- The Force looked much the better coached team, certainly in 2H. Rookie HC to rookie HC, Wessells appears to have engendered both greater attacking and forwards play coherence and skill than is present in the early 2017 Reds in what is on paper a far less well-ranked and well-resourced Force team than the Reds. And the Reds' set pieces have gone backwards since 2016, their line out was (inexcusably) laughable.
Two games in and a near-loss vs an ordinary Sharks team and a loss to the Force with low levels of Reds consistency and discipline in both games.....not the optimal endorsement as yet re Stiles as a Reds-saving HC. I always argue that it takes 6-7 rounds of a Super season to assess a new HC; if they are capable they will make significant and sustained improvements in team performance (both skills capability and w-l ratio) in this window. If not, they will likely be a dud, or remain as mediocre.
- Objective students of that tantalising subject - QC (Quade Cooper) history - will surely know that he's been on the slide since 2011. His once-remarkable step and speed have both badly deteriorated, his hero plays now are consistently far more risk than reward, his place kicking has worsened overall, his mistake rate is potentially game-losing, he often looks lost in the game and plays accordingly. He was sacked from Toulon through poor standards of play - and they were right - and why anyone here would think he'd rescue the 2017 Reds is beyond sound analysis. He once was an A grade 10 at Super level, he's now a C/C-. Jono Lance (as but one example) when fit is today the better 10, in the round. Let's hope for improvement, but head says it's not likely, heart hopes for the past reborn.
- Yet again in Smith and Moore the Reds were suckered in by prestige reputations and neither is delivering in relation their hefty $ tags. Ready > Moore, Gill > Smith. Gill's loss yet another isolated tragedy of the Graham catastrophe.
- FFS - the excuse-making re 'soapy ball' (along with the now-endemic ref-bashing here when our favourites crash and burn) is a sad reflection on where Aus rugby fans and Foxtel comms are in 2017, the expected standards and expectations of player excellence are now so low. Pro players adapt and adjust and the best will quickly figure out how to use the conditions to if anything to favour them over the opposition. Most Reds players grew up playing in high QLD humidity from February to April, less so WA-based players where the summers are typically very dry.
- commercially speaking, the Reds' and Force's early 2017 season crowd levels are truly scary. 15,000 at Suncorp, 7,000 at nib. Crowd income (which relates to membership income/levels and ultimately affects sponsorship appetite and $ levels) is a crucial cash source for State RUs and these levels, if not dramatically improved, will have marked impacts on RU solvency as 2017 progresses. 15,000 at Suncorp is IIRC materially under average Reds crowd levels in 2009, a nadir year for the QRU financially and otherwise.
- congratulations Force! You're playing better and with many 'no names' than you have in many years. Rewarding good coaching and good selection (and you very wisely avoided the pre-season media hype-up trap, unlike Stiles and the QRU). Your 2H performance was outstanding and you absolutely deserved to win.
