Our Attack

[Rob Dragon]

I have been scratching my head for some weeks now as to why a team with a backline that has Josh Dugan, Gareth Widdop and Benji Marshall looks so disjointed in attack and I would contend that we have players who are in the wrong position or playing the wrong role.
1. Benji Marshall
He is not an organising half-back. He is an “off the top of his head” player and still a devastating broken field player. He has always been a natural #6. Let him play there.
2. Josh Dugan
I think his days as a fullback are over and he has a really good future as a big centre ahead of him.
3. Gareth Widdop
He just might be better suited as a full-back where he can put himself around the ball carrier as we go forward.
Therefore, who should be our halfback? Perhaps we should simply look for the best organising halfback in the club who also has a decent kicking game.
It is also obvious that Le Strange is better skilled at bringing the forwards onto the ball on the advantage line.
Finally, Mary, let’s stop playing so far behind the advantage line. Play on it and play fast.

 

[BennyV]

I think Benji and Widdop need to swap roles. Gareth has the vision and brains to call the shots and should touch the ball as much as possible. Needs to spend some time on his kicking with an actual kicking coach.
this lets Benji pick his moments a bit better.
Dugan still had fullback in him. Theres nothing he can do at centre that he cant do from fullback. Can still run lines and isolate players. Theres no reason a game plan can't be implemented where he and the edge backrowers alternate in that unders line to get the most strike out of.our players.
Our biggest issue has been Centres. Aitken is a step forward, but when Mata'utia gets his jersey back we will finally have 2 centres who can run decent lines with some power, as well as having some ball skills.
Le'strange at hooker is imperative. He is good at directing the team around and straightening the attack. Needs and understudy and for me, Rein doesnt cut it.

Finally, as has been mentioned, our game plan is outdated. The whole play for a play for a big play, then a settler hasnt worked in.years, i dont know why we persist. Timing needs to be fixed, as well as putting responsibility on all players to push up in attack. Until the plan gets fixed, the players who run out wont matter...

 

[FlameThrower]

Got free tix to Roosters Panthers game/ what I noticed is how fast both teams play the ball and how sold I saw chooks line in defence/ also noticed how quickly both teams can spread the ball out to edges- we sometimes get stuck in the middle having to crab sideways ???

 

[Country Dragon]

I think Benji and Widdop need to swap roles. Gareth has the vision and brains to call the shots and should touch the ball as much as possible. Needs to spend some time on his kicking with an actual kicking coach.
this lets Benji pick his moments a bit better.
Dugan still had fullback in him. Theres nothing he can do at centre that he cant do from fullback. Can still run lines and isolate players. Theres no reason a game plan can't be implemented where he and the edge backrowers alternate in that unders line to get the most strike out of.our players.
Our biggest issue has been Centres. Aitken is a step forward, but when Mata'utia gets his jersey back we will finally have 2 centres who can run decent lines with some power, as well as having some ball skills.
Le'strange at hooker is imperative. He is good at directing the team around and straightening the attack. Needs and understudy and for me, Rein doesnt cut it.

Finally, as has been mentioned, our game plan is outdated. The whole play for a play for a big play, then a settler hasnt worked in.years, i dont know why we persist. Timing needs to be fixed, as well as putting responsibility on all players to push up in attack. Until the plan gets fixed, the players who run out wont matter...

I totally agree with all this!

 

[saintjeff]

Widdop did play some fullback at the Storm but seriously who would be the 5/8.
No way anyone from the Cutters could come in .I saw them in r1 and they were poor

 

[blacksafake]

Widdop did play some fullback at the Storm but seriously who would be the 5/8.
No way anyone from the Cutters could come in .I saw them in r1 and they were poor

Benji;-)

 

[West coast dragon]

Still reckon leave benji and widdop in the halves but let widdop assume more control, aitken and dugan in the centres and Justin hunt at fullback if his form in the cutters continues!

