New Winger - Jason Saab

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Yeah and when he still lets in more tries than he scores because our defensive structure invites tries out wide ... what then?

The first time he rushes up and in and the opposition score out wide, just like with Jorge, just like with Reubs and any other wingers we have, he'll get crucified for it. And he'll get crucified for it every time it happens after that.

We can't always rely on having someone like Turbo at fullback to cover up the mess.
I seriously think you should have a one on one with Des. Totally agree with you.
In my junior years, I had a coach who would always stick to up and in defence. The luxury being both wingers were State runners in the 100 metres. Whenever one or both were injured we leaked points like a sieve. Defensive structure has surely got to be able to switch to slide defence, especially in our red zone.
 
I seriously think you should have a one on one with Des. Totally agree with you.
In my junior years, I had a coach who would always stick to up and in defence. The luxury being both wingers were State runners in the 100 metres. Whenever one or both were injured we leaked points like a sieve. Defensive structure has surely got to be able to switch to slide defence, especially in our red zone.
Exactly - up and in defense in their half and certainly on early tackles 1 to 3 - change to slide in our half and later tackles. You want to jam in especially in their 20 and bash them but yes slide defence if both sides of the ruck are in sync and the "blindside" or non attacking side doesn't stand still like the proverbial stale bottle is perfect when the opposition wants to open up which normally is over the half way or late in the tackle count. How many teams these days continually want to be entertainers and throw the ball wide most sets from tackle 1 from their own end? Answer.... zero! So you could adopt the bash them defence early. Sadly the secret of bash them defence is to have a Randall, Ronnie Gibbs, Jughead Jones, Menzies, Kosef, Carroll leading the blitzkrieg but the secret with the bash them defence is the whole line has to get up out of the blocks quickly and to want to smash them and hurt them at the advantage line. Besides Jake just not sure we have any other bashers! Ohhh for the good old days - think I will dust the boots off and the armguard and get down and smash the tackling dummy right now! And yes at 57 I still have my boots, mouthguard and armguard just in case I decide to have a game. Sad and deluded I am obviously lol.
 
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Exactly - up and in defense in their half and certainly on early tackles 1 to 3 - change to slide in our half and later tackles. You want to jam in especially in their 20 and bash them but yes slide defence if both sides of the ruck are in sync and the "blindside" or non attacking side doesn't stand still like the proverbial stale bottle is perfect when the opposition wants to open up which normally is over the half way or late in the tackle count. How many teams these days continually want to be entertainers and throw the ball wide most sets from tackle 1 from their own end? Answer.... zero! So you could adopt the bash them defence early. Sadly the secret of bash them defence is to have a Randall, Ronnie Gibbs, Jughead Jones, Menzies, Kosef, Carroll leading the blitzkrieg but the secret with the bash them defence is the whole line has to get up out of the blocks quickly and to want to smash them and hurt them at the advantage line. Besides Jake just not sure we have any other bashers! Ohhh for the good old days - think I will dust the boots off and the armguard and get down and smash the tackling dummy right now! And yes at 57 I still have my boots, mouthguard and armguard just in case I decide to have a game. Sad and deluded I am obviously lol.
We all get that “ **** me dead even I could do better than that “ , but maybe at 65 in December I have to realise I couldn’t!!

45 years ago maybe !’
 
We all get that “ **** me dead even I could do better than that “ , but maybe at 65 in December I have to realise I couldn’t!!

45 years ago maybe !’
lol so so true. I am sure you could take a couple of hit ups Mark. Just play two sets - take the first ruck in each set and go off for a breather lol. My brain still says I can do it - my body is in pretty good shape seeing I train most days. But my wife has now officially banned me from all sport after playing Masters at 53 and shotting people. So turning the TV off when Manly start playing bad is good for my stress levels. Sadly it meant this year I didn't watch much lol. I hope I get to watch at least a few games to the end next year.
 
Would be helpful to have some clarity with the wing deliberations , still no confirmation if young Hoppa is being re signed , Garrick apparently preferring to stay , Saab wanted or not with Griffin and his apparent preference to come to Manly . Jorge":s , previous good contribution but hardly in favour now . Funa capable of playing there but probably not his best position . Naturally a fluid situation in any off season with player movements but seems to have been dragging on for quite some time now in Manly "s case for settling on their wing positions for next season .
 
Would be helpful to have some clarity with the wing deliberations , still no confirmation if young Hoppa is being re signed , Garrick apparently preferring to stay , Saab wanted or not with Griffin and his apparent preference to come to Manly . Jorge":s , previous good contribution but hardly in favour now . Funa capable of playing there but probably not his best position . Naturally a fluid situation in any off season with player movements but seems to have been dragging on for quite some time now in Manly "s case for settling on their wing positions for next season .
Agreed totally Al and we need to get another quality prop sorted out asap and a quality backrower
 
Would be helpful to have some clarity with the wing deliberations , still no confirmation if young Hoppa is being re signed , Garrick apparently preferring to stay , Saab wanted or not with Griffin and his apparent preference to come to Manly . Jorge":s , previous good contribution but hardly in favour now . Funa capable of playing there but probably not his best position . Naturally a fluid situation in any off season with player movements but seems to have been dragging on for quite some time now in Manly "s case for settling on their wing positions for next season .

