Josh Kemp Rabbitohs v Storm Recap

Some games you can tell from the early stages of the game how the team is going to perform. From the get go they looked flat. Maybe the effects from the previous week? The emotion of the game and the physicality of it. Did that have an impact? I have to say watching the Manly game last night they weren’t on either.

Accor Stadium.

We certainly weren’t playing with the same intensity of the previous weeks. It was one of those games that was frustrating for the fans.

Winning Stats

Looking at the stats it was a game we should have won. We beat them in many areas of the game. Yet the most important stat we lost. That was the scoreboard.

Josh Kemp Rabbitohs v Storm Recap
Errors again were a factor.

That shows that we didn’t take our chances. It was like we didn’t want to play with patience. Errors again were a factor. Too often drop balls and poor passes took the pressure off the Storm. You certainly can’t do that against the Storm.

Tom, Hame, Cam & Davvy

Even though we were depleted in the middle forwards I don’t think they let us down. Tom was a stand out for us. He made it his mission to take on the Storm pack and came out on top.

Hame Sele had a good return game as well. Cam Murray did everything he could to get us the win. Didn’t leave anything out there. There is never a week though that is any different with Cam.

Moale I thought played one of his best games for us thus far. That hit he did could have been a game changer. From that the Storm did get a poor kick away and we had good field position followed by a penalty.

One of Moales best games.

Instead of making them pay off the back of that attacking their line Campbell dropped the ball attacking their line on the second. Such a familiar story of the night.

Dangerous Cook

Cook looked dangerous when he ran from dummy half. Was really testing the Storm defence and had them on high alert. Then there was the try saver. Storm looked set to score for all money only for Cook to save the day.

Damien Cook looked dangerous.

We have had a few of those efforts this year. Those sort of plays can be the difference between winning and losing. They can keep you in the game.

One play from Cook that was frustrating was the play after Latrell did a string hit up attacking the line. It took 4 players to bring him down. A quick play the ball with players around the ruck and last tackle. Cook goes for it from dummy half. It wasn’t the play. The ball needed to go out to the right.

Game highlights.

Chance Not Taken

One of many chances that we had.

As mentioned before the Campbell knock on in the first half. There was the Cam pass off the ground. Latrell knocking it on. Thompson getting taken into touch. AJ dropping the ball short of the line. Even Tom offloading.

You could see in that play where Tom offloaded and the play where Coates dropped the kick the difference in the mentality on the night of the 2 sides. When Tom offloaded the Storm player was there. Then with the Coates drop ball we had a few players around it, but Coates showed the urgency that we didn’t have.

Those effort areas are big in close contests.

Cody Walker leading the left.

Defence Quite Good

Defensively for most part we were quite good. The effort by AJ on their winger wasn’t great at all. That was a try that should never have been scored. This is one area that AJ has been poor this year.

Early in the second half the Storm cut us open twice very early. One we were lucky not to concede. The other ended up being the difference in the game. It came off the back of a tackle that should have been made. A poor effort.

Ilias ‘roller coaster’ year.

Lachy Up & Down

Ilias seems to be having a bit of a roller coaster year. After the game winning field goal the previous week I was hopeful that his confidence was going to be up. His passing was off. Too often killed momentum with passes going out the back. The Storm were rushing up on him and giving him no time. I thought he needed to stand a bit deeper when that was happening to give himself a bit of extra time.

Cody had a couple of moments in the game. Never stopped trying. I’m not a fan of his mid field bombs though. Just doesn’t get the height needed. Needs to leave that for Lachie.

Josh Kemp Rabbitohs v Storm Recap
Alex Johnstopn & Latrell Mitchell.

Trell Mit

Latrell is a strange one. I’ve seen many bagging him. Saying he doesn’t get involved enough. For me it is his involvement in the early parts of the game. Also his positioning at the back. If he positioned himself better the Storm wouldn’t have scored their first try. 

I don’t think we will ever see Latrell do the work of other fullbacks. That’s not his way. There isn’t a better ball playing fullback in the game. His kick returns were also questionable. Yet I think there was method in his madness. Using the burst of energy to try and break the tackle. Didn’t seem to work though.

I thought like the previous week he was much better in the second half. He did have much more involvement.

Izaac Thompson had one of his best games.

Itom

Izaac Thompson had one of his best games. Took some great catches. Ran hard all night. Getting our sets off to a great start. This is where we need him to be at.

Bring On The Dogs

A disappointing and frustrating night. Another game where we walk away thinking we could have won. Still a very long season. Now to play the Dogs on the traditional Good Friday game.

Josh Kemp Rabbitohs v Storm Recap
The Burrow on Friday night.

Josh Kemp Rabbitohs v Storm Recap.

By Josh Kemp for Bunnies TV.

2 comments

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  • Absolutely correct Josh so many posting negative comments on the game on the night the boys will go back and look at what needs to be fixed hopefully we can get the points against the doggies

  • I would like to see Taas do a little bit more with the ball.
    Seems to always want to run hard into the defence and forget any ball skills.
    He has the best finishing winger on his outside, top try scorer for the past 2 seasons.
    Run to the line, draw the defence and then pass, AJ will do the rest