clutch wrote:
Think all the Matuitia bashing is a bit unfair. He’s a perfectly solid squad option. He’s just not a stand off. He had a decent season last year and got through a load of work when the pack weren’t making any yardage. Think he’s probably a loose forward. Not his fault Powell keeps inexplicably starting him at stand off. Just feels like a fall guy. Far bigger issues to worry about.
That pass for Thewlis was perfectly good. Also gets given 9.5/10. The game is a shambles. Who calls that. A ref can’t see it. Does a touch judge? Have to bring back video ref interventions. PM is in front of the ball when he catches it. Unless he accelerated after the pass it can’t be forward.
I agree that it’s not necessarily Matautia’s fault, but either he or Powell are in for a really uncomfortable video review session this week. Anyone that has been in one knows it’s not one way traffic, often with some robust push back from players.
We can’t avoid how on three occasions Matautia had the ball in try scoring opportunities (the two in my earlier post, plus the Thewlis no-try) and we didn’t score any. They have to be in the video. Now, if he’s been told to let the ball go and give the backs the chance, he’s in the stands next week. No two ways about it, he didn’t follow the plan and ultimately we lost as a direct result. Alternatively, if the plan was to play short and he followed blindly until 78 minutes where he breaks ranks but gets the pass wrong, you can expect Matautia (and I should hope the senior players) to stand up for himself and turn the revolver on Powell.
We’ll know when the team sheet goes up at the weekend, because you can’t pick Matautia again if he has bombed 3 chances out of 3 in such an important game, regardless of how much you might like him.
