Boring structures & Stats

[maxta]

These boring structures & flat attack may be the modern approach, but give me deep, hard running attack & unpredictability any day.
The best attacking teams Cows, Raiders & Penrith play with vision & flair & it's no coincidence - they have plenty of depth to provide options to test any defensive structure & often shift wide early - have support in numbers & make effort plays like "run a rounds" which teams struggle to defend.
This Dogs & Bronco attack (till Milford/Hunt actually decided to run) are driven by completions & stats...
The Dogs massive forwards must have opposition teams laughing, standing still & passing to the next big body...also a mushroom. Only Kasiano & T.Williams obviously playing for a new contract run hard & direct & add life to a team lacking ideas....
Yes Storm are structured, but do it to perfection & have an uncanny ability to push the wrestle/ off side/ walking off the mark & every little advantage to the edge...but will still be potentially blown away if the refs call a quick, clean game....
As for stats - goal kicking is important but this completion stuff can stifle attacking opportunities & often this style of team, when (suprisingly) don't score....cop a hiding.
The important stats to me are effort plays, blokes pushing up to support the ball...dominant tackles built on tough initial contact....communication in defence...heads up & recovery after an error....now Manly are gone I really think these unstructured teams are the ones to beat & at least their good to watch...

 

[Rodo]

I would love to see the Walker brothers given a go at NRL level as coaches. They were dynamic and innovative in the Queensland comp last year (not sure how they have fared this year) with their game plan not built on completion rates but on time in possession.

Hopefully the game will someday return to a less structured, less wrestling, less holding down game with more of the open field attacking play that we used to have back in the good old days.

 

[maxta]

I would love to see the Walker brothers given a go at NRL level as coaches. They were dynamic and innovative in the Queensland comp last year (not sure how they have fared this year) with their game plan not built on completion rates but on time in possession.

Hopefully the game will someday return to a less structured, less wrestling, less holding down game with more of the open field attacking play that we used to have back in the good old days.

Great entertaining spectacle for sure.
The Walkers approach including short kickoffs - run arounds - attacking off scrums or kick returns = 100% & so hard to defend, because its impossible to plan against unstructured footy - especially against Natural footballers who can create & run into space....
If toned down & blended with a mix of tough footy in the middle, would certainly be a crowd pleaser.

 

[The Who]

Yep. Completion rates are what coaches strive to achieve. I'll wager our completion rates this season are very high, yet we've had our worst season for 12 years or so. The Tigers and The Faders win their matches not through attrition but by scoring more tries than their opposition. They take risks, are unpredictable and are dangerous from all parts of the field.
That's how we used to be.

 

[maxta]

Yep. Completion rates are what coaches strive to achieve. I'll wager our completion rates this season are very high, yet we've had our worst season for 12 years or so. The Tigers and The Faders win their matches not through attrition but by scoring more tries than their opposition. They take risks, are unpredictable and are dangerous from all parts of the field.
That's how we used to be.

Hey mate....can you imagine a coach making Cliffy play structured footy...what an absolute waste of talent...kids today with natural ability crippled by coaches instructions to play like a robot.....

 

[manlyfan76]

I would love to see the Walker brothers given a go at NRL level as coaches. They were dynamic and innovative in the Queensland comp last year (not sure how they have fared this year) with their game plan not built on completion rates but on time in possession.

Hopefully the game will someday return to a less structured, less wrestling, less holding down game with more of the open field attacking play that we used to have back in the good old days.

Ipswich are 10 wins and 12 losses this year, though they did lose a lot of players from last year,

 

[pjayz]

Most games these days are boring to watch, no matter what structures the teams employ. Stereotypical football and the disproportionate influence of referees are slowly killing the game as a spectacle. The contrast to say 1980s/1990s style football is so evident whenever you see those games on replay. The game is dying as a spectacle and I dare say would be attracting less "new" fans each season.

Nicely articulated TR.