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Coach Flanno

Dragon David

First Grade
Messages
9,287
We will be a rootin' and a tootin' for you Shane. Looking forward to many write ups on this Forum once the trials and competition starts in 2024. Hopefully they will be good and positive ones and that we see a lot of great games from the squad and that we will know that your choice by the Board as the head coach was the best decision.
 

SEAT 1A

Bench
Messages
3,362
We will be a rootin' and a tootin' for you Shane. Looking forward to many write ups on this Forum once the trials and competition starts in 2024. Hopefully they will be good and positive ones and that we see a lot of great games from the squad and that we will know that your choice by the Board as the head coach was the best decision.
Still a long way to go till it all starts again.

Regardless of the recruitment, game plans that challenge the opposition, get them off their game, fitness to keep us in the game and no to be rolled over.
 
Messages
3,911
Good post BG. I have heard ‘give him clean ball, give him early ball, play him on right side, hasn’t been coached properly etc. The bottom line is that Zac isn’t quick enough / lacks the dash of top centres like Mitchell, Staggs, Crithon, Best, to name a few.

Yet, Zac is tough, athletic and moves well. Good front on tackler, has an offload and able to run a good line. I’d like to see him back row or lock. His frame could carry another 5 kg. Maybe, a sort of Isiah Yeo.
Would make a great ball playing 13
 
Messages
835
I’ve always been positive about the recruitment of Kyle recognising his talent as a “structured” half would go hand in hand with Hunt, but with Hunt at 6.
Quote from Flanno senior confirms “I’ve always thought Kyle’s style with Benny Hunt will work perfectly because Benny is a runner, so he’ll get a shot there
I’ve traditionally thought of halfbacks being more organisers and rigid in play while 5/8 are more off the cuff and flamboyant. But since the evolution of left side/right side of the halves, centers, and edge forwards, am I generalising?
Will it work with ©Hunt @ 7?
Will he wear 6?
Can anyone give me examples of successful halves combos where the 5/8 is structured with a running half. (Excluding freaks like Andrew Johns who could do it all 😊).
 

Victoire

Juniors
Messages
1,109
I’ve always been positive about the recruitment of Kyle recognising his talent as a “structured” half would go hand in hand with Hunt, but with Hunt at 6.
Quote from Flanno senior confirms “I’ve always thought Kyle’s style with Benny Hunt will work perfectly because Benny is a runner, so he’ll get a shot there
I’ve traditionally thought of halfbacks being more organisers and rigid in play while 5/8 are more off the cuff and flamboyant. But since the evolution of left side/right side of the halves, centers, and edge forwards, am I generalising?
Will it work with ©Hunt @ 7?
Will he wear 6?
Can anyone give me examples of successful halves combos where the 5/8 is structured with a running half. (Excluding freaks like Andrew Johns who could do it all 😊).
Jamie Soward and Benny Hornby is a good example in the red v, although Hornbag did lots of passing & organising too.

I think it's a fine theory but the challenge is for the coaches to pull it off. I had hoped Hunt and Bud Sullivan could forge a stronger halves combo than Hunt-Amone, because Bud could take some of that organisation and kicking burden from Hunt, ie some of the key halfback duties. The issue is, I guess, that Ben Hunt seems himself as a structured halfback who can organise a team, and Griffin apparently agreed. Whether Flanno can convince Hunt to let go of the reins a bit remains to be seen
 

mattchuot

Juniors
Messages
129
I’ve always been positive about the recruitment of Kyle recognising his talent as a “structured” half would go hand in hand with Hunt, but with Hunt at 6.
Quote from Flanno senior confirms “I’ve always thought Kyle’s style with Benny Hunt will work perfectly because Benny is a runner, so he’ll get a shot there
I’ve traditionally thought of halfbacks being more organisers and rigid in play while 5/8 are more off the cuff and flamboyant. But since the evolution of left side/right side of the halves, centers, and edge forwards, am I generalising?
Will it work with ©Hunt @ 7?
Will he wear 6?
Can anyone give me examples of successful halves combos where the 5/8 is structured with a running half. (Excluding freaks like Andrew Johns who could do it all 😊).
In 2018 when we made finals, Widdop and Hunt combined very well in that fashion. Widdop was an excellent organising 6 who did most of the kicking which took a lot of that burden off Hunt allowing him to run more.
 
Messages
835
The greatest half backs in the game, since the introduction of '6 again' can be classified as both "structured' and "flamboyant." Cleary, Cherry Evans, & Jahrome Hughes are examples.

However, some of the good halfbacks recently, are definitely more structured such as Adam Reynolds, Chad Townsend and probably the greatest structured half being Cooper Cronk.

Although I appreciate the examples of both Widdop and Sowie, I wouldn't categories either as 'structured' 5/8's

IMO Kyle is a structured half (7) who is going to play (6) 5/8 to accommodate Hunt at 7.


