JDB

[kit66]

Very happy to see JDB living up to his potential. I think Sims coming to the club might have helped Jack in two ways - more competition for the Lock position and a bit of Sims aggression / mongrel rubbing off on him. I hope both of them have a great year.

On Widdop, I'd be happy to see the back of him but if he's to play 5/8 all year then he needs to do what Trent Barrett finally learned to do and that was to embrace his running game and leave the tricky stuff like thinking, kicking and organizing to his halves partner and others. Shame we don't really have a great partner for him just now. Can anyone tell me why Mann isn't being considered in the halves ?

 

[Carlton]

OMG, SOMEONE ELSE UNDERSTANDS WHAT FOOTY TRAINING IS! Incredible!

Anyone who says that a half should 'just be able to create' or that Widdop (or any half for that matter) should just take control is a moron. The team is coached to run plays at training. They are coached to time runs, run specific lines/angles, follow up in support, etc. It's why our attack is such a shambles, because our coaching staff is a bunch of assclowns and has no idea how to run these plays and practice over and over until it becomes second nature to players. It's why we always look so clunky and run plays 5m away from the defense, our coaches seem to think that simply throwing a second-man ball will solve all problems.

Widdop needs to go, yes. His instincts are gone and any natural skills and vision he seems to have are lost (for now). But FMD, people thinking that just throwing a top line half into our team with the same structures will solve all our shit. It wont. JT is a genius because he can identify opportunities and attack them, and when he moves in 1 direction the other players kick into gear and their muscle memory will put them into the position they need to be. He doesnt magically do shit on his own, very few players do (Shaun Johnson, for example, who generally creates for himself).

Cronk is the best example of this - he has a series of structures and set plays that have been drilled into him through years of running the same plays with the same people in the same way. He reacts to the movements of the defense, calls a play and every person in that team will turn up where they need to be, because they've done it a billion times at training. It's how he, Smith and Slater seem to have a telekinetic means of communication.

Players magically showing up where they need to be and 'playing what's in from of them' just doesnt happen, certainly not on a consistent basis in a team environment. Instincts take you so far, but you need teammates on the same wavelength and that is the domain of the coach. And ours SUCKS.

I agree and our coach should have been changed last year, in fact he should never have been appointed in the first place.

You are right about running plays and practicing them over and over. Game management is a different issue and is based on player judgement and ability to read the flow of the game. Is it a silver bullet bringing in Hunt? Of course not and unless we have a change of coach and the right 5/8 and a game plan that suits the TEAM then we will continue to struggle.

 

[possm]

First announce the new coach for 2018.
Next move Widdop from 6 to 7 and trial players at 6 - Hunts partner.
Make a decision of the contracts of Dugan and Widdop.
Target replacement players for those earmarked to be moved on.

 

[Mr Red]

Off topic..but jeez Hunt was woeful in the world club championship... If he has anything less than a stellar season this year the knives will be out for him before he even starts with us..

 

[coast_dragons]

Off topic..but jeez Hunt was woeful in the world club championship... If he has anything less than a stellar season this year the knives will be out for him before he even starts with us..

I don't rate him at all really.

 

[blacksafake]

I agree they can both go, but I think that you are underestimating the shitty impact that Mary's game plans have had on widdops game.

Think of the 2010 left side plays. The reason that hornby, who is not a natural half, was so effective on the left was because he had options. He could hit creagh on an outside in line, cut out creagh to cooper, give it out the back to Boyd, or grubber/chip for Morris. Defences couldn't afford to rush him because it left their line vulnerable to the sweeper.

JT has cooper and coote doing similar work for him. He also has the dummy and go and an inside ball.

Widdop doesn't have options, there are no bodies in motion, and this is purely coaching. There is just no structure in our play, so he moves across field looking for runners and finds nothing. It's not an excuse. He should be screaming at his outside men (again, think hornby) and running straight, but with no runners outside him you might as well give it to a prop, because he is always going to be smashed with the ball.

The last 4 years has done so much damage to his game that I don't think he is worth persevering with, but he had so much natural skill and ability when he came to our club, and our shitty game plans have ruined him.

IMO nail,hammer,head Sdb

 

[Frank Facer]

I have been a big fan of DeBelin for a few years now. I thought he had state of origin written all over him early in his career. I was a bit disappointed with him last year. His running game was not good enough. I think his career has been very poorly managed and I do not think he has been coached very well either. He had one of if not the best game I have seen him play on Sunday. He looked to play more direct and with more purpose. I think he should forget about trying to play the extra halfback role and play more direct, take the ball up hard and if the chance for an offload presents itself, he can if it is on. Keep it simple. I love his defence, I think we are a different team in defence when he is on the field to when he is not. I would like to see him play origin, but right now he has Frizzell, Merrin and Trbojevic all ahead of him.

