Wasn't the Sutton/Sandow combo always doomed to failure?

[High Octane Bunny]

Take Round one out of the picture please.....

John Sutton and Chris Sandow are probably the most inept attacking inside combination playing in the NRL in 2009 - possibly Stacey Jones and Joel Moon were great contenders, but the Rabbitohs paring take the award in my eyes.

On Sutton: Too slow! Receives ball...runs laterally looking to link up, flicks it to a support player standing still with the defence in their face.....hey, it yours! Do something. Baffles the men around him, total indecision frequently. Poor kicking game....goes dead or to opposition defender frequently. Deep kicking game...too short or straight to opposition defender frequently....they start their six close to halfway - we start ours on the 20. Offers Sandow nothing to go on with. Looked much better wide of the ruck against Storm where he managed to get it outside...finally. Fails to capitalise on forward drives....or hook up with attacking power of the back three.

On Sandow: An enigma.....tackling (well, yes) liability, brilliant chip and chase game thats rarely used. Poor overall kicking game though. Unable to gain line breaks or put anyone into one. Lost the power to burst through or even make an impact...second season rookie syndrome? Confused by Suttons lack of direction. Requires strong 5/8th to lead the way...not getting it. Needs to open it up and bamboozle the opposition with speed.

Solution: Drop one or both.....or Sutton to centre/lock, Capewell to 5/8th.

 

[Sonic Star]

Sandow has a great kicking game and displayed it last season in both NYC and NRL

Problem is he is'nt the cheif kicker. Sutton does most of the kicking or even Luke kicks from dummy half.

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

As long as Sandow is the halfback, you won't see Capewell at 5/8. A combination like that would just be far too ineffectual in defense.

 

[SSFC Hitman]

Wing/Sandow would be my preference. Sandow is not a natural leader but he IS a natural half and he does have a good kicking game but as Sonic pointed out for some reason he isn't our chief kicker like he should be. Wing at 5/8 is good because he is a natural leader and organiser and would compliment Sandow nicely IMO. Sutton for mine is a very naturally talented player but one who looks uncomfortable as a organiser and leader--- I have always seen him as our SBW (without the leaving part) or Prtichard type player who is the wide running offloading damaging backrower who goes from left to right and pops up anywhere and whilst wouldnt have the highest workrate that alot of backrowers do he'd be effective in that role. And just because he has the number 11/12/13 on his back doesn't mean he cant put up his very good bombs/cross kicks.

 

[mxlegend99]

As long as Sandow is the halfback, you won't see Capewell at 5/8. A combination like that would just be far too ineffectual in defense.

God i would love if they used that halves combination against the Panthers. Even our depleted forward pack would make some easy metres with them in the halves.

I'm worried that after last weeks game both Sandow and Sutton will have massive games this week... they're both great players when in form. Sutton was in great form prior to his injury, and he's just yet to find that form again. Hopefully it takes him atleast another week to do so.

That said, i think that Chris Sandow is too much of a defensive liability to play 80 minutes for the Souths. Souths fans will probably hate this idea, but my 1/6/7/9 would be:

1. Rhys Wesser (Merritt until he's back)
6. John Sutton
7. Craig Wing
9. Isaac Luke

I would then have Chris Sandow on the bench as the utility player, and when he comes on the field i would move Wing or Sutton to lock. Assuming the lock is Michael Crocker, he can either have a rest or just move shift across in the backrow. At any rate one of the backrowers would get a break while the Souths would be gaining a dimension in attack.

I would also rotate Luke and Wing during the game allowing Craig Wing to get into dummy half and mix things up. Whenever Luke is at halfback his orders would be to either run the ball if he sees a gap, or distribute it straight to his fullback or 5/8.

Not sure if that would work. I haven't seen all of the Souths games this season. But i'm sure it would be worth an experiment. At the very least it couldn't hurt the Souths to have Luke and Wing on for the entire 80 minutes.

 

[Aaron_sfas]

God i would love if they used that halves combination against the Panthers. Even our depleted forward pack would make some easy metres with them in the halves.

I'm worried that after last weeks game both Sandow and Sutton will have massive games this week... they're both great players when in form. Sutton was in great form prior to his injury, and he's just yet to find that form again. Hopefully it takes him atleast another week to do so.

That said, i think that Chris Sandow is too much of a defensive liability to play 80 minutes for the Souths. Souths fans will probably hate this idea, but my 1/6/7/9 would be:

1. Rhys Wesser (Merritt until he's back)
6. John Sutton
7. Craig Wing
9. Isaac Luke

I would then have Chris Sandow on the bench as the utility player, and when he comes on the field i would move Wing or Sutton to lock. Assuming the lock is Michael Crocker, he can either have a rest or just move shift across in the backrow. At any rate one of the backrowers would get a break while the Souths would be gaining a dimension in attack.

I would also rotate Luke and Wing during the game allowing Craig Wing to get into dummy half and mix things up. Whenever Luke is at halfback his orders would be to either run the ball if he sees a gap, or distribute it straight to his fullback or 5/8.

Not sure if that would work. I haven't seen all of the Souths games this season. But i'm sure it would be worth an experiment. At the very least it couldn't hurt the Souths to have Luke and Wing on for the entire 80 minutes.

a few things with that....

I believe sutton has the physical ability to play as a very good 5/8. he can kick, pass and run the ball well. his problem is he doesnt have the head for it. he can read play and respond. watch players like mullen to see what sutto is incapable of.

this season is over for us. and there is no doubt sandow is our long term preference for half back. so benching him now would be very much counter productive, and moreso stupid.

and wesser is still a while away, so max has the job for a while yet

 

[boo_boo]

From what i have seen John Sutton is a very reluctant 5/8.

 

[Dave Q]

Every player looks reluctant except our beloved animal Crocker and the few juniors who dont know better and are having a go.

This weeks team doesnt solve any problems at all.

If they screw around like whores on a cruise ship, something untoward is going to happen.

 

[High Octane Bunny]

The speed that Craig Wing shot the ball out wide to Sutton and his slick dummy-half running against the Storm in Perth makes him the perfect candidate to work alongside Luke at hooker in the halfback role for the remainder of the season.....both playing 80mins.

Sutton seemed to lift big time in that one game and offered numerous scoring opportunties for his backline.

Unfortunately little Chris has become a liability, despite his impact in '08, and possibly because Sutton hasn't really aided him much, but also due to his need to focus on defence. You can't ask a forward to act as a backup or protector.

 

[Hanscholo]

Sutton has a few issues he needs to address, but has all the ability to play 6.

Sandow, is way out of form but that often happens in year 2. There are answers to his problems as well.

i dont believe either are worth giving up on at this stage.