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Rumours and Stuff

Gazzamatta

Coach
Messages
16,042
We were moving our best defensive centre to help young Arthur's. All that says is that Opacic is a better defender than Blake. You seem to think it means Blake is a reserve grader.
Not at all. You've already stated the issue. I agree with your thoughts on centres who are capable offensively and strong defensively.
 

hindy111

Post Whore
Messages
64,793
So if Arthurs defense isn't ready and that is what cost us why did BA pick him?
We had genuine options in Matterson and Bryce to play 5/8.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,911

sterlos wrap is worth a watch, does some film review about the defensive issues. Seems like we have really underestimated how important drown is to this team.


OK @Poupou Escobar how are you going to get out of this one mate. Your ridiculous criticism of Sterlo in regards to B. Smith's thoughts, so much so that I didn't even bother to respond to because they were so asinine. I mean Sterlo may not have the tactical intellect of BS, not many do, but to suggest he can't see and assess something so obvious and simple as not picking your mark in defense is moronic as usual on your part.

But in this video Sterlo does it for me in such a clear and precise way that even you can see that our whole defensive structure out wide has no idea what they should do. These players are training constantly on different defensive patterns coming at them in a game, so how are they getting it so freakin wrong during game time? Or are they not getting the right coaching? I'll ask again, how can you get it so wrong week after week, year after year, with different players too? Even when we win against the lesser teams, there are times during the game that we see exactly the same crap unfolding, it's just that against the lesser teams we can dominate them enough with the ball in hand and our monster pack so we eventually come out on top.

But this problem has never been solved no matter who is in our backline when playing the better teams in particular. It has to be the coaching. They must be clueless. I mean, if the coaching staff is picking up on what is going wrong and getting them to repeat defensive drills a thousand times with this type of offensive structure coming at them, surely even just through simple muscle memory they should respond automatically and get it right, right?.

What Sterlo is showing here doesn't need super footballing prowess, intellect or speed. This is just basic 101 outside back defensive drills that ALL NRL standard backs should be nailing. It isn't anything special being thrown at them. Hell these star shapes and block plays should be like shelling peas to players by now.

All I can say is that we either have the stupidest players in the NRL playing in our backline or our coaching is just out of touch with what is actually going on. This should be a very, very simple fix and yet as fans we are subjected to watching these defensive failures weekly and tearing our hair out(for those who still have fair) because we can see it coming a mile away and the people employed and paid to, are either incapable to fix it or don't really understand the problem enough to address it correctly in the first place.

But anyway, everything is fine and our coaching methods are great. They are the best our club can attract. Teams are just better then us and until we get better players to replace the ones that we have, nothing can be done. Oh and with the salary cap being in place we can't afford better players otherwise we will need to weaken other areas of our team to get better defensive outside backs. Oh and don't you know, these sorts of players don't grow on tree. Did I cover your ridiculous standard reply to anything related to us not playing well? If not, so sorry, I'm sure you will point it out and prove that you are right and how we are so wrong. After all as you have stated, there aren't many that can match you and Brian Smith for footy tactical nous and intellect.

So I wait with baited breath for you to school once me again master bhagwan pou.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,911
Sivo and Drown needed Mennings on their side last year. You seem to think there's a 100% failsafe solution to every coaching question. Everything is a balancing act. Do you think Sivo/Blake/Drown on the left would've worked any better than Ferguson/Blake/Moses? ffs we took steps to rectify it this year with Drown (our strongest defensive half) switching to the right. Ferguson/Opacic/Drown would surely go better but then we have Sivo/Blake/Moses on the left. Do you think that won't be a problem? Maybe we should put Opacic and Drown on both sides of the field ffs

Again you're missing the point of what is actually happening. These guys are not missing tackles because they can't tackle or are being wrong footed or aren't strong enough at the point of collision. They are missing their tackles because of a lack of understanding of what is happening in front of them and just making the wrong decisions.

It doesn't matter who we have had in the backline or how or where we place them. It is a complete misunderstanding of the offensive play unfolding. This comes down to coaching drills and multiple similar scenarios to get it right. The players need to be taught these defensive fundamentals from scratch. They are lost out there and the lack of confidence in one another is so bleeding obvious it isn't funny.

That confidence will only come if they all understand what is happening, know how to count numbers correctly, know who each team mate should be focusing on to tackle and then they can nail their own defensive assignments without much noise going on in their respective heads. As Sterlo has stated, it isn't a difficult issue to address. But it needs to be identified correctly and then all the different scenarios need to be practiced, practiced, practiced to the point of it being a reflex action not a, "o oh what the fu*k do I do?" response as we have at present.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,911
Prove me wrong, Ram. Prove me wrong

Can't wait to mate, but I fear that that might be a while off yet considering that nothing has changed. We still sh*t the bed almost always when we play teams that play really well or are top 3-4 contenders when at full strength and on dry tracks that allow them to play open and fast football.

Prove me wrong 84 Baby, prove me wrong.
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
95,959
What would Sterlo know??

Nowhere near as much as Pou because he spoke to Brian Smith once.
That analysis seemed reasonable by Sterlo. Certainly a lot more reasonable than comments by others who saw it who thought Sterlo was bagging Brad Arthur's.

Looking at Sterlo's selected clips, the problem has obviously been the players outside Jake Arthur trying to protect him and not trusting him to make his tackles.
 
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