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IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
False illusions.
As we head towards the end of the silly season, how good/bad are we?
It's funny you know, after some promising practice match form last pre-season, was anyone expecting the pounding we got from the Bullies in round 1?
I sure wasn't.
I doubt the team or Wallace knew what hit them based on the pathetic way we capitulated in that game.
We were not even remotely competitive against a team that despite clearly being better than us, were completely switched on and came ready to play in the opening game.
Were we under false illusions? Perhaps we thought we were better than we were after belting them in an earlier practice match only a few weeks before?
That false confidence certainly shouldn't be an issue this time around.
The good thing this year is that after some disappointing performances in the preliminary matches, we are under no artificial pretenses going into the Carlton match in round 1. Where as only a few weeks ago everyone considered us a near certainty of victory against the Blues.
Now in light of our wobbly form, the pressure for the team to perform is on. Many sectors are questioning everything Richmond as to whether we are any good at all. That may just work in our favour.
This time up in the first regular game nobody should be taking any result for granted, particularly in light of the Blues recent run of hollow victories.
Unlike last year, ideally this should get the team and the coach 100% focussed on the crucial first game.
To add to all of this, preseason form has an impressive history of false illusions.
The NAB Cup means Jack Squat except for a few dollars and no matter how well/poorly teams perform, it's insignificant when the siren finally sounds for the first bounce of the regular season.
Not to compare us but the Swans didn't win a practice game the last two seasons and despite this made the AFL grand final both times. Yet the previous preseason cup winners in '05/'06, didn't even make the final 8.
Again this year we have two teams(Carlton & Brisbane) widely tipped for the spoon a few weeks ago playing off in the NAB grand final.
How can you truly form any judgments on how teams will travel during the season proper based on that evidence?
False illusions? Hmmm...
Supporters need to see how we go in the real games before going off half cocked that our team is destined to slide. As usual many doom sayers here are already writing the season off before the opening siren.
*A reminder - After the first 3 rounds of last season, the media & many posters here were suggesting we'd be lucky to win a game, yet we finished 9th. It's far too soon to be writing off our chances.
It's truly hard to gauge much from practice match form and despite our apparent shaky start, it will all amount to nothing when the regular season starts. We'll have a far clearer indication about round 7 as to where we are at.
So until then take a chill pill and look forward to the season with optimisim.
We may just be pleasantly surprised. 8)
As we head towards the end of the silly season, how good/bad are we?
It's funny you know, after some promising practice match form last pre-season, was anyone expecting the pounding we got from the Bullies in round 1?
I sure wasn't.
I doubt the team or Wallace knew what hit them based on the pathetic way we capitulated in that game.
We were not even remotely competitive against a team that despite clearly being better than us, were completely switched on and came ready to play in the opening game.
Were we under false illusions? Perhaps we thought we were better than we were after belting them in an earlier practice match only a few weeks before?
That false confidence certainly shouldn't be an issue this time around.
The good thing this year is that after some disappointing performances in the preliminary matches, we are under no artificial pretenses going into the Carlton match in round 1. Where as only a few weeks ago everyone considered us a near certainty of victory against the Blues.
Now in light of our wobbly form, the pressure for the team to perform is on. Many sectors are questioning everything Richmond as to whether we are any good at all. That may just work in our favour.
This time up in the first regular game nobody should be taking any result for granted, particularly in light of the Blues recent run of hollow victories.
Unlike last year, ideally this should get the team and the coach 100% focussed on the crucial first game.
To add to all of this, preseason form has an impressive history of false illusions.
The NAB Cup means Jack Squat except for a few dollars and no matter how well/poorly teams perform, it's insignificant when the siren finally sounds for the first bounce of the regular season.
Not to compare us but the Swans didn't win a practice game the last two seasons and despite this made the AFL grand final both times. Yet the previous preseason cup winners in '05/'06, didn't even make the final 8.
Again this year we have two teams(Carlton & Brisbane) widely tipped for the spoon a few weeks ago playing off in the NAB grand final.
How can you truly form any judgments on how teams will travel during the season proper based on that evidence?
False illusions? Hmmm...
Supporters need to see how we go in the real games before going off half cocked that our team is destined to slide. As usual many doom sayers here are already writing the season off before the opening siren.
*A reminder - After the first 3 rounds of last season, the media & many posters here were suggesting we'd be lucky to win a game, yet we finished 9th. It's far too soon to be writing off our chances.
It's truly hard to gauge much from practice match form and despite our apparent shaky start, it will all amount to nothing when the regular season starts. We'll have a far clearer indication about round 7 as to where we are at.
So until then take a chill pill and look forward to the season with optimisim.
We may just be pleasantly surprised. 8)