The Way To Play?

[Bayside Dragon]

Hope our coaching staff and playing group had a good look at the Panthers style of play yesterday.

3 things stood out for mine, especially in the first half as the pennies set about setting up their dominance:

1. The whole team across the park was running in attack on every play to support the ball runners, meaning that there were options to change the point of attack at any moment to players ready to be part of the play.

2. When hitting up into a tackle, the player would invariably twist their leg drive to back peddling forward. This conserves a lot of energy while continuing the post contact drive. Also this gives the player good vision of his teammates for second phase offloads (of which they had many) - to a player trailing the tackle like an obstetrician waiting for a baby to drop!!!

3. When tackling players running through their ruck, the defenders would hold them up and wheel them around, - redirecting the attacker's momentum - then other players rushed in and forming a rugby-style ruck to drive the player backwards and blanketing the possibility of an offload.

The last 2 points is possibly why the Panthers always appear to have boundless energy and enthusiasm. They don't bother to get into the wrestle as they know it will sap their own energy reserves.

Did anyone else make these observations, too? So different from Dragons Footy!!!!

 

[possm]

Hope our coaching staff and playing group had a good look at the Panthers style of play yesterday.

3 things stood out for mine, especially in the first half as the pennies set about setting up their dominance:

1. The whole team across the park was running in attack on every play to support the ball runners, meaning that there were options to change the point of attack at any moment to players ready to be part of the play.

2. When hitting up into a tackle, the player would invariably twist their leg drive to back peddling forward. This conserves a lot of energy while continuing the post contact drive. Also this gives the player good vision of his teammates for second phase offloads (of which they had many) - to a player trailing the tackle like an obstetrician waiting for a baby to drop!!!

3. When tackling players running through their ruck, the defenders would hold them up and wheel them around, - redirecting the attacker's momentum - then other players rushed in and forming a rugby-style ruck to drive the player backwards and blanketing the possibility of an offload.

The last 2 points is possibly why the Panthers always appear to have boundless energy and enthusiasm. They don't bother to get into the wrestle as they know it will sap their own energy reserves.

Did anyone else make these observations, too? So different from Dragons Footy!!!!

The Panthers have a majority of young juniors who have been skilled up during their pathways experience. The are keen to learn and keen to perform for the whole 80min if required. Their game plan is simple enough but clearly designed specifically for the particular opposition and the strengths of each of the 17 on the field for each game. They have been drilled to perform to the game plan but not restricted to that plan all game long. They are trusted to play the game in front of them when the opportunity comes.

 

[TruSaint]

Good post.

 

[Dragon David]

Yes, a very good post. I don't want this to be another Mary thing, but, it beats me that over the years of him being our coach, what "skills" did he learn for himself about coaching that would have assisted the players week in and out. Just as you have observed, Bayside Dragon, ways to win by doing things to maximise results in your favour without losing too much energy to achieve those things, is something that Mary should have looked at. You learn from observing how good teams play - Penrith, Storm, Roosters etc. and this adds to the coaches learning which is then passed onto the players to practise every training session.

Videos of games played are available all of the time, so it would be easy to replay moves of say the Panthers and get the guys to practise them. So simple.

Hopefully, Griffin can employ/practise these measures during the pre-season with our players.

 

[denis preston]

Imitation is fine and you would think he hit the video's of other sides plays in his 70 hour weeks ! Obviously not or he didn't know what he was looking at. Worst coaching staff in clubs history has come to an end ( nobody could possibly be worse ! )
Hook will be a magician if he can get our rabble to the 8 in his first year ! All we want to see is improvement & commitment ( and no spoon )

 

[Bayside Dragon]

Yes, a very good post. I don't want this to be another Mary thing, but, it beats me that over the years of him being our coach, what "skills" did he learn for himself about coaching that would have assisted the players week in and out. Just as you have observed, Bayside Dragon, ways to win by doing things to maximise results in your favour without losing too much energy to achieve those things, is something that Mary should have looked at. You learn from observing how good teams play - Penrith, Storm, Roosters etc. and this adds to the coaches learning which is then passed onto the players to practise every training session.

Videos of games played are available all of the time, so it would be easy to replay moves of say the Panthers and get the guys to practise them. So simple.

Hopefully, Griffin can employ/practise these measures during the pre-season with our players.

Under Mary and his protege DY, our offence had a very negative mindset. Idea being that the team that charges into battle the hardest wins the game. Hence the constant demand by the coaches in this area. How much fun is that for the players?

On the other hand, Panthers players hit the park with a 'stop-us-if-you-can!' attitude. They expect to score points - and plenty of them- and their adrenaline levels are sky-high in anticipation..... hence the energy and enthusiasm.

