Improved direct attack...

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MK Eagle

Bencher
Noticed a big improvement in recent games with the Seaeagles attack.
At times through the season there was at times too much sideways movement & general crabbing.
The 30 point demolition on Souths had quality tries out wide, but they actually ALL started with direct running & winning the ruck area.
The execution & timing has improved on the back of a simple direct approach, giving the classy outside backs the time & space to score points with ease.
Some will argue we scored 0 against Roosters but the fact is we were held up inches from the line on 4 - 5 occasions, made 3 line breaks to nil, no Snake Stewart, ball knocked down when Lyon was going over off a scrum 5m out & it was rated the most defensive game witnessed in the past decade by many.
Lawrence has led this, with Choc lifting tempo & Gift also now punching direct, with Rose having absolutely outstanding carries...straight & hard.
The wingers have also lifted in this area , particularly getting out of the danger zone & players like DCE & Lyon often just go foward when needed. At times ppl have been critical of Ballin challenging the markers but have even noticed him skipping out asking questions in recent times on the back of this.
 
something else that is rarely mentioned has been sydneys weather this year. The last few years its been very wet winters. Especially the last few months the weather has been mild and dry ensuring games and even training are much more free flowing, and speedy backs are much more confident.

I feel manlys backline has benefited from this and its rarely mentioned when our experts compare our attack to last years. It feels like it has given the backs a few extra metres to use near the sideline as far fewer players are slid into touch. The grounds are also harder and quicker and more reliable under foot.
 
TC will be pleased that you have been paying attention to his posts, as has Tooves it seems.
 
Chip and Chase said:
TC will be pleased that you have been paying attention to his posts, as has Tooves it seems.

Pay attention to most ppl's posts but missed the related TC thread,......excellent response though.
Pretty sure Tooves would thank everyone for such in depth analysis on Silvertails, would Manly have made the GF without it??
 
Playing into our hands was Goodwin's terrible sliding defence last week (probably because he was worried about Merritt coming in). Not sure we'll see that from the Roosters this weekend..
 
Good post MK. I thought Newcastle highlighted some easier ways through the roosters defence with a couple of quick smart tries. Sure the Manly boys would have noticed as we have scored some very good similar tries this year. Love those Foran banana flips over the defensive line for a flying Brett / Cherry / Lyon. Hopefully we will see a few of those.
 
Tooves played the front rowers in a different rotation on the weekend too. Lawrence was back on just after half time and Kite wasn't far behind him. We defended differently on the RH edge too. There was no running up and in. That had the bunnies fooked!
 
Stevo I'd say that had to do with Richie only clocking up 5 or 10 minutes. Rose got more time as well because of this.
 
The simple sharp direct approach combined with faster play the balls and shorter ball playing has been evident all season one of the key areas of improvement Tooves has identified. This will help the attack with more punch through the middle and space out wide or playing against a retreating defence line but we still play too sideways and deep.

I have not been impressed with the execution of our plays in all the Semis we are slipping back into being too lateral too deep and not enough straightness to get defenders to take seriously their inside hip defence.

The first half against the Storm was Manly playing too their potential winning the tackle in attack, high intensity go forward and short sharp crisp directness against a retreating defensive line. When Symonds initiates the straight hole running on the right Glen follows in a more direct straight approach and the outside backs follow.

What is happening in the Semis is a deep second man play shift passing the ball to an outside option that is hanging too deep(not really sucking in the defence) and just ballplaying sideways with no penetration. When the outside backs just hang back it allows the defence to just slide, it worked against South as the outside backs were sliding and going backwards thanks to Bretts presence and the speed of our play around the ruck but the execution is still poor even though we put on points.(yeah that sounds like a contradiction but sometimes poor attack will still work when you play at speed)

When DCE is crabbing sideways especially on the right and you see him dummy and go sometimes this is due to the bad structures. There are positives if the outside backs rush up and take the dummy allowing him to slip through but i don't see the Roosters outside backs being as bad as Souths.(A few months ago i mentioned a part in the Tigers game at Campbelltown that i did not like and it was evident again)

I've analysed the Roosters game and their are holes with their redzone defence problem is it is in areas we don't normally structure our attack around.(Will elaborate the day before game day) It is also obvious we targeted Jennings he can be very hesitant at times tends to look inwards too much in defence,can slip off in tackles, sometimes hangs back and slides also-----we did not attack him with good structures and enough straight power running options.
 
TC the issue was more hiku v stewart. Hiku plays more like a centre in attck and tries to beat the playwr one on one at the line , Stewart opens a whole new style of play, that is the real difference of depth and lateral movement.
 
Dan said:
TC the issue was more hiku v stewart. Hiku plays more like a centre in attck and tries to beat the playwr one on one at the line , Stewart opens a whole new style of play, that is the real difference of depth and lateral movement.

That is what i am saying in relation to "Bretts Presence", Hiku steps and dances too much and does not commit himself to the small gap, just not as sharp.

But even with Brett we play too sideways over the years and lacking straight runners. Need some straight running size options beyond what we are using.

The Rooster do open up through the middle after a few spreads on either side stretching them and are vulnerable to flat plays or dummy and go through the middle with players pushing up off the hip. Some nice examples in the first half of the game, SBW likes to defend very wide after a spread on the opposite side trusting his inside defender and backing his mobility but if you get flat numbers in this area it will cause trouble after a spread.

Roosters get lots of defensive numbers coming over on each spread but you have to set the play up before going through the middle otherwise you will just hit a brick wall.

Their forwards will fatigue back end of halves if we keep the intensity, you will see more central show and goes around this time and passing back on the inside----pointless though early on.
 
The best attacking displays have definately been the games where the attack is direct, winning that ruck area & testing the middle before going wide.
Theres been certain games where the emphasis has seemed to be, we must try go around them at all costs without earning the right through the middle of the park getting the defence back peddling.
Wests Tigers are a great example of spreading wide & its often on the back of little go foward easily closed down going sideways & forced into many errors.
I will be suprised if Manly dont play through the line a little more this game ensuring the extra space is created out wide, fact is Tooves will have identified exactly what kinks the attack needs to improve on & there will be Seaeagles tries scored on Sunday, its a matter of stopping them thats the main obstacle.
 
Chip and Chase said:
Stevo I'd say that had to do with Richie only clocking up 5 or 10 minutes. Rose got more time as well because of this.

Kite and Lawrence didn't see any more game time though mate. Rose and Fa'aoso pretty much just swapped roles.
 

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