Opinion Bulldogs look short of metres without David Klemmer

[GrogDog]

No-one will fully know what the boys style will be this year until they show it. We could deduce that a way more mobile gameplan revolving around youth, speed, quick play of the balls and as they have said... backing themselves with the ball with an eye to how the game is unfolding. You can certainly bet that aggression will be on the list too with Mr Pay in charge. None of this suits Klemmer so no way we will miss him. We will make metres through two forwards passing to eachother and asking questions of the defensive line with perhaps an offload in traffic and not some lumbering oath taking 20 seconds to play the ball followed by another one. I embrace this post Klemmer era with excitement!!!

 

[Horse]

Argument 2: The dogs hold one of the worst stats when attacking within the opposition 20. This suggests that Klemmers’ ability to gain metres and bring the dogs within metres of the try line has not resulted in tries scored. In fact the stats show that the dogs are more likely to score when they aren’t so close to the try line.

Hence, The dogs will not kiss Klemmer and his metres because the dogs don’t even score when they are close to the line.

I don't understand how that argument is remotely relevant. Klemmer was responsible for making ground and getting us into that opposition 20. Our playmakers, and to a lesser extent outside backs are chiefly responsible for turning that field position into points. Their inability to do so is not a valid excuse to say that a