We Were Badly Out of Form

[Utility Player]

Take for example the pet play that brings B.Stewart in----its execution barely works in the manner it should these days---we get the occasional try from it but the angle of his run is always heading towards the corner post limiting its options and not really committing defenders. Its not just the run but the early delivery to the decoy runners not doing their job to not enough short options before the play---it's not anti Brett its an observation on execution.

So TC in your learned opinion what attacking play should we introduce to make us unbeatable in the finals, mind you we must get a try from it every time not just occasionally.

 

[bones]

Manly will go through the entire season now without losing consecutive games. Pretty fair effort.

 

[Technical Coach]

Gus really showed he was behind the times when he was debating the merits of deeper backlines with Matty Johns against the Panthers on Friday night footy a few years ago. Deep backlines in the modern game offer more time for defences to read the play and can contribute to sideways running in some instances.

I totally disagree. A back must be near full pace when receiving the ball to be most effective. Being flat-footed gives you no momentum to sidestep or break tackles. T Rex is a good example, even though no longer a back. When he is running on to the ball he is so much more damaging that when he receives the ball standing still.

Then again, I may be behind the times, like Gus.

The deeper the backline the greater the distance between each option---this causes the ball player and receiver to keep eyeing off each other as to when the delivery will be made and when the hole runner is going to start his hole running line. You tend to get a stuttered backline move that lacks impact and is easily read. When the ball player has no short flat options he starts drifting sideways trying to link with deeper options which encourages sideways attack.

Players like Cliffy drifted sideways but played flat---worked well in the past but Cliffy would struggle in the modern game for time to execute his plays and would need to adapt to a more shallow backline move(i'm sure he could but it would take some time), he always struggled against the Doggies up and in defence in his time.

Outside backs don't require 10-15mtrs to generate a good turn of pace and its a myth that hole runners hit holes at full pace----try and catch a ball and run at full pace while aiming for a hole running line---outside backs use turn of speed and changes in direction to create openings and its basically impossibe to change direction sufficiently at full pace.

---

Take for example the pet play that brings B.Stewart in----its execution barely works in the manner it should these days---we get the occasional try from it but the angle of his run is always heading towards the corner post limiting its options and not really committing defenders. Its not just the run but the early delivery to the decoy runners not doing their job to not enough short options before the play---it's not anti Brett its an observation on execution.

So TC in your learned opinion what attacking play should we introduce to make us unbeatable in the finals, mind you we must get a try from it every time not just occasionally.

Now your asking for the impossible guarantee but to keep things simple this late in the year i would add slight variations to current plays.

For example all teams use the Cronk and Billy Slater outside in play i would add a slight variation where the hole runner in our case B.Stewart is actually the decoy---all teams use the lead hole runner as the only option(in our case Brett)---i would have another fast running player coming through so the inside ball is shown to Brett committing the defenders to the stock standard play and using the second hole runner trailing behind.

Oh i have many pet plays up my sleeve but i'm just a keyboard coach after-all who is anti Manly and anti Stewart---God forbid i take the ball away from Brett and use a second hole runner how dare i.

 

[ads]

Bollocks TC. Our right side attack in the first half was rubbish because Rodney didn't know what to do with it. We have Glenn there and it's a different story on that side. Get over this anti Stewart obsession.

I'm talking in general when DCE has the ball or even Ballin and passing to Glen Stewart---sometimes going through an extra set of ballplaying hands slows down and cramps the outside backs and also overly focusses DCE and Ballin to deliver to Stewart instead of using him as a hole runner through the line or decoy.

Rodney tried to play through the line and made a few half openings even in our poor attacking display in the first half. Don't get me wrong Glen will always be a better option but needs to balance his ballplaying time.

Making a critical observation or having an alternative viewpoint does not mean your "anti Stewart" or "Dessie is crap" or "if you know better why don't you coach the team" or "see they won the GF so all your observations are wrong so eat shyte" its an observation that's all it is.

We could win 10 gf's in a row and i would find areas where to improve does not mean i am anti Dessie or that my views hold any less weight because we won.