I can't think of any successful halves pairing where the 5/8 is not a more creative type (Eye's up)

IMO Kyle 7, Hunt 6 would definitely work.
If Flanagan Snr can make Hunt 7, Kyle 6, work, he should change his name to Merlin.

Please note - If I am wrong, I will not be eating my keyboard. :D
 

RedVee_8

Juniors
Messages
1,172
I’ve always been positive about the recruitment of Kyle recognising his talent as a “structured” half would go hand in hand with Hunt, but with Hunt at 6.
Quote from Flanno senior confirms “I’ve always thought Kyle’s style with Benny Hunt will work perfectly because Benny is a runner, so he’ll get a shot there
I’ve traditionally thought of halfbacks being more organisers and rigid in play while 5/8 are more off the cuff and flamboyant. But since the evolution of left side/right side of the halves, centers, and edge forwards, am I generalising?
Will it work with ©Hunt @ 7?
Will he wear 6?
Can anyone give me examples of successful halves combos where the 5/8 is structured with a running half. (Excluding freaks like Andrew Johns who could do it all 😊).
Mundine - Barrett ? Both runners?
 
Messages
835
Mundine - Barrett ? Both runners?
Plenty of successful halves where both are runners
Halves (7) like Townsend and Reynolds were/are great number 7's without being renown for a "running game" and do not play 5/8 - Show me a current/recent successful halves combo where the 5/8 does not posses a strong running game?
IMO Kyle must play the No. 7 role - Even the coach admits it's Hunt with the running game
 

Mojo

Bench
Messages
4,110
Plenty of successful halves where both are runners
Halves (7) like Townsend and Reynolds were/are great number 7's without being renown for a "running game" and do not play 5/8 - Show me a current/recent successful halves combo where the 5/8 does not posses a strong running game?
IMO Kyle must play the No. 7 role - Even the coach admits it's Hunt with the running game
IMO Hunt’s always been a 6.
 
Messages
835
IMO Hunt’s always been a 6.
Struth – I hardly remember posting that
Was after a BIG night – Thankfully it reads OK 😊

“IMO Hunt’s always been a 6”.

I agree, but does that mean you expect Hunt to wear 6 in 2024 and Kyle 7?
IMO that would be a bloody great combo.

Or are you suggesting that at 7, HUNT will focus more on opportunities & relinquish a good proportion of the game management duties to Kyle at 6? I just can’t see another competitive halve combo with that dynamic.

BTW -Kyle’s game is probably more rounded than what I remember at Roosters but he was a very solid No.7 – Roosters would never have played him at 5/8.
 

Dragon David

First Grade
Messages
9,287
I might be speaking at the wrong end of my body again, but I just thought, after reading about Kyle Flanagan, he to me wasn't akin to the culture at both the Roosters and Bulldogs. Maybe a bit better with the Roosters guys but not so much the Bulldogs crowd.

He will be a much better fit at the Dragons and will like it more because not only will his dad be there, the surrounds of Kogarah and the Gong would be good and being able to play alongside a player of the experience of Ben Hunt and our more down to earth other players it will make him feel much more confident. This I hope will help us win a lot more games.
 
Messages
835
I might be speaking at the wrong end of my body again, but I just thought, after reading about Kyle Flanagan, he to me wasn't akin to the culture at both the Roosters and Bulldogs. Maybe a bit better with the Roosters guys but not so much the Bulldogs crowd.

He will be a much better fit at the Dragons and will like it more because not only will his dad be there, the surrounds of Kogarah and the Gong would be good and being able to play alongside a player of the experience of Ben Hunt and our more down to earth other players it will make him feel much more confident. This I hope will help us win a lot more games.
100% agree
I've always been positive regarding Kyle's recruitment
To take the best advantage of his skillset though, is imo,7 not 6.
If anyone is best suited to applying the Coach's game plan, it's his son.

I may be worried about nothing. Perhaps 6 will be OK by hunt as it's still the halves?

I Hope so
 

Dragon David

First Grade
Messages
9,287
100% agree
I've always been positive regarding Kyle's recruitment
To take the best advantage of his skillset though, is imo,7 not 6.
If anyone is best suited to applying the Coach's game plan, it's his son.

I may be worried about nothing. Perhaps 6 will be OK by hunt as it's still the halves?

I Hope so
I hope so too H of D. My thinking is that Shane Flanagan as the head coach now will be trying a lot more things than Hook which would be things like getting the right combo in the halves with either Hunt at 6 and Kyle at 7 for the trial matches to see how that goes and if it works leave them in those positions but if not the reverse and maybe Flanno will try Hunt in the 9 as well as Kyle for some games just to see as well. No harm in trying. The main thing is putting the right person for each position. So Hunt hopefully will be agreeable to be flexible.
 

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