Short Sharp and Flat at Speed

[Ralphie]

One of my big pet hates over the years that i have harped on to death is the "over-use" of deep wide distribution from Dummy Half, usually behind lazy lead runners. It can kill go forward, it will cause sideways attack that does not engage the defensive line and reduces/cramps the outside attacking options allowing the inside defense to slide making it easy to flood the edges and ball carrier with defensive numbers.

I've stated before fix our go forward momentum and it will take a load of pressure off the defense and the attack will look more straight and sharp.

Short passing from dummy half to hard running straight runners or hitting against the grain stepping back in with numbers, always surrounding the lead runner for the option play/spread to mix it up---piling up around the play the ball ready for the next hit up over and over at speed.

This is what Barrett has envisioned from day 1 and the players are starting to have confidence, backing themselves to hit a line and go for it, drilling between defenders at pace and either bending or half coming through with momentum.

The improved go forward numbers from the back coming from Tom and Taufua,(even Brayden is starting to play harder and coming through tackles) leading into Lussick(the aggressive leadership we so needed with high effort,intensity and consistency this past month or so), Taupau, Jake, Buhrer and Green is allowing Manly to gain good field position and defend against more exhausted bigger forwards, reducing the penalties against us in the process at the critical times (we are now "starting" to be seen as the enforcer/momentum leaders in the contest in the grind.)

Loving DCE positioning short, flat and ahead of the attacking line when receiving the ball from dummy half, it helps offer more options off either hip and keeps the attack straight.

Nice to see Manly get out of autopilot structured spreads and look off the inside hip, coming back in with plays against lazy central defenders who are so used to switching off when the ball heads right staying right, heads left stays left with second man spreads.

I've mentioned in the past the inside hip and playing through the middle with options is under-used, you can even telegraph the play to Lyon or Tom using them as decoys for another explosive runner on the inside for variation.

I mentioned when the decision was made to switch Walker back to centre i would like to see Walker being used at times as a third floating ball-playing option to take advantage of his skill-set.(keeps Dylan interested and challenged at Manly beyond just playing as a conventional limited centre) With less pressure to organize and create Walker can chime in with quality not quantity.

It appears Barrett is allowing this third ball-playing/runner option to unfold as seen before Walker's hand injury there were times where Walker has chimed in on the left or offered the outside inside ball play, great to see.

Next year is starting to take shape add another 1-2 power forwards to keep the momentum going off the bench for longer periods and Manly is starting to look dangerous again.

Some fans here really lack a little patience and respect, comparing Barrett's performance against Tooves(in our real bad patch) who worked with the squad and coaching staff years beforehand was a poor comparison.(on top of having an extra ball-playing option in Foran at the time)

Barrett is in a rebuilding stage with the sqaud along with a new coaching/rehab staff, bring Toovey into that kind of role and you would get results no better than what has been on offer, as would 95% of new Coaches, not picking on Tooves just illustrating the point to some fans.

You just beat me to it, I was just about to start a thread which said all of that.........except for the fuzzy bit in the middle.

 

[Woodsie]

I agree... But I miss the old "simple" days... We had three rules..

1) forwards go forward.

2) backs do fancy, pretty stuff whilst hanging out with footballers.

3) anyone not wearing your colours, or holding a flag/whistle was fair game in a stink.

3a) you can't run without a head.

Hehe

Edit: there may have been more, but us front rowers struggle after counting past "3"

Back in the day the only game plan was to get on top.

Just about every pre game talk Ray Ritchie (Bless him) ever gave started with "Ok, after the first 10 minutes I want you to ......."

Every body knew the first 10 minutes was to be spend getting physically on top, if you didn't, any game plan was going to be difficult to impose.


PS Komori, You forgot to mention, protect your wingers at all times, they are worth there weight in rocking horse poo.

