Forwards

[marty mcfly]

One thing that the two victories may have hidden is the general struggle the team has on many occasions getting out of our own half.
It seems not too many forwards can consistantly make 8-10 metres a hit up & we rely on sideway ball movement and darts from dummy half way too much.
This is still a flow on problem from last year in my opinon. With Morris & Farah having a fairly short kicking game this is compounded.

 

[madunit]

This year has seen a more keener focus on our short passing game and dummy half running, which has helped the forwards get some momentum.

 

[hybrid_tiger]

This year has seen a more keener focus on our short passing game and dummy half running, which has helped the forwards get some momentum.

Which is exactly what happened for about 12 or so weeks in 2005.

We will never be able to make huge metres coming off our own line by carting it up. Only Galloway is capable. But we can and have been making up for this in other areas.

 

[themanonthehill]

Not to mention we have been missing TNT's metres off kick returns/tackle 1 etc which can put us on the front foot and also help get us penalties

 

[tiger_nick]

One thing that the two victories may have hidden is the general struggle the team has on many occasions getting out of our own half.
It seems not too many forwards can consistantly make 8-10 metres a hit up & we rely on sideway ball movement and darts from dummy half way too much.
This is still a flow on problem from last year in my opinon. With Morris & Farah having a fairly short kicking game this is compounded.

gotta say i agree and i asid the same thing suring the early stages of the cowboys game. if we start the set pinned deep in our own half we wont get further then the 40m line. however i think we actually try and do that. we play it just one pass off the ruck, make 30-40ms then kick. just try and not make a mistake. we're more likely to see a halatau or ryan bringing it out of dummyhalf then payten steaming onto it.

 

[madunit]

The reduction in interchanges plays into our favour as well.

Lawrence has been getting more involved in hit ups this year which is whats needed. Having players like Tuiaki and Tagive on the wing also helps.

The more hit ups our backs can do the better, and when our backs are just as big and strong as the forwards, it can only be of a benefit to our side.

It could lead to us using one or two utility players off the bench, as opposed to having at least 3 forwards on the bench like all other sides.

Maybe Sheens' concept of turning everyone into back rowers has some merit afterall :shock:

 

[innsaneink]

One thing that the two victories may have hidden is the general struggle the team has on many occasions getting out of our own half.
It seems not too many forwards can consistantly make 8-10 metres a hit up & we rely on sideway ball movement and darts from dummy half way too much.
This is still a flow on problem from last year in my opinon. With Morris & Farah having a fairly short kicking game this is compounded.

Check the stats.

2 forwards in rd 1 marginally was less than 10m per hit up.
3 in rd 2, again, very marginally less than 10m per h/u.
All others averaging over 10m per run.

 

[brooksy19]

Nice find Ink, I guess its a perception thing isn't it.

Early in games it seems we can't get out of our half but it seems that our backs are taking a good chunk of those early hit ups and then our fowards are coming through on the 3,4,5 tackle an making decent metres (especially in the back end of each half)

I guess you can't have both - i.e Big Powerful steamroller foward based team and a highly skilled ball moving pack that we have.

One things for sure, when our gameplan doesn't work, we don't really have a plan B. But same can be said for 75% of teams.

 

[marty mcfly]

Stats on occasions can be misleading. Example Fulton's break near the end last week could be the equivalent of 6 by ten metre hit ups.

I think as a few have mentioned the backs work overtime trying to get us out of danger offensively. Most teams rely on their forwards to do this.

 

[super_coach]

Early in rhe season their is always yards for the quick dart or short pass but as the season rolls on it becomes harder to make yards in this method comming off your line, teams become fitter and defences get stronger. As said before without this go forward our kicking game is lame. The reduced interchange may negate this a little but I still think by mid season we might end up in the same hole trying to get off our own line

 

[innsaneink]

Stats on occasions can be misleading. Example Fulton's break near the end last week could be the equivalent of 6 by ten metre hit ups.

I think as a few have mentioned the backs work overtime trying to get us out of danger offensively. Most teams rely on their forwards to do this.

I didnt count Farah either.

Fulton
Runs =2
O/l = 2
Mtr gained = 97...

Take his 50m run for his try out and he's still left with 47m from 2 or one run (depending on whether the run for his try is counted as a h/u)

 

[marty mcfly]

In regards to stats I wonder if metres gained from a player is taken from where he takes the ball or where the play the ball is. For example Farah passes 2 metres back to Payten who runs 8 metres. Effective gain 6 metres but Payten has really run 8 metres.
Does anyone know ?

 

[Callan Pk]

:lol:
'Passes 2m back'

Dummy halves doing that are NOT if first grade, unless its the last and theyre looking for a kicker

 

[madunit]

In regards to stats I wonder if metres gained from a player is taken from where he takes the ball or where the play the ball is. For example Farah passes 2 metres back to Payten who runs 8 metres. Effective gain 6 metres but Payten has really run 8 metres.
Does anyone know ?

It's done by metres the player runs.

It'd be stupid to do it any other way.

And ink, that 50m run would be considered a hit up.

 

[marty mcfly]

:lol:
'Passes 2m back'

Dummy halves doing that are NOT if first grade, unless its the last and theyre looking for a kicker

Just using dummy half as an example Callan Park. There are plenty of times the ball would go back 2m.