Reds V Sharks - Round 13

[Ash]

QC (Quade Cooper) has barely had the ball in the second half, to be fair. Genia has been very keen to kick away turn over ball, or the forwards are keen on losing it.

This kick will be important from Quade.

 

[Cassius88]

^^^ I was just thinking that QC (Quade Cooper) must have been off the field in the second stanza. Almost nothing from him this half.

How much loss of momentum is related to Liam Gill going off?

Really need some Leadership a la Big Key in the second half.

I reckon Robinson has done more harm than good since coming on. He throws himself around with reckless abandon but he plays too loose. A couple of penalties given away and a couple of missed tackles due to trying to make the big hit and missing entirely.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

After periods like this when QC (Quade Cooper) seems to go missing, you can understand aspects of the QC (Quade Cooper) haters reluctance to see him in a Yellow jumper again.

 

[Ash]

I honestly think that the Sharks were just a bit shell-shocked in the first half and got a bollocking at half time to put a bit of concrete into them. The Reds looked good in the first half but they were rolling over the gain line far too easily. Be interesting to see if the Reds get found out a bit in South Africa.

That's a little churlish on the Reds' first half performance, don't you think? I'd say the Reds in the second half have been well off, and the Sharks improved.

It's easy to say that of any team's forwards when they get up. The Reds forwards have dominated a few teams around the ruck in the last few years (including the Brumbies a few weeks back), their problem this year is consistency.

 

[Ash]

After periods like this when QC (Quade Cooper) seems to go missing, you can understand aspects of the QC (Quade Cooper) haters reluctance to see him in a Yellow jumper again.

Hard to see how he could've exerted himself on the second half, to be honest. If you don't have the ball and your forwards give it away too much, what else can you do?

 

[Cassius88]

That's a little churlish on the Reds' first half performance, don't you think? I'd say the Reds in the second half have been well off, and the Sharks improved.

It's easy to say that of any team's forwards when they get up. The Reds forwards have dominated a few teams around the ruck in the last few years (including the Brumbies a few weeks back), their problem this year is consistency.

Oh I didn't mean it to be negative about the Reds. They obviously came out with fierce intent and were smashing the Sharks all over the park. I just meant that the Sharks poor defence made them look incredible when they were probably just playing very well.

 

[Scoey]

If the Sharks' ball handling wasn't so woeful this would be a tight match...

Yeah if the Reds weren't so good this would be a tight match.

 

[Cassius88]

Hard to see how he could've exerted himself on the second half, to be honest. If you don't have the ball and your forwards give it away too much, what else can you do?

As one of the so-called Blooper-haters, I have to agree with you. The Reds backline have only seen the ball a handful of times in this half and it's usually been in their own half. The Sharks have been keeping it in the forwards as much as possible and it's not like QC (Quade Cooper) has missed any tackles or dropped any kicks.

 

[Ash]

Oh I didn't mean it to be negative about the Reds. They obviously came out with fierce intent and were smashing the Sharks all over the park. I just meant that the Sharks poor defence made them look incredible when they were probably just playing very well.

Oh, the Sharks were poor, no doubt about it and made it too easy on the Reds. Agree with that. Sharks' defence was flat and Reds made ground way too easily with short passes off the ruck.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Siren goes. Reds have won. Shorks may get some extra points from the lineout.

No they don't. Can't chuck it in straight.

Ref Jackson blows no game.

Reds 32 - Shorks 17.

 

[boyo]

After periods like this when QC (Quade Cooper) seems to go missing, you can understand aspects of the QC (Quade Cooper) haters reluctance to see him in a Yellow jumper again.

Yellow?

Fishing or jesting?

 

[Ash]

Good effort by the Sharks in the second half. Reds went to sleep, Sharks stepped up in the forwards and dominated them. If the Reds do that next week they'll lose.

Sharks also tried to force the ball too much, they had a bit more patience in the second half. In contrast, Reds forced everything and just gave possession to the Sharks over and over.

Agree about Robinson, he lacked the presence of Gill around the rucks. Gill had a big first half.

Iced Vovo for the Sharks looked their most dangerous player.

 

[Scoey]

After periods like this when QC (Quade Cooper) seems to go missing, you can understand aspects of the QC (Quade Cooper) haters reluctance to see him in a Yellow jumper again.

For real? What were the possession stats for the 3rd 20mins? I think it was close to 70% to the Sharks. What did you want him to do? What would've JOC (James O'Connor) or To'omua or any other 10 done in the same situation?
This is the stuff that gets the Quade supporters so riled up. The blindness with which his performances are viewed by his knockers.
If you were assessing a players performance most players start on a par score and would lose points for errors and gain them for positive plays. Quade it seems starts on about negative 50 and only gains points when he does something extraordinary. /rant

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Shorks vs Force next week should be a good game, and one that the Force would be fancying their chances after a rather tired game from the Boys in Black.

Credit to them for being able to turn their game around after oranges, but it really was too little too late.

Liam Gill seem with a bit of a limp after the game. Hope is is just a cork and nothing too serious.

The Reds piggies really went off the boil without him on the oval.

 

[Ash]

Reds piggies have really looked aimless at times. Horwill being back really helped, but without Horwill (and Gill a bit) they seem to lack leaders in the pack.

 

[Ash]

I like two things about Cooper this year, opposed to other years:

1. He takes the ball into defence, and holds onto it (usually) to settle - only a few times this year has he forced a rubbish pass in contact, where in other years he'd throw it away

2. His defence - some great front on tackles, and even when he went high at the end on the Shorks FB he still held on. Previous years he would've missed half of the tackles he has made

 

[Cassius88]

Reds piggies have really looked aimless at times. Horwill being back really helped, but without Horwill (and Gill a bit) they seem to lack leaders in the pack.

See this is one of the reasons that I don't rate Simmons as much as some people. Sure he's handy in the lineout but where most people with as many Super/Test caps as he has would be real team leaders, Simmons seems to just be out there for a bit of a scrap. While there's nothing necessarily wrong with that in a player, it is telling when the other forward leaders are off the field.

 

[Cassius88]

I like two things about Cooper this year, opposed to other years:

1. He takes the ball into defence, and holds onto it (usually) to settle - only a few times this year has he forced a rubbish pass in contact, where in other years he'd throw it away

2. His defence - some great front on tackles, and even when he went high at the end on the Shorks FB he still held on. Previous years he would've missed half of the tackles he has made

I agree with both these points, but as I'm ever the cynic, I won't be turned around a single iota on QC (Quade Cooper) until he starts performing consistently on the World Stage. The thing about winning a Lions Series/Bledisloe/World Cup is that playing well 75% of the time just isn't good enough, especially for a 5/8.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I would still like to see QC (Quade Cooper) at #10 for the Wobs. There is really no one else putting their hand up at the moment.

 

[TSR]

How times have changed. Watching the Reds get in a huddle around Greg Holmes at the end and pour bottled water over his head. No beer. No champagne. Couldn't even find a tub of Gatorade.