3-2-1 v Manly

[Penrose Warrior]

3- Maumalo. Whisper it, isn't he one of the form wingers in this comp? I am consistently awed at his form this year. The footwork he's developed to hit through holes and evade defenders is awesome. And anyone who makes a bitch of DCE is my mate.
2- Luke. The crispness of his pass and his superior running game when we're on the front foot gives us so much, lets the quality in our halves shine.
1- Green. He'd have to be the smartest footballer in the comp, I reckon. Brilliant.

Can't think of too many people who don't deserve HMs. Forwards were much better, Mannering was great, Beale is now our starting centre, even Gavet stood up strong against Fonua-Blake, Taupau and Tjebovic.

 

[MKEB...]

3. Green
2. Papalii
1.SJ

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Harris 3
Johnson 2
Fusitua 1

HM Luke, Mannering, Maumalo, Green

x2 this one.

I knew Mannering would comeback to his normal self.

Maumalo probably deserved a try.

I wish Green was eligible for the Kiwis.

Luke is one tough son of a gun.

 

[JJ]

Watched it on the plane, really good win
3. Harris
2. Maumalo
1. Mannering

Great all round, could have given points to anyone and the halves were great

Oh, did Blair play?

 

[vvvrulz]

3. SJ
2. Fus
1. Luke

HM to just about everyone, except Blair, some pathetic numbers

Maumalo was outstanding - so we really have a mini Manu after all.
If he had someone other than Kata next to him he might have racked up a decent try tally by now too.

 

[Blair]

3. Ken
2. Green
1. Mann - that tackle early in the second-half on a rampaging Trbojevic might've saved the game for us. Gee, if Simon returns to form we're gonna be hard to beat.

 

[Meth]

What are we looking for from Blair? Like, 5-10 more hit ups?

 

[vvvrulz]

What are we looking for from Blair? Like, 5-10 more hit ups?

Just more, period.

Doesn't play enough minutes perhaps, but when he's on he's making a small number of run-of-the-mill hit-ups with no significant impact and isn't busting his arse making lots of tackles. The bench players rack up more work than him every week, he's sort of just 'there'.

If he was looking to hurl offloads around to create something, even that's at least something, but it's all so limp and forgettable. Look at the way Paasi and Bunty have been looking for work and creating things. Being error and penalty prone doesn't help, although he's been a bit better than I expected lately.

I'd call him safe at best, does a pretty good job of shutting down the ball carrier, but nowhere near enough work from what's supposed to be one of our senior leaders.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

What are we looking for from Blair? Like, 5-10 more hit ups?

Nah, not for me anyway. He'll rob our more powerful running forwards of hit ups.

Although that offload...he's got that offload. Theres 'before the line' and 'through the line' off load as we know. Because of Blairs lack of power, we normally see him offload with his back into the defence line and its good in that it catches the defence off guard, especially if the defence is retreating and assuming a tackle is imminent. However, more often that not, it just results in the hooker settling. If he only he could penetrate the line and off-load (which is through the line offload) leaving the receiver only the fullback to beat.

Nah, no power. In saying that, I dont think Blairs doing too bad. Me and JJ already told you guys not to expect great hit ups from Blair so I dont know what the fuss is about. His defence is helping us a lot though and at some stage we'll see his off-load serve us well.

 

[Meth]

Nah, not for me anyway. He'll rob our more powerful running forwards of hit ups.

Yeah, that was what I was fishing for.

 

[Blair]

What are we looking for from Blair? Like, 5-10 more hit ups?

We might be underestimating Blair's influence off the field. There's no doubt we are a different side this year.

 

[Blair]

...Theres 'before the line' and 'through the line' off load as we know...

Keep the Zero coaching clinics going, I really enjoy it when you explain technical stuff. I never played league, it just wasn't around when I was growing up.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Keep the Zero coaching clinics going, I really enjoy it when you explain technical stuff. I never played league, it just wasn't around when I was growing up.

I just word what you guys already know. I learn off others on here too, quite a lot actually. I receive more than I give

 

[jaseg]

Although that offload...he's got that offload. Theres 'before the line' and 'through the line' off load as we know. Because of Blairs lack of power, we normally see him offload with his back into the defence line and its good in that it catches the defence off guard, especially if the defence is retreating and assuming a tackle is imminent. However, more often that not, it just results in the hooker settling. If he only he could penetrate the line and off-load (which is through the line offload) leaving the receiver only the fullback to beat.

Has to win the contact to do that... fat chance lol!

3 Maumalo
2 Green
1 Mannering

Bloody tough one to pick just three... even HMs is hard so I'm not going to bother.

 

[ozbash]

3 Harris
2 Green
1 Fus..

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

3 Luke
2 SJ
1 Fus

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Great test for our front row in the weekend against Taupau and Fonua Blake after getting smoked by the Roosters. They definitlly stood up

 

[sup42]

What are we looking for from Blair? Like, 5-10 more hit ups?

Blair puts on two ball playing forward plays in the first set of six against Manly....we get down to their forty meter line before SJ has that unfortunate kick out on the full....prior to Blairs injection we were under the pump.

More time with this team and eventually Blairs ball playing will prove a difference maker coming out of our own end, well at least that is what I am hoping....it certainly helps that left edge in the opposition twenty, having a forward looking to put other people through instead of running then passing.

Teams are not used to defending forwards that pull up at the advantage line and fire a flat ball to another forward at the speed that Blair executes it...sure they encounter it...teams like Des's dogs were king at it.....but you never get comfortable with that type of player / it is not easy to counter....it sucks a lot of juice out of the defensive tank.

Just on the offloads discussion, interesting to see someone point out the nuances / breaking down the finer points.

The Offload facing backwards where they lob the ball so that it is a lollypop pass is deliberate.

The Idea being that you are less likely to turn over possession with that type of ball promotion, your receiver is at your six O'Clock for starters, there is no pressure on them, also the physics is the same as the way players handle kicks i.e. they try to face their own goal so that the ball is a knock back and not forward....accordingly it is hard to knock on if you are facing backwards.

It's a poor mans offload for sure, you are less likely to see a length of the field try off one, but it does challenge the opposition defence to deal with more than one tackle.

Agnatius Paasi throws at least a couple of these offloads per game.

Turning your back was a very Union thing to do, the first player I saw do it was Tony Iro...in his first professional league game for Wigan...the commentators were astounded that he would turn his back " you can't turn back in tackle lad...he'll ave busted spine....a dangerous Union habit".

It has taken a long time to see Iro's inovation become a regular feature of League...what about those Kicks for penalty's ? they will be pushing in the scrum in no time.,

 

[Scott]

3. Harris
2. Ken
1. SJ

 

[Meth]

Co-winners this week, for the first time that I can remember- Shaun Johnson and Ken Maumalo.

Johnson 27
Maumalo 27
Harris 22

Green 19
Luke 17
Paasi 9
Fusitu'a 6
Mannering 3
Papali'i 2

22 voted