01. Tom Trbojevic
02. Jason Saab
03. Dylan Walker
04. Moses Suli
05. Albert Hopoate
06. Josh Schuster
07. Daly Cherry-Evans

9/14. Manase Fainu / Keiran Foran

Big, fast, strong, mobile, agile. I see no gaps there at all mate. We also then have Walker / DCE as goal kickers.

That would be my team. I think Saab / Schuster / Hopoate have massive upside. All so young. BUT, players that could be around for a long time. Another benefit of this team is their ability to change positions if required.
 
01. Tom Trbojevic
02. Jason Saab
03. Dylan Walker
04. Moses Suli
05. Albert Hopoate
06. Josh Schuster
07. Daly Cherry-Evans

9/14. Manase Fainu / Keiran Foran

Big, fast, strong, mobile, agile. I see no gaps there at all mate. We also then have Walker / DCE as goal kickers.

That would be my team. I think Saab / Schuster / Hopoate have massive upside. All so young. BUT, players that could be around for a long time. Another benefit of this team is their ability to change positions if required.

Looks pretty good mate, only issue is the 5 who still needs to sign a contract extension if he’s to be with us next year.
 
I seriously think you should have a one on one with Des. Totally agree with you.
In my junior years, I had a coach who would always stick to up and in defence. The luxury being both wingers were State runners in the 100 metres. Whenever one or both were injured we leaked points like a sieve. Defensive structure has surely got to be able to switch to slide defence, especially in our red zone.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I think I'll stick to being an armchair critic lol.

Up and in, or Umbrella as it was called back in the 80s, can actually work if done right. But as you said, it certainly helps if your wingers have speed. But the main thing it needs to work is for everyone to keep formation. Our major problem has been that on both sides of the field we get players rushing up out of the line, and to make matters worse, they often miss their target or the ball is gone by the time they get there. On the left, Jorge or Parker often do that, on the right its been mostly, and he should certainly of all people know better, DCE who does it. All rushing up does is put gaps in the line that our slow players can't cover in time to shut things down. It either creates a gap for the opposition to send someone back inside, or if those outside move in to cover the gap then it creates an overlap or a 2-3 on 1. Neither is good and we get a lot of tries scored against us that way.

Sliding defence isn't perfect either and it often see's the defensive line backing away, even when they are defending their own line. But the difference is that players stay on their man (provided they trust their team mates to do their job) and its harder to get through or around the line.

But despite whatever defensive structure that is used, the one thing you need is a fullback with pace to cover, positional awareness, a voice, knowhow and confidence to direct the line ... and of course they have to be a good defender. We had that for the first 6 weeks of the year, then Tom got injured and neither Garrick, Elliot or Funa were able to do the job anywhere near as good.

Interesting fact. In the 7 games Tom played this year, the average score was 17-16 (technically 17-16.8 which is still a win). In the 13 games we played without him at fullback, the average score was 19-30. We scored two more points per game as the season progressed, but we leaked an extra 13-14 per game. And I would wager that most of those extra points leaked were scored out wide.
 
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Agreed totally Al and we need to get another quality prop sorted out asap and a quality backrower
Maybe time to move Jake to prop and as much as Haumole offers ability and promise as an edge . could be tried as a prop in the Welch and Fisher - Harris mould . When Siro and Thommo were on their games . probably as good as any other comp 2 nd road pairing but Siro was not used effectively for most of this season , did not lack effort but just running the wrong lines on a regular basis . Definitely could do with another agile and good defensive back rower .Garrick can be a good finisher , has even previously competed well on the high attacking kicks but just so many limited opportunities last season . Has to brush up on his defensive reads as well . No doubt Saab and Albert Hoppa will have their future"s settled before not too long .
 
Further confirmation that The Mole and other 'journalists' get their information from Silvertails is his latest post:

NOD TOWARDS SAAB'S POSSIBLE NEW HOME
In-demand Dragons winger Jason Saab may have given fans a telling clue as to his plans for 2021 - in cyberspace.

An eagle-eyed online junkie has informed me that over the last couple of days, Saab has unfollowed the Dragons on Instagram and started following Manly.

"Nothing is done yet as the Dragons haven't released Jason," his manager Mario Tartak told Wide World of Sports.

"But Manly are keen so we will have to wait and see what happens."
I guess I must be the Mole’s eagle eyed online junkie then hehehe ;))
 
lol so so true. I am sure you could take a couple of hit ups Mark. Just play two sets - take the first ruck in each set and go off for a breather lol. My brain still says I can do it - my body is in pretty good shape seeing I train most days. But my wife has now officially banned me from all sport after playing Masters at 53 and shotting people. So turning the TV off when Manly start playing bad is good for my stress levels. Sadly it meant this year I didn't watch much lol. I hope I get to watch at least a few games to the end next year.
Congrats on playing masters at 53. As for @Mark from Brisbane i think he’d go what ever it takes (eye gouge, kick in the nuts), but you’d know he’d be the first person that bought you a schooner at full time). :D
 
Sorry mate, what was that?

Every time you guys have a go at each other ,this comes to mind ,I don't know why .
All I can say is keep it up boys
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