Steve Matai

[NFN2IT]

TC is Kelly Egan

Simple.

I must say I enjoy reading the TC's analysis. He seems much better informed than fans like me who think we know it all and are not shy about telling everyone.

So TC, or Kelly, another two questions:
1. Why isn't there more attack from scrums these days. We saw what could be done against Easts when they got the ball out to Whare? But you usually find backrowers standing out in the backline.
2. Shouldn't we use more short kick-offs? It's apparent that two out of every three are retrieved. Easts showed that. Its quite plain to me: you have an entire pack of players running onto the ball as against a few stationary defenders trying to jump for it.

Is it just me or have we gone from beautiful set plays off scrums, to continuously(feels like it) heading to the short side, this season?

or is this just setting up for the next few plays?

 

[Technical Coach]

Sorry for not replying earlier due to other coaching commitments but i never burn bridges with past employers and still have a soft spot for the club lol.

Ok have not had the pleasure to view all of Manly's games this season but DCE in general play overplays the short side.(Chad is back)
Its been a bad habit for a while now---he has had great success with it when it's used in a balanced more option orientated way but now the play is lazy attack.

Not all these short side plays are "counting the numbers" like some commentators are saying---some of it is just catching lazy defenders on the back foot with forward motion runners. It appears at first sight that there is an over-lap but most times it's just bad defending.

Another reason is with Foran and Trex on the sidelines we are forced to play to our ball playing options. Combine this with DCE's feeling more comfortable with the reduced responsibilities of creating the big play on the right edge there is major risk of over kill and being too predictable.

Now about the big scrum plays that some people think appear to be lacking----i agree and disagree. You have to remember even simple plays have a higher risk of drop ball so in some respects it's just playing the percentages. Modern defences are not going to fall for "as often" set plays from scrums from average ball players(this does not apply to Manly)----some decoy runs in the past looked more technical than they really were.

Scrums are more about getting attackers one on one in space---either with early ball or fullbacks sweeping around the back taking advantage of a flat runner misread in defence which halts the slide or get outside the up and in creating an overlap. Short side plays from scrums are "mainly" about playing on the lazy mentality of the oppositions scrum base sprinting out to cover the open side.

Playing the short side can set up future plays to the open side either in the next play or the next scrum---keeps the opposition scrum base honest and not always thinking "cover the open side as fast as possible"

Short sides are often a place to hide spot defenders or less nimble players but those days are becoming numbered in the modern game.

Not taking short kick off's basically just comes down to the yardage game. Go forward in general is so important why make it harder by losing 30-40m every second or third kick off. I do agree in stop start games and the early stages when fatigue is not a factor this play is worth the risk and i do feel it is going to be used more often over the next few years.

When kicking tee's and improved place kicking came into rugby league i was thinking short kick off's and also a hard low trajectory kick off by hitting the top of the ball and aiming for touch would be more often used in this day.

 

[NFN2IT]

Sorry for not replying earlier due to other coaching commitments but i never burn bridges with past employers and still have a soft spot for the club lol.

Ok have not had the pleasure to view all of Manly's games this season but DCE in general play overplays the short side.(Chad is back)
Its been a bad habit for a while now---he has had great success with it when it's used in a balanced more option orientated way but now the play is lazy attack.

Do you mean like a variation in plays? or options in attacking(support runners)?

Now about the big scrum plays that some people think appear to be lacking----i agree and disagree. You have to remember even simple plays have a higher risk of drop ball so in some respects it's just playing the percentages. Modern defences are not going to fall for "as often" set plays from scrums from average ball players(this does not apply to Manly)----some decoy runs in the past looked more technical than they really were.

Scrums are more about getting attackers one on one in space---either with early ball or fullbacks sweeping around the back taking advantage of a flat runner misread in defence which halts the slide or get outside the up and in creating an overlap. Short side plays from scrums are "mainly" about playing on the lazy mentality of the oppositions scrum base sprinting out to cover the open side.

Playing the short side can set up future plays to the open side either in the next play or the next scrum---keeps the opposition scrum base honest and not always thinking "cover the open side as fast as possible"

While watching the games i was always under the impression that we were hitting the short sides off scrums to set up for something special later in the game to the open side.... it never comes but!

