Is this team SOFT?

[wedgetail eagle]

poetic m8

Thanks, but can't claim it,
from Laurie & Fry, in the 90's. loved it when I heard it.

 

[Gib the Pom]

Definitely.

Couple of our signings - Myles and Lussick - were meant to be enforcers, but have looked slow and weak for me. Brown - maybe I hadn't watched enough of him but I thought he was far more stocky and aggressive than what he has shown so far, looks like a kid out there.

Lack some serious physicality in the middle.

Love Jake T, and AFB has looked good so far - needs to be a bit more mobile/explosive and he would really start bending the line. Tapau - I'm not really sure about - always seems wasted to me out wide because we don't play him as an edge runner i.e. he doesn't hit holes - he just trucks all day. But looked ineffective in the middle early in the season and isn't getting Jake T's jersey back now... we need two top class prop forwards to allow these guys as a supporting cast to shine.

Our D is horrifically soft.

 

[NYEagle]

I would not say soft, I think the right analysis would be not good enough.
They all try hard, and play tough. They are just not up to the standard of forwards in other NRL sides. This is what happens with panic buying, so that player managers and managers of another team (i.e Gould) play you for the fool.
NYEagle

 

[Dan]

Very soft, particularly the forward pack.

The young guys understandable, but they need someone to bring back the fear factor I think

 

[robbiea]

Team is soft as dog**** on a hot day after said dog ate a bowl of rotten dog**** the night before.They also smell the same as the said dog****.

 

[HoldenV8]

As things stand right now (i.e. considering injuries to people like BJ), I personally think our best starting pack should be:

8 - Martin Taupau
9 - Matt Parcell
10 - Darcy Lussick
11 - Feleti Mateo
12 - Jamie Buhrer
13 - Jake Trbojevic

The bench would be Starling, Vave, Myles and Brown as the utility.

Kapow isn't a 2nd rower and he doesn't have the speed to be an edge runner like a Beaver. What he is is a power forward and he would be best used as either a front rower or lock which these days is essentially the same thing. Feleti doesn't exactly have the speed either, but what he does have is play making skills which outside of DCE, this team is in grave need of right now. Unfortunately though, as we all know there is not a snowballs chance in hell that Feleti will be a regular in this team any more. Its more likely to be either Blake Leary or Liam Knight.

I tend to agree with @susan about Ferris. He's a terrier who puts in 100% every time, but he is a small forward who tends to get dominated a lot in the ruck. I think most like him mainly because he never gives up and he can be valuable which is why I still have him there.

We all know Myles is a plodder, but his stats for the most part have been good. But, I also think we'd be better served having him come off the bench like Vave does and provide go forward against tiring defences.

I think its obvious that Jake is the leader of the forwards. Along with Matty Parcell he is basically the junior out of the pack, but he is clearly the leader and that was shown by him being given the captaincy on Sunday against Penrith despite the vice-captain and our most experienced player (Snake) being in the team. He's putting more oomph into his runs and we know about his defence. Fortunately for us, and unfortunately for Jake, playing in this pack seems to have seen him become the forgotten man when it comes to NSW selection. When it comes to naming the team, even the media seem to forget he exists. I guess that's what happens when you just do your job and aren't a flashy headline grabber like a Klemmer or Graham and are playing in a team losing twice as much as they win.

Our pack can compete if used properly, we've seen that. But I can't see it happening without changes that doesn't seem to be on the cards.

 

[globaleagle]

Good Advice

 

[Jatz Crackers]

Soft as a pensioners sh#t

OK everyone. Willie reckons that to get our sh#t sorted our recruitment just needs more dehydrated pensioners.

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

our defence looks slow, disorganized most of the time , doesnt move up as we let them get closer to our own line, and many defenders are caught out of position, letting tries through. Soft ? yes. Well drilled ? No. Well coached ? ohhh pllleeeeeze.

 

[Wyllie Eagle]

Are there any big pommy unit forwards we could buy? They've got a rich tradition of producing for Manly

 

[HoldenV8]

Defensively, a bad habit that has crept into the Manly line in the past 2-3 years (yes, it started under Tooves), is that our line moves up a couple of metres and then stops, basically waiting for the ball runner to come to them. That is just inviting trouble from any good halves or teams with skillful forwards.

That is gifting teams easy metres each and every set of 6. When our defenders meet their attackers they have already made 6 or 7 metres and have the momentum going forward against a line that has stopped.

On the other side of the coin, how often do we see our ball runners being tackled within 1-2 metres of the advantage line? And not all of it is down to the opposition being offside and not called for it. Its often because the opposition is constantly moving forward as a line and giving us no room.

