Personally I think it is excuses, and at this point I feel handing excuses to this mob does us no service at all. What was it, we played rank 5, 10 and 15? But we're going to argue over which points should count against the defence coach and which dont? Really?
Just wait for the black jumpers.
Grey has no proven ability at Soup. The strangeness is only matched by an attack coach who has little to boast about in terms of attack at Soup level. Is someone getting ready to explain statistics away from Bernie?
The set up as far as I can tell (reading the analysts) is conservative in attack re the forwards (pod formation matching like to like), and unusual in defence in the backs (set up lines that open channels for the opposition).
You cant knock them for testing odd combinations here, but it's not working. Sometimes its tricky to part the creative from the clueless, but I'll be guided by the W/L ratio here.
Oh yeah, lets put it down to fitness. If only these blokes were fit enough to implement Cheika's scheme. Hell that'll do it, palm off responsibility for yet another season.
Anyone else here remember Cheika as Soup coach responding to Link's concern about Skelton's fitness? Goose and gander stuff.
The stat adjusters might not like it but I'll be focusing on "goose" till something convincing happens to the contrary.
Little reason to suspect this is immanent.