Another "Mullen is going to step up" article

[Joker's Wild]

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Mullen: I need to take more control
newcastleknights.com
8/03/2012 2:04:55 PM
Hunter Ports Newcastle Knights halfback Jarrod Mullen says he will look to become more involved when the Knights take on the Cronulla Sharks at Toyota Stadium on Sunday.



Despite scoring the Knights’ opening try in the 15-14 loss to the St George-Illawarra Dragons in round one, Mullen felt he did not have a big enough influence on the game.

“Obviously I’ve got to get my hands on the ball a lot more,” Mullen said.

“Wayne has been in my ear about getting more involved and I had to feel my way into the game a bit.

“I’d trade that try for a win, that’s for sure. I just have to get my hands on the ball a lot more and take more control.”

Mullen knows a solid platform will need to be laid by the Knights’ forward pack for him to work his magic.

“It’s going to be an arm wrestle… especially with the forward pack the Sharks have got,” he said.

“It’s pretty well known that they have one of the best forward packs in the game.

“That’s where it’s going to be won, in the forwards, and I’m sure our boys will be fired up.”

The Knights have won seven of the last 10 meetings between the two sides, but Mullen said that wouldn’t make the task of beating the Sharks on Sunday any easier.

“It’s going to be tough at Shark Park, we’ve had a couple of wins there but they’ve beaten us there a few times too so it’s going to be a good match,” he said.

“With Sunday afternoon football we’ll be able to throw the ball around a bit more than the other night’s slippery game, so it should be pretty entertaining.”

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[Big Tim]

Not happy with this..... should have been out in January.

 

[The Showstopper]

Ok. I am proper over this now. Aim up or ship out. If your halfback says "obviously i've got to get my hands on the ball a lot more" you are in trouble. Two words. Tyrone Roberts.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Talk is cheap

 

[billy2]

Articles for the last few years have been saying he should be playmaker and organiser and take control of the side - something he has never been great at.

This article says he should be selfish and take on the line himself - always his strength.

I don't know who is going to be the organiser, but Mullo would be better off just running like he did for his try last week.


edit - sorry, wrong article - the one on the back of today's herlad says he should run more.

 

[The Showstopper]

Talk is cheap

100% hit the nail on the head.

 

[billy2]

<H1>Jarrod Mullen getting set to take on defence

BY ROBERT DILLON
09 Mar, 2012 04:00 AM

BE selfish and run the ball.
With Wayne Bennett&#8217;s words ringing in his ears, Knights halfback Jarrod Mullen plans to open the throttle and help Newcastle notch their first win of the season in Sunday&#8217;s showdown against Cronulla at Toyota Stadium.
Mullen scored a try and played reasonably well in last week&#8217;s season-opening loss to St George Illawarra, but the feedback from coach Bennett was that he wanted the 2007 NSW Origin representative to challenge the defensive line more often.
&#8216;&#8216;Wayne said sometimes be a bit selfish and play for yourself rather than other people,&#8217;&#8217; Mullen said yesterday.
&#8216;&#8216;I&#8217;m a pretty unselfish bloke on the field. I like to throw the ball around a bit and play for other people rather than myself.
&#8216;&#8216;But at times that&#8217;s what the team needs, for me to play for myself and take the line on a bit more.&#8217;&#8217;
Mullen ran the ball seven times against the Dragons, making one line break and 52 attacking metres.
That mirrored his statistics from last year, when he averaged 55.5metres and 7.3runs in each of his 21 games.
&#8216;&#8216;I&#8217;ve got to find that balance. Obviously I won&#8217;t be taking the line on every second touch, but I&#8217;ll be taking it on a bit more,&#8217;&#8217; Mullen said. &#8216;&#8216;I&#8217;ve got to realise that when I&#8217;m having a dip at the line, something&#8217;s either coming good out of that or the next play.
&#8216;&#8216;Hopefully I can drill it in my head to take on the line.&#8217;&#8217;
Mullen is primed to torment defenders with more than just his footwork and pace.
In the off-season he has added five kilograms of muscle and is now tipping the scales at a chunky 93kilograms. &#8216;&#8216;Obviously I was a bit light last year, but I think all the weights we&#8217;ve been doing it&#8217;s really helped me put on some weight,&#8217;&#8217; he said. &#8216;&#8216;And especially with all the fitness we&#8217;ve been doing, I&#8217;ve been able to put on weight and be the fittest I&#8217;ve been.

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/sport/rugby-league/jarrod-mullen-getting-set-to-take-on-defence/2482501.aspx</H1>

 

[perverse]

why the f**k is everyone on his case this week? he had a good game last thursday... with his only real sin struggling to find grass with his kicks (against 2 extremely good ball returners in Morris and Nightingale). the rest of his game was fine, and if he didn't score the (solo) try that he scored, we may not have even got into the match.

the number of touches he gets on the ball every week are comparable to any other half in the NRL, so i don't know what that nonsense is about, either.

how much do we need from him for everyone to give him a break, exactly?

 

[EdLondon]

I agree. The majority of his kicks were from within our half. No real option but to kick long and the chances of being taken on the full dramatically increase.

Also wait and see if the pack stands up this week and see how he goes. Can't do much in your own end of the field behind a pack not going forward.

