The strength and weakness of every NRL team in 2016

[Jethro]

The strength and weakness of every NRL team in 2016 according to Fox Sports Lab

• February 25, 2016
  
• by Pamela Whaley with Fox Sports Lab
• Source: FOX SPORTS

LOOKING for perfection in a chaotic rugby league world is a pointless exercise.

Not even the best teams in the bunch can have it all.

For every set of attacking brilliance or line defence there is a lapse in concentration, a mental block or a clear passage through the middle.

Excelling in one aspect of the game usually means weakening another — after all, the best attacking teams tend to be weaker in defence and vice versa.

As the 2016 NRL season approaches, Fox Sports Lab has done what any good coach would do — assess the competition.

BRONCOS

Strength

Fast starts. They were the best starters in the competition in 2015, scoring 174 points in the opening 20 minutes (the most), while conceding just 54 points (the fewest).

Weakness

The middle. The Broncos gave up a lot of metres in 2015, conceding 1485 metres per game, the third most in the competition. This led them to making 876 tackles inside their 20 metre zone, more than any other team.

What this means: They get off to a fast start but allow teams to roll through the middle. However, they are one of the best at defending their line once the opposition gets there.

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[Jethro]

NRL 2016 Season Preview

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

Click here to choose and view each team's Season Preview.

They have us coming in at 3rd place.

 

[manlyfan76]

Top 8 will do, top 6 is good, top 4 would be great and first we see us return to our rightful place. Anything else is failure.

 

[Ceagle]

I think our biggest weaknesses will be needing time for combinations to gel together and possibly defense. There is no doubt we have propped up our attack big time with guys like Taupau, Walker and having speedy hookers like Parcell and Koroisau but losing Foran and Ballin does look to weaken our defense on paper and I worry about our ruck defense without Ballin there.

I hope we can make up the difference with defensive structure and Seibold taking charge of that area.

 

[manlyfan76]

I seriously believe that Parcell will challenge Luke and Smith as the Hooker of 2016.

 

[Ceagle]

I seriously believe that Parcell will challenge Luke and Smith as the Hooker of 2016.

I think he will be great and add a whole new dynamic to our attack but I very much doubt he is going to provide the same amount of insurance on defense down the middle that Ballin did, but that can be said about most hookers not Ballin.

 

[Brookvale2015]

I seriously believe that Parcell will challenge Luke and Smith as the Hooker of 2016.

He's good but considering he and Koroisau are going to be sharing the role it will be very difficult for him

 

[Woodsie]

He's good but considering he and Koroisau are going to be sharing the role it will be very difficult for him

I know I'm a dope, but I can't see going into a game with 2 hookers.

 

[manlyfan76]

I think he will be great and add a whole new dynamic to our attack but I very much doubt he is going to provide the same amount of insurance on defense down the middle that Ballin did, but that can be said about most hookers not Ballin.

I rate his defence. In the q cup he has above average in defence for hookers. Our new pack including Myles and Kapow with Turbo will see that he does not have to defend any more than his share.

 

[Rex]

In attack we'd want to increase the tackles made by the opposition small players - because that's where the easier yards - and quicker play-the-balls - are.

50 tackles by Ballin. Full marks to him. But is that a good thing? I'm not altogether sure.

 

[Loobs]

In attack we'd want to increase the tackles made by the opposition small players - because that's where the easier yards - and quicker play-the-balls - are.

50 tackles by Ballin. Full marks to him. But is that a good thing? I'm not altogether sure.

When you had guys like Mason running out of puff and jogging back into line, the fitter guys had to carry more of the burden last year.

I don't think fitness will be an issue this year. From what we've seen, Ferris has them on top shape. And I think by focusing on that, a lot of the guys with poor conditioning habits realises they need to lift big time and it looks like they've all stepped up.

So all that hopefully means we have a line that is set and ready to rip in every time.

