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Nightingale its time.

possm

Coach
Messages
15,587
Yea they may be waking up to it. But yet we have the best defence in the comp.

So let’s say we change our structure and teams start scoring more? Maybe, despite its weakness out wide this is best suited to us, as determined by our coaching staff (who we apparently know more than).

I’d love to know where weconcede the majority of our tries - if it’s out wide or in the middle, as a coach I know I’d rsther it be out wide. (Of course you’d rather concede 0, but that’s not realistic).
Our weakness seems to be on the RIGHT edge and has been for a few years now. Our left edge seems to cope. So is it down to a particular player or is it down to a mix of players. For me I'd rather this be a middle of the field problem mainly because there are a lot more players available to backup and help solve the issue.
 

slippery5

Juniors
Messages
1,661
From what I have seen it looks like Nighty is not confident in his inside defenders and is hanging too long waiting to see if they are beaten before he starts moving out. He was beaten by Addo-Carr at least twice when the numbers were there in defence and he didn't need to wait so long to move out to the winger. He just hasnt got the snap anymore to stay inside and then try to turn and slide across when he is up against a quick winger.

The other problem is Dufty is too far in field and too close to the try line in defence and in these situations is never in the play putting defensive pressure on the winger.
I've noticed him always positioning himself directly to side of the play the ball & then pushing other defenders out across him, just looks like he is saying "I can't tackle someone running straight out on the edge, best someone else does it for me"
 

Dragsters

First Grade
Messages
5,331
Our weakness seems to be on the RIGHT edge and has been for a few years now. Our left edge seems to cope. So is it down to a particular player or is it down to a mix of players. For me I'd rather this be a middle of the field problem mainly because there are a lot more players available to backup and help solve the issue.

he didn't .. Nighty was on the other edge last year .. it was vunivalo

Exactly. Flo was on the left last year and the right edge defence with Nene paired with Aitken was far worse than this year.

His move to the right has contributed to the improvement this season...
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,587
Exactly. Flo was on the left last year and the right edge defence with Nene paired with Aitken was far worse than this year.

His move to the right has contributed to the improvement this season...
Wait a minute, our right edge is still very poor and we upgraded McCrone with Hunt. Despite the move of Nightingale to the right wing and Hunt to 7, our right edge is still our weakest link.
 

RufusRex

Post Whore
Messages
62,231
Yes that's true, so Macdonald was on the right and we still had the defensive problems. Must be the right centre or the game plan.

Really interesting re-watching the highlights of that game ..

Nighty scored 3 tries late - generally had to fall over

In defence Vunivalo scored 2 between the sideline and nighty and a third to slater .. All of these Nighty too far in on the compress and not able to turn out and cover. Mind you two of these the distance vunivalo had to work in was about 2 metres between nighty and the edge which nighty couldn't cover.

Nene conceded 2 on his edge, one a kick where he was out of position badly and the other from an offload infield drawing everyone in one player.

The really interesting thing in those highlights is what I have been banging on about with the compressed line - Nene put Addo Carr into touch on a good tackle because he is fast enough to both work in the compressed line AND ensure he can keep in touch with the winger on his outside. it is the exact reason the combination of Nighty and compress line fails.
 

RufusRex

Post Whore
Messages
62,231
Yes that's true, so Macdonald was on the right and we still had the defensive problems. Must be the right centre or the game plan.

No .. not at all ...

6 tries conceded ... 4 on our left side and 2 on our right .. One from a kick where nene was horribly out of position and the other from an offload drawing everyone in one ... The biggest problem in that game was the same as the last game but on the other side .. Nightingale compressing too far and not able to turn out and chase ...
 

Dragsters

First Grade
Messages
5,331
Wait a minute, our right edge is still very poor and we upgraded McCrone with Hunt. Despite the move of Nightingale to the right wing and Hunt to 7, our right edge is still our weakest link.

Agreed, but it has been much better than last season.

As for hunt vs McCrone defensively, I can remember plenty of posters saying McCrones defence was solid and you don't have to go back many pages on this thread to find hunts defense coming in to question.

Personally I reckon our right edge is full of good front on defenders but sliding and laterally they are a work in progress and I'm not sure replacing experience with a young rookie will help this right now.

That said, let's see how Lomax goes when he gets a crack...
 
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Mickthedragon

Juniors
Messages
1,673
Really interesting re-watching the highlights of that game ..

Nighty scored 3 tries late - generally had to fall over

In defence Vunivalo scored 2 between the sideline and nighty and a third to slater .. All of these Nighty too far in on the compress and not able to turn out and cover. Mind you two of these the distance vunivalo had to work in was about 2 metres between nighty and the edge which nighty couldn't cover.

Nene conceded 2 on his edge, one a kick where he was out of position badly and the other from an offload infield drawing everyone in one player.

The really interesting thing in those highlights is what I have been banging on about with the compressed line - Nene put Addo Carr into touch on a good tackle because he is fast enough to both work in the compressed line AND ensure he can keep in touch with the winger on his outside. it is the exact reason the combination of Nighty and compress line fails.
So basically, Mary should give Lomax a go on that right wing in place of Flo.
To see how he goes with that compressed defensive line and using his speed to cover the edge. Would be interesting to compare, if only he would be given a go. I've been as big a fan of flo over the years as anyone but its not as if he's scoring heaps of tries or anything. Mary needs to just try it out.
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,587
So basically, Mary should give Lomax a go on that right wing in place of Flo.
To see how he goes with that compressed defensive line and using his speed to cover the edge. Would be interesting to compare, if only he would be given a go. I've been as big a fan of flo over the years as anyone but its not as if he's scoring heaps of tries or anything. Mary needs to just try it out.

I'm sure Lomax will get a run today but how many minutes is hard to say. I hope that if we have a big lead or if we are leaking points down the right edge, Lomax will get a good run - 10min is very hard to judge the form of a player.
 

Frank Facer

First Grade
Messages
5,069
Nightingale has scored only one try in 9 rounds of football this year. It would be a funny joke, if I wasn't a Saints fan. lol How many other wingers would have job security if they had only scored one try this year. But then one has to consider that (to my knowledge) his centre has only passed the ball to him 3 times this year, including trials. That would also be a funny joke, if I wasn't a Saints fan. lol

But because we are winning, many people don't think we have a problem. I do. I see an elephant in the room, but others look to be ignoring this.

1 try this year. lol At that rate he will be lucky to score 3 tries in the whole season. lol I am pretty sure that try Nightingale scored this year, was from a kick.
 
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RufusRex

Post Whore
Messages
62,231
Nightingale has scored only one try in 9 rounds of football this year. It would be a funny joke, if I wasn't a Saints fan. lol How many other wingers would have job security if they had only scored one try this year. But then one has to consider that (to my knowledge) his centre has only passed the ball to him 3 times this year, including trials. That would also be a funny joke, if I wasn't a Saints fan. lol

But because we are winning, many people don't think we have a problem. I do. I see an elephant in the room, but others look to be ignoring this.

1 try this year. lol At that rate he will be lucky to score 3 tries in the whole season. lol I am pretty sure that try that Nightingale scored this year, was from a kick.

He has had good opportunities too which decent finishers would have scored
 

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