NRL - Pass the ball?

[MrGadget]

So I'm watching NRL matches and perhaps I'm just a dumb American and missing something. They get 6 plays, but seem to squander most of them just running straight ahead a few meters into 2-3 waiting tacklers, gaining little ground, and mostly only pass the ball once from start to tackle, occasionally there's a second pass, but those are often very short, nearly a handoff, to another player that runs right at the same guys the offloading player pulled up on. The only time they seem to gain real ground is when they pass the ball around several times drawing the opposing players out to create seams and gaps. So the obvious question I have is simply, why don't they pass the ball more? My 2nd question is why they don't seem to kick across to a team mate more, versus just popping it up 20 meters into a crowd?

Enlighten me?

 

[The Great Dane]

So I'm watching NRL matches and perhaps I'm just a dumb American and missing something. They get 6 plays, but seem to squander most of them just running straight ahead a few meters into 2-3 waiting tacklers, gaining little ground, and mostly only pass the ball once from start to tackle, occasionally there's a second pass, but those are often very short, nearly a handoff, to another player that runs right at the same guys the offloading player pulled up on. The only time they seem to gain real ground is when they pass the ball around several times drawing the opposing players out to create seams and gaps. So the obvious question I have is simply, why don't they pass the ball more.

Generally it's an attempt to compress the defense and to create more holes in backs defensive line.

In other words they're throwing the forwards at the middle of the defensive line to try and force the backs to move closer to the middle of the field, thus creating holes on the wings.

Either that or they are just trying to make as many metres as possible with as few mistakes as possible before they loose the ball.

My 2nd question is why they don't seem to kick across to a team mate more, versus just popping it up 20 meters into a crowd?

Enlighten me?

Not really sure what you mean here, do you mean when a team is kicking for touch after a penalty or when they are intentionally kicking it dead during a set?

 

[Kurt Angle]

The only way to make space is to unsettle the defence, and that involves muscling up the existing defence.

If you start throwing 3,4,5 passes every tackle from tackle zero, all you will do is lose ground. A settled defence will not concede ground.

This is why RL is more like chess, to RU being checkers. A hit up is akin to a pawn in chess. Seemingly meaningless and ineffectual, but the real impact of hit up isn't felt in that tackle, it's about the structure it can potentially in the subsequent tackle(s). When you observe large scale flowing passing movements gain ground, it's because the defence is out of sync due to a previous play disrupting it.

Now, the down side is, not every hit up, like not every pawn movement in chess is effectual. If the defence counters it properly, it's just a blocked parry. It tackles balls however to be the next guy who lines up for a hit up.

 

[Kurt Angle]

2nd one, he means mid field bombs.

They do the midfield bomb to attempt to create a lottery. The defence is at a disadvantage because they can touch it for a knock on, and the kicking team gets another 6. If the attacking team knocks on, it was their last tackle anyway.

 

[Evil Homer]

NRL is a highly structured league, but even in the most basic leagues if you tried to throw it around straight away on every play then it would be easy for the opposition defense to shut down and you wouldn't make any ground at all. The analogy above about pawns is a good one. When you see teams passing the ball and gaining ground it's because they have earned the right to do so, they've set up the position to launch the attacking plays with the earlier hard work in the middle of the field. If there were 30 seconds left on the clock and you were one score behind then you might throw it around on every play and hope for the miracle, but otherwise it's about tactics. Tiring the defense out, dragging them out of position, building momentum, setting up a position to launch attacks or just trying to take some of the heat off your team and get out of your own half without turning over possession, especially if you've just been under pressure from the opposition. If you're just trying to score off every play in every set then it isn't going to work.

As for kicking, it's a risk and reward. Trying shorter kicks to a team mate every time would make less ground and give the opposition a lot more chance of gathering the ball and launching a counter-attack. Also, it would be easy for the defense if you were just doing the same kick every time. Like I said, RL is a very tactical game and a lot of the time it's more about gaining territory and building pressure rather than going all-out to score on every play.

 

[MrGadget]

Thanks all for your thoughtful responses. Kurt Angle understood about the kicking question (midfield deep vs. more "chip & chase"). As I'm about to watch Warriors vs. Panthers on the DVR, perhaps I'll see the flow of play differently.

 

[roughyedspud]

if you ever get to a game pal....sit behind the posts...you'll then understand why moves are structured the way they are..

you'll see clear as day how a simple cut out pass or dummy run can create holes in a defence...

even after 30years of watching league i always prefer to sit/stand behind the posts..