long kicking game in 07

[DSM5]

I've posted before about this continual problem. Apart from Monaghan we don't have a long kicker in the team. Not having seen Lyon since his Newcastle days, has he got a long kicking game?

 

[Dan]

newcastle???

 

[Fro]

Now thats what I call a student of the game

 

[Matabele]

The difference in kicking games was very evident in the Drag Quuens final. Barrett was kicking long and into open space.

Our kicks were very shallow and had zero hang time. My seven year old could probably have driven them further. Was this because Orford was nursing a leg injury? At other games where I've been at the ground he had a bit more depth (though not much).

Do we have a general kicking consultant? Suggest we could do with one - preferably an AFL kicker.

 

[Chip and Chase]

I thought I read somewhere that one of the soccer players was doing some kicking coaching, although that may have been last season. Our kicking against the Dragons was very ordinary, shallow and straight down Greenshields throat most of the time. Also they really pressured Orford on the 5th, it was like they knew we had no options for the 5th tackle kick apart from him. I wonder how they figured that out ?

 

[Matabele]

I'm not sure you can really say he had "no options". Monas and Burns can both kick but they seemed to show zero initiative to try and break up the pattern of what was going on.

Let's face it though, we were generally lethargic that night, buggers me as to why.

 

[Chip and Chase]

I just did a quick google and found this from last year. I doubt Arnold is still there now that he is tied up with the Socceroos, don't know about Luffy though.

Ex-Swan to give Manly a kick-start
January 21, 2005

Manly have a new weapon in their campaign to make the NRL's top eight this season - former Sydney Swans player Troy Luff.

The Sea Eagles, in a bid to improve on their disappointing 13th finish last season, have recruited Luff, a former Swans cult hero, as a kicking and catching coach.

Coach Des Hasler is not afraid to tap into the talent pool of rival codes, with former Socceroo Graham Arnold another regular at the club's training base at Narrabeen.

Luff was not renown for his kicking game during his 155 games for the Swans between 1990 and 2001 but believes he can help the Sea Eagles, particularly in the area of placement.

"The way that I view rugby league kicking style is it tends to be just kick it and hope for the best," Luff said.

"We're trying to work on more placement and where the kicks land. Just trying to get them to kick more like an AFL-style, in that we have targets.

"It's also about trying a few different tactics which involve kicking, something which probably isn't done enough in rugby league. It's the same with the catching - trying to use the hands to catch the ball rather than the chest."

Luff explained he was teaching Manly players to leap high and use their hands to catch the ball, a useful skill in scoring tries from bombs.

Halfback and captain Michael Monaghan will be the No.1 kicker for Manly this season, following the loss of five-eighth Andrew Walker, who retired last year after testing positive to cocaine.

Parramatta recruit Michael Witt will take on some kicking duties and winger Chris Hicks and hooker Chad Randall are eager to help out when they can.

Luff, who also works as a ground announcer at the Swans' home matches, said the majority of Manly players had embraced the rival code's skills.

"There's probably only a couple of guys I see who aren't as enthusiastic as the rest of the group," he said.

"It is something different for them and, hopefully, it'll give them an advantage this year."

As a Newcastle Knights supporter, Luff may be expected to change his allegiances as he will be attending several Manly games this year to finetune the players' kicking tactics.

 

[DSM5]

OK so it seems that the long kicking coach was absent in 06. The crap kicking game (long and short) certainly was in evidence in 06. I attended a meeting with our illustrious coach when he was asked why long kicking (on penalties) was not a priority. His reply was that 'we want a quick play-the-ball restart'. Go figure! Why a quick restart rather than a thirty metre gain then a re start is a priority went over my head. He was also asked why wasn't a regular first grade player specifically coached to punt long and accuratley, thereby relieving Orford of the duty and the additional pressure. No answer. Anyway, maybe our incoming saviour Jesus Lyon will supply this skill from his undoubted repetoire.

 

[earl]

Lyon kicks goals so one could assume he may have decent kicking skills. Troy Luff wasnt much of a big kicker. Should get one of the Rocca boys. Now they can kick a footy a long way. But agree we need to have a coach or something.