 

[Fluffy]

2 less interchanges will be a factor, Big motors will be more valuable than big units. Myles and Jake are will possibly be the smallest starting props but they can go all day (Dogs also have 2 good starters like this but their second row can't play the big minutes)

 

[Rex]

When you had guys like Mason running out of puff and jogging back into line, the fitter guys had to carry more of the burden last year.

I don't think fitness will be an issue this year. From what we've seen, Ferris has them on top shape. And I think by focusing on that, a lot of the guys with poor conditioning habits realises they need to lift big time and it looks like they've all stepped up.

So all that hopefully means we have a line that is set and ready to rip in every time.

I'd suspect a key reason why running has become a more central part of Manly's training regime is the reduced interchange. Perhaps why the likes of Jake look slimmer.

Doubt we'll be the lone ranger in this change.

 

[Brookvale2015]

I know I'm a dope, but I can't see going into a game with 2 hookers.

If rather go with one but TB says he is going to go with Koroisau and Parcell together in 2 pronged attack plus our forwards can mostly play 80

Trbojevic 80
Myles 60
Buhrer 80
Brown 80
Taupau 60

Lussick 50
Lawrence 60
Mateo 80

 

[bob dylan]

I am seriously worried about our defence. I just don't see anyone doing Ballins work around the ruck The guys we have picked up are often lazy defenders. Also Foz was a great defensive five eighth, Walker will take time.

Still be amazed if we dont make the 8, dud teams scrape in most years and ours is not a dud team in 2016.

 

[HoldenV8]

The problem with Matty Ballin making 40+ tackles every game was that late in the halves when the opposition defence was tiring a bit, he was often too knackered to run effectively from dummy half. Ok, I know he rarely did anyway and he didn't have Geoff Toovey like speed out of there at the best of times, but his running game might not have been so bad had he not done so much tackling. Sure he was probably the fittest bloke out there from any club, but tackling does take it out of you no matter how fit you are.

Parcell's speed out of dummy half will be something we're going to have to get used to seeing in the maroon and white again, it hasn't been that way for almost a decade.

Our forwards should definitely be an improvement over 2015. Jake has a year under his belt, we've got an experienced hard head in Myles and some workhorses mixed with skill and power in the back row

Although I do rate Peta Hiku as a player, I think our wings have improved with Turbo Tom taking his spot. Now we have power on the left (Jorge) and speed on the right.

What will be interesting to see is if our edge defence has improved. Will the wingers keep copping a bagging for coming in or will those inside them actually do their jobs properly and not force the issue? Unfortunately under Tooves some bad defensive habits crept into the side, especially when we were defending 20 or less metres out.

The main concern for me is how DCE and Dylan Walker are going to go in the halves. We all know what DCE can do (he's much better than the fickle Queenslander's give him credit for), but the unknown is Walker. When he wasn't sooking or playing hurt, Foran was often more like an extra lock than a 5/8 so DCE generally ran things anyway. Walker will apparently be playing a running role at 5/8 using his speed more than anything. How it will work out I'm not sure, but I hope it works out well and gets going early.

 

[Brookvale2015]

Why so much worry about Ballins defence Koroisau was averaging 35 tackles in 40 minutes for Penrith i would say he will be playing a little bit more time with us and Parcell is a goo defender as we'll I'm so happy we chopped ballon otherwise we would still be living in the past we need a fast hooker, we know have to guns Koroisau can play the steady role in controlling the kicking and defence while Parcell can come on and take down the big forwards

 

[Manlymaniac]

As far as fitness goes I was amazed how trimmed down Mateo was at the 9s. Half the size of last year.

 

[Woodsie]

As far as fitness goes I was amazed how trimmed down Mateo was at the 9s. Half the size of last year.

They have all trimmed down since they are no longer going to Gorgeous Georges for dinner

 

[Ryan]

Chemistry will be our biggest challenge. I hope everyone has patience, because I believe we will be a well oiled machine by round 12 odd.

Poor old Trent is going to have massive pressure on him, but I have faith we'll blitz it.

Anything better than 9th for me is success. I want to give Trent 3 years to build like Tooves and Des. Just improvement each year is all I'm after.