We have good defenders in this team with players like Jake, Parcell, Kapow, Ferris etc. Opposition teams shouldn't be making so many metres against us, or breaking the line as much as we allow.

 

[weev]

We sacked our best conditioner for Beardy McWeirdy.

We are now as hard as a hipster's beard. Ain't that weird.

 

[Technical Coach]

Defensively, a bad habit that has crept into the Manly line in the past 2-3 years (yes, it started under Tooves), is that our line moves up a couple of metres and then stops, basically waiting for the ball runner to come to them. That is just inviting trouble from any good halves or teams with skillful forwards.

That is gifting teams easy metres each and every set of 6. When our defenders meet their attackers they have already made 6 or 7 metres and have the momentum going forward against a line that has stopped.

On the other side of the coin, how often do we see our ball runners being tackled within 1-2 metres of the advantage line? And not all of it is down to the opposition being offside and not called for it. Its often because the opposition is constantly moving forward as a line and giving us no room.

We have good defenders in this team with players like Jake, Parcell, Kapow, Ferris etc. Opposition teams shouldn't be making so many metres against us, or breaking the line as much as we allow.

Part of the stopping is due to our lack of size, we don't have the self belief or confidence to meet the go forward of bigger forwards at the advantage line and now have become a more containment absorbing defense.(self preservation in some also)

It also comes down to the style of players we have, not many noted ball and all in your face defenders now, or hardened seasoned tough units who want to lead.

The less you dominate in the ruck or tackle the more chances you are going to be faced with go forward that is direct with power and momentum. Combine that with a still retreating or deep defensive line not moving forward and a small pack relative to the opposition and it is a recipe for disaster.

The most worrying aspect is some of our best, hardest working defenders, also have weaknesses due to their lack of size or tackling style.

 

[HoldenV8]

@Technical Coach that is why I think that Martin Taupau should play in the front row rather than out wide in the second row. Along with Jake and probably Darcy Lussick that would give us a fairly strong middle 3 with Matt Parcell in there as well. It would also move Myles to the bench where he could be used as an impact player in the same way Vave is.

The only problem is, moving Kapow to prop leaves us with two small forwards in Brown and Ferris in the 2nd row. Not knocking Ferris who although he gets dominated a bit due to his lack of size at least isn't afraid to tackle, but Brown shouldn't be starting. However the reality is that he's going to be there because our other choices are Leary who should be in NSW Cup and Mateo who is persona non gratis.

 

[Igor]

Yep we are pretty soft but to be honest look at our forward pack physically and it shouldn't be a great surprise. Other than Kapow we have no seriously powerful explosive bodies.AFB has the potential but not there yet.Jamie Buhrer gets so many wraps on here and it seems to all and sundry he is just about our best forward with Jake and that says it all really.He tries incredibly hard but he gets owned every week.

Technical Coach has been banging on about this and he is dead right in this case.Every one of the top sides has these big strong juganauts that smash the advantage line like Tomololo.We never play with any momentum unless we get a string of repeat sets which is rare.Our sets start with Snake strolling back or offloading to a winger under pressure.Our first play the ball is always slow and we get owned from there.

Unless we find a couple of seriously aggressive power forwards and get some energy from the back 3 early in the set the deeds of Walker,Tommy etc will be of little use.

 

[Igor]

Every time I see the team named with two light weight back rowers in Buhrer and Brown I just shake my head . Hardly going to bring any fear to an opposing forward pack .

 

[Technical Coach]

@Technical Coach that is why I think that Martin Taupau should play in the front row rather than out wide in the second row. Along with Jake and probably Darcy Lussick that would give us a fairly strong middle 3 with Matt Parcell in there as well. It would also move Myles to the bench where he could be used as an impact player in the same way Vave is.

The only problem is, moving Kapow to prop leaves us with two small forwards in Brown and Ferris in the 2nd row. Not knocking Ferris who although he gets dominated a bit due to his lack of size at least isn't afraid to tackle, but Brown shouldn't be starting. However the reality is that he's going to be there because our other choices are Leary who should be in NSW Cup and Mateo who is persona non gratis.

What does Myles offer as an impact player?

 

[HoldenV8]

Myles does make good metres and is at least a half decent defender. Like Vave I don't think he is mobile enough any more to start, but off the bench he would still provide go forward.

 

[maxta]

I think Myles off the bench fresh - ensures defensively the team adds steel in the middle, not a blockbusting runner, but thats for Vave & AFB to add the go forward.