 

[coast_dragons]

He has been told to play a certain way so he did so.

Its not like he can question the coach and say hey you are playing me incorrectly he will find himself playing for the Cutters which in hinsight isn't the worst thing.

If he has any brains he would move on to a club where he can actually play to his full potential.

 

[Frank Facer]

That doesn't seem right. Price took over before Widdop arrived, and we were shocking then too.

Most people seem to forget that our attack has been very boring and poor since Bennett arrived at our club, but winning masked that deficency. In the first game of 09, we got beat by Melbourne. We had a ton of ball in their own quarter, but could not score enough points to win the game. After the game in the press conference Bennett said "Get the defence right and the attack will come". That has been the coaching staffs mantra ever since. Price and Dean Young love that saying. When Bennett was coaching us our style of play was very boring, very negative, we would almost always take the penalty goal if it was on offer and we did not have a very high for on our for and against. Our main two ways of scoring tries were either the barge over close to the line or our sweeping left side play.

I think the biggest reason for our lack of attack since Bennett came to us, is that we have not had good halves and a good fullback. I am pretty sure that if you put say a Thurston or Cronk at halfback and Tedesco at fullback, our attack would take on a complete new complexion.

 

[SBD82]

I am pretty sure that if you put say a Thurston or Cronk at halfback and Tedesco at fullback, our attack would take on a complete new complexion.

Put thurston or Cronk in our current structures and I also think they would solve the issue. At training.

If you put them on the park with our players running the lines they currently are, they may win you games through their organizational play or moments of individual brilliance, but they would still not have options, and they certainly would not win you a comp.

I certainly haven't forgotten how we won the premiership, but the game has moved on from the style that was being played at the time. It was going through a period of very structured, defense orientated teams, and we played the best of that style. Think Melbourne and manly through that period.

The problem is, defense got so good that to be successful, a team had to take their attack to another level,in order to win. So teams did that, and the cowboys were probably the peak of that when they won the comp. we didn't keep up.

And I think it's incorrect to say that we didn't have attack under Bennett. We did. But it was simple, and it was built on running the same play with different options, and taking advantage when a defender made a mistake.

 

[Dragonslayer]

ok Jack had a very good game in the CS, but for me to get excited about his game he would need to show consistent form over the first 5 or so games to prove he's on song this year.
Maybe it is co-incidence that contracts are up this year and players lift, so should we only issue 1yr deals all round (It would be interesting scenario IMO, really sort the wheat from the chaff and applicable to all clubs) so every player has to play to full potential every year and not have a "gap" year just because they may have a 2 or 3 r deal. Not saying it happens, but it sure looks like it sometimes.

 

[JDHD]

Off topic..but jeez Hunt was woeful in the world club championship... If he has anything less than a stellar season this year the knives will be out for him before he even starts with us..

Milford was awful too, though. They were playing behind a badly beaten forward pack. Yes he had a kick charged down but he also chased the guy down and saved a try. The only reason they scored on the next play is because literally nobody from the Broncos chased with him, so he was isolated.

 

[RufusRex]

ok Jack had a very good game in the CS, but for me to get excited about his game he would need to show consistent form over the first 5 or so games to prove he's on song this year.
Maybe it is co-incidence that contracts are up this year and players lift, so should we only issue 1yr deals all round (It would be interesting scenario IMO, really sort the wheat from the chaff and applicable to all clubs) so every player has to play to full potential every year and not have a "gap" year just because they may have a 2 or 3 r deal. Not saying it happens, but it sure looks like it sometimes.

The most efficient and effective tackler in the NRL in 2016 ... he has shown consistent form for a while. The decision making around run/pass was a lot better on the weekend than last year and that is a big positive.

Stats for those so inclined from last year.

• 11th for tackles made in the NRL out of those top 11 his efficiency (Miss to made) was easily the best. 917 made 16 missed .. Compare to Rein 1022 made 66 missed.
• In attack for us he was 2nd out of all our forwards in metres made

So I think a bloke that was our best tackler and 2nd highest metre maker last year already showed some consistent form. Peoples biggest issue with him was they way he was used in our attacking structures and that seems to have been worked on from last year. He was instrumental in a few of the tries from the shield and tigers game but also made better choices on when to hold/run.

Its time to get over the top knot and realise what a good player we have here.