 

[Joker's Wild]

why the f**k is everyone on his case this week? he had a good game last thursday... with his only real sin struggling to find grass with his kicks (against 2 extremely good ball returners in Morris and Nightingale). the rest of his game was fine, and if he didn't score the (solo) try that he scored, we may not have even got into the match.

the number of touches he gets on the ball every week are comparable to any other half in the NRL, so i don't know what that nonsense is about, either.

how much do we need from him for everyone to give him a break, exactly?

Until he plays like Joey, I for one will never be satisfied. Never!

Seriously though, these articles are all piss and wind. He needs to put in quality performances, like last week, consistently. Thats the key point here.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

His kicks just need to find space, which he has struggled to do at the back end of last season and last week. And he needs to really add some variety with his attacking kicks and maybe add a grubber for a repeat set instead of a bomb or cross field kick all the time. Cant remember the last time he tried to grubber????

 

[The Showstopper]

why the f**k is everyone on his case this week? he had a good game last thursday... with his only real sin struggling to find grass with his kicks (against 2 extremely good ball returners in Morris and Nightingale). the rest of his game was fine, and if he didn't score the (solo) try that he scored, we may not have even got into the match.

the number of touches he gets on the ball every week are comparable to any other half in the NRL, so i don't know what that nonsense is about, either.

how much do we need from him for everyone to give him a break, exactly?

He needs to give himself a break which is my point. He comes across in the media as a person who waits to be told what to do. All halfbacks need to be selfish to a point. The bloke has literally owned up to being passive and wanting to please everyone. He should know what his strengths and weaknesses are by now.
Wayne can help his mental game but he needs to back himself which he doesn't do enough. He could well be the best running half in the game. Until he starts backing himself we will not know. What he showed last week was a bloke who can pinch slack marking and make it hurt the opposition. If he can't tell that is a strength then he will struggle. It should be instinct for him and not requiring him to tattoo it in his memory. Inside Jarrod Mullen is a brilliant player. Without that player we are not going to be a threat to any title.

 

[Spot On]

No excuses for that kicking game last week. On the whole compared to Sowards, it was second rate. Soward kicked plenty of times form his side of 50 and had Boyd turning and chasing plenty. He found the grass at will.

 

[Yosh]

Thought he was okay. Didn't shy away which was good to see.

I've been saying for years that he should be running more...

 

[The Showstopper]

I wonder how Mullo would go at dummy half? Excellent pass and an eye for slack marking.

 

[perverse]

No excuses for that kicking game last week. On the whole compared to Sowards, it was second rate. Soward kicked plenty of times form his side of 50 and had Boyd turning and chasing plenty. He found the grass at will.

Sowards kicking game is miles above any in the NRL at the moment. it is completely unrivaled, even by Thurstons. he has the best boot in the game, and has largely built his entire career around it.

i agree with you, Mullen has to improve his kicking based on his round 1 performance, and solely on his round 1 performance (although i think you'll notice that when he's given the room to kick well, he kicks pretty well), but you're more focused on it than you should be given how well he played the rest of his game. additionally, Mullen did a lot more clearance kicking than Soward due to better field position. Sowards forwards gave him much more room to work with. Soward also doesn't have to do any of the halfback work that Mullen needs to get through - he has Hornby to do that for him.

there were plenty of games just last year where Mullens kicking game was worshiped as the difference between 2 teams.

so to say there is no excuse... well yeah i just can't agree with that. there are reasons why Mullen isn't being given an equal opportunity to Soward. additionally, in just about every other aspect of the game Mullen either equals or betters Soward - something you neglect to mention while digging the claws in.

the only criticism of Mullen that i feel has weight (a great deal of weight, in fact) is consistency and temperament. attacking his kicking game, his passing game, his running game... it's all moot, he has all of the skills.

 

[perverse]

I wonder how Mullo would go at dummy half? Excellent pass and an eye for slack marking.

he doesn't have the defensive skills, nor the gritty, hard working attitude to be a hooker. no way in hell. he's a 5/8th or a halfback, and when the rest of his team is working for him, he's a bloody good one. he's just not good enough to pick a team up onto his shoulders and carry them... or at least not confident enough anyway. not yet.

it just amazes me that year after year we have these same discussions... and just about every team in the NRL would gladly throw a shitload of coin at him to come play 5/8th at their club - and they'd be right to do it too. he's very good, he's just not brilliant every week like we seem to expect him to be.

 

[rabble]

I like Mullo, think he's good value. Looks stronger this year, always thought his defence was good. Think it's the forwards fault that he can't get on the front foot.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

I don't think enough is being made of just how pathetic our forwards have been over the last several years. Any half or 5/8 in the comp would have seriously struggled playing for the knights in that time imo.

I agree that he does need to run the ball more, as well as consistenly put wobbly grubber kicks into the in goal. However he's had to play injured for the last few years and as I said, he's played behind a pathetic forward pack.

I'll be very interested in seeing how this year pans out for him.

 

[perverse]

i don't think our forwards were particularly bad last year, merely average. the years preceeding that were pretty dire.

they certainly weren't fantastic last week, though. just no genuine go-forward until Richie came on. f**k i wish we could clone Richie.