 

[KOMORI]

Wingers? Nah!! Blokes who hang around footballers lol

Hopefully all they did was score tries

My game plan as such was always pretty simple: I was the team goon lol. My job was to "sort out" any forwards the coach told me to and the rest was "keep it simple stupid"... Just bang it up and wreck people. Easy

 

[Go manly]

Love ya work TC
But way to smart for me

Couldn't work out if the message was to inform the forum about how smart you were or to provide advice and support to the coaching staff on how we can improve

Either way "like I said "you definatley mentioned it previously a number of times previously

No joke though

I wish I could watch a game and see all them lines angles and slides that crush to the left and right

Me , I just try and not cheer too much when we score

I'm a circles and smoke and mirrors man myself

 

[Technical Coach]

I still think our attack inside the opposition 20 leaves a hell if a lot to be desired. We had a few nice set plays against the bunnies but once again we should've finished more opportunities. Too many times dce was handing it to a flat footed forward or getting caught with the ball. Our play inside their 20 needs to be much faster, and we still had our classic "let the opposition back into the game" 20 minutes on Monday night.
I'm glad you're so optimistic about Barrett, I don't think I am.

I was only illustrating the positives over the past month that deserved to be promoted after all the backlash the team has received from impatient fans, some deserved other times way over the top.

Red zone attack is the most difficult to execute and the easiest to defend against---the best structured attacking teams set themselves apart from the pack in this area of the field as it is a higher difficulty level to get an outcome.(due to the set and shallow distance of the defense line and that defenders are not going backwards)

Manly have a long way to go in this area but are making strides, for most of the year there was hardly a structured attacking play or set worthy of being displayed in the year 2000, now there are a few structured plays and sets on show with a little planning behind it.

Too often in the red zone we have pointless "settles", a lazy under pass to a lone running forward so DCE can flay his hands around as if "he is organizing and displaying a million dollar composure level" when it is all for show.

Take for example the early set of six when Starling drops the ball. Green takes a hit-up pass from DCE with no real support options or danger element to the play(i don't accept there is ever a good enough reason in the modern game for a no support hit up in the red zone) settles have to offer a deeper plan otherwise they are just wasted hit ups.
Next tackle a power-play hit-up with Vave coming from the open to the short side but one out again.
Next tackle DCE to Lussick with some support options but basically a hit-up.
Next a long pass from dummy half with no decoys or dangers centrally with Starling at first receiver dropping the ball(yes he had a power forward in Vave off his hip and would of either hit Vave but most probably take the safer second man play to DCE that was on display)

There needs to be more science/thought behind each play so if you are using a power-play it is being setup in the previous tackles for isolation purposes or sucking in defenders so the next play has more space----not just for the sake of a power-play due to a lack of ideas.

All this takes time and planning, the longer a team is settled and together the more intricate and prepared the plays will become but Manly are improving and it is nice to see the development of the squad.

I think some people are just being overly negative with Barrett due to how Toovey was treated, give the guy a chance.

If by the end of next year Manly are not entrenched in the eight given a good run without injuries obviously the knives will be out but for now there is the expected line of improvement in the second half of the year.

 

[Ralphie]

I was only illustrating the positives over the past month that deserved to be promoted after all the backlash the team has received from impatient fans, some deserved other times way over the top.

Red zone attack is the most difficult to execute and the easiest to defend against---the best structured attacking teams set themselves apart from the pack in this area of the field as it is a higher difficulty level to get an outcome.(due to the set and shallow distance of the defense line and that defenders are not going backwards)

Manly have a long way to go in this area but are making strides, for most of the year there was hardly a structured attacking play or set worthy of being displayed in the year 2000, now there are a few structured plays and sets on show with a little planning behind it.

Too often in the red zone we have pointless "settles", a lazy under pass to a lone running forward so DCE can flay his hands around as if "he is organizing and displaying a million dollar composure level" when it is all for show.

Take for example the early set of six when Starling drops the ball. Green takes a hit-up pass from DCE with no real support options or danger element to the play(i don't accept there is ever a good enough reason in the modern game for a no support hit up in the red zone) settles have to offer a deeper plan otherwise they are just wasted hit ups.
Next tackle a power-play hit-up with Vave coming from the open to the short side but one out again.
Next tackle DCE to Lussick with some support options but basically a hit-up.
Next a long pass from dummy half with no decoys or dangers centrally with Starling at first receiver dropping the ball(yes he had a power forward in Vave off his hip and would of either hit Vave but most probably take the safer second man play to DCE that was on display)

There needs to be more science/thought behind each play so if you are using a power-play it is being setup in the previous tackles for isolation purposes or sucking in defenders so the next play has more space----not just for the sake of a power-play due to a lack of ideas.

