The TC Report (Such a Lame Title)

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Look we all know we are lacking depth in the forwards and yes Fa'aoso will help but it is going to take more than one forward and require a mix of forwards to even help us match the class above teams.

At the start of the season with fresh minds and optimism our speed, intensity and directness was above the pack. If you could sustain that level for 26 rounds you are a good chance of winning or competing for top honours.

Problem is once injuries, fatigue and the slower grind of mid season kicks in the lack of class, spark, sharpness, size/strength and footwork of our forwards is applying more pressure on our attack that has been an issue for years.

I was knocked for having the opinion our attack is structurally flawed for years even when we lead the attack or in the top 3. The standard of the competitions defences was really poor--- Manly, Melb along with St George were the only teams capable of maintaining a tight defensive structure for several seasons.

Physically we dominated most teams which helped hide our issues with our attack through winning the grind, these days we merely compete in the forwards and the limitations of our attack are becoming obvious to the average observer 4yrs on.

At the time of the "two big re-signings " i stated we should have kept only one(my preference being Foran) even Melb had the guts to release Orford and Whiddop thinking ahead for the future.

The limitations of DCE and G.Stewart are showing up more and more as our forward pack depth and impact reduces. Yes more depth and spark will help these players flourish but they have always lacked spark,penetration on top of technical flaws with the lines they run and the way they execute under pressure.

We do have some major decision making to be made this year and even bigger for the following years but you can never give up hope.

The fun challenge and what i enjoy watching in some ways more than the actual game itself is the thought processes and ideas to work through these issues and come out the other end be it through changing things up in the short term and having the guts to let players go in the long term.
 
I don't think DCE is the problem. I think he has the skill set to be a very successful player. I'd actually take him over Foran if forced into that horrible choice. He is suffering from lack of impact by the forwards in the centre of the field and our slowness in the ruck. I also think Ballin cruels him a lot with some poor choices from dummy half in directing our play inside the oppositon 20m zone. Ballin doesn't seem to think far enough ahead and structure the play direction to give DCE (and Foran) space and time. I also don't get the impression we run good lines to give either of our halves options. All our forwards seemed to like the stutter at the line instead of taking the courage line. I felt earlier in the year Horo and T-Red were running straighter lines. Maybe that has dropped off as the whole shebang has slowed down.

I'm beginning to agree with you on the spark/intensty call though, we seem sluggish and easily wrestled out of the contest. I'd love to know if they keep stats on ruck speed in attack ? I'd reckon ours would be way down at the moment, and that is the root of our problems.
 
DCE isn't playing to his strengths. I've said it a few other threads but if anything came out of the Bulldogs loss, I hoped it was DCE realising he is so much more dangerous when he takes the ball to the line, but tonight it was cross field looking for non existent runners. I'm not sure if its Joeys influence and it will take some time before we see the finished product, but he has slowly eliminated some aspects of his game. The going to the line, the fend, the offload. They were good parts of his game, they didn't always work and at times looked downright awkward, but they made him one of the more unique no 7s in the game and was a real point of difference for our attack. The taking it to the line and double pump short balls have dried up because he is running sideways trying to turn blokes underneath him.

Glenn also isn't having the same influence on a game since returning from injury, on both sides of the ball. Before he returned if anything our attack was more direct and Matai was seeing a lot more ball and when the ball went out to Killers side he had more space to work in. Since Gifty came back Matais numbers have dried up and Killer has often been cramped and limited to running sideways as well. Gifty has never been a huge yardage man but he was always a great one on one defender but he isn't hitting as hard or as often and tonight he seemed to miss more than the acceptable amount for an aggressive defender. Its too early to write him off, but we won't challenge unless he lifts his level of performance.
 
I agree DCE has a good skillset and could be a great player in the making but he is going backwards as a player for way too long now. Foran went through the same period and this year has shown signs of being on the up again.

Obviously with a better forward pack punching holes through the front line defence it will help DCE play more sharp flat and direct with shorter passes double pumps and playing through the line like his debut season. The problem is defences are more mobile more structured and more aware of his strengths so his impact on a game is become less and less.

DCE has never really played with composure and second guesses himself way too often sometimes leading him to overthink plays or play sideways too give himself more time.

