What should we do with Kearney?

[Maroubra Eel]

Grinding schminding.

Good to see Kearney has finally woken up.

Funny to see Poupou talking out of his arse again.

 

[Bigfella]

How is that not a natural game? The players knew what needed to be done and they executed it well.

Since Kearney said it wasn't about the game plan, I doubt we won because the players finally decided to follow it like Pou said.

I think we won because the players went out and played their natural game, really showed some spirit, then put it in when things got tough. Which is what Roberts, Kearney and Mannah said in the article.

Kearney realised things weren't working so he threw the plan away and told players to go out and play their natural games, which suits the halves and Hayne just fine.

You seriously think that the four games without Hayne were what we trained for and this week was just desperation?

 

[natheel]

I hope the offloads continue this week. We offloaded well last week

 

[Parra Pride]

I hope the offloads continue this week. We offloaded well last week

I personally hope the winning continues this week. We won well last week.

#WeGotDis

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Nice article in RLW today where Ben Roberts says how Kearney locked away the playbook and told them to go out there and play their natural games.

That's the point of a structured gameplan - so that the spine players can play what's in front of them knowing their teammates will be where they're supposed to be.

Roberts: 'For him to give us the go ahead to play footy makes things a lot easier for myself and Chrissy Sandow who like to play off-the-cuff a bit. As you can see, it can come off. The key was... to play footy. Second-phase play tends to trouble teams.'

All true, and it's good that we did the basics right and competed well enough to allow us to generate some second phase play.

It's always a good indicator that a team is playing for each other.

Kearney: 'We got to the stage where it wasn't about our game plan, I guess it was about the spirit of the group.'

That's right. The gameplan was never the problem - the 'spirit of the group' was.

About time Kearney realised this.

He knew all along - we've played this style since he got here.

But I thought Pou Pou said it was a good grinding win from the players who finally followed 'the game plan'.

No, Jarryd Hayne said it pre-match: http://www.parraeels.com.au/news-display/Pregame-Interview-Hayne-Kearney/50032

And Ben Roberts said it after the game: http://www.parraeels.com.au/news-display/Postgame-Interviews-Roberts-Moimoi/50041

 

[Poupou Escobar]

A grinding win.

Suity

Definitely a grinding win.

That's what our two best players on the night said about the game, and the stats back them up - only six offloads, 86% completion rate.

If the players are in any doubt about whether to run or pass, it's obvious they've been coached to run. Our winning try was set up - not by a tricky pass (although one of those got us into a lot of trouble and allowed Manly to grind their way into the lead) - but by a run from dummy half.

The only pass in that entire play was Roberts to Hayne after he'd already broken the line.

It's good the team has learnt how to grind out a win, because we'll need that confidence against the top teams down the stretch.

 

[Daneel]

Definitely a grinding win.

That's what our two best players on the night said about the game, and the stats back them up - only six offloads, 86% completion rate.

If the players are in any doubt about whether to run or pass, it's obvious they've been coached to run. Our winning try was set up - not by a tricky pass (although one of those got us into a lot of trouble and allowed Manly to grind their way into the lead) - but by a run from dummy half.

The only pass in that entire play was Roberts to Hayne after he'd already broken the line.

It's good the team has learnt how to grind out a win, because we'll need that confidence against the top teams down the stretch.

I would much prefer to see roberts break the line with footwork and speed than pass before the line. The time he did throw the ball over the sideline i thought manly may have been in a bit of trouble if he had of run it.



19 to go.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I hope the offloads continue this week. We offloaded well last week

Well we only did it six times; you'd hope they did them well.

 

[jono]

Definitely a grinding win.

If you folk are visiting up here for the game on Sunday , Grind at Charlestown and The Junction are great gourmet hamburger joints.
Can thoroughly recommend them!

 

[Tony Bongo]

Well we only did it six times; you'd hope they did them well.

Didn't we have nearly half as many offloads - with 11 the week before and nearly twice as many errors ? I say from now on we stick to 6!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Damn straight.

Bend them back and then throw a pass or two before the line, but save the offloads for when they're a sure thing.

Nine times out of ten you're better off going for the quick play-the-ball than offloading to a bloke in a worse position.

 

[Springs]

That's the point of a structured gameplan - so that the spine players can play what's in front of them knowing their teammates will be where they're supposed to be.



All true, and it's good that we did the basics right and competed well enough to allow us to generate some second phase play.

It's always a good indicator that a team is playing for each other.



That's right. The gameplan was never the problem - the 'spirit of the group' was.



He knew all along - we've played this style since he got here.



