Canteen Worker
First Grader
This year it became apparent to me that without Brett Stewart, we lacked the incisive punch to score points. Often we would dominate field position but just couldn't make the winning blows.
Part of this was poor options or kicking from Orford and the lack of good second man plays without the pace of Stewart. The mixing around of five-eighths between Bailey, Lyon, Foran etc didn't help either. There were few that were good at backing up breaks, though Foran certainly provided the x-factor when he got the call up.
What did surprise me though was a lack of a plan when we were attacking close and also that we scored a lot less long distance tries. Apart from Jamie Lyon in the first third of the season, we lacked penetration in the centres. It seems the big centres like Hodges and Inglis are starting to dominate and we don't have anyone like them, in either pace of size.
Being hot and cold rather than consistent didn't help us and in the end our defence was not what it was in 2008.
In my opinion we adjusted more slowly to the two refs and the greater speed of the ruck than other clubs.
Part of this was poor options or kicking from Orford and the lack of good second man plays without the pace of Stewart. The mixing around of five-eighths between Bailey, Lyon, Foran etc didn't help either. There were few that were good at backing up breaks, though Foran certainly provided the x-factor when he got the call up.
What did surprise me though was a lack of a plan when we were attacking close and also that we scored a lot less long distance tries. Apart from Jamie Lyon in the first third of the season, we lacked penetration in the centres. It seems the big centres like Hodges and Inglis are starting to dominate and we don't have anyone like them, in either pace of size.
Being hot and cold rather than consistent didn't help us and in the end our defence was not what it was in 2008.
In my opinion we adjusted more slowly to the two refs and the greater speed of the ruck than other clubs.