Kick Returns and The Peach

[Houdini]

Just wondering what other people's thoughts are on peachy's kick returns?
I think he is a great attacking player and plays entertaining football, but one thing irritates me.

The sideways running!

Instead of picking up the ball from an opposition kick and gaining 20m forward, he goes sideways! Sometimes he pulls off a flick pass to a winger or breaks the line himself, but most times it seems he makes 20m sideways and only 2 forwards

 

[King of the Hill]

Instead of picking up the ball from an opposition kick and gaining 20m forward, he goes sideways

Well Peachey's running game got shut down by the Anderson experiment. For whatever reason, he was told to stand really shallow, more shallow than a normal fullback would - review the Sharks v NZ final in 2002. Even on the last tackle he'd only be 10 or 15 metres behind the defensive line and he'd have to turn and chase down the kick. This would give the defence time to come up and tackle him, there wasnt normally a staggered line that he could run at the gaps of. Instead he had to run sideways and try and find the gaps.

I do take your point though houdini, sometimes Peach does seem overly casual and takes his time. Maybe his mind has been elsewhere from time to time over the past year or two. Nevertheless, I think we'll see the Peach of old back this year, provided his legs stand up.

 

[Punk]

I see that as his way of trying to sum up the oppositions defense and where his best chances lay in making a break, or trying to find an opportunity for the wingers. I suppose it may also give him a chance to check out whose tired (those in opposition who are hanging back or not chasing as hard) or hurt, which could provide some valuable information for the set on who to target.

 

[Macca]

I would prefer him to run the ball back a bit harder too but I reckon he knows what he's doing.

 

[Special K]

With him doing his crab walk thing and then say linking up with Merritt I reckon those two will be bloody hard to tackle on a kick chase with a broken line.

 

[Sheros los Deros]

I hope he builds up a similar rapport with Merrit that he had with Campbell in 2001. We scored some great tries from the back that year.

To be honest with Milford and Anderson last year, The Peach had limited options to instigate attack from kick returns.

 

[cheese]

If peach's hammys arent too bunged, he should have a decent year in kick returns.

Its when he's injured that he starts to throw brain explosion hospital passes to feather weight wingers

 

[Sharkie73]

I think with Merrit and Stinky either side of Peach with his kick returns they are going to cut opposition defences to peaces.
C'mon round 1

 

[SirShire]

Yeah I've got the same feeling Sharkie.

Very eager to see what Stu Raper has done with the boys.

 

[Cometshark]

As a former forward there is few things that break your spirit more then seeing a pretty boy back running 30 metres sideways, while having a good 30-35 metres to the nearest opponent, but saying that the fullback making a break and bringing it back to you is pleasing. ;-) ;-)

 

[shadowboxer]

Last year was hard to gauge with the likes of the idiots he was playing with, however this is a new year and it will be interesting to see what they have come up with. (ie-donkey ando jr and milford)

I remember a try he scored at home against penrith in 2001, it was pure peachy. He ran the ball all over the park pretty mmuch from end to end and just managed to get the ball over the line. I remember thinking how racked off would penrith be, as he just potted around the field and made them look stupir, the unpredictablity of peachy is what makes him dangerous although does make him a liablity every now and them.

 

[The Popper]

Depends if he can vary it. The best fullback I've ever seen - Clive Churchill - could either slice them up himself or run toward his wingers (e.g. Johnny Graves or Ian Moir), draw the defence and send them on a try scoring run.

 

[Macca]

Last year was hard to gauge with the likes of the idiots he was playing with, however this is a new year and it will be interesting to see what they have come up with. (ie-donkey ando jr and milford)

I remember a try he scored at home against penrith in 2001, it was pure peachy. He ran the ball all over the park pretty mmuch from end to end and just managed to get the ball over the line. I remember thinking how racked off would penrith be, as he just potted around the field and made them look stupir, the unpredictablity of peachy is what makes him dangerous although does make him a liablity every now and them.

That was the try of the year in 2002. I was in the toilet having a fugin piss. All I heard was roar after roar after roar.

 

[Cometshark]

I remember a try he scored at home against penrith in 2001, it was pure peachy. He ran the ball all over the park pretty mmuch from end to end and just managed to get the ball over the line. I remember thinking how racked off would penrith be, as he just potted around the field and made them look stupir, the unpredictablity of peachy is what makes him dangerous although does make him a liablity every now and them.

wasnt that on the nutri grain add with him reaching out to put the ball down???

 

[ghoti]

Peachey's Boomerang-like runs (in that he finishes the same place he begins) have been peaving me off sicne 98-99. Sometimes, it can be effective, but he loses a lot of ground in not running FORWARDS to gain metres...

 

[fatshark]

Instead of picking up the ball from an opposition kick and gaining 20m forward, he goes sideways!

What do want him to do, charge head first down the field like a prop? Get over it, Peach aint built for that . You might find that when he does the returns he can always sniff out a gap or an over lap.
So for the past ten years his running style has frustrated you?!

 

[Houdini]

I only said, Peachey's running style sometimes irritate me. I agree that by running across field he often finds a gap or links up with a winger, but at times he himself or the winger gets smashed as a resut of the sideways run and the defence having time to move up.

Are you saying you are happy when you see him run sideways, flick a pass to the winger and see the winger get crunched as soon as he receives the ball?

I just don't think the sideways running is always the best option, not when there is plenty of space for him to run forwards. Surely he can make some ground before attempting to draw in the defence.

 

[millersnose]

well put houdini

but psssst

peachey is one of the sacred cows and to some any criticism of him is going to get the faithfull in a lynching mood

 

[sharknows]

I think Peach will have more opportunity with his kick returns this because the whole team will be going forward more and he will not be continually under the hammer. I also expect he will get a lot more support from the rest of the backs.

 

[Mr Angry]

I am more concerned with Peachey's defence of late.
I expect to see a dramatic improvement here or Peach might find himself in PL.

His kick returning is of little concern to me.