Posts: 16584
Joined: May 12, 2007, 10:42 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by gangrenous »

Safe bet T_R wants one
User avatar
T_R
Don Furner
Posts: 17276
Joined: August 4, 2006, 9:41 am
Location: Noosa

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by T_R »

So long as it contains an appropriate kigo and employs kireji for a bloody change then I'd be very supportive.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

Image

Son, we live in a world that has forums, and those forums have to be guarded by Mods. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Nickman? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Lucy, and you curse GE. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know -- that GE’s moderation, while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, keeps threads on track and under the appropriately sized, highlighted green headings.
You want moderation because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that forum -- you need me on that forum. We use words like "stay on topic," "use the appropriate forum," "please delete." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very moderation that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you get a green handle and edit a post. Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you think about moderation.
User avatar
gangrenous
Laurie Daley
Posts: 16584
Joined: May 12, 2007, 10:42 pm

Through green eyes 2020

Post by gangrenous »

Just for you T_R
Appropriate kigo and
Employs kireji
User avatar
T_R
Don Furner
Posts: 17276
Joined: August 4, 2006, 9:41 am
Location: Noosa

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by T_R »

gangrenous wrote: July 24, 2020, 7:31 am Just for you T_R
Appropriate kigo and
Employs kireji
GE, surely this is bannable, right?
Image

Son, we live in a world that has forums, and those forums have to be guarded by Mods. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Nickman? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Lucy, and you curse GE. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know -- that GE’s moderation, while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, keeps threads on track and under the appropriately sized, highlighted green headings.
You want moderation because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that forum -- you need me on that forum. We use words like "stay on topic," "use the appropriate forum," "please delete." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very moderation that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you get a green handle and edit a post. Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you think about moderation.
User avatar
bonehead
Laurie Daley
Posts: 17436
Joined: March 1, 2005, 5:29 am
Location: Smelling The Shiraz

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by bonehead »

T_R wrote:
gangrenous wrote: July 24, 2020, 7:31 am Just for you T_R
Appropriate kigo and
Employs kireji
GE, surely this is bannable, right?
yes GE please ban TR

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

Edrick The Entertainer
User avatar
T_R
Don Furner
Posts: 17276
Joined: August 4, 2006, 9:41 am
Location: Noosa

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by T_R »

No more faux haiku?

Mercy killing.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

Image

Son, we live in a world that has forums, and those forums have to be guarded by Mods. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Nickman? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Lucy, and you curse GE. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know -- that GE’s moderation, while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, keeps threads on track and under the appropriately sized, highlighted green headings.
You want moderation because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that forum -- you need me on that forum. We use words like "stay on topic," "use the appropriate forum," "please delete." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very moderation that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you get a green handle and edit a post. Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you think about moderation.
User avatar
gangrenous
Laurie Daley
Posts: 16584
Joined: May 12, 2007, 10:42 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by gangrenous »

T_R wrote: faux haiku
Woah steady on with that language!... oh you said faux haiku. I misheard you
User avatar
T_R
Don Furner
Posts: 17276
Joined: August 4, 2006, 9:41 am
Location: Noosa

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by T_R »

gangrenous wrote:
T_R wrote: faux haiku
Woah steady on with that language!... oh you said faux haiku. I misheard you
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

Image

Son, we live in a world that has forums, and those forums have to be guarded by Mods. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Nickman? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Lucy, and you curse GE. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know -- that GE’s moderation, while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, keeps threads on track and under the appropriately sized, highlighted green headings.
You want moderation because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that forum -- you need me on that forum. We use words like "stay on topic," "use the appropriate forum," "please delete." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very moderation that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you get a green handle and edit a post. Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you think about moderation.
User avatar
greeneyed
Don Furner
Posts: 145091
Joined: January 7, 2005, 4:21 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by greeneyed »

Of course... there is the excellent mid season report to discuss! 😉😉😅😅
Image
User avatar
Sid
Ricky Stuart
Posts: 9937
Joined: May 15, 2015, 8:47 pm
Favourite Player: Shannon Boyd
Location: Darwin, N.T.

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by Sid »

greeneyed wrote:Of course... there is the excellent mid season report to discuss! ImageImageImageImage
Of course!