No, Jarryd Hayne said it pre-match: http://www.parraeels.com.au/news-display/Pregame-Interview-Hayne-Kearney/50032

And Ben Roberts said it after the game: http://www.parraeels.com.au/news-display/Postgame-Interviews-Roberts-Moimoi/50041

And Kearney had been focusing too much on the gameplan when really it was just about getting the players to go out and play with confidence. Play off-the-cuff like Roberts said in the article. Forget about practising the game plan and focus on instilling spirit in the playing group.

It's more about Kearney realising what wasn't working and changing it which was a good move. He told them just to go out and win with their natural abilities rather than get bogged down in tactics and a game plan. He said he used no video and locked away the playbook.

Kearney himself this week:
'We had an idea of shape, we knew what we wanted to work on but it was mostly just about going out there and playing footy.'

 

[Poupou Escobar]

And Kearney had been focusing too much on the gameplan when really it was just about getting the players to go out and play with confidence. Play off-the-cuff like Roberts said in the article. Forget about practising the game plan and focus on instilling spirit in the playing group.

It's more about Kearney realising what wasn't working and changing it which was a good move. He told them just to go out and win with their natural abilities rather than get bogged down in tactics and a game plan. He said he used no video and locked away the playbook.

Kearney himself this week:
'We had an idea of shape, we knew what we wanted to work on but it was mostly just about going out there and playing footy.'

Right, so he didn't change the gameplan. He just changed the focus to the team's weak areas which was attitude and execution.

This is what they do every week. Listen to the Facebook Questions segment - every week they look at what they did poorly the week before and focus on that.

In that sense they change their focus every week. But there's no way they were told to play any differently than they did in previous weeks; they just executed better.

Go back and look at the game against the Warriors. Look at how we played in the first 15 minutes. That's the gameplan done well. Then look at the games against Penrith and the Cowboys - same gameplan done poorly.

We've had the same simple gameplan all year. It just works better when Hayne's in the side.

 

[ShaunC]

The team may have been let loose last week but there was a game plan. Evident in the second half when we had the lead and started to play for field position. Smart tactics and helped control the game.

Tighten up the right side defence and we have a shot this year.

Note that in 2006 and 2009 the Eels came from poor positions to finish eighth. They'll do it again this year but go one better than 2009.

 

[Eels Dude]

Note that in 2006 and 2009 the Eels came from poor positions to finish eighth. They'll do it again this year but go one better than 2009.

7th?

 

[natheel]

Well we only did it six times; you'd hope they did them well.

probably most offloads we done all year last year

#sarcasm

 

[ShaunC]

7th?

Stupid English language and ambiguous statements.

 

[Springs]

Right, so he didn't change the gameplan. He just changed the focus to the team's weak areas which was attitude and execution.

This is what they do every week. Listen to the Facebook Questions segment - every week they look at what they did poorly the week before and focus on that.

In that sense they change their focus every week. But there's no way they were told to play any differently than they did in previous weeks; they just executed better.

Go back and look at the game against the Warriors. Look at how we played in the first 15 minutes. That's the gameplan done well. Then look at the games against Penrith and the Cowboys - same gameplan done poorly.

We've had the same simple gameplan all year. It just works better when Hayne's in the side.

They didn't focus on the game plan this week for christ's sake, they focused on other things. They threw the playbook out the window and decided not to focus on the methodical, clinical shit. They didn't change it because they didn't focus on it.

Look at what I said. They didn't use video, they didn't look at what they did poorly the week before.

Yes we have had the same plan all year but when Kearney told them to relax it a bit and not focus as much on it during the game, play off-the-cuff a bit instead of following it methodically and playing shit.

The team may have been let loose last week but there was a game plan. Evident in the second half when we had the lead and started to play for field position. Smart tactics and helped control the game

There is always a game plan but teams always play for field position especially when they are in the lead. Kearney would have said it at half time but it's just common sense for all sides. You'll hear about 150 times a year 'kick it deep and keep 'em down here'.

 

[Springs]

I also liked Ricky Stuart's article on Sunday about how five-eighth and halfback are still specialist positions, how they don't only play on one side of the field and that split halves takes away so many attacking options.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I also liked Ricky Stuart's article on Sunday about how five-eighth and halfback are still specialist positions, how they don't only play on one side of the field and that split halves takes away so many attacking options.

He's right but there are too few blokes out there able to think on their feet while still being able to compete physically and execute the technical side of the game.

There are still a couple running around (and some playmakers develop that side of their game as they get older) but it's asking too much for every half to be physically, technically and mentally proficient. So coaches settle for halves that are good at the physcial and technical sides of the game. You can win premierships without an old fashioned organising half (look at the last two premiership sides) so why not use a structure that suits the halves you've got instead of finding a smart one that might be slow or weak or have poor technical skills.

Anyway, using a specialist halfback in the middle of your attack is no biggie - plenty of teams do it, including us - but using a specialist second receiver that attacks both sides of the field just telegraphs your intentions to the defence.

That's why no team in the NRL currently uses one.