Trial vs Newcastle Thread

[T-Boon]

It’s not missing a tackle, it’s failing to fill a gap. It happens fairly often.

Line breaks in general don't happen very often. So I doubt that failing to fill a gap happens fairly often and when they do it is based on speed of the play the ball and catching the defence staggered/retreating not to do with fatigue or the skill of halves overcoming sluggish tired forwards.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Probably true for long distance tries (maybe from 30 or so metres out), however when attacking on the line, I say a lot of tries are from misreads as there really is no "ruck" to win.

I disagree. Plenty of those ‘nothing runs’ by middle forwards near the tryline are an attempt to distract the defence while a couple of attackers try and sneak around behind the ruck to set up for the next play. They are trying to overload one side of the defence with numbers. Obviously a quick play-the-ball in this situation is lethal because the middle defenders need to adjust to the new attacking split as well as watching for the dummy half or a short runner.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Line break in general don't happen very often. So I doubt that failing to fill a gap happens fairly often and when they do it is based on speed of the play the ball and catching the defence staggered/retreating not to do with fatigue or the skill of halves overcoming sluggish tired forwards.

Well let’s say it happens as often as line breaks. That’s a few times a game. Anyway a gap in the defence is not something coaches ever want to see, so they use their interchange to avoid it. The main reason middle forwards are exploited in defence isn’t because they’re fatigued, it’s because they have poor lateral movement. Even when fresh.

 

[hineyrulz]

They usually get interchanged at set times the times being set to avoid them being out on the field with any fatigue. Maybe they play for a set or two with signs of being fatigued but the coach will be all over that. When does a player miss a tackle out of fatigue these days?

Do you even Rugby League????

 

[Gary Gutful]

Has it? I thought it was the same as last year ..

It has. It used to be unlimited, then it went to 12 and now it is only 10.

The trend is one of 'reduction' rather than 'addition'.

 

[Noise]

It has. It used to be unlimited, then it went to 12 and now it is only 10.

The trend is one of 'reduction' rather than 'addition'.

Ah yep. When you said 'continual' reduction I thought you meant it had continued to change for 2018 too.

 

[hineyrulz]

It has. It used to be unlimited, then it went to 12 and now it is only 10.

The trend is one of 'reduction' rather than 'addition'.

Isnt it down to 8 now???

But your point still stands.

 

[T-Boon]

The backline shift was f**ked by professional, hard working defences filling space and putting pressure on runners. Decoys are an attempt to make defenders plant their feet, hopefully creating space around them.

I don't want to disagree with this because it is obviously true but I will say this:
I think the effectiveness of these professional/disciplined defensive lines has been massively assisted by a concurrent attacking style that has developed which forbids any risk taking. For example Parra broke professional defences down routinely in 09 because we started taking risks.
I am thinking decoy running is less a necessity and more a safe attacking ploy/strategy that fits in with conservative "get to the kick" "completion" based attacking philosophy.

 

[forward pass]

I like the look of that extended roster.

And their coach named at lock. That'll f**k em up

I was thinking that. Isn't that a conflict of interest to play in the forwards for one team while at the same time coaching the other team.

 

[Gronk]

 

[hineyrulz]

I was thinking that. Isn't that a conflict of interest to play in the forwards for one team while at the same time coaching the other team.

Brownie is a machine and could do it easily.

 

[84 Baby]

It has. It used to be unlimited, then it went to 12 and now it is only 10.

The trend is one of 'reduction' rather than 'addition'.

I forgot about that. I'm all for the small bench now. Or at least the fittest bench because Alvaro is both fit and unsmall. In fact I'm going to call it, he'll be our best forward this year

 

[84 Baby]

Get f**ked Hooper

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I don't want to disagree with this because it is obviously true but I will say this:
I think the effectiveness of these professional/disciplined defensive lines has been massively assisted by a concurrent attacking style that has developed which forbids any risk taking. For example Parra broke professional defences down routinely in 09 because we started taking risks.
I am thinking decoy running is less a necessity and more a safe attacking ploy/strategy that fits in with conservative "get to the kick" "completion" based attacking philosophy.

Yeah agreed. Failing to get to the kick is considered the worst outcome of an attacking set. At least by coaches.

 

[Gazzamatta]

With Ma’u, Takairangi and Edwards in the 17 how will Moeroa get any minutes at edge forward? He has the least skill of the four.

Dont agree Poo. Tepai has been building his game nicely under BA. I thought he was fantastic last season. We definitely missed him when not on the field. As a lower grader his offloads were sublime. Ive little doubt that will return once given the licence. Manu is a great player but skill wise Teps has him covered imho. Lots of Manu errors in his game.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Dont agree Poo. Tepai has been building his game nicely under BA. I thought he was fantastic last season. We definitely missed him when not on the field. As a lower grader his offloads were sublime. Ive little doubt that will return once given the licence. Manu is a great player but skill wise Teps has him covered imho. Lots of Manu errors in his game.

But that's it for Moeroa - just an offload. He doesn't have the playmaking ability of Ma'u, Edwards or Takairangi. Not that I don't rate Moeroa. He is probably a better all round player than those three.

 

[T-Boon]

Yeah agreed. Failing to get to the kick is considered the worst outcome of an attacking set. At least by coaches.

I like the gridiron attitude towards the punt. Which is if you punt it means you lost the possession battle (I have heard it being considered a kind of a turn over). Basically you are punting because the defense stopped you and your offence didn't get the job done.
So they made rules so that you don't get much out of the punt... for example: the defense can put the punter under all sorts of pressure, the ball is hard to kick, the returner is protected unless he spots an opportunity, the kicking team can't really score from a punt unless the receiving team screws up big time.
RL should look at that attitude.

 

[Gazzamatta]

Manu throws rubbish passes often, Edwards crabs across field far too often and Taka is unproven as an edge forward. I do agree however that Teps is a better player than the others. This is my point.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Isnt it down to 8 now???

But your point still stands.

It's actually 7.5.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Manu throws rubbish passes often, Edwards crabs across field far too often and Taka is unproven as an edge forward. I do agree however that Teps is a better player than the others. This is my point.

Well it's a fair point. My point is that Ma'u, Edwards and Takairangi are given the freedom to be creative rather than just hit ups and running certain lines like Moeroa.