Our boys, - jaded by game after game of one-off hit ups for 5m gains- are just hoping to score.!!! That is reflected by the high number of kicks in our attack.

This is why I'm very happy to see the back of Mary & Deano. The game has evolved so far from the 60s & 70s.
Teams expecting to score will always do better than teams hoping to score. Much more entertaining for us fans, too!!!

 

[Inisai Toga]

Under Mary and his protege DY, our offence had a very negative mindset. Idea being that the team that charges into battle the hardest wins the game. Hence the constant demand by the coaches in this area. How much fun is that for the players?

On the other hand, Panthers players hit the park with a 'stop-us-if-you-can!' attitude. They expect to score points - and plenty of them- and their adrenaline levels are sky-high in anticipation..... hence the energy and enthusiasm.

Our boys, - jaded by game after game of one-off hit ups for 5m gains- are just hoping to score.!!! That is reflected by the high number of kicks in our attack.

This is why I'm very happy to see the back of Mary & Deano. The game has evolved so far from the 60s & 70s.
Teams expecting to score will always do better than teams hoping to score. Much more entertaining for us fans, too!!!

Agree Bayside Dragon. It must be demoralising being a Dragons forward over 26 weeks playing that one up style; no wonder Vaughan & co looks tired. The thing with Penrith is that they have a strategy to compliment the philosophy you highlight. We don’t (or didn’t) have either!

Feel that the points you raised, however, were also applicable in the sixties and seventies; that’s how Souths, Manly and Saints won during that era. I really don’t think McGregor’s coaching style would personally have cut it in any era.

 

[Dragon David]

It was Mary's way or no way and we know how that went. Goodbye to him and Deano and good luck to the teams you are going to as they will need it.

 

[Dragonslayer]

The way to play is an interesting statement.

For me Penrith are flying due mainly to their halves Cleary and Luai. Luai has been outstanding at 5/8 this year.

Good halves pairing go a long way to the success of the team and make a successful team. Take a look at the halves pairings for the GF teams over the past several years.

Unfortunately, our halves pairings have never gelled, even though we"ve had players who have played in GF's.

Why?

For mine, it's exactly 'the way we play'. For the last 7 yrs we've been subjected to the "powa' game. 5 hit ups then kick. Occasionly, we'd run a block play, and even more occasionally a sweep play. But, they were so telegraphed, Dapto U8's could read the play. We've also been heavily reliant on individual brilliance that occasionally sparks our collective 'ooh, that was good' eg: Dufty's speed, Tariqs game v Broncos and even Widdop has doses of flash play.

The use of the 'powa' game, may have been useful and successful in the Coal league, but for the NRL, the grind that is 24 games + SOO and even test duties (for those good enough) eventually wears a player down. Hence our all too common 2nd half season declines. Our coaching staff (and others) kept rolling them out week after week busted, fatigued etc, even with back-up, who, unfortunately were mainly 'old guard' journeymen finalising their retirement plans. Youngsters weren't given a go because they 'had things they had to work on and improve", but were never told really what they needed to work on and improve.

The way to play? For us its unknown. Our 'senior" halves haven't fired a shot for a long time. Oir young halves show immense promise, but are stymied on the back of the 'powa' game that is imbedded in our forwards. On saying thay wasn't that break from McInnes and pass to Dufty a thing of beauty? A line break, a pass, a try.

Our new look coaching staff will have a mountain of things to fix and overcome. Least of all the mindset of the players.

If they can, then the way to play will become the way we play.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

The way to play is an interesting statement.

For me Penrith are flying due mainly to their halves Cleary and Luai. Luai has been outstanding at 5/8 this year.

Good halves pairing go a long way to the success of the team and make a successful team. Take a look at the halves pairings for the GF teams over the past several years.

Unfortunately, our halves pairings have never gelled, even though we"ve had players who have played in GF's.

Why?

For mine, it's exactly 'the way we play'. For the last 7 yrs we've been subjected to the "powa' game. 5 hit ups then kick. Occasionly, we'd run a block play, and even more occasionally a sweep play. But, they were so telegraphed, Dapto U8's could read the play. We've also been heavily reliant on individual brilliance that occasionally sparks our collective 'ooh, that was good' eg: Dufty's speed, Tariqs game v Broncos and even Widdop has doses of flash play.

The use of the 'powa' game, may have been useful and successful in the Coal league, but for the NRL, the grind that is 24 games + SOO and even test duties (for those good enough) eventually wears a player down. Hence our all too common 2nd half season declines. Our coaching staff (and others) kept rolling them out week after week busted, fatigued etc, even with back-up, who, unfortunately were mainly 'old guard' journeymen finalising their retirement plans. Youngsters weren't given a go because they 'had things they had to work on and improve", but were never told really what they needed to work on and improve.

