Technical Coach
Bencher
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.
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.
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