Well that was a disappointing performance and not exactly unexpected. We’ve been slow starters for some weeks and we were made to pay yesterday. That first half “performance” was the reason we lost. I was striking how much more dynamic York looked. They took the ball up quicker, made easy yards and looked really slick and organised. In comparison we rarely got our hands on the ball and when we did we were dominated in the collision and this led to a really slow PTB. We seemed unable to deal with York lying in the ruck, which wasn’t effectively policed. Defensively we were soft. There was some weak contact and we allowed too many offloads. This was across the park with both fringes and the middles guilty. Our line speed was non-existent compared to York who raced up to shut us down very effectively.
Second half we dragged ourselves back into the game gradually. Had Grant not knocked on over the line we might even have won. It was a great effort to get back into it but the better side won. They did everything they needed to do to waste time and slow things down – obviously the plan was to blitz us early and then try and withstand the fightback and it worked.
Things that stood out for me:
Hallas is not a hooker. He’s a decent defender and gives 100% but his service from DH is too slow and inaccurate. He also makes too many iffy decisions whether to run or pass. That might be down to a lack of a call from the 1st receiver sometimes but it happens too often. I prefer Sam in at loose forward where he takes the ball up strongly and has a great engine. We’d have been better going with Halafihi and Flanagan yesterday IMO.
Our halfbacks struggled behind a pack that was second best for the first 40mins. When we did get some ball we didn’t look very convincing. Balls were being caught above heads or players were having to juggle them or check their runs to catch them. The recruitment of Lilley and apparently Liam Finn makes me wonder if Kear thinks we need a change. The contrast with how York moved the ball was stark – abeit they were running against a static defence.
Our game plan needs to take a few more risks as we're too predictable. Some more offloads and getting the ball wider stretched York more in the 2nd half.
Our line speed is non existent. From chatting to a mate at Hunslet this was identified by Gary Thornton and picked up on. We generally move forward a couple of paces then stop to effect the tackle, this allows too many cheap yards in my view and a good side will get on the front foot too easily. Are we not fit enough to defend more aggressively? While we’re organised and nobody rushes out we’re weak on the edges and it showed with tries conceded on both sides yesterday.
This weather doesn’t suit some of our bigger forwards. Callum Bustin really was struggling yesterday even before his knee knock. Liam Kirk has also struggled in the heat. Crossley and Peltier less so. But it means our defence around the ruck can be exploited if the big lads are struggling.
Liam Johnson is a backrow not a centre. The sooner Smith is back the better.
) that had Gibson and Smith been on the pitch a 24 - 0 lead would not have happened. No only was our left flank woefully exposed defensively, we didn't actually force their wingers into any work til after 60 mins...added to the fact Johnson could get the ball to Grant who had a clear overlap...
