Potential replacements at 5/8

[Chipmunk]

Spot on. Chipmunk can tell you how poor Norman's defensive stats were at fullback last year. It's a position conducive to missing tackles. He's much better defending in the line, as shown by his low miss rate, the odd shocker notwithstanding.

The defensive stats that I have previously mentioned were when Norman played in the 6 for the Broncos in 2012. He had around a 25% missed tackle rate that year, when playing in the exact same spot as he does now. That is about the Sandow missed tackle rate...

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The defensive stats that I have previously mentioned were when Norman played in the 6 for the Broncos in 2012. He had around a 25% missed tackle rate that year, when playing in the exact same spot as he does now. That is about the Sandow missed tackle rate...

So when he was quite young? He's certainly improved with a bit more strength and experience.

 

[Technique]

Norman is our left side five-eighth and Sandow is our right side five-eighth. Yusuf Paulo is our halfback.

But when Paulo goes off for a rest, Norman and Sandow become a more conventional left and right side halfback pairing. This is why Arthur's wants Paulo playing 80 minutes.

While this is a much better way of describing the team structure than "Sandow is half, Norman is five-eighth and Paulo is lock", I still think this is a bit of a simplistic way of looking at it. Sandow and Norman get about the same amount of touches as Paulo when all three are on the field, suggesting he's spending a lot of time not getting the ball at first receiver.

Depending on where the ball is played, Paulo will often push one of your halves wider but the ball with often go the other way anyway, meaning first receiver is one of your halves and second receiver is Hayne or a edge forward. It's basically just a ploy to leave both sides of the ruck in play at all times so the defence can't read you by which side your halves are standing.

Given all that, if Norman were to be dropped I'd probably just move Paulo into a genuine halves position and experiment with having Hayne run his lines in a bit closer to the ruck, giving him a more genuine open side second receiver role.

 

[Technique]

GOwer sometimes plays that role when Seph is off. I just hate Seph's defense and urgency

There's something to be said for not making your primary first receiver option make 30 tackles a game right up the guts, to be fair. It's why Peats was so valuable; his defensive workrate was so good that it allowed Paulo focus more on his attacking game.

 

[hineyrulz]

Refs have now been named as Jared Maxwell and Gavin Reynolds, with Steve Clark and Luke Patten as video refs.

http://leagueunlimited.com/news/leagueunlimited-nrl-teams-2014-round-19

Maxwell??? Oh joy it was going to be a tough enough game as it was.


And can someone tell me how Shayne Bay tan Hayne was not dropped after singlehandedly ruining Friday nights game?? People whinge about how the players do not respect the referees but it's a bit hard when they continually make mistakes but are never held accountable. Players are dropped for poor performance, besides Sef Paulo that is........

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Just out of interest, which refs do you want?

 

[hineyrulz]

Just out of interest, which refs do you want?

competent ones would be a good start, but that is asking for way to much.

They are all full time now, with more help than they have ever got but standards are as bad as I can remember them.

 

[Twizzle]

While this is a much better way of describing the team structure than "Sandow is half, Norman is five-eighth and Paulo is lock", I still think this is a bit of a simplistic way of looking at it. Sandow and Norman get about the same amount of touches as Paulo when all three are on the field, suggesting he's spending a lot of time not getting the ball at first receiver.

Depending on where the ball is played, Paulo will often push one of your halves wider but the ball with often go the other way anyway, meaning first receiver is one of your halves and second receiver is Hayne or a edge forward. It's basically just a ploy to leave both sides of the ruck in play at all times so the defence can't read you by which side your halves are standing.

Given all that, if Norman were to be dropped I'd probably just move Paulo into a genuine halves position and experiment with having Hayne run his lines in a bit closer to the ruck, giving him a more genuine open side second receiver role.

tried that, dismal failure

 

[IFR33K]

competent ones would be a good start, but that is asking for way to much.

They are all full time now, with more help than they have ever got but standards are as bad as I can remember them.

I hear you brother!!!

I recently heard a junior referee say why is the nrl making such a big deal for Alex McKinnon, in relation to the rise for Alex weekend.

He went on to say they didn't do anything for Andrew Johns, Tallis or Simon o Dwyer.

FML.

I'm really starting to believe they are just a dumb breed at all levels.