The way to play? For us its unknown. Our 'senior" halves haven't fired a shot for a long time. Oir young halves show immense promise, but are stymied on the back of the 'powa' game that is imbedded in our forwards. On saying thay wasn't that break from McInnes and pass to Dufty a thing of beauty? A line break, a pass, a try.

Our new look coaching staff will have a mountain of things to fix and overcome. Least of all the mindset of the players.

If they can, then the way to play will become the way we play.

Luai is such a good 5/8, always thinks run first, has great footwork and can drop it on the toe at speed for a deft little kick in a split second if the gap closes. Never overplays his hand either. He would be useless for us though without a dominant 7.

 

[jeffdragon]

And a different coach
Which now we have got.

 

[hazzbeen]

Can they keep going Penrith , if they do it will be 20 games plus without a loss.... Great effort , I have a feeling if they do lose a game over the finals they wont get there .....Just me I think East will do them on the weekend , anyway what ever happens they have had a great season , nothing like ours ..... Good luck to them ......

 

[redv13]

Can they keep going Penrith , if they do it will be 20 games plus without a loss.... Great effort , I have a feeling if they do lose a game over the finals they wont get there .....Just me I think East will do them on the weekend , anyway what ever happens they have had a great season , nothing like ours ..... Good luck to them ......

Yeah not a good week to be playing the roosters...

 

[Dragsters]

The way to play is an interesting statement.

For me Penrith are flying due mainly to their halves Cleary and Luai. Luai has been outstanding at 5/8 this year.

Good halves pairing go a long way to the success of the team and make a successful team. Take a look at the halves pairings for the GF teams over the past several years.

Unfortunately, our halves pairings have never gelled, even though we"ve had players who have played in GF's.

Why?

For mine, it's exactly 'the way we play'. For the last 7 yrs we've been subjected to the "powa' game. 5 hit ups then kick. Occasionly, we'd run a block play, and even more occasionally a sweep play. But, they were so telegraphed, Dapto U8's could read the play. We've also been heavily reliant on individual brilliance that occasionally sparks our collective 'ooh, that was good' eg: Dufty's speed, Tariqs game v Broncos and even Widdop has doses of flash play.

The use of the 'powa' game, may have been useful and successful in the Coal league, but for the NRL, the grind that is 24 games + SOO and even test duties (for those good enough) eventually wears a player down. Hence our all too common 2nd half season declines. Our coaching staff (and others) kept rolling them out week after week busted, fatigued etc, even with back-up, who, unfortunately were mainly 'old guard' journeymen finalising their retirement plans. Youngsters weren't given a go because they 'had things they had to work on and improve", but were never told really what they needed to work on and improve.

The way to play? For us its unknown. Our 'senior" halves haven't fired a shot for a long time. Oir young halves show immense promise, but are stymied on the back of the 'powa' game that is imbedded in our forwards. On saying thay wasn't that break from McInnes and pass to Dufty a thing of beauty? A line break, a pass, a try.

Our new look coaching staff will have a mountain of things to fix and overcome. Least of all the mindset of the players.

If they can, then the way to play will become the way we play.

Luai is such a good 5/8, always thinks run first, has great footwork and can drop it on the toe at speed for a deft little kick in a split second if the gap closes. Never overplays his hand either. He would be useless for us though without a dominant 7.

Panthers and Rabbits have this in common, their sensationally dominant halves pairings.

Everything good they do stems from their halves and they play together a lot more than most teams...

 

[Walpole]

Panthers and Rabbits have this in common, their sensationally dominant halves pairings.

Everything good they do stems from their halves and they play together a lot more than most teams...

The great thing about both those teams is that the halves know and play their roles perfectly. Cleary and Reynolds control their teams while Luai and Walker have the freedom to run and create opportunities for their outside men. Sullivan looks like the sort of player that can be that running 5/8 we need but whoever the halfback is, whether it's Clune or Hunt, they need to control the team.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

The great thing about both those teams is that the halves know and play their roles perfectly. Cleary and Reynolds control their teams while Luai and Walker have the freedom to run and create opportunities for their outside men. Sullivan looks like the sort of player that can be that running 5/8 we need but whoever the halfback is, whether it's Clune or Hunt, they need to control the team.

This is where I see the raiders as having a major weakness in that Wighton and Williams are both running players. With Hodgson they would have been fine but I’m not sure they can get it done with that pairing. Happy to be wrong though.