Team vs Cowboys

[Poupou Escobar]

Do u line them up with burt-reddy who I rate both as pretty good defender, or do u split them up and go with burt-morgan and reddy-etu and hope they other two learn something off theyre partners?

I reckon Burt and Uaisele will stay where they are. Reddy will (almost) certainly come in on the right because that's the 'danger side' for most teams. That leaves Morgan to play on the left.

I'll be very surprised if Morgan stays on the right. I'll be flabbergasted if both he and Etu swap sides. You don't want to know how I'll feel if Carl Webb plays halfback.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

did anyone see Reddy last week, everyone is counting on him coming back with his best defensive game but coming back from a shoulder can be interesting.
Even if it is medically sound, players can be gun-shy.

You're right but you'd have to think he's better than any alternatives now he's got some footy under his belt.

 

[Y2Eel]

personally the backline should be something like this.....i'm all for radical change only 3 rounds in, i'm over the inconsistency

1. Burt
2. Walker
3. Smith
4. Reddy
5. Hicks
6. Hayne
7. Mortimer

Who is this Smith your talking about?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I'm guessing Reg Smith from Baulkham Hills A Grade.

Or maybe Ben.

 

[natheel]

Poupou the only thing I dislike about keating is he is very slow at feeding the ball off to runners and it catches us out. Our props started getting pushed back a bit.

I do like that he darts out of Dummy half at the line a bit more to try force his way over.

But more improvement in his speed and he will be right

 

[True EEL]

Who is this Smith your talking about?

yeah, there is a guy called Ben Smith that plays for us......

its not as silly as it sounds considering our other options right now....and i for one had considered his days as a centre well behind him, but right now, perhaps not so much...???

 

[boxhead]

Benny is far too big to be an effective centre nowadays.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

yeah, there is a guy called Ben Smith that plays for us......

its not as silly as it sounds considering our other options right now....and i for one had considered his days as a centre well behind him, but right now, perhaps not so much...???

Ben Smith might be the best defensive centre at the club. Obviously that's not saying much at our club but Reddy is a pretty good defensive centre.

Anyway, with our lack of depth in the wide back-row spots I doubt Smith will be considered as a centre. At least until Maitua joins the club.

Poupou the only thing I dislike about keating is he is very slow at feeding the ball off to runners and it catches us out.

I have seen this criticism numerous times and I've got to say I don't really see it. Sure he's not as sharp with his footwork and passing as McGuire is, and he's not as good a runner as Mitchell, but I don't think he slows down our go-forward at all.

People who claim this might be remembering last year when we were usually disorganised and our hookers and halves often found themselves with no runners. Keating's a nice scapegoat but it was our lack of structure that was the culprit.

If the dummy-half looks up and there's no runners then he needs to take a few steps (so he doesn't get smashed by the markers) while someone decides to run off him.

I do like that he darts out of Dummy half at the line a bit more to try force his way over.

Even if he never makes a break or scores a try, he has to run from time to time just to keep the markers honest. A hooker who never runs the ball guarantees opposition markers will be spearing out and putting pressure on the first receivers.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Benny is far too big to be an effective centre nowadays.

You never heard of Gregory Bartholomew Inglis?

The reason Smith is an ineffective centre is because he lacks the exposiveness to offer anything in attack.

But I still think he would be a top notch defender out there. Probably get pinged for a few high shots when blokes step him but that's gonna happen no matter where he plays.

 

[True EEL]

Benny is far too big to be an effective centre nowadays.

So is Jamal Idris most of the time.......

 

[True EEL]

oh, yeah and GI, and half the centres and backrowers playing in the centres in most other teams in the comp......hmm, just like when Simon Mannering playes out there

 

[True EEL]

Benny is far too big to be an effective centre nowadays.

in fact, so was Mal Meninga for well, his entire career......

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So is Jamal Idris most of the time.......

Jamal's a lazy defender with poor technique. But he's quick off the mark with mad tackle busting skillz, so he's outstanding in attack. Also quick enough to cover for his defensive mistakes (except near his tryline).

 

[Casper The Ghost]

Why not put Horo or Lasalo in the centers during attack and Smith in the centers for defense.
Maybe Smith needs a name change from Penguin (small arms) to Telegraph (post) or Windmill or something else like that.

 

[DeanPay98]

I have seen this criticism numerous times and I've got to say I don't really see it. Sure he's not as sharp with his footwork and passing as McGuire is, and he's not as good a runner as Mitchell, but I don't think he slows down our go-forward at all.

I have watched Keating and Maguire pretty closely. What I have noticed is that Maguire picks up and passes the ball in one motion. When Maguire does run the ball he passes to a man standing deep in our attacking line.

