Scoreline harsh on Tigers
By Paul Kent
June 28, 2004
WHAT do you say this week if you are Tim Sheens?
The Tigers have set a dubious record over the past fortnight, having had more points scored against their nil scoreline - in consecutive weeks - than any other team in 97 years of top-grade rugby league.
OK, it's a strange record, but when you consider the emphasis on attack these days, it is still a pretty hard one to make your own.
Strange as it might sound, though, the Tigers aren't as hopeless as such a record would warrant.
They matched it early on against St George Illawarra two rounds ago, until the Dragons caught fire, and only some terrific football from then on saw the points pile up.
Again, except for a white-hot period on Friday night when the Roosters scored 34 points in 17 minutes - an amazing six tries in that time - the Tigers were competitive for a good part of the game, with the Roosters really having to work for their points.
If there was anything Friday night football did point out, though, it was the strain on depth at some clubs, which throws up questions about the validity of a 16th team.
It also shows that many junior coaches, intent on success, are derelict in their duty to teach young footballers how to actually play the game.
Not so long ago former Kangaroos coach Chris Anderson said there were only four instinctive footballers in the competition.
I'd go as far to say that there are too many players in the NRL who are big and strong and athletic but are still learning the finer points of playing the game - not something you want to be doing in first grade.
Again, this comes back to the junior coach giving the big strong kid the ball and telling him to run it instead of teaching him how to actually play the game and think about the game. All the coach is after is short-term success.
When Ryan Cross made a break in the first half on Friday he shot up the left edge with Todd Byrne sitting outside him in support.
Tigers winger Pat Richards turned and, in an apparent show of effort, lowered his head and really dug in for the chase.
It was a costly mistake.
By the time Richards stuck his head up again Byrne had shifted inside Cross, who drew the tackler and passed the ball inside to send Byrne over untouched.
By the time Richards had looked up his man had left him.
Richards is a terrific athlete, and you don't like to single out any one player, but it was knucklehead thinking to take your eye off the action, particularly when you are directly involved in it, and expect everything to be as it was when you stick your head up again.
Simple coaching should fix it, but is that something Sheens should be having to do in first grade?
Against that compare the effort of Roosters replacement Anthony Tupou.
Tupou showed an awareness above his experience all match, and his effort to set up Brett Finch for a try was outstanding.
A Newcastle junior, Tupou is an example of the strong playing ranks in the Newcastle juniors and also of the excellent coaching depth at the Roosters.
Still, the worst thing the Tigers can do this week is come down too hard on what has happened to them.
If they search too deep for answers they might find themselves tinkering with more than needs to be fixed, creating more problems for the club down the line.
As much as anything, you have to concede the Tigers' performance comes down as much to running into the two form teams in the competition at the moment as anything else.
And as the Dragons showed with their second half yesterday, as quick as they can turn it on, it can go off again.
Good read i thought, i think he may have a point there, especially what i put in bold.
By Paul Kent
June 28, 2004
WHAT do you say this week if you are Tim Sheens?
The Tigers have set a dubious record over the past fortnight, having had more points scored against their nil scoreline - in consecutive weeks - than any other team in 97 years of top-grade rugby league.
OK, it's a strange record, but when you consider the emphasis on attack these days, it is still a pretty hard one to make your own.
Strange as it might sound, though, the Tigers aren't as hopeless as such a record would warrant.
They matched it early on against St George Illawarra two rounds ago, until the Dragons caught fire, and only some terrific football from then on saw the points pile up.
Again, except for a white-hot period on Friday night when the Roosters scored 34 points in 17 minutes - an amazing six tries in that time - the Tigers were competitive for a good part of the game, with the Roosters really having to work for their points.
If there was anything Friday night football did point out, though, it was the strain on depth at some clubs, which throws up questions about the validity of a 16th team.
It also shows that many junior coaches, intent on success, are derelict in their duty to teach young footballers how to actually play the game.
Not so long ago former Kangaroos coach Chris Anderson said there were only four instinctive footballers in the competition.
I'd go as far to say that there are too many players in the NRL who are big and strong and athletic but are still learning the finer points of playing the game - not something you want to be doing in first grade.
Again, this comes back to the junior coach giving the big strong kid the ball and telling him to run it instead of teaching him how to actually play the game and think about the game. All the coach is after is short-term success.
When Ryan Cross made a break in the first half on Friday he shot up the left edge with Todd Byrne sitting outside him in support.
Tigers winger Pat Richards turned and, in an apparent show of effort, lowered his head and really dug in for the chase.
It was a costly mistake.
By the time Richards stuck his head up again Byrne had shifted inside Cross, who drew the tackler and passed the ball inside to send Byrne over untouched.
By the time Richards had looked up his man had left him.
Richards is a terrific athlete, and you don't like to single out any one player, but it was knucklehead thinking to take your eye off the action, particularly when you are directly involved in it, and expect everything to be as it was when you stick your head up again.
Simple coaching should fix it, but is that something Sheens should be having to do in first grade?
Against that compare the effort of Roosters replacement Anthony Tupou.
Tupou showed an awareness above his experience all match, and his effort to set up Brett Finch for a try was outstanding.
A Newcastle junior, Tupou is an example of the strong playing ranks in the Newcastle juniors and also of the excellent coaching depth at the Roosters.
Still, the worst thing the Tigers can do this week is come down too hard on what has happened to them.
If they search too deep for answers they might find themselves tinkering with more than needs to be fixed, creating more problems for the club down the line.
As much as anything, you have to concede the Tigers' performance comes down as much to running into the two form teams in the competition at the moment as anything else.
And as the Dragons showed with their second half yesterday, as quick as they can turn it on, it can go off again.
Good read i thought, i think he may have a point there, especially what i put in bold.
