we use pink text in the jubilee ave forum when taking the piss.
you should employ a similar code here
Merritt was simply following coaches instructions to the letter.
The question that needs to be asked is, if Merritt had the time to get 10 metres up and 10 metres in from his wing, why did the defender two in from Merritt (Pearce), not have the time to get to Thurston.
Up and in only works when everyone moves up and in. If the blokes on the inside aren't limiting the ball players time with the ball, they are leaving the outside defender exposed and he is always going to cop a bath. If the centre fails to move up then he at least should have a 2nd chance by covering across on the winger. In the second of the two tries down Merritt's side, you see this happen but both Morris and Dugan, who also made it across, still couldn't stop Boyd even though they had a golden opportunity.
Watch the grand final last year and see the way that Barba was constantly shut down by an up and in defence. The key men are those playing at "outside and inside centre" or in last nights game, Morris and Pearce defending one and two in. The minute they start to slide instead of going forward, Merritt becomes a target and is left to look like a shag on a rock. The Storm also did the exact same thing to Reynolds when they played us in the finals last year and earlier this year.
Conversely, you could re-watch last nights game and see how much thinking time Pearce and Maloney had with ball in hand. QLD were playing the same pattern but they have the experience and cohesion to get it right. Up and in actually led to NSW only try as well.
To be perfectly honest, you need to play a lot of football together imo, to get up and in right and considering that Morris, Merritt and Pearce don't play together on a weekly basis, I'm surprised Daley went that way. I guess this is the sort of conundrum you are faced with when you are trying to work out how to shut down Inglis at centre. Imo Daley has looked at the fact that he had a smallish winger out on that side and he has panicked.
Not saying Merritt is completely blameless. He certainly should have learnt from the first try that QLD scored on his side and hung back on the second. The third try... Well, Inglis scores one of them most weeks against most sides. When you get him one on one with a winger via a pinpoint kick. He is going to plant 90% of those over the line.
