Biggest area for concern

[Snake]

My primary concern at the moment is the manner in which our edges are being broken down. Earlier in the year, we seemed to hold our position on the edges and run the opposition out of room...almost like the old slide defence. All of the sudden we seem to be rushing in off our edges, leaving space out wide for the opposition to score in the corners. Then when we hold, they run edge back rowers through holes.

Something needs to change with the Cust/Walker edge because it is being pulled apart regularly. As good as Cust is at making the actual tackle when he takes the right option, he is deficient in terms of reads. Too often he is being caught out making a poor read and Walker is all at sea at times. I actually think Elgey was reading the play better...that does not mean I think he should come back or that Cust needs to be dropped, but I really hope some serious analysis is being done to rectify this problem because a team like Melbourne or the Roosters will tear us apart.

 

[Bring back the.... Biff?]

My primary concern at the moment is the manner in which our edges are being broken down. Earlier in the year, we seemed to hold our position on the edges and run the opposition out of room...almost like the old slide defence. All of the sudden we seem to be rushing in off our edges, leaving space out wide for the opposition to score in the corners. Then when we hold, they run edge back rowers through holes.

Something needs to change with the Cust/Walker edge because it is being pulled apart regularly. As good as Cust is at making the actual tackle when he takes the right option, he is deficient in terms of reads. Too often he is being caught out making a poor read and Walker is all at sea at times. I actually think Elgey was reading the play better...that does not mean I think he should come back or that Cust needs to be dropped, but I really hope some serious analysis is being done to rectify this problem because a team like Melbourne or the Roosters will tear us apart.

Croker defends better and is better in attack.. time to bring him back in. Cust was diabolical on the wknd. That time he threw it out on tackle 0 was park football stuff. Turbo will help obviously but imho croker is better. Cust looks like a 9 to me

 

[Bring back the.... Biff?]

Oh and either swap walker with suli or bring back scorpio! Walker cannot play left center and the eels right side is clicking very well. Taufua might need to lay out moses

 

[Snake]

Oh and either swap walker with suli or bring back scorpio! Walker cannot play left center and the eels right side is clicking very well. Taufua might need to lay out moses

I don't think we can afford to move Suli. He is really starting to look damaging and for a young player, it would be unfair to ask him to start defending on the opposite side. I would bring back Parker to replace Walker before I would consider moving Suli. In saying that, I don't think Walker is the biggest problem on that edge...he reacts to things happening inside him (most of the time).

 

[HappilyManly]

Thomo and Walker are the senior players and should be directing Cade.

Walker's defensive read seems to be 'go for an intercept' and both Cade and Jorge are left trying to cover for him


Des will fix it

 

[robbiea]

Yeah ,Too bad Walker was found not guilty.

 

[Bradza]

I don't think we can afford to move Suli. He is really starting to look damaging and for a young player, it would be unfair to ask him to start defending on the opposite side. I would bring back Parker to replace Walker before I would consider moving Suli. In saying that, I don't think Walker is the biggest problem on that edge...he reacts to things happening inside him (most of the time).

I think Brad should come in for Walker as quite frankly he needs to think about his defence and Brad is playing better. I dont want to lose him as he has shown improvement this year and provides depth.

 

[Simonmyers11]

Defense wins matches, since walker has returned the back line D has looked a shambles. At the start of the year we had one of the best defenses and leaked the least amount of tries defending our 20m zone.

Scorpio and Crocker would definitely help fix that

 

[Bring back the.... Biff?]

Defense wins matches, since walker has returned the back line D has looked a shambles. At the start of the year we had one of the best defenses and leaked the least amount of tries defending our 20m zone.

Scorpio and Crocker would definitely help fix that

Agreed our defence was top notch since walker has returned its fallen apart.. cust makes bad decisions and walker has to make up for it.. but walker makes errors as well. I dont remember walker having defensive issues when he played on the right side

 

[HappilyManly]

Agreed our defence was top notch since walker has returned its fallen apart.. cust makes bad decisions and walker has to make up for it.. but walker makes errors as well. I dont remember walker having defensive issues when he played on the right side

Glad you've been able to forget Kikau's Riff 3 tries in 7 minutes at Brookie last year on our RHS

Walker and Parker were the turnstiles but fortunately Parker changed - now for Walker to do the same

 

[Snake]

@Simonmyers11

The Dean Britt try saw Cust in no mans land. He went up and turned his shoulders in on Reynolds (even though Thompson had Reynolds well and truly covered...he basically made the decision for Reynolds to hit Britt. That is all on Cust for turning his shoulders in (something he is coached not to do).

He turns his shoulders in again for the next try. Walker then has to come in on Roberts who is running a hole and Taufua rushes up for adam doueihi who was sweeping.

