What the Sharks/Storm are doing well.....are we ??

[Brissie Kid]

I'll keep on saying it: rugby league is not rocket science, and attempts to make it rocket science will always be defeated by the dudes who play it (who, with few exceptions, are not rocket scientists).

"Push supports" is nothing new and really comes down to attacking structure and intent - the intent here being to engage the defence and gain an advantage. It's how you score tries. It takes effort, attention to detail and a plan that includes looking ahead so that you're not just thinking about one tackle in the set but also about the next tackle, and the tackle after that. Really, it's shape and movement, and when a good team puts it into practice, it's beautiful to watch. Cronulla do it well. The Cowboys are also doing it well this year. Melbourne always do it well. Manly? Not so much.

This is a great point. RU says there's no contest for the ball in league, but they are just looking at each tackle and play the ball when they say that. NRL teams are really contesting each other set vs set, not play the ball vs play the ball.

Not that in the end that RU is that different anyway, as for all of the appearance of a contest at the breakdown, the reality is 99% of the time the team that carries the ball into the breakdown, ends up with their halfback having the ball anyway.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

It’s not just a standard decoy runner we’re talking about either...decoys that play off the back of shape are something every club employs.

Push supports are about having pass options either side of a standard ruck, be it yardage or a settler inside opposition 20. If you have push support, it makes it impossible for the opposition to gang tackle and slow the ruck down. The defence has to hold because there are other potential receivers, and you get 1-2 players in the tackle tops and you can get a quick play-the- ball for the halves to play fast over the ad line.

Sounds cool , why aren’t we doing it ?

 

[Technical Coach]

Good article, it's the little things that make a difference.
It wasn't all Talakai but the sum of the parts, some teams just do it better for many reasons.

I happened to watch the last few minutes of the Raider v Dogs match on FOX.
The Doges were chasing the game yet they just threw the ball from one side to the other, the backline was deep enough but no-one engaged the defence, they'd throw a cut out pass that offered no threat.
Get tackled and go back the other way, absolutely NO "push supports'..yet they were only 10 behind.

I know Parker has his detractors on here but he's one of the best "push supports" in the game imo, to keep charging up knowing you're not getting the ball or get a crash ball would be a tough role to play.

Foran has been struggling more lately without a genuine line runner who pushes through and engages plus commits the defensive line. You combine the reduced effectiveness of the left without Parker and the naturally weaker right side attack that lacks any genuine line runners and and a technically inconsistent DCE and our attack becomes a shambles.

Combine that with an injured or not playing Tom and a forward pack that lacks the ability to keep pushing up all game along with not offering much direct spark or leg drive and we end up losing the battle for field position pretty much from the outset every game and the pressure builds.

"Effective" movement off the ball in all team sports has seen the biggest gains in terms of win ratios, Melbourne in the NRL, Barcelona,Man City,Liverpool,Munich(Bayern Munchen), Spain and Germany in football, Golden State in the NBA etc etc.

 

[Technical Coach]

Sounds cool , why aren’t we doing it ?

Every team tries to do it, the difference will always be in how effective, how often and how fit your players are to keep at it over and over and over when fatigue kicks in.

Melbourne has been the fittest team in the comp for well over a decade now and can consistenly push up even through fatigue, their drop off is not as drastic as Manly.

Manly look like world beaters when fresh and after stoppages but look like a park footy team when the hint of fatigue kicks in.

 

[Technical Coach]

I think this is why Davey seems to be an automatic pick whenever he is fit. He takes all that stuff seriously and pays attention to detail. Bullemor's speed and fitness fit the model too.
Agree with @StuBoot about Parker too, he takes those runs, provides options and support (and rarely bombs a try by obstruction).

Push supports are less about line running(but they contribute) and more about options around the ball carrier. You don't want too much line running during a standard go forward set as they pass through the line and can't bounce back and be a support option on the next play.

It's about taking heat away from the lead runner and offering a variety of options to generate softer go forward, from lateral spreads to less gang tackling on a forward to make their go forward more effective with hopefully a faster play the ball.