All this takes time and planning, the longer a team is settled and together the more intricate and prepared the plays will become but Manly are improving and it is nice to see the development of the squad.

I think some people are just being overly negative with Barrett due to how Toovey was treated, give the guy a chance.

If by the end of next year Manly are not entrenched in the eight given a good run without injuries obviously the knives will be out but for now there is the expected line of improvement in the second half of the year.

Damn it TC, you did it again, I was almost finished typing and a mate told me you had posted again. This was almost word for word what I was thinking.......but again except for the fuzzy bit in the middle.

 

[Technical Coach]

Damn it TC, you did it again, I was almost finished typing and a mate told me you had posted again. This was almost word for word what I was thinking.......but again except for the fuzzy bit in the middle.

I can retire now and just be a fan, your time has come.

Was going to post again illustrating the benefits of the flat short central positioning of DCE in plays and compare the Buhrer try to how it probably would have unfolded in the past years but no need to now.

All yours....

 

[conanu]

I was only illustrating the positives over the past month that deserved to be promoted after all the backlash the team has received from impatient fans, some deserved other times way over the top.

Red zone attack is the most difficult to execute and the easiest to defend against---the best structured attacking teams set themselves apart from the pack in this area of the field as it is a higher difficulty level to get an outcome.(due to the set and shallow distance of the defense line and that defenders are not going backwards)

Manly have a long way to go in this area but are making strides, for most of the year there was hardly a structured attacking play or set worthy of being displayed in the year 2000, now there are a few structured plays and sets on show with a little planning behind it.

Too often in the red zone we have pointless "settles", a lazy under pass to a lone running forward so DCE can flay his hands around as if "he is organizing and displaying a million dollar composure level" when it is all for show.

Take for example the early set of six when Starling drops the ball. Green takes a hit-up pass from DCE with no real support options or danger element to the play(i don't accept there is ever a good enough reason in the modern game for a no support hit up in the red zone) settles have to offer a deeper plan otherwise they are just wasted hit ups.
Next tackle a power-play hit-up with Vave coming from the open to the short side but one out again.
Next tackle DCE to Lussick with some support options but basically a hit-up.
Next a long pass from dummy half with no decoys or dangers centrally with Starling at first receiver dropping the ball(yes he had a power forward in Vave off his hip and would of either hit Vave but most probably take the safer second man play to DCE that was on display)

There needs to be more science/thought behind each play so if you are using a power-play it is being setup in the previous tackles for isolation purposes or sucking in defenders so the next play has more space----not just for the sake of a power-play due to a lack of ideas.

All this takes time and planning, the longer a team is settled and together the more intricate and prepared the plays will become but Manly are improving and it is nice to see the development of the squad.

I think some people are just being overly negative with Barrett due to how Toovey was treated, give the guy a chance.

If by the end of next year Manly are not entrenched in the eight given a good run without injuries obviously the knives will be out but for now there is the expected line of improvement in the second half of the year.

Damn you and your sensible posts!

 

[Ralphie]

I can retire now and just be a fan, your time has come.

Was going to post again illustrating the benefits of the flat short central positioning of DCE in plays and compare the Buhrer try to how it probably would have unfolded in the past years but no need to now.

All yours....

So what are you saying, only one "expert" can post on here. Come on TC, I don't mind sharing the limelight.

 

[Technical Coach]

So what are you saying, only one "expert" can post on here. Come on TC, I don't mind sharing the limelight.

If you're on the same page as me i might as well take the opportunity and save my hands from repetitive strain injury along with not having to purchase a new keyboard every few months.

 

[Fro]

You pair are as good as Oscar and Felix

 

[Ralphie]

If you're on the same page as me i might as well take the opportunity and save my hands from repetitive strain injury along with not having to purchase a new keyboard every few months.

Didn't you read my post properly????? I said except for the fuzzy bit in the middle, clearly we aren't on the same page!!!!

 

[Technical Coach]

Well you can be the new and improved expert who is capable of removing the fuzzy and offers straight to the point clarity, so that the masses gain some understanding.