 

[Bigfella]

Blocker Roach used to say that the only criteria to be a referee was that no one went to your 21st.

 

[oldmancraigy]

There's something to be said for not making your primary first receiver option make 30 tackles a game right up the guts, to be fair. It's why Peats was so valuable; his defensive workrate was so good that it allowed Paulo focus more on his attacking game.

DeGois is making the same amount of tackles. The problem with a turd is that no matter how well you polish it, well, you know how the saying ends. Paulo just isn't that good - he is a fringe first grader, who has experience, which is probably why he keeps getting picked in our very inexperienced backrow.

Paulo isn't a half, and doesn't play much like [a modern] one. He doesn't kick the ball or call the set plays, instead he seems to be the 'link man' for the middle forwards, trying to make their job a bit easier, and is just the 'shuffle forward' in passing the ball to the halves when they are wider. A lot of teams do it, and like you say, it keeps the defence in 2 minds.

We lose some 'go forward' when he is out there, and we also lose a lot of grunt in defence. I don't think he is worth playing, but I also see the real danger in having 3 guys with very limited experience on the paddock as our backrowers.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

competent ones would be a good start, but that is asking for way to much.

They are all full time now, with more help than they have ever got but standards are as bad as I can remember them.

Mate, reffing standards have always been as bad as people can remember. Can you seriously recall a time when people thought that refereeing standards were ok or on the improve? I can't. They're humans, home teams typically get a bit of a lift from the 50/50 offside /holding the player down decisions etc, and when the better teams get that lift it compounds b/c they have the ball more often.....I don't see it as being better or worse than other times.

And the constant use of the video ref for things other than grounding the ball / 'foot in touch' decisions has done nothing to help.

 

[hineyrulz]

Mate, reffing standards have always been as bad as people can remember. Can you seriously recall a time when people thought that refereeing standards were ok or on the improve? I can't. They're humans, home teams typically get a bit of a lift from the 50/50 offside /holding the player down decisions etc, and when the better teams get that lift it compounds b/c they have the ball more often.....I don't see it as being better or worse than other times.

And the constant use of the video ref for things other than grounding the ball / 'foot in touch' decisions has done nothing to help.

honestly I think that's arguable, I think they are the worst I can remember them. But you can't deny the current mob haven't got more help than any others of the past, on full time money, extra ref out there even with past players in the box. But they continually f**k up, the amount of games I have watched were you can see which team will win after watching 5 mins because one side is getting away with murder while one side gets pinged for everything. Then you will see the blatant square up penalties which will even out the count but the damage will have been done. Case in point Friday night after Hayne had cost the Tigers a fair try he then blew 3 of the softest penalties you will ever see. 10 mins later it is 12 nil Manly and the tigers still hadn't touched the ball. Was Hayne dropped or even reprimanded???


Archer mumbled some dribble and that was all, as I said earlier they bleet and moan how the players don't respect them but gee what have they done lately to earn anyone's respect????

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

I don't necessarily think they're good......I just don't think they're any worse than in the past. A contributing factor is that as the game has become more professional, teams have placed greater emphasis on pushing the limits of the laws, partic. in the rules that require subjective application (i.e. most concerning the ruck). It's not a job I'd want.

 

[I bleed blue & gold]

Shayne Hayne was apparently at Eels training the other day. I'm sure we will learn alot from him :sarcasm:

 

[IFR33K]

Shayne Hayne was apparently at Eels training the other day. I'm sure we will learn alot from him :sarcasm:

Maybe we teaching him the rules. The nrl held coaching clinics on the school holidays, maybe he enrolled

 

[yy_cheng]

just give them all brown paper bags

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

just give them all brown paper bags

Come on, they're not all asthmatic.

 

[84 Baby]

I don't necessarily think they're good......I just don't think they're any worse than in the past. A contributing factor is that as the game has become more professional, teams have placed greater emphasis on pushing the limits of the laws, partic. in the rules that require subjective application (i.e. most concerning the ruck). It's not a job I'd want.

I think Hiney's point wasn't that they are worse than previously but that they aren't better despite improved pay, training (I assume), a push in recent decades to respect the ref & simple evolution

 

[Chipmunk]

So when he was quite young? He's certainly improved with a bit more strength and experience.

Has he? What are his stats now compared to 2012?