Take for example the pet play that brings B.Stewart in----its execution barely works in the manner it should these days---we get the occasional try from it but the angle of his run is always heading towards the corner post limiting its options and not really committing defenders. Its not just the run but the early delivery to the decoy runners not doing their job to not enough short options before the play---it's not anti Brett its an observation on execution. How dare a Manly supporter say anything remotely critical or negative of the Stewarts and be labelled a Manly supporter.

I don't think his angle has changed much from when it worked. I think he's just lost that half step of pace that tricked the defence and got him in the corner or someone back in on the inside.

 

[bones]

Based on that, Grand Final side???:-

01. Brett Stewart
02. Michael Robertson
03. Steve Matai
04. Jamie Lyon
05. William Hopoate
06. Kieran Foran
07. Daly Cherry-Evans
08. Jason King
09. Matt Ballin
10. Brent Kite
11. Anthony Watmough
12. Tony Williams
13. Glenn Stewart

14. Jamie Buhrer
15. George Rose
16. Joe Galuvao
17. Shane Rodney

Holy s**t, Darcy may miss out !!

Wow... that is an awesome side. Darcy will be there IMO. King won't be back.

 

[Stevo]

Based on that, Grand Final side???:-

01. Brett Stewart
02. Michael Robertson
03. Steve Matai
04. Jamie Lyon
05. William Hopoate
06. Kieran Foran
07. Daly Cherry-Evans
08. Jason King
09. Matt Ballin
10. Brent Kite
11. Anthony Watmough
12. Tony Williams
13. Glenn Stewart

14. Jamie Buhrer
15. George Rose
16. Joe Galuvao
17. Shane Rodney

Holy s**t, Darcy may miss out !!

Wow... that is an awesome side. Darcy will be there IMO. King won't be back.

I have no idea how you can name a bench when you don't know who the opposition is.

 

[codewana]

Why is that Fonz?

 

[DSM5]

ads is correct. It's not that other teams have our measure with that sweeping backline movement. It's just that Brett has lost about 10% of his pace. It used to be a try in the corner everytime, just not atm because of the loss of pace. You could see that to be successful you need a very fast guy. Robbo could never execute that play, to slow. Anyway Brett is still the superman up the middle and sniffing out a try-scoring opportunity.

 

[Technical Coach]

It would not matter if he lost a yard of pace or not----teams are reading the play and sliding more efficiently. To create a set play that only allows a small amount of error in relation to making the tryline or being pushed out to touch suggests it is technically being executed wrong or bad lines are being run.

Brett is not even trying to hit a hole just using his speed to out pace the slide---if he has lost speed it would not help but in the end this move over time was bound to lead to an inside ball option with the lines that are being run.

There are times when the short flat pass to Lyon hitting a hole is on using Brett sweeping deep as the decoy to encourage the defence to either over slide or come up and in trying to stop the play opening up the winger.

At 47min 41 seconds just as Foran delivers to Brett you will see Lyon hitting a hole---Tonga is on the back foot anticipating the Stewart play and they read it quite well. The shorter flat hole running option of Lyon or even a back rower has to be used more often earlier in the game to draw those defenders in allowing Brett to get on the outside as the option play later on in the game.

I'm not saying in this instance it would have resulted in a try it's more about the bigger picture and setting up the conditions to allow that play to work later on more effectively---we just tend to use the play without any real lead up work or deep thought.

Yes we scored a try from the play so i guess i should go back to keyboard coach class or you can choose to look at the play and fine tune it more---that's all i'm saying.

 

[KaZa]

01. Brett Stewart
02. Michael Robertson
03. Steve Matai
04. Jamie Lyon
05. William Hopoate
06. Kieran Foran
07. Daly Cherry-Evans
08. Joe Galuvao
09. Matt Ballin
10. Brent Kite
11. Anthony Watmough
12. Tony Williams
13. Glenn Stewart

14. Jamie Buhrer
15. George Rose
16. Darcy Lussick
17. Shane Rodney

Thats a grand final winning side. IF we can get there.. big game against Broncos/Dragons without the spark and toughness Darcy and Glenn provide. I dont know if we can with the likes of Mauro and Robinson in the side..

Time will tell. It is exciting though!