 

[possm]

Most people seem to forget that our attack has been very boring and poor since Bennett arrived at our club, but winning masked that deficency. In the first game of 09, we got beat by Melbourne. We had a ton of ball in their own quarter, but could not score enough points to win the game. After the game in the press conference Bennett said "Get the defence right and the attack will come". That has been the coaching staffs mantra ever since. Price and Dean Young love that saying. When Bennett was coaching us our style of play was very boring, very negative, we would almost always take the penalty goal if it was on offer and we did not have a very high for on our for and against. Our main two ways of scoring tries were either the barge over close to the line or our sweeping left side play.

I think the biggest reason for our lack of attack since Bennett came to us, is that we have not had good halves and a good fullback. I am pretty sure that if you put say a Thurston or Cronk at halfback and Tedesco at fullback, our attack would take on a complete new complexion.

Bennett is a great coach and devised game plans to get the best out of the roster he had. To his credit he did a great job putting together a winning team which on paper, was not the best team in the comp.

If only Mary did a little homework to discover the strengths and weaknesses of individual players in his squad. During the off-season then devised plans to address individual weaknesses and introduce game plans which took into consideration skills of individual players - in the same way Bennett devised game plans with Soward at 6.

 

[Glenn01]

The most efficient and effective tackler in the NRL in 2016 ... he has shown consistent form for a while. The decision making around run/pass was a lot better on the weekend than last year and that is a big positive.

Stats for those so inclined from last year.

• 11th for tackles made in the NRL out of those top 11 his efficiency (Miss to made) was easily the best. 917 made 16 missed .. Compare to Rein 1022 made 66 missed.
• In attack for us he was 2nd out of all our forwards in metres made

So I think a bloke that was our best tackler and 2nd highest metre maker last year already showed some consistent form. Peoples biggest issue with him was they way he was used in our attacking structures and that seems to have been worked on from last year. He was instrumental in a few of the tries from the shield and tigers game but also made better choices on when to hold/run.

Its time to get over the top knot and realise what a good player we have here.

His stats in season 2015 were off the chart until he got injured, which coincided with THAT losing streak, which stopped when JDB came back.

 

[Uplifting]

The most efficient and effective tackler in the NRL in 2016 ... he has shown consistent form for a while. The decision making around run/pass was a lot better on the weekend than last year and that is a big positive.

Stats for those so inclined from last year.

• 11th for tackles made in the NRL out of those top 11 his efficiency (Miss to made) was easily the best. 917 made 16 missed .. Compare to Rein 1022 made 66 missed.
• In attack for us he was 2nd out of all our forwards in metres made

So I think a bloke that was our best tackler and 2nd highest metre maker last year already showed some consistent form. Peoples biggest issue with him was they way he was used in our attacking structures and that seems to have been worked on from last year. He was instrumental in a few of the tries from the shield and tigers game but also made better choices on when to hold/run.

Its time to get over the top knot and realise what a good player we have here.

Ok

 

[JDHD]

The most efficient and effective tackler in the NRL in 2016 ... he has shown consistent form for a while. The decision making around run/pass was a lot better on the weekend than last year and that is a big positive.

Stats for those so inclined from last year.

• 11th for tackles made in the NRL out of those top 11 his efficiency (Miss to made) was easily the best. 917 made 16 missed .. Compare to Rein 1022 made 66 missed.
• In attack for us he was 2nd out of all our forwards in metres made

So I think a bloke that was our best tackler and 2nd highest metre maker last year already showed some consistent form. Peoples biggest issue with him was they way he was used in our attacking structures and that seems to have been worked on from last year. He was instrumental in a few of the tries from the shield and tigers game but also made better choices on when to hold/run.

Its time to get over the top knot and realise what a good player we have here.

He was also the only player in the entire league who averaged over 40 tackles and 100m a game.

 

[Forster Dragon]

DeBelin has been peaking for the past 3 years.This is his year to prove his worth just as he is coming off contract.Coincidence???

 

[coast_dragons]

JDB needs a fresh start as the Dragons are as stale as piss in a bottle.

 

[Carlton]

Bennett is a great coach and devised game plans to get the best out of the roster he had. To his credit he did a great job putting together a winning team which on paper, was not the best team in the comp.

If only Mary did a little homework to discover the strengths and weaknesses of individual players in his squad. During the off-season then devised plans to address individual weaknesses and introduce game plans which took into consideration skills of individual players - in the same way Bennett devised game plans with Soward at 6.

During the Bennett era we had great defence but part of the reason it was so effective was the kicking game from Soward. We have not had a really top class kicker for a long time. Every one of the top teams has a kicker who can control the game.

I am hoping this is one of the things Hunt can bring to the team.