O/T Boots 'n' All : Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:55 pm  

For anyone who watched it tonight...

For the first quarter of the show when Paul Cullen was reviewing last weeks action was anyone else left with a headache and feeling tired... the guy didn't pause for breath for about 15 minutes, continually went from one game to the other repeating things.

At least it wasnt as bad as last week when he continually counted the number of tacklers in a tackle... one, two, three, four, and again one, two, three, four... suprised audiences weren't falling asleep across the country.

Yes the man talks some sense but jesus tonight its annoying after 60 seconds!

: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:03 pm  

I think its much improved this year. At least the show concentrates on the game . Plenty of action and pretty good analysis and less of the stupid sketches, player quizzes and the like.

: Thu Feb 26, 2009 8:00 am  

Just spoils the show for me having him on. He sits there spouting all this stuff off about why warrington are bad, why didn't he know all this when he was coaching them Can't stand his bl**dy voice. I also think they should show more of the games that are not televised, and go through them, rather than having to sit through games we have already seen on the tv.

: Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:00 am  

In fairness to Cullen, he is doing a coaches analysis, similar to how Tony Rea did it last year.

Its trying to give fans an insight into the types of technical aspects to a game that coaches look for, which should be interesting to people who have more than a passing interest.

When he is talking about numbers of bodies in tackles, winning collision etc, these are all the small building blocks that add up to deciding who wins a game and why, rather than just which team scores the most tries.

For me, keep it in. It may give the likes of the wire fans some kind of understanding as to the size of the task James Lowes has on his hands.

: Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:10 am  

I like it.

: Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:12 am  

saints35 bulls0 wrote:

I like it.

I do too.

Tony Rea was excellent last year and Cullen is doing a similar thing. Highlighting a problem is on thing but fixing it is another.

Take Wigan for example, the right hand side defence this season has been poor to say the least.

Is it all down to Smiths tackling?
I don't think so.

Darrell Goulding is a very good one on one tackler. What he is not doing at the moment is reading the game defensively. Sometimes he comes out of the line sometimes he stays. It's very difficult for whoever is playing inside of him to also then make the correct decision.

Cullen picked up on it last night.

Lat years Rea picked up on Phil Baileys contribution to Wigans defensive line and orgnisation, and as I said in regards to Flannery of Saints, these players are sorely missed when they do not play.

Sean Long has one of the worst defensive records in Rugby League but he doesn't seem to get exposed the way that Smith has done this season.

: Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:47 am  

Sinfield sh*tting himself with that sea eagle.

: Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:45 am  

I enjoyed it too, and having been at a audience with Scully which Cullen was on the panel, I had a different view of the guy by the end of the evening.

: Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:50 am  

I think most people are scared by Cullen. His ability to read the game and make it simple for the "casual observer" some how makes many people feel inferior.

The guy may have been turd as a man manager, but he isn't half tactically aware. The show is better for him.

: Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:51 am  

While not having seen these programmes. I think its encouraging that some of the technical aspects of RL are being taught to fans.

For years fans have been kept in the dark on offensive and defensive strategies, and as a result our enjoyment and appreciation of the sport is curtailed.

Revealing some of the subtleties of the sport also will help some fans respect the work more, that many players do. Often much of this work goes unappreciated by many on the terraces, who see only a big hit or a blockbusting run, rather than good positional play, off the ball running, excellent player to player communication etc.