The run home...
Storm: The run home...
Paul Johnson
20/07/2011 8:35:19 AM
Melbourne Storm
Current Position: 1st
Points: 32 (two points clear of second)
The Run Home: Broncos (H), Eels (A), Panthers (H), Titans (A), Dragons (H), Sea-Eagles (A), Roosters
(A).
Key Match: The Round 24 clash against the Dragons at AAMI Park is one that coach Craig Bellamy would have highlighted early in the season.
As it turns out, certain bookies have already paid out on a Dragons’ minor premiership but Storm are making them look like fools. This match is also one which will see Storm look to enhance their claim as one of the best teams in the NRL right now.
This match in particular is one where Storm can stand up and say they are one of the best, against a team many are calling the current benchmark.
Bragging rights are on the line.
Key Player: Billy Slater – Billy the Kid is still the premier fullback in the NRL and it’s his ability to do the seemingly impossible that makes him so. Slater is fourth in the NRL for line breaks with 13 and makes an average of 142 metres per game, making him as dangerous an opponent as any.
Key Stats: The Storm back three of Slater, Matt Duffie and Justin O’Neill have combined for 20 tries between them making it paramount for opposition kickers to hit the turf with the ball, otherwise these three can take field position and put on the points with ease.
Key Injuries: None
Straight Shooting: Melbourne face one of the toughest runs into the finals with games against Brisbane, Manly and St George-Illawarra to come, coupled with an Origins series which saw Slater, Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith, and Dane Nielsen all heavily involved.
Paul Johnson
20/07/2011 8:35:19 AM
Melbourne Storm
Current Position: 1st
Points: 32 (two points clear of second)
The Run Home: Broncos (H), Eels (A), Panthers (H), Titans (A), Dragons (H), Sea-Eagles (A), Roosters
(A).
Key Match: The Round 24 clash against the Dragons at AAMI Park is one that coach Craig Bellamy would have highlighted early in the season.
As it turns out, certain bookies have already paid out on a Dragons’ minor premiership but Storm are making them look like fools. This match is also one which will see Storm look to enhance their claim as one of the best teams in the NRL right now.
This match in particular is one where Storm can stand up and say they are one of the best, against a team many are calling the current benchmark.
Bragging rights are on the line.
Key Player: Billy Slater – Billy the Kid is still the premier fullback in the NRL and it’s his ability to do the seemingly impossible that makes him so. Slater is fourth in the NRL for line breaks with 13 and makes an average of 142 metres per game, making him as dangerous an opponent as any.
Key Stats: The Storm back three of Slater, Matt Duffie and Justin O’Neill have combined for 20 tries between them making it paramount for opposition kickers to hit the turf with the ball, otherwise these three can take field position and put on the points with ease.
Key Injuries: None
Straight Shooting: Melbourne face one of the toughest runs into the finals with games against Brisbane, Manly and St George-Illawarra to come, coupled with an Origins series which saw Slater, Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith, and Dane Nielsen all heavily involved.
The Run Home: Broncos (H), Eels (A), Panthers (H), Titans (A), Dragons (H), Sea-Eagles (A), Roosters (A).
you would think we could win 4, with 3 close games to test the team out and get some practise for finals footy
you would think we could win 4, with 3 close games to test the team out and get some practise for finals footy
- Bourbon Rat
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Key Match: The Next one - Followed by the one after - Followed by,etc,etc
Key Player: Every one that pulls on the jersey come match day
Key Stats: Belief - Attitude - Teamwork
Everything else is window dressing & journalistic hype
Key Player: Every one that pulls on the jersey come match day
Key Stats: Belief - Attitude - Teamwork
Everything else is window dressing & journalistic hype
Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake - WC Fields
Reported injuries
none
Actual injuries:
Stanley~ season
Kite~round 20?
Johnson~round 20?
Waqa~round 20?
Plus mid-season losses of
Manu
Thompson
O'Neil
Quinn
Duffie
M.Blair
A.Blair
Vea
Champion
It almost reads like we've had an unscathed season, or is it a case of our brilliant coaching staff that our players are fit enough and game plans clever enough to go so far relatively injury free?
[ Post made via iPhone ]
none
Actual injuries:
Stanley~ season
Kite~round 20?
Johnson~round 20?
Waqa~round 20?
Plus mid-season losses of
Manu
Thompson
O'Neil
Quinn
Duffie
M.Blair
A.Blair
Vea
Champion
It almost reads like we've had an unscathed season, or is it a case of our brilliant coaching staff that our players are fit enough and game plans clever enough to go so far relatively injury free?
[ Post made via iPhone ]
- stormsally
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Key Injuries
We don't have an Key Injuries - ones that would seriously affect the way the team plays at the moment. Compared to a lot of other clubs who have multiple 'key' players injured - we have not had any real test injury wise.
Depth to play makers was one of our question marks at the beginning of the season, but even with the Origin Season we haven't had to play more than one game without key players.
We don't have an Key Injuries - ones that would seriously affect the way the team plays at the moment. Compared to a lot of other clubs who have multiple 'key' players injured - we have not had any real test injury wise.
Depth to play makers was one of our question marks at the beginning of the season, but even with the Origin Season we haven't had to play more than one game without key players.
it doesn't look like we have had many injuries this year because every player who has come in has done his job and not looked out of place! all the boys are competing hard and not just leaving it to cam billy n cooper
^spot on^
That's kinda what I was driving at.