The second one is not explicitly Cust's fault because it is was a peach of a pass and the Bunnies shape was quality. Sometimes those plays are the result of a quick play-the-ball. However, neither try was Walker's fault; he just reacts to what Cust is doing on his inside. The players are coached not to turn their shoulders in because (a) that means they cannot recover quick enough if the play goes outside them and (b) the ball players are trained to watch for defenders turning in.

Croker leaked the first Wighton try against Raiders at Brookie turning his shoulder in.

 

[The better Robbo]

We have had this same defensive system all year. The difference is when Walker came back on the right a couple months back our right side defence was diabolical.... Move walker to the left (for whatever reason) and our left side defence is diabolical. The defensive system we use just does not suit walker! We haven't changed our style of defence at all, its just being exposed by an incompetent defender in walker. Parker never had any dramas on that side. Id like to know the stats on tries scored on Walker's side of the field whether it be left or right. You'd find it to be very alarming

 

[Simonmyers11]

Walker is just a weak defender plain and simple, either left or right side. Whether his attacking skills out way his defensive weaknesses is something dez will have to decide on.

Agree Cust has been caught out of position, and still think Tafua comes in off his wing way too far, he is too slow to react to a cut out pass to his opposition winger.

 

[Sheikheagle]

Walker is just a weak defender plain and simple, either left or right side. Whether his attacking skills out way his defensive weaknesses is something dez will have to decide on.

Agree Cust has been caught out of position, and still think Tafua comes in off his wing way too far, he is too slow to react to a cut out pass to his opposition winger.

Agree he was always been a poor defender and it has nothing to do with the side of the field he is defending on. He has always been a Jersey grabber and not a shoulder defender.

 

[damiennp90]

I’m not trying to be negative here.

But didn’t we have pretty much the same system when Des was last here.

Killer and Matai often ran out of the line and made bad calls.

I overall think it’s better to have an attacking style defensive line then a static one. As you have to play extremely well normally to take advantage.

But time will see

 

[Deleted member 26876]

80% of the time the shut down plays from taufua rushing up works, he’s just got to keep improving at decision making and he’ll be fine. Agree with Walks, he should probably be replaced by Parker (who was great in defence earlier this season).

Cust is going fine, think we are a bit padantic atm.

 

[maxta]

The defensive problems have been more poor communication, than missed tackles.
The inside defender generally dictates the up and in and his outside defender must go with him....most issues have been the wider defender rushing up and in, to the point they are inside their inside defender creating mass overlaps and holes out wide.

 

[Woodsie]

I have no idea what hallucinagenics some of you are on .... or what you think Manly and every other team do at training ... other than continual backline plays in the attacking quarter ... designed to do nothing other than to create an overlap and put a defence in two minds ...

On at least 5 occasions every game .. every centre in the comp is asked to make a split second decision .... if they get it correct 70% of the time then they are ahead of the curve .... and here is the big tip ... it is also how we score tries ... it is how every team score tries ... and how every team lets tries in ....

Why some are still amazed or get upset by it baffles me ..... and I have bad news for you .... either Suli, Jorge, Rubes or Dylan will be asked to make split second decisions again this week ... and they are not likely to get them all correct .... but either is any other centre or winger in the competition .....

and ... PSS ... a large percentage of the defensive breakdown occurs at the ruck or on the edge .. and the centre is simply where the crack appears obvious ...

 

[nightster]

I have no idea what hallucinagenics some of you are on .... or what you think Manly and every other team do at training ... other than continual backline plays in the attacking quarter ... designed to do nothing other than to create an overlap and put a defence in two minds ...

On at least 5 occasions every game .. every centre in the comp is asked to make a split second decision .... if they get it correct 70% of the time then they are ahead of the curve .... and here is the big tip ... it is also how we score tries ... it is how every team score tries ... and how every team lets tries in ....

Why some are still amazed or get upset by it baffles me ..... and I have bad news for you .... either Suli, Jorge, Rubes or Dylan will be asked to make split second decisions again this week ... and they are not likely to get them all correct .... but either is any other centre or winger in the competition .....

and ... PSS ... a large percentage of the defensive breakdown occurs at the ruck or on the edge .. and the centre is simply where the crack appears obvious ...

gold tops

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

I’m not trying to be negative here.

But didn’t we have pretty much the same system when Des was last here.

Killer and Matai often ran out of the line and made bad calls.

I overall think it’s better to have an attacking style defensive line then a static one. As you have to play extremely well normally to take advantage.

But time will see

100% correct, Hiku used to get left stranded on his wing constantly and got bagged every week for it when Lyon would rush in