Re: Yesterday’s Game : Sun Jan 21, 2018 4:29 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

Hadn't Wigan just lost back to back Grand Finals before they beat us in 2016?

Most of our players in 2016 were not involved in the earlier Grand Final defeats, it was only Hill, Ratchford and Atkins.

I think there is a difference. For Wigan winning the GF is nothing new. It's been done before and will be done again and they had just won it in 2013 before winning it again in 2016. Their squad will have no doubts it can be done and what is needed to do it.

On the other hand our squad had no SL winning experience in it, the monkey on their back of 60+ years of not winning and Tony was staring down the barrel of 3 defeats with the group.

Plus I never said it was the only reason for an abject 2017.

Re: Yesterday’s Game : Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:07 am  

Would like to see us run the ball on the last tackle a bit more often instead of kicking it all the time

Re: Yesterday’s Game : Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:19 am  

I think we’ll see a lot of structured “5 drives and a kick� stuff until we start to gel a bit, and until the ground dries up a bit and we get to see Roberts’ and his footwork.

Re: Yesterday’s Game : Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:58 am  

The game looked structured for sure, but not in attack (as yet) but in defence.

We seem to be trying to operate with a kind of block zone defence, where players work in a combination to defend an area, a bit like a gridiron defence.

We will seldom see any players shoot out of the defensive line to nail a player.
Probably an end to the charge down unless the ball is kicked at us.
An end or player limitation on a sliding defence.
Probably only the fullback dropping back for a kick on the last play while the wingers may have to remain in their zone.
A more even share of tackles between the players. Certain zones may aquire more attention than others but generally similar across the zones.

Pretty much how the NRL do it... however it does snuff out the game flow and makes it low scoring. So long as only we play this ploy it should be alright to watch for sometime, until the other teams start to do similar.

Re: Yesterday’s Game : Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:28 am  

rubber duckie wrote:

Probably an end to the charge down unless the ball is kicked at us.

Hallelujah! Putting pressure on the kicker is one thing, but I can count on one hand the number of times a chargedown has paid off for us. We usually end up giving away a free repeat set.

rubber duckie wrote:

Pretty much how the NRL do it... however it does snuff out the game flow and makes it low scoring. So long as only we play this ploy it should be alright to watch for sometime, until the other teams start to do similar.

I'd take that over the turgid cluelessness we've had recently any day. Hopefully that gives the platform for the brighter players to be able to create some magic moments around that.

Another upshot I guess would be it being easier to bring though the youngsters. Slotting into a club-wide structure and playing style you're used to is far easier than being thrown into a very heavy "off the cuff" dissorganised mess and being expected to perform.

Re: Yesterday’s Game : Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:05 am  

Off the cuff and disorganised sounds like the last 4 years.

Re: Yesterday’s Game : Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:54 am  

wire-flyer wrote:

Would like to see us run the ball on the last tackle a bit more often instead of kicking it all the time

I would like to see an element of doubt put into the defence. Little chips over the top behind the defensive line and from 40m out instead of the hail mary. A set attack down the blindside where a late runner makes an overlap. Something creative which gets the crowd on their feet.

Re: Yesterday’s Game : Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:59 am  

rubber duckie wrote:

The game looked structured for sure, but not in attack (as yet) but in defence.

We will seldom see any players shoot out of the defensive line to nail a player.

What is this shooting out of the line and nailing a player you refer to. I have seen plenty of shooting out of the line followed by the opposition going in at the corner....Not a nailed player lying anywhere!!

Re: Yesterday’s Game : Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:00 pm  

I’d take steady predictable rugby any day if it leads to a first championship in 60 years...

However, I don’t expect us to be that boring with Roberts in the side. Based on his highlights on YouTube he can do the off the cuff stuff when it’s needed without the undue risk. Brown can do the positional kicking and keep the team in check.

Re: Yesterday’s Game : Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:01 pm  

How about a variation on the usual kick to the corner for the winger? The old fashioned up n under to the posts should be brought back where more players are available to attack the line.