Gangrenous’ Haiku’s: B
Would have won Boogs - 2016, 2017, 2018

1 part green, 1 part machine
User avatar
greeneyed
Don Furner
Posts: 145091
Joined: January 7, 2005, 4:21 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by greeneyed »

Through green eyes: As I saw it

Image

"We always use the word proud. It's probably pretty easy to say after you win. I'm sure Bennett would be proud of his team too. Proud of the heart they showed tonight. Both teams are down on troops. We're down on a number of troops ... we only had 20 available and a heap of rookies. We've got two or three rookies playing at the moment and that's the character of the club. Being able to hang in there tonight the way we did. But again, so did Souths. They lost their fullback early, we lost ours later in the game. We lost a couple of players, Jordan [Rapana]. It's just a matter of jumping into a position I gave them and having to find a role.

It was a scrappy game, the weather was tough, you take what you get. It was a tough game and fortunately, we were on the right side of the scoreboard. I like to say this after a win, it's very easy to say after a loss, but we probably weren't at our best tonight. But given the circumstances of injuries, the cohesion and the changes of positions... I think Nick [Cotric] played wing, centre and fullback tonight... so, I'll take those two points every day of the week.

Harley Smith-Shields is a really decent young man. He's a good football player. This is probably all coming a little bit earlier than they expected, a lot of these debutants - Semi [Valemei], Harley, Kai [O'Donnell]. But for the future of the club, it's wonderful that they're getting some first grade experience and they're being taught how to win in tough games. Last week, Semi had to go on, and then we had Harley going on tonight and he didn't look out of place. From a club point of view, going into the future, it's good to have these young boys getting some experience.

Josh [Papalii] has been an amazing individual for us over the last month, supported closely by Taps [Joe Tapine], Sutto [Ryan Sutton] and Nams [Dunamis Lui]. That's why Papa is where he is in the game. That's what you need from your representative players to stand up. Nams and Lui were probably our best two tonight, and probably Nams got the points. It comes down to the guy's character, without trying to make it sound all nice a fuzzy for you. His character is brilliant. He's like Sia [Soliola] and Papa – those three are the three best team first players I've ever coached at the Raiders. They're a coach's delight."

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart


2020 Round 11. Canberra Raiders 18 - South Sydney Rabbitohs 12. It was gritty, it was gutsy. It was played in slippery, dewy conditions, and then pouring rain. Both teams were stricken by injury, and there was more suffering to unfold for both sides during the match, disrupting them further. In the second half, the Rabbitohs were camped in Raiders' territory for set after set after set. But Canberra's rock solid defence held South Sydney scoreless for the 40 minutes. And the Raiders took their very limited opportunities to secure the victory.



The Raiders looked to be the better team early in the first half, going to a 10 point lead after just 15 minutes. The Rabbitohs also had their chances, but the final passes ended up over the sideline. But then key penalties and set restarts changed momentum. Set restarts are becoming one of the most infuriating parts of the game - because they are almost completely random and they are inconsistently awarded. They might have finished level last night, but they often come in waves... and teams find it almost impossible to resist. And the Rabbitohs benefited from that last night. In the space of four minutes, Dane Gagai and Adam Reynolds crossed, delivering a 12-10 advantage for South Sydney at the break.

The second half heroics saw the Raiders move up the ladder into fifth place - perhaps temporarily, depending on Sunday's results. It is hard to believe, given the horrible injury toll. The Raiders lost another of their best in this game, with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad leaving the field with a compound dislocation of his little finger. He's hoping for no time out or limited time out. It might be a week or two at best, but if there's a fracture, it could be a month. Reinforcements are on the way, with Corey Harawira-Naera joining the club during the week. John Bateman might be fit soon. The courage of the team, in the face of this much adversity... I just sit back and marvel at it. The coaches and players have produced memorable performances in the past two weeks. Here's hoping it can continue.

Stats that mattered?

The Raiders had a 53 per cent possession share by the end of the game. But remarkably, the Rabbitohs dominated the territory. In the first half, South Sydney had a 59 per cent territorial advantage, and had more opportunity in the Raiders' red zone (16 tackles in the opposition 20 metre zone, Raiders 11). In the second half, they had a phenomenal 23 tackles in the Raiders' red zone, almost four full sets. The Raiders had just eight tackles in the oppostion 20 metres. The Rabbitohs spent 64 per cent of the second half in Raiders' territory. Yet Canberra refused to let them score.