Actually one play that really annoyed me big time was his try in the GF against the Warriors just before halftime. Yes he got away with dummying and taking the line on and maybe i should just look at the play as taking the right selfish risk at the right time but it showed a lack of composure and class in my eyes.
 
I am no technical analyst but it seems we don't create much space for our outside attackers over the last couple of months. Matai and Lyon rarely get a chance to make the incisions or put their wingers away, which from memory was happening quite well early in the season.

Our forwards may not be the biggest but they are still holding their own physically with most teams, at least to my untrained eye.

Surely there are some different tactics we could try when attacking, especially close to the opposition line. We rarely threaten it seems.

I can't fault our forwards for effort and toughness (even allowing for Friend's try).

With near misses, it could easily have been Chooks by 5 tries to 4, rather than 4 - 2. They were clearly better, but we weren't that far away if only we could manufacture better plays. TC can't you sms a few tips to Toovey and Johns?
 
Last night our attack kept on running itself out of space and the main culprit for that wasn't the forwards it was that we were playing way too flat. Couple that with easts line speed and it was cut off before it began.

Defending teams have noted how flat out attack is and have applied a rushing defence since round 6 that I can recall. We need to deepen the attack and leave enough space there to create doubt in the defenders.
 
Ralphie said:
Last night our attack kept on running itself out of space and the main culprit for that wasn't the forwards it was that we were playing way too flat. Couple that with easts line speed and it was cut off before it began.

Defending teams have noted how flat out attack is and have applied a rushing defence since round 6 that I can recall. We need to deepen the attack and leave enough space there to create doubt in the defenders.

Deepening the attack might work except that it will just give the refs more excuses to allow defenders to stand inside the 10. But realistically, can you imagine 2V adopting this approach ? all of a sudden ?
 
The game was almost a replica of the 1st clash vs Roosters.
Imo the score was closer than it should have been & though I was filthy with a blatent 2 metre SBW pass to blow the game out, there was a 4-2 overlap on that short side asking to be punished.
Disappointing factors were like game 1 - Roosters dominated the ruck & the speed of the game.
The Manly attack again predictable with plenty of 1 out attack & no support where the Roosters had 2-3 support players every carry. This is the main issue imo, as it allows the City defence to get numbers 3-4 slowing the play the ball down & ensuring the shift was inneffective with defence already set.
Manly often had only 1 or 2 in the tackle allowing a lightning play ball like that dummy half try due to the defence having to watch those support players limiting the ability to turtle the attacker then peel off with more time.
Also noted the Roosters had the speedy Jennings, Tupou & Sheck scooting from dummy half & winning the play ball & getting the Seaeagles backpeddling. Prob more of this from Wolf ,Tafua & Matai could have returned the favour & helped this area.
To me the loss of Foran is bigger than their loss of Maloney as both teams like a physical encounter & Foz is up with Matai,Choc as a leader in these situations.
Will get another chance against the Chooks & are an even money bet with Snake at 85% rather than 60% & Foz/Faaso in the team.
 
DCE looked so good when defenders used to watch him dummy one two or even three times before passing wide or hitting the short runner. He does not dummy much anymore and the defense just move up and take his time away, this seems to take space away from Lyon. Id like to see Gift be the short runner on his hip who can either bust a tackle or be the decoy and create some space for Lyon with Snake an option either inside or outside Lyon.
I sometimes wonder if DCE has some Analytical Paralysis sometimes?
 
We miss Joe G big time he straightened the attack with powerful runs right through the ruck and also good at quick play the balls. At the moment our pack is being dominated and on top of that we are crabbing across field.
 
EagleFromMay1967 said:
Ralphie said:
Last night our attack kept on running itself out of space and the main culprit for that wasn't the forwards it was that we were playing way too flat. Couple that with easts line speed and it was cut off before it began.

Defending teams have noted how flat out attack is and have applied a rushing defence since round 6 that I can recall. We need to deepen the attack and leave enough space there to create doubt in the defenders.

Deepening the attack might work except that it will just give the refs more excuses to allow defenders to stand inside the 10. But realistically, can you imagine 2V adopting this approach ? all of a sudden ?

This just confirms my view that we have a coaching problem.
 
We shouldn't have a coaching problem; we have the supposed genius Johns to show us how to attack. Frankly, our attack stinks. If Johns can't devise some attacking plays from the scrum then he is about as useful to us as the high-performance manager Pat Howard is to the Australian cricket team.
 

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