Keating, on the other hand, comes in reaches down picks up the ball and then passes. It is very deliberate and there is more than one motion involved. That time allows the defenders to come up. When Keating does run with ball he picks it up takes a few steps runs and then passes to somebody running beside him, not somebody coming from deeper in our line. Predictably, that runner then gets smashed. When Keating does dart from dummy half he can be quite effectives. But that happens rarely.

Keating's technical issues are slowing the team down and they are nullifying the impact of most of our forwards, bar Fui, because of the delay in getting the ball out. It is a technical thing but its crucial for the team. He needs to fix his footwork and passing speed when at dummy half.

 

[Casper The Ghost]

I have watched Keating and Maguire pretty closely. What I have noticed is that Maguire picks up and passes the ball in one motion. When Maguire does run the ball he passes to a man standing deep in our attacking line.

Keating, on the other hand, comes in reaches down picks up the ball and then passes. It is very deliberate and there is more than one motion involved. That time allows the defenders to come up. When Keating does run with ball he picks it up takes a few steps runs and then passes to somebody running beside him, not somebody coming from deeper in our line. Predictably, that runner then gets smashed. When Keating does dart from dummy half he can be quite effectives. But that happens rarely.

Keating's technical issues are slowing the team down and they are nullifying the impact of most of our forwards, bar Fui, because of the delay in getting the ball out. It is a technical thing but its crucial for the team. He needs to fix his footwork and passing speed when at dummy half.

I've noticed this as well. But you have to wonder about the structure and the organising of the structure. Is it because he is not telling the forwards or whoever the who, what, where and when for the next play the ball. Maybe it's a communication issue and he is a bit quiet, this mixed in with this slight delay causing a delivery issue from 9. Anyway, whatever it is, it can be fixed and he must be aware of this issue in his game.

I still feel he should spend a year or so at 6 and then revert to being a 9/14 again. Currently, he would be a much better 6 than Mortimer presently is. He could possibly be a 7 too, put Robson at 9/14. Keating can pass both sides, long or short, has a good short and long kick and has some speed and is an excellent defender who can play 80 minutes. And if required he probably could play in the centers too.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Why not put Horo or Lasalo in the centers during attack and Smith in the centers for defense.

Because they'd both be poor attacking centres too. They're not quick enough off the mark.

Horo and Lasalo are back-rowers mate. That's why they play in the back-row.

Maybe Smith needs a name change from Penguin (small arms) to Telegraph (post) or Windmill or something else like that.

You do know why they call him Penguin don't you? Hint: it's not because a dog massacred him and his mates at Manly wharf last year.

 

[The Colonel]

I laugh at the suggestions that bringing Reddy in to the side does something for our backline defence....... our right side defence has leaked points for two years or more and the one player appearing mostly at that centre position is Joel. He'll bring some experience but that any such notion that he will help our defence is laughable.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

I reckon Burt and Uaisele will stay where they are. Reddy will (almost) certainly come in on the right because that's the 'danger side' for most teams. That leaves Morgan to play on the left.

I'll be very surprised if Morgan stays on the right. I'll be flabbergasted if both he and Etu swap sides. You don't want to know how I'll feel if Carl Webb plays halfback.

C'mon Webb at halfback. Now that's just silly.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I have watched Keating and Maguire pretty closely. What I have noticed is that Maguire picks up and passes the ball in one motion. When Maguire does run the ball he passes to a man standing deep in our attacking line.

All true.

Keating, on the other hand, comes in reaches down picks up the ball and then passes. It is very deliberate and there is more than one motion involved. That time allows the defenders to come up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRmc9IPGmiA

The only thing that allows the defenders to move up quickly on a hit-up is how quickly the runner gets to the advantage line. That's all. If Keating has all this time to f**k around before passing to his runners then I suggest the runners aren't timing their runs properly. Because if they were timing their runs properly with him f**king around he'd be throwing a bunch of forward passes, which he doesn't do.

Face it: Keating's been chosen as a scapegoat, and nothing he ever does will be good enough. But if he was as sh*t as you're saying he wouldn't have been re-signed multiple times.

Are you really suggesting a bloke could make it to first grade at hooker without being able to pass from the ground? That kind of talk borders on conspiracy theory. No wonder Casper agrees with you.

When Keating does run with ball he picks it up takes a few steps runs and then passes to somebody running beside him, not somebody coming from deeper in our line. Predictably, that runner then gets smashed. When Keating does dart from dummy half he can be quite effectives. But that happens rarely.

I agree Keating isn't good at drawing defenders away from his supports but as you suggest, this is because he doesn't run the ball enough to get defenders thinking about him.

Cam Smith is nothing special running the ball but he takes the defence on just enough that he can effectively make defenders commit to him. This creates space for his supports.

Note, few hookers do this well. That's why most of them either run or pass. Except for last year when our hookers and halves were encouraged to play off the cuff, Keating's dummy-half service has been fine.