double post
Let's be honest: with a team featuring Kosta, Finkler, Roly and Rossi this result was what we would have assumed would happen if we'd thought about it pre-season.
It's only after the very average season we have had that we would think that those players might have trouble blowing away the Jets.
Add Roy and WeeMac into the mix. Smeltz later on in the season. The team is stacked, it is hard to understand how the season ended up so average we were worried about being beaten by the Jets. You can argue the squad makeup isn't the best, but the quality individuals, the depth like the Nix have never had before. A-Rod has had a break-out season (with general consensus going from waste of import to sign him up), and Lia has been pretty damn solid. They even found a RB in Tratt. How did things end up so bad?
Because our midfield wilts at the first sign of pressure. Rodriguez and Lia get pulled apart by any decent movement. Last night they played with their head up because there was no pressure on them at all, the Jest sat back and let them play. I still don't get the praise for Rodriguez, he has no passing range and has gone completely missing time and time again against the big teams
I'll agree that the combination of Lia and A-rod lacks mobility. Disagree on A-Rod goes missing - go re-read some game reports against the big teams we lost to, many mention A-rod being one of our best despite the result. Try watching him play (without blinkers on) he's not fast but the amount of last ditch tackles he makes is impressive, he'll also always be available to recieve a pass, and once he passes he moves into space to receive again immediately (something that NZ raised midfields struggle with, pass and move). Passing range is debateable, he clearly has a mandate to not pass long, but keep the ball moving through the midfield, and even with the occassional mis-placed passed, has the highest completed passing percentage in the team and the highest completed passing percentage in the league while in the opposition half.