Dear Mr. McRae : Sat Mar 21, 2009 5:48 pm  

Dear Mr. McRae,

If I understood your remarks to the press the other week correctly you said or implied that you did not know what to do to improve Salford's performances. As someone who has seen all our pre-season and League matches so far, might I presume to offer you the following advice?

On attack we could practise moves in which we have dummy runners so that our playmakers have options and do not just have one man to pass to, who is then forced to drive the ball into the nearest opponent. We could practise moves which do not involve the first receiver just driving the ball into the nearest opposition forward. We could practise moving the ball wider more quickly so that we can exploit space on the fringes. Somebody could work with our kickers to improve their kicking games so that we had options near the opposition line. We could also practise kicking from our own half so that the opposition full back was forced to move a few yards - or even go backwards - to field the ball.

On defence we could practise moving up quickly in a line so that we could smother the opposition and give them little or no room to play with. We could practise putting two or three men into the tackle and attempting to smother the ball so that the opposition could not pass it in the tackle. Then we could practise dominating the tackle so that the opposition could not play the ball very quickly. We could find time for our full-back and wingers to practise finding the correct field position to catch the ball on the full when the opposition kick it instead of letting it bounce.

As a team we could have sessions which made the players aware of the importance of teamwork so that they were pleased with each other's contributions so that important tackles were celebrated. We could also try to decide how the opposition were going to play and try to develop ways of counteracting them. For example, if we had realised that Wigan - like any Brian Noble team - would attempt to dominate the tackle and the 'ruck' area by turning us onto our backs to slow down our play the balls, we could have wriggled about and tried very hard to get to our feet early and we might just have been awarded the odd penalty instead of lying submissively in every tackle.

I hope you find this useful and can plan some training sessions to incorporate some of these ideas as I am getting a little worried about what I keep seeing as I think that the sum total of each player's skills is far far greater than the team's performances suggest.

Yours in sport,

RedDave

: Sat Mar 21, 2009 5:58 pm  

i just like to add that as most tries are scored from open play and a great way to create open play is from an off load could you devise some sort of training program that incorporated players practicing passing the ball from a tackle and for other players to anticipate this, i believe the term is to back them up.

any variation in play would be appreciated as my wife only in her second season as a fan now has no problem predicting our play.

ta

: Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:01 pm  

On defence we could practise moving up quickly in a line so that we could smother the opposition and give them little or no room to play with. We could practise putting two or three men into the tackle and attempting to smother the ball so that the opposition could not pass it in the tackle. Then we could practise dominating the tackle so that the opposition could not play the ball very quickly. We could find time for our full-back and wingers to practise finding the correct field position to catch the ball on the full when the opposition kick it instead of letting it bounce.

This paragraph sums up probably the things that have annoyed me most about the team when watching them play this season and to an extent the two before that.

We never move up and always wait for the opposition to run into us rather than moving forward and looking to make the tackle - if you stand there and the opposition player has momentum, you're going to get driven back and give up even more metres - simple stuff but we don't seem to be able to grasp it.

Teams offloading when there's 3 in the tackle is just as bad - if there's 3 in there, one of them has to get their ball carrying arm wrapped up. It's basic but again, we don't seem capable of it at the moment.

: Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:22 pm  

I would like to had that we as a defence cant seem to tackle round the legs we always seem to go high and thats how teams break are line so easy so learning how to tackle a must as well also agree with all comments above. I cant see them listening thouh they never listen to supporters

: Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:54 pm  

I would add tape yourself on sky and listen to your own advice, you talk a good game on TV just don't coach one in real life.

: Sat Mar 21, 2009 8:19 pm  

i suppose you believe you could so much better? i am fed up with hearing so called supporters booing jeering and generally getting on the players backs. i mean did you really believe we were going to win super league this is a new team in a new league and it will develop over the next year or so, i was stood in front of a guy last night who was just waiting for the players to make a mistake then he could shout (this is rubbish) i saw and spoke to a few of the players after the game away from the ground and believe me they are hurting they are doing everything possible to put things right and our job as supporters is to SUPPORT. ps all the guys were sat around the same table and i can assure anyone there is certainly no problems in the camp they looked very together, so we can now quash all the they dont get on rumours!!!!!

Please let the coach get on with it he knows what he is doing he as the winners medals to prove it.

: Sat Mar 21, 2009 8:34 pm  

brooky red
the coach did ask for advice from the fans, does this sound like a man who knows what he is doing, over here in the past he has had world class players at his disposal, when in oz he ended up with the wooden spoon twice before being relieved of his post.
Wigan were forced to play the kids and these have kept out the aussies, McRae does not like young players for some reason yet Myler stood out like a sore thumb last night, pair him with Ratchford in the middle and put Thornley back on the wing, but he will always play the Aussie holiday makers first and that is what is getting on fans nerves. we have some good young players who would benefit form two world class aussies rather than five limp lettuces we have signed agian.

: Sat Mar 21, 2009 8:39 pm  

Bigpev wrote:

Wigan were forced to play the kids and these have kept out the aussies, .

Time for this to happen at Salford now. Putting the kids in at Wigan has improved their season so it's time we did the same.

: Sat Mar 21, 2009 8:49 pm  

Bigpev wrote:

I would add tape yourself on sky and listen to your own advice, you talk a good game on TV just don't coach one in real life.

Sorry to chip in,but he did alright for us at Hull.

: Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:46 pm  

Spoke to some of the aussie players whilst they were waiting for a taxi outside the club last night after they had some comments of some of our fans who were leaving the Willows . They looked very down, they are feeling it as much as the fans & getting personal to them will not help & I did apologise if they were offended.

Im not happy with whats going on on the pitch, but if you don't like it, either don't go & watch it or lets try & give the team some encouragement. We think we all know best & are all closet coaches, maybe some fans don't think much of McReas coaching tactics but along with the injuries at present & players playing out of position, lets get of everyone's backs until we have those players back & see what happens when he has a full squad to pick from.

I didn't hear his post match interview, but if whats posted is right, he is probably as frustrated as the fans are with the play, but lets cut him a bit of slack till the injury situation is resolved