 

[watatank]

Marshall and Widdop are our only ball players...every decent team has at least three (the halves plus fullback, hooker or backrower)

Anyway I just think that overall we are poor in the basics like catching, passing, running the right lines, timing and all that stuff. Add to that we have a poor game plan that relies heavily on Marshall and Widdop making plays and Dugan being able to pass the ball rather than run it

 

[Get2dachopper!]

We didn't need to buy Bunji. Look how well Widdop played last year when Wiliams or Witt were playing 7.

They are both running 5/8's. Was my opinion last year and still is and we are suffering not having a 7 who can direct us around the field with a decent kicking game. Anyone will do, keating, crook, as long as they can kick, Marshall and widdop are hopeless general play kickers.

 

[Objective View]

Clearly, Mary is a very good attack coach.

Straight Shooter

 

[BrissyRedV]

The more I think about it, the more I like Dugan in the centres. He lacks the passing game to be considered a ball playing FB and he has increased in size and looks to have lost a yard or two of pace. It also solves our centre issues having him on one side and Aitken on the other and would add strike and improve defence removing Farrell, Neilson and Mata'utia back to reserves.

Widdop would be more than capable of stepping into the FB role. The whole reason he was not a FB at the Storm was because of Billy and at origin time was moved back there. He was too good to leave out of the Storm team so had to adapt to 5/8. Having him at the back would give us another ball playing option. Most teams have 3 -4 options on the paddock at one time ie. Rabbits - Renolds, Keary, Sutton, G Stewart. Cowboys - Thurston, Morgan, Lui. Penrith - Soward, Wallace, Moylan.

On top of this, it gives us another opportunity to blood another talented junior in Hutchinson to gain experience and allow Benji to take the front seat role as he has so far. This allows Hutchinson time to settle into 1st grade and provides a viable succession plan.

Personally, I think this would improve the backline.

 

[ellskimore]

I don't think there is any need to implement it immediately but it does look very tempting.

 

[giboz71]

I've never seen Widdop play fullback.

How did he go at the Storm when they put him there? How is he under the high ball and with kick returns. He would definitely add value due to his passing/linking ability which is so important now.

 

[God-King Dean]

Just playing to the structure they have been given,

 

[God-King Dean]

I've never seen Widdop play fullback.

How did he go at the Storm when they put him there? How is he under the high ball and with kick returns. He would definitely add value due to his passing/linking ability which is so important now.

It's easy to tell he is a natural fullback, & much more suited.

But of course, Slater is at Melbourne, so he was made into a 5/8th to suit their needs. Now he has been lumped into that category.

As I've said before, I want him to play fullback. But he was bought as a 5.8th, & I doubt the club will change that now. But hey, Dugan got moved to centre, so who knows.

Unfortunately, Widdop is an Englishman, & Daley can't use him to play fullback for NSW.....

 

[Kuro]

Agreed. Either that or Dugan needs to work on his ball playing ability.

It's becoming so easy for the defence to read him as they know he will just run the ball when we are attacking their line and they can just run in and shut him down. He scores more tries in ad-lib broken play.

 

[dino2170]

We cant attack with the team we have

 

[Cagey Mac]

So is the consensus here Widdop to fullback?
Dugan and Aitken in the centres (who plays right?)
Hutchinson to 5/8?
L'estrange to starting hooker?

 

[BennyV]

So is the consensus here Widdop to fullback?
Dugan and Aitken in the centres (who plays right?)
Hutchinson to 5/8?
L'estrange to starting hooker?

Consensus? Really? You've come to the wrong place bro...

IF we were to follow the Widdop to fullback plan, I'd be going Dugan to the left (he can at least pass that way), Aitken to the right, Hutcho to 7 (and take over attacking kicks) and Benji to 6.

 

[Twenty10]

Gees I don't think we can move widdop from 5/8. Aitken and peter M in centres. Dugan still our best option at fullback IMO