Rts

[ozbash]

You can say SJ is half the problem (and kudos on the pun) but put them in a Kiwis jumper and is there any doubt that it'd work? You'd back it to be a winner in that environment. I haven't watched a lot of international league but I'm picking SJ and his fullback (I'm not sure if he's played with RTS) have combined much better under a better structure?[/QUOTE]

I think Kearney lets them go more ad lib, the structured play seems to be forwards dominate and SJ and RTS to do what they are best at, create.

The Warriors are too pre occupied with a 'gameplan'.

 

[Rich102]

Trying to remember what it was or work out how it applied to them?

 

[JJ]

You can say SJ is half the problem (and kudos on the pun) but put them in a Kiwis jumper and is there any doubt that it'd work? You'd back it to be a winner in that environment. I haven't watched a lot of international league but I'm picking SJ and his fullback (I'm not sure if he's played with RTS) have combined much better under a better structure?[/QUOTE]

I think Kearney lets them go more ad lib, the structured play seems to be forwards dominate and SJ and RTS to do what they are best at, create.

The Warriors are too pre occupied with a 'gameplan'.

Ad lib stuff works in one-off games with elite talent - I don't believe it's a recipe for success in the NRL

If they're preoccupied with a gameplan it'd be just lovely to see some solid evidence of one

 

[vvvrulz]

You can say SJ is half the problem (and kudos on the pun) but put them in a Kiwis jumper and is there any doubt that it'd work? You'd back it to be a winner in that environment. I haven't watched a lot of international league but I'm picking SJ and his fullback (I'm not sure if he's played with RTS) have combined much better under a better structure?

While you've got a point here, there are still a few key differences:

- A dream forward pack
- A handful of big games vs a season
- Foran

And even then, Johnson relied heavily on his million dollar plays usually to clinch tight games.
And he's arguably the best in the world at that, but that doesn't cut it for 26 rounds of NRL

 

[Auckland4ever]

Isn't the main problem that the club relies too heavily and too solely on Johnson?

Even the best half in the world needs others around him to be running decent lines, executing different plays, creating space and chances on their own etc. The Cowboys had the "biggest underachievers" tag prior to 2015 for good reason. Lots of rep experience and lots of underwhelming performances and lengthy form slumps. What changed for them last year was Coote playing career-best football, Morgan being very good in the halves and the emergence of Granville at 9. Three players that consistently disrupted opposition defensive lines. Without the latter two, they wouldn't have won that grand final.

If Johnson is half the problem, then that says a hell of a lot about the coached aspects of our attack and the lack of influence our other attacking players are having on the game. Ideally, we want to be like the Roosters were last year - when they lost their halfback, little actually changed. They mostly still kept on winning without him.