Doesn't this describe a problem with attack?
No. Not in our case anyway. We generally don't have any problem scoring point. What we do have a problem with though is putting teams to the sword that show enthusiasm, even though we rack up points against them. Most teams still feel that Parra is a team waiting to implode. So they just keep coming till we oblige and let them back in, which to this date is still happening. Friday nights game was just another in a long list of games of teams hanging in till we let them take it from us.
Agreed. But if the game is tight at the end there will always be the opportunity for either team to win it. If you were genuinely the better team and it was still close enough at the end for the opposition to score (every team concedes tries over 80 minutes, including in the final 5-10) then the problem was your attack.
The modern day player is so well prepared and fit that if you get them focused and enthusiastic about defense and you have the right players that are capable in the squad, then attack ends up taking a back seat to it. Remember the RL field has not changed in size since day dot. So back then players were generally unfit amateur merkins just training once or twice a week, smoking a pack a day and sinking five to 20 schooners the night before a game. Today we have super athletes who live and breath conditioning and tactics. So since there is only so much room out there to throw that ball around something has to give and unfortunately attack can end up the casualty when teams get their defensive sh*t right.
So you are genuinely the best team if you can defend your way to victory. Not to many teams have won Premierships with average defense. Yes conceding point of course happens to the best of team. But you're a stats man Pou, don't the best defensive teams generally, by a big percentage I'm sure, play it out in the big one every year?
Now if you have a great attack and an equally great defense, then the chances are that you will win the big dance at the end of the year. Parra has a great attacking game and if we can equal it defensively then not to many team could stop us, not even the Roosters. We just haven't evolved enough in that part of our game from what I can see.
I like what Des Hasler has done for Manly in this regard. They all work very hard and together in defense. That is why they did as well as they did last year with a depth limited roster. Only major injuries ruined their season, especially at the back end of the season. They are my dark horse to make the GF this season if injuries are kind to them. Which is a big if considering how prone to injuries some of their players are.
Canberra's attack has always been great the last few seasons, so what changed last season? I'll tell you what, their defense in the halves in particular. Moving Jack Wighten to the halves was a massive bonus for them defensively in the halves, after having Blake Austin there the previous couple of season who was brilliant at times but very poor and so often isolated in defense by the attack. Also adding extra workers in defense and attack in the team overall completed a well balance team by Sticky.
I say this about Canberra after I predicted them to be spoon contenders last year. But to my defense I new nothing about Nicoll-Klokstad or John Bateman and who knew that Papalii could play a whole season in that type of form and basically be the form prop of the season? But if you look closely at the defensive patterns of the Raiders, you will see that Wighten is the difference and the key to their defensive success.
As the old saying goes, if you get your defense right the attack will follow. Or in other words, defense brings much confidence to at team that allows them to smash the other merkins.
From what I saw on Friday, we still don't dominate the ruck well and we get confused when the other team play at speed of of that and then throw numbers at us. We lose our heads a little and our defensive structures then start to break down. Then the opposition team see this and plays with its tail up even more. Once they score a try against the run of play so to speak it isn't to difficult for them to smell the panic in the air.
Now even if we come back at them and score again, it doesn't matter to much to the opposition because they know that we will give up the ruck as we normally do and we don't have the mental fortitude in defense to do anything about it. So they keep coming believing no matter how well we are playing in attack, we can and do give team air at the ruck and so they feel that they are always in with a chance. If we were to become ruthless defenders, then if we were to score the first try or two it would then break the spirit of most teams and if they are being hurt in the ruck and in general, then game over.
