Line speed and ruck area

[Top End Eagle]

I didn't see how GCKT was at all dynamic in that match. He picked up the ball, passed a few times, made a few tackles then went off for a HIA. No steps out of DH and no runs with the ball.

I'm not ripping into him because he just did his job... but I don't see how those 5 minutes are enough to assess him.

Watch it again and compare it with Lawton. Stood out like digs balls to me.

 

[nightster]

Scorpio said:
I didn't see how GCKT was at all dynamic in that match. He picked up the ball, passed a few times, made a few tackles then went off for a HIA. No steps out of DH and no runs with the ball.

I'm not ripping into him because he just did his job... but I don't see how those 5 minutes are enough to assess him.

Watch it again and compare it with Lawton. Stood out like digs balls to me.

I agree with TEE
He was hardly on long enough, and with a gassed team behind him when he did come on, to show too much.

 

[Top End Eagle]

Scorpio said:
I didn't see how GCKT was at all dynamic in that match. He picked up the ball, passed a few times, made a few tackles then went off for a HIA. No steps out of DH and no runs with the ball.

I'm not ripping into him because he just did his job... but I don't see how those 5 minutes are enough to assess him.





I agree with TEE
He was hardly on long enough, and with a gassed team behind him when he did come on, to show too much.

It's just an instinctive habit.

Here's a bit of a left field observation for you. If you're stopped at a crosswalk, you know with the green man and the buttons you pressed with your elbow in covid, wait until a crowd mills around and then take a step towards traffic before the man turns green.

Watch how many people will step with you unconsciously. It's like there's a herd-mind force flowing in that direction even though the man is still red.

Good hooker's get their team rolling the same way, Egan is currently the master of it and Cam Smith almost invented it, (though Chris Andersons flat play at the storm might have been the genesis with Swain at 9).

PS I also like starting applauses 😜

 

[Top End Eagle]

Just another comment since I've had four shots of espresso,

Penrith have so much energy with their line speed because their front rowers walk back after an opposition kick down town. Not jog, slowly amble. They stay in their channel and make their way back for hit up two, three or four knowing Edwards, To'o and Tuiruva will run fearlessly forward into the line creating the space the big boppers would have made up by jogging and expending more energy.

Watch Manly return the ball from the back, it's sideways or passing or hot-stepping to find a hole or something less dangerous to run at before committing. There's none of that from Penrith it's full steam ahead and then see what happens. That's why you will see Leota and Fischer Harris still walking back through the opposition defensive line after play three. It's a massive conservation of energy that translates to their incredible line speed in defence.

 

[LeonardCohen]

It seems Manly can only sustain line speed for the first 3-4 sets in a half, at the most. The top sides sustain it for the bulk of the game. The Dogs were still charging at St George last week in the final 10 minutes of their game.

I don’t think it’s lack of fitness per se, because all clubs train hard. I reckon we’ve just got a pack with an aerobic fitness ceiling that is too low.

Obviously our high risk offensive approach can lead to errors, which increases the defence workload that leads to fatigue and a subsequent lack of line speed. However, I wasn’t thrilled with our line speed against the Cowboys and we had all the possession.

Our contact is not suffocating in the way other clubs are. The opposition find their front easily. A lot has been made of our goal line defence and it certainly needs work but when you’re giving up so many opportunities inside your red zone, the opposition is bound to find a way through. Good teams don’t provide as many opportunities in the first place, which probably skews the data somewhat.

My concern is that we’ve built the wrong kind of team for the speed of the modern game. Fast and mobile is the order of the day.

 

[Phobia]

Croker is often the one leading the charge with regards to line speed. It's an underrated part of his game, and I always notice we lack it particularly when he is unavailable. I noticed it frequently when we had Simpkin at #9 last year too.

We should be a team able to sustain a big pack, with DCE's kicking game, and yet his lack of game management (which apparently depends on what he thinks of the opposition), sees us on the backfoot.

Compare us to the Dogs - sure, they have a smaller pack, but they also have Matt Burton, who can basically nullify the lack of power of this pack through his kicking game, and resultant defence. We have a big pack - so no excuses in attack. Why can't we use DCE's kicking game to effectively defend?

 

[themanwithnoname]

I agree. Our initial contact isn't great either and we allow a lot of post contact metres. We must must be one of the poorer teams in holding an attacker up, then pushing them backwards and slowly to the ground. Need a new wrestling coach!

 

[jbb/james]

It seems Manly can only sustain line speed for the first 3-4 sets in a half, at the most. The top sides sustain it for the bulk of the game. The Dogs were still charging at St George last week in the final 10 minutes of their game.

I don’t think it’s lack of fitness per se, because all clubs train hard. I reckon we’ve just got a pack with an aerobic fitness ceiling that is too low.

Obviously our high risk offensive approach can lead to errors, which increases the defence workload that leads to fatigue and a subsequent lack of line speed. However, I wasn’t thrilled with our line speed against the Cowboys and we had all the possession.

Our contact is not suffocating in the way other clubs are. The opposition find their front easily. A lot has been made of our goal line defence and it certainly needs work but when you’re giving up so many opportunities inside your red zone, the opposition is bound to find a way through. Good teams don’t provide as many opportunities in the first place, which probably skews the data somewhat.

My concern is that we’ve built the wrong kind of team for the speed of the modern game. Fast and mobile is the order of the day.

Everything you say is correct

My gutty is accountability. No one ever gets dropped. Our senior players who should drive it seem too comfortable with a loss. We dont need sooks but we need players that rev us up a bit on field. More players need a toe in there ass but quite often its our senior players ,

The best leaders drive the team constantly in all facets of the game .Like foz did to T rex. Get in there. Do your work. We are too nice

Our skill levels are through the roof but resolve , not so much because there are very few consequences and they mostly get september off to recover

Not all people that play footy are footy heads with white line fever. They change sides in all aspects

Ben kennedy is lauded for good reason, but he set a standard and demanded others meet it. We neither set it, or demand it and to answer your specific question i believe line speed is just a symptom of the attitude and accountabilty

We try very hard but the hunger just isnt there. Des had the most consistency in defence but still we had weeks of fade out

For many it looks like its a job which it is but successful clubs are littered with players that leave nothing out there.

Our captain only gets tackled 4 times a year. Yes exaggerated but there is truth in it.if i am a forward Im not dying on a hill for the backs to chuck it into touch on second and get paid a quarter . This is the new way i feel

Been saying it since the AFB days, he gave a few sprays when players didnt respect his grunt work

Unpopualr opinion i know but its what i see. Our ceiling is our leadership and our game mirrors theres overall

 

[GrahamHughesHairHat]

I think this is the biggest difference between us and most other teams. Leg speed in defence and attack
In attack Bullemore is the only player who has it Rest r good players but NO LEG SPEED
In defence we let them roll down the field giving them momentum, then try to slow them down and give away 6 agains
Teams that get up in our face with speed negates our forwards making ground and pressures backs to rushing passes etc
Where’s Watmaough when u need him 🥲