Season Slipping Away

Season Slipping Away

For weeks we have been waiting for the side that we saw the first 11 rounds come back. Surely this was to be the week. With it all on the line. A win and it’s basically a finals spot. Lose and we would be walking the tightrope. 

Expectations were high. With both Hame and Junior back. We were only missing Tom Burgess. In our way were the Knights. A team that has turned their season right around. 

It wasn’t going to be easy. If we were to win we needed to be at our best. Sadly it didn’t take long to see that wasn’t going to be the case. 

Completion Rate 44%

By halftime we had a completion rate of 44%. That is unheard of. Only thing keeping us in the game was the fact the Knights were missing their kicks. 

Second half gave a bit of hope. An early try to Cook from the base of the scrum. We were back in this game. Maybe the half time talk from the coach pulled them into line.

An easy conversion by Latrell hit the post and missed. That summed up where his head was at. 

Then the blunder by the refs. An 8^th tackle try. Whilst we need to be able to defend, these sort of things shouldn’t be happening in the game. 

As the game continued things just kept falling apart. The Knights were opening us up easily through the middle now. Some brittle defence. 

A Contentious Try

Another contentious try to the Knights where the ball hit the ref. Somehow it’s awarded a try. The game and our season were really starting to slip away. 

A try to Shaq through good lead up by our captain left the door ajar for us. Then another error by Latrell that lead to a try. That was game. 

How do we find ourselves in this situation? From being first after 11 rounds to playing a sudden death game against our biggest rivals in the final round? 

We need so much to turn around to save our season. The attitude just isn’t there. Only a handful of players can really hold their head up. 

Cook & Tallis

Damien Cook was the stand out. Seemed to quite often trouble the Knights defenders. Tallis Duncan once again didn’t take a backward step. 

A poor kicking game, poor efforts in defence and most of all a completion rate under 60%. How can you even be in a game where you’re turning that much ball over? 

I don’t like to single out one individual as there were poor efforts all over the 17. However, Latrell just didn’t look to have his head in the game. Stats tell one story, but at the game you could see the body language. Then to do something so silly when the game was basically over. That’s just not acceptable. When we need him the most, he cost himself the chance to play against the Roosters. 

Now it’s the week off and the bye. It couldn’t come at a better time. With all the outside noise happening it’s time for the playing group to get together and fix this. An honesty session is needed. They need to ask themselves how much do they want this? 

For us fans we are sitting back thinking what could have been for this season. 

Our next game is the Roosters. Our biggest rivals. I feel sick knowing they could end our season. On the other side of it how good would the feeling be of us ending their season 2 years in a row? Sadly the way we are playing now I can’t see it. 

Kyle Turner

There was a touching moment before the game where John Sutton put the No.15 Jersey over a seat in honour of Kyle Turner. When I saw that on the big screen I teared up. 

The news of the passing of Kyle came as a shock to us all. This really did hit hard. For anyone who met Kyle knew how much of a beautiful man he was. Always gave his time to all the fans. Such a humble man. 

In 2016 Kyle won The Burrow Appreciation Award. This was in recognition of the efforts to come back after that horrific neck injury. Kyle also won The Burrow NYC player award in 2011. An award I had the privilege of awarding to him. 

RIP Big Dog.

Season Slipping Away.

By Josh Kemp for Bunnies TV.