The Raiders posted an incredible 95 per cent tackle efficiency rate. They had to make more tackles (430-393), missed just 15 (Rabbitohs 28) and conceded just seven ineffective tackles (Rabbitohs 14). The Raiders have missed plenty of tackles so far this season, but that was just outstanding. The Rabbitohs were also very good in defence (90.3 per cent tackle efficiency).

The Raiders made slightly more errors (14-11) on a night when error was inevitable. Penalties conceded were almost level (Raiders six, Rabbitohs seven), while set restarts were exactly level (5-5). Both teams produced the same number of runs (202), but the Rabbitohs made more running metres (1643-1446), post contact metres (481-445), kick return metres (207-109) and metres per set (36-30). Line breaks were level (2-2). The Raiders only finished ahead on tackle breaks (28-15) and offloads (8-6). Scoring three tries to two, the Raiders really took advantage of their very limited opportunities.

Kicking helped save the Raiders. They made just three more kicks (23-20), but were forced to kick long, often. Canberra produced 764 kicking metres (Rabbitohs 439). That's an awful lot.

Memorable moments?

All three of the Raiders' tries came from kicks. First, Jack Wighton put up a cross field bomb, with Jordan Rapana leaping high and batting the ball back onto Nick Cotric's head. The "falcon" didn't cause Cotric to skip a beat, regathering the ball and going over in the corner. Next, Wighton put in a low kick towards the in goal, and Adam Reynolds got a hand to the ball. It produced the perfect deflection for Jarrod Croker to scoop up the ball to score. That was was brilliant handling in the conditions. It was probably the best try, showing the best skill.

But for me, the most memorable moment came in the second half when Semi Valemei scored his first NRL try. Elliott Whitehead put in a kick and after a deflection, the ball ended up in the rookie's hands and he planted it in the corner. There's nothing better than seeing a player's first try in first grade.

In defence, there were some brutal tackles which forced errors from the Rabbitohs. But there was no better tackle than Jordan Rapana’s try saver on Adam Reynolds with a quarter hour remaining. What about the one on one steals? Hudson Young pinched one late in the first half at a crucial stage. But nothing was more crucial than the steal from Dunamis Lui at the end of the game. It sealed the match.

Best performers?

Jack Wighton. 15 runs for 112 metres, 26 post contact metres, one line break, two try assists, two tackle breaks, 23 tackles, 89 per cent tackle efficiency, 13 kicks for 409 metres. The blot on the copy book was four errors, a couple of handling errors and a kick out on the full. But he also touches the ball more than most players and the conditions were tough.

Josh Papalii. 19 runs for 148 metres, 61 post contact metres, two tackle breaks, 42 tackles, 100 per cent tackle efficiency, no errors, no penalties, no negative play. He just keeps delivering.

Joe Tapine. 17 runs for 170 metres, 59 post contact metres, one tackle break, two offloads, 38 tackles, 100 per cent tackle efficiency, no errors, no penalties, no negative play.

It was very difficult to pick just three players. Jordan Rapana was very good, starting on the wing, moving to fullback and finishing in the head bin. He made good metres and produced a try assist and four tackle breaks. Ryan Sutton topped the tackle count and finished in the top three players for metres gained, but he did concede a couple of penalties. Hudson Young is really finding his groove and showing maturity. He delivered a mountain of tackles. I'll finish with a mention of the rookies. Semi Valemei started in his first game and he was good, despite a hairy moment or two. Harley Smith-Shields played 31 minutes in his debut. He looked like he'd played 20 first grade games. Settled in perfectly.

Top tacklers: Ryan Sutton 58, Hudson Young 49, Josh Papalii 42
Most metres gained: Joe Tapine 170, Josh Papalii 148, Ryan Sutton 122

My player ratings:

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 6
Nick Cotric 7
Jarrod Croker 7
Jordan Rapana 7
Semi Valemei 6
Jack Wighton 8
George Williams 7
Josh Papalii 8
Siliva Havili 6
Dunamis Lui 7
Hudson Young 7
Elliott Whitehead 7
Kai O'Donnell 5

Tom Starling 7
Joe Tapine 8
Ryan Sutton 7
Harley Smith-Shields 5

Do you agree with the ratings? Let us know what you think!