And when you consider M. Blair was to be our 5/8. Well that's a pretty key position, so therefore he's a key player.
And Beau Champion was our centre to fill GI's void (a BIG void) injured early season, we then lost his replacement Chase Stanley. Thats 2 injuries in another key position.
With a fairly makeshift forward pack we had our hopes set early on the development of Kite and Johnson. And we lost them without a single NRL game played.
Most teams sook and whinge, we move forward because we NEVER rely solely on 1 or 2 players. Or even a "big 3" whom we lost during origin, and still continued undefeated in their absence and fatigued.
We're the best, that's it!! And it still hasn't sunk in to most of the NRL media.
GO STORM!!!!
[ Post made via iPhone ]
That's kinda what I was driving at.
And when you consider M. Blair was to be our 5/8. Well that's a pretty key position, so therefore he's a key player.
And Beau Champion was our centre to fill GI's void (a BIG void) injured early season, we then lost his replacement Chase Stanley. Thats 2 injuries in another key position.
With a fairly makeshift forward pack we had our hopes set early on the development of Kite and Johnson. And we lost them without a single NRL game played.
Most teams sook and whinge, we move forward because we NEVER rely solely on 1 or 2 players. Or even a "big 3" whom we lost during origin, and still continued undefeated in their absence and fatigued.
We're the best, that's it!! And it still hasn't sunk in to most of the NRL media.
GO STORM!!!!
[ Post made via iPhone ]
- Bourbon Rat
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Long may this happy event continueAnd it still hasn't sunk in to most of the NRL media.
Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake - WC Fields
- Bourbon Rat
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What's the difference betwixt an NRL statman & a top NRL coach
Hint 1 :
A top NRL coach relies on his players willingness to work as a team & do the things that 'facts n figures' say are improbable - One Week At A Time !
BTW : 'History' is written by winners
Hint 1 :
Hint 2 :But the best winning streaks to a premiership since mandatory grand finals in 1954 has been 11 wins in a row – for the Storm to continue without a loss they’d tally 18, smashing almost 60 years of history!
Hint 3 :Are Melbourne in a similar situation and peaking too early? A loss to the Broncos tomorrow night would still leave them equal first with Manly – and would present them with the chance to start a new run.
Hint 4 :If they leave it any later to ‘take one for the team’ – say in back-to-back weeks against the Dragons and Manly in Rounds 24-25 – will their confidence take a battering without enough time to recover?
Answer - An NRL statman has to rely on the tiny unchanging facts n figures.Mathematically most of this is silly. If you toss a coin 20 times and heads comes up each time, it is still 50:50 the next toss will be tails. Plenty of us like to think ‘tails’ must be due for the Storm soon.
A top NRL coach relies on his players willingness to work as a team & do the things that 'facts n figures' say are improbable - One Week At A Time !
BTW : 'History' is written by winners
Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake - WC Fields
i have had a bad feeling about tomorrow night ever since they put out the battle jersey i think we might lose a few b4 the end of the season finish 2nd or 3rd on the ladder
In say that i now wouldnt be surprised if they did win 18 in a row cause the storm tend to make history in the strangest ways
[ Post made via Mobile Device ]
In say that i now wouldnt be surprised if they did win 18 in a row cause the storm tend to make history in the strangest ways
[ Post made via Mobile Device ]
- LESStar58
- Tropical Cyclone
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We're the goods to win the comp and I have had this view since before a ball was kicked in anger in 2011. I'll be more confident of this after the Dragons and Eagles games.
On Maurice Blair; I reckon he will hold Champion out of first grade for the rest of the year. He's a better defender and as he has experience as a half/pivot you can essentially have him as a second five eighth by playing him at inside centre (to borrow some union terminology.
On Maurice Blair; I reckon he will hold Champion out of first grade for the rest of the year. He's a better defender and as he has experience as a half/pivot you can essentially have him as a second five eighth by playing him at inside centre (to borrow some union terminology.
Hint 2..womanly might lose this week and we will be 4 points in front of them. The sydney media are still not giving us credit but we DON`T CARE.Bourbon Rat wrote:What's the difference betwixt an NRL statman & a top NRL coach
Hint 1 :Hint 2 :But the best winning streaks to a premiership since mandatory grand finals in 1954 has been 11 wins in a row – for the Storm to continue without a loss they’d tally 18, smashing almost 60 years of history!Hint 3 :Are Melbourne in a similar situation and peaking too early? A loss to the Broncos tomorrow night would still leave them equal first with Manly – and would present them with the chance to start a new run.Hint 4 :If they leave it any later to ‘take one for the team’ – say in back-to-back weeks against the Dragons and Manly in Rounds 24-25 – will their confidence take a battering without enough time to recover?Answer - An NRL statman has to rely on the tiny unchanging facts n figures.Mathematically most of this is silly. If you toss a coin 20 times and heads comes up each time, it is still 50:50 the next toss will be tails. Plenty of us like to think ‘tails’ must be due for the Storm soon.
A top NRL coach relies on his players willingness to work as a team & do the things that 'facts n figures' say are improbable - One Week At A Time !
BTW : 'History' is written by winners