great win - but will anyone answer this question

[bazeagle]

first - awesome win and great effort from players, coach and all staff last night
no game is easy in the NRL
the question is this:
why, why do we only play for 40 minutes?
is this explainable?

 

[Jethro]

I think that we would all like to know the answer to that question.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I think I know the answer but I'm not telling. Wait till Septemeber.

 

[torana355]

I think I know the answer but I'm not telling. Wait till Septemeber.

I don't believe they are deliberately not putting in for the second half of games until the finals. You would have to be pretty naive to think that.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

That's not what I think (although I am naive) ;D

 

[torana355]

That's not what I think (although I am naive) ;D

lol, tell us what you think then im interested.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

gotcha ;D

 

[PONTIAN SEA EAGLE]

I just think a lot of teams would have taken the foot of the pedal with a 36 point lead,oh except the shark fans who were in a hurry to get home at half time. 

 

[bazeagle]

possible answers:
• foot off the pedal - not a clever option as we need to get our for and against up as high as possible given our table position
• not fit enough
• poor coaching tactics
• poor use of the bench spots
• crook attitude
• opposition raised their intensity level

 

[Canteen Worker]

or maybe opposition played for some pride long after the game was won!!!

 

[mickqld]

Watch the Raiders game today. Identical game and result they took the foot off and the opposition played for a bit of pride so well done Manly you done good.

 

[jimmythunder]

Hello there. just found my old log in and decided to add my theory to this.
Perhaps Dessie is overtraining the team to allow for a September peak. maybe around early to mid august he will halve the work load and freshen them up for the "money" part of the season. As it is well documented throughout these pages his use of the interchange is very limited and is perhaps by doing this he is providing a base for the important part of the year, using matches and extended game time to get the boys match fit. I just feel the investment into fitness and bone density and GPS and recovery is not just for basics.
time and time again our Des has proven himself right and i think this is no different.
The comp is very open and with all the guys on deck fit, healthy and peaking in August / September and more importantly October. the possibilities of a victory lap could again be very high.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I was thinking along similar lines, although maybe not the freshening up part. Some of our blokes don't look too fit but I suspect Des has got some state of the art scientific reason why certain players at certain stages of the season look like beach balls.

It's all designed to have us hitting our straps at the business end, rather than being jaded and limping in to the home stretch.

Of course this might just be wishful thinking. But Des's strategy is really a tried and tested, age-old formula known as 'keeping your powder puffs dry'.

 

[TokyoEagle]

Hello there. just found my old log in and decided to add my theory to this.
Perhaps Dessie is overtraining the team to allow for a September peak. maybe around early to mid august he will halve the work load and freshen them up for the \"money\" part of the season. As it is well documented throughout these pages his use of the interchange is very limited and is perhaps by doing this he is providing a base for the important part of the year, using matches and extended game time to get the boys match fit. I just feel the investment into fitness and bone density and GPS and recovery is not just for basics.
time and time again our Des has proven himself right and i think this is no different.
The comp is very open and with all the guys on deck fit, healthy and peaking in August / September and more importantly October. the possibilities of a victory lap could again be very high.

Wow, now here is a conspiracy theory that may even be true.

 

[Dan]

It's not often a team keeps playing like that after the break.

It's hard to be motivated the same way, plus the other team often get more motivated. I would also say Des would have said something along those lines anyway

 

[The Wheel]

[quote author=jimmy link=topic=184139.msg276424#msg276424 date=1279447738]
Hello there. just found my old log in and decided to add my theory to this.
Perhaps Dessie is overtraining the team to allow for a September peak. maybe around early to mid august he will halve the work load and freshen them up for the \"money\" part of the season. As it is well documented throughout these pages his use of the interchange is very limited and is perhaps by doing this he is providing a base for the important part of the year, using matches and extended game time to get the boys match fit. I just feel the investment into fitness and bone density and GPS and recovery is not just for basics.
time and time again our Des has proven himself right and i think this is no different.
The comp is very open and with all the guys on deck fit, healthy and peaking in August / September and more importantly October. the possibilities of a victory lap could again be very high.

Wow, now here is a conspiracy theory that may even be true.
[/quote]

There is no point in peaking in September if you are not in the top 4...

 

[Canteen Worker]

You have to make the semis to win the comp too. However, I do remember a Brisbane side in 2006 that limped into the semis, having lost about 8 games in a row at this stage of the season. They played 4 weeks of good footy and won the trophy. No point playing your best footy in May or August but a top 4 finish is pretty essential!!!

 

[abnc]

Yeah jimmy i have been thinking along those lines for the last couple of weeks also. It makes no sense to continue using only 15 players in the first 40 and then use the other 2 only at the end of the game. I believe there is a method in Des' madness.

I don't think the second half fades are fitness related. I believe they are a mental strength issue. You have to remember we have 2 young new halves running the show. Under a more experienced half we would not fade as much as they would know how to motivate the forwards and team through to the end of the game. I have heard several times from both Hodkinson and Foran that they have had lapses in the game where they don't communicate at all. Fix that and you will go a long way to rectifying most of our problems.

You also have to remember that out of the 4 most important positions (halfback, 5/8, hooker fullback) only 1 has been there for the last couple of years. In my opinion we have done well so far this year, and we could just be in a position to make a good run to the finals.

The next couple games will be the key for us. Perform strongly and we will be in a great frame of mind and that is the most important thing going into the semi's.

 

[Dan]

All year I have been more comfortable going into half time either just behind or just ahead (no more than a try)