Image

Plus follow us on Facebook: The Greenhouse Forum and Instagram: @TheGHRaiders

If you can put some sentences together and you'd like to write a regular column for The Greenhouse, let us know! We are keen to have more contributing writers!
Image
User avatar
T_R
Don Furner
Posts: 17276
Joined: August 4, 2006, 9:41 am
Location: Noosa

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by T_R »

Gee, 8 seems generous for Wighton last night...there were some critical errors there.

I'd have gone for a 6.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

Image

Son, we live in a world that has forums, and those forums have to be guarded by Mods. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Nickman? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Lucy, and you curse GE. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know -- that GE’s moderation, while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, keeps threads on track and under the appropriately sized, highlighted green headings.
You want moderation because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that forum -- you need me on that forum. We use words like "stay on topic," "use the appropriate forum," "please delete." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very moderation that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you get a green handle and edit a post. Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you think about moderation.
User avatar
Botman
Mal Meninga
Posts: 41988
Joined: June 18, 2013, 4:31 pm
Favourite Player: Elliott Whitehead

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by Botman »

Agreed. Wighton was pretty poor, i might even consider a 5 for him.
RedRaider
Laurie Daley
Posts: 11265
Joined: March 3, 2007, 7:02 pm

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by RedRaider »

Wighton rocks and diamonds, but he did put in kicks for 2 tries along with one out on the full. Not that we saw it on the telecast but I think it is likely it was Jack that did not find touch with our first penalty kick for the line. He was down there to make the tackle on the right side of the field away from his left side position so I reckon it was him. I'd be happy to see one taken from Jack and given to JC. His handling for the try was sensational. His goal kicking in those conditions kept score board pressure on the Rabbitohs. The sideline conversion of the Valemi try was brilliant in the wet.

Ryan Sutton did heaps of defensive work and I admire that aspect of his play, but his contact with defenders when decoy running cost a try to EW and is avoidable. He later gave away another penalty for the same reason. Once in a game is unfortunate, twice will earn a heart to heart from the coach. A 6 for mine.
User avatar
BadnMean
Steve Walters
Posts: 7593
Joined: May 13, 2013, 5:30 pm
Favourite Player: chicka

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by BadnMean »

Agree on Sutton. Just a bit thoughtless on those decoys. Unnecessary but should be easy enough to fix.

I thought Jack was the difference between the sides. Without him we barely score a point. In a team where all the kicking onus is on him, where all the creating onus is on him and he is also expected to run like Laurie Daley I don't mind if he produces the odd error in the wet. Oh yeah, he also tackles balls loose with his freight train hits. He's a focal point of opposition defenders and he just gets up for it every week and delivers.

I'm happy for Jack to run his game at high revs and cop the odd error that comes with that because of all our players, he is the one who produces great rewards when taking risks. No-one else pays off so high.

Probably a 7 given the errors but there's nothing wrong with a half who makes errors and then keeps coming back for more and creating threats. Errors from halves are only an issue if they don't produce their share of chances or if they go missing after they make one and disappear from the game.
User avatar
zim
Laurie Daley
Posts: 10639
Joined: July 8, 2015, 3:38 pm
Favourite Player: NRL: Joseph Tapine
NRLW: Grace Kemp
Location: Sydney

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by zim »

Wighton definitely lower than 8 for me. Failed to find touch first off. Too many errors. He got real lucky with that Croker try deflection. That kick was going way out.
User avatar
-TW-
Mal Meninga
Posts: 35369
Joined: July 2, 2007, 11:41 am

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by -TW- »

Wighton was a 6, he made some inexcusable errors but played well at the end of the day

Shows how far he's come, a few years ago he would have dug a hole after the first error

Sent from my ELE-L29 using Tapatalk

User avatar
Seiffert82
Mal Meninga
Posts: 27845
Joined: March 17, 2007, 12:24 pm
Favourite Player: Bay56

Re: Through green eyes 2020

Post by Seiffert82 »

greeneyed wrote: July 23, 2020, 3:21 pm Through green eyes: Half time report
Good read. Thanks GE.

We've certainly had a tough first half of the season with 8/11 games against the top 10 sides in genuine contention for the finals.

Given our injury toll and the fact we lost in golden point to the Eels and were absolutely dudded against the Storm, it has been a damn good performance from our boys.
Post Reply