Sorry about all these questions, ive been a league enthusiast my whole life and its only the last few years i have taken interest in the more "technical" and "tactical" side of the game and i love it the more i learn about it.

 

[Bradza]

Looks like you may have yourself a protege TC.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

I think the usernames, 2ICTC and Assistant Coach and LilGuru are available.

 

[Ryan]

Dan wasnt a fan of Matai's either.

LOL.

Remember how excited I was that we picked up David Vaeliki though !! You knocked that down pretty quickly - and guess what - you were right !! Up there with one of the wors signings in our 60 year history !

Hahahahahahaha......

 

[Technical Coach]

Sorry for not replying earlier due to other coaching commitments but i never burn bridges with past employers and still have a soft spot for the club lol.

Ok have not had the pleasure to view all of Manly's games this season but DCE in general play overplays the short side.(Chad is back)
Its been a bad habit for a while now---he has had great success with it when it's used in a balanced more option orientated way but now the play is lazy attack.

Do you mean like a variation in plays? or options in attacking(support runners)?

Now about the big scrum plays that some people think appear to be lacking----i agree and disagree. You have to remember even simple plays have a higher risk of drop ball so in some respects it's just playing the percentages. Modern defences are not going to fall for "as often" set plays from scrums from average ball players(this does not apply to Manly)----some decoy runs in the past looked more technical than they really were.

Scrums are more about getting attackers one on one in space---either with early ball or fullbacks sweeping around the back taking advantage of a flat runner misread in defence which halts the slide or get outside the up and in creating an overlap. Short side plays from scrums are "mainly" about playing on the lazy mentality of the oppositions scrum base sprinting out to cover the open side.

Playing the short side can set up future plays to the open side either in the next play or the next scrum---keeps the opposition scrum base honest and not always thinking "cover the open side as fast as possible"

While watching the games i was always under the impression that we were hitting the short sides off scrums to set up for something special later in the game to the open side.... it never comes but!

Sorry about all these questions, ive been a league enthusiast my whole life and its only the last few years i have taken interest in the more "technical" and "tactical" side of the game and i love it the more i learn about it.

I was more talking about using the play as a surprise or second option. You can run double short side plays to set up a play up the middle---an open side spread---drawing in a winger into marker or catching a retrieving winger on the back foot.

Sometimes getting a quick play the ball after running a short side play offers more chances of getting an "inside the 10" penalty or "markers not square" due to the speed of outside backs at dummy half.

 

[Darren]

I don't know, remember the hype of Dallas Rennie, I thought we had the new Webcke, couldn't believe how bad he ended up! As for Groomie I never saw such a dominant junior half who had it all but hit the wall when in seniors. The Thompson twins in the juniors as well. One got a terrible injury.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Technical Coach is way too technical for me.....I just love my footy and Manly winning.....everything else is irrelevant.....well maybe the cheer leaders and the HotTabGirl but you know what I mean.

 

[Bradza]

I don't know, remember the hype of Dallas Rennie, I thought we had the new Webcke, couldn't believe how bad he ended up!

What do you mean how bad he ended up?! He never even arrived..........

 

[Ryan]

Technical Coach is way too technical for me.....I just love my footy and Manly winning.....everything else is irrelevant.....well maybe the cheer leaders and the HotTabGirl but you know what I mean.

Dude, did you know when I typed "hottabgirl" into google, and hit "images", your melon comes up as one of the first pictures !!

What's doing there?

 

[Technical Coach]

Technical Coach is way too technical for me.....I just love my footy and Manly winning.....everything else is irrelevant.....well maybe the cheer leaders and the HotTabGirl but you know what I mean.

At the game i'm the same----more technical during each video review session.

I usually struggle to perform or observe anything of a technical nature just before kick off (cheerleaders) and just after halftime (cheerleaders)

I'm withya

 

[bob dylan]

Technical Coach is way too technical for me.....I just love my footy and Manly winning.....everything else is irrelevant.....well maybe the cheer leaders and the HotTabGirl but you know what I mean.

mmmm #HotTabGirl

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Jamie ( hotTabGirl) gets us going on Twitter,