: Fri Apr 03, 2009 10:23 am  

SDB wrote:

Needs to get outta the habit of running across the field tho. Whether thats been coached into him in terms of drawing defenders and sets in your owt 20 or whatever I dont know but he looked alot better last Sunday when he got the ball and ran down the pitch hard and fast, as opposed to running across it.

Sorry, but that's b0llocks.

I constantly hear people moaning about him running sideways, but I'm still at a loss to understand why.

One point in the Cas match, he ran pretty much the full width of the field, to the usual people moaning and complaining about it, but it then allowed him to find a gap and break down the field, nearly setting up a try. This is exactly why it's done.

People never complained too much when Robbie, Henry and TV used to do exactly the same thing.

It's a tactic. It's not just that he doesn't know what he's doing!

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:22 am  

DILLIGAF wrote:

Sorry, but that's b0llocks.

Its not mate. I recognised his game against Cas was pretty much faultless and I was quick to point out he had stormer. Im all for tactics and plays when retrieving a kick chase and I appreciate the need to (as the now attacking team) make as many metres from it as possble. But Platt seemed to run sideways and for not much gain. (which I'm presuming is the tactic's objective) I realised it worked in the Cas game (and worked bloody well) but there have been alot of times when he seems to have run sideways when a simple run up the pitch would have been in my opinion a better play.

Now I realise Ive never played at Super league level, and Its very easy for me to sit here and type away criticising him for something I probably couldnt do myself. But for me, Platt looked better on Sunday because he played with confidence and bacause he also took on the defensive line. Rather than running parallell to it.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:35 am  

I think it's actually a bit weird for people to think they need to tell a pro SL player which way he needs to run.

It's simply a decision he needs to make when he gets the ball in hand, and it has to depend on a number of factors including whereabouts he sees all the defenders bearing down on him.

Only he can judge whether there is a point in piling straight ahead into the onrushing defenders. Sometimes he will - sometimes he won't. If they are close, and he does, then the PTB will be very quick and half his own team might not even have recovered their positions back in the line.

Only he can judge whether there is, or may be, space for a possible break at any part of the defensive line. He might for example not make much yardage, but if he can make an extra 5 yards when by going head-on he'd have made none, then it may well be worth doing.

he also has to judge whether he has any supporting players to whom he can pass. Or if he hasn't, whether by spinning out the play, he might get one or two.

And if he mixes up his play, sometimes going straight, sometimes probing, the defence has no clue what he is going to do in advance.

I think any suggestion that he should always just take the ball back straight and hard, like some apprentice prop, is just simplistic and frankly silly.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:45 pm  

agree with what FA said. Whilst running across the field may not make as much of a gain in terms of yards, it almost always always means it takes longer to tackle the fullback than would be the case if he just ran straight forward and took the tackle. This gives our forwards more time to get back and play a part in the next ptb. Also if he does find a gap and makes a break then he's got the pace to finish it whilst platt hasnt got amuch of a sidestep and has little chance of avoiding a head on tackle which he'd face just going forward as most seem to think he should do.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:59 pm  

DILLIGAF wrote:

Sorry, but that's b0llocks.

I constantly hear people moaning about him running sideways, but I'm still at a loss to understand why.

One point in the Cas match, he ran pretty much the full width of the field, to the usual people moaning and complaining about it, but it then allowed him to find a gap and break down the field, nearly setting up a try. This is exactly why it's done.

People never complained too much when Robbie, Henry and TV used to do exactly the same thing.

It's a tactic. It's not just that he doesn't know what he's doing!

That was exactly my thought too. he ran across the full width of the line, confusing the lot of them till he found the gap.

: Fri Apr 03, 2009 4:00 pm  

mat wrote:

agree with what FA said. Whilst running across the field may not make as much of a gain in terms of yards, it almost always always means it takes longer to tackle the fullback than would be the case if he just ran straight forward and took the tackle. This gives our forwards more time to get back and play a part in the next ptb. Also if he does find a gap and makes a break then he's got the pace to finish it whilst platt hasnt got amuch of a sidestep and has little chance of avoiding a head on tackle which he'd face just going forward as most seem to think he should do.

The forwards rarley take a part in the next play of the ball. It is more often than not the wingers that carry it from dummy half. Alternativley if he does return the ball forwards instead of sideways then the forwards dont have as far to track backwards to be involved in the next few plays. To the person who made comparison to Robbie Paul running sideways, it's a completley different situation. Paul ran sideways with the ball upfield as many half backs do becuse usually there are numerous options along the line for whom to offload the ball to. It's the job of the full back to get us going forwards as quickly as possible and then quickest and easilest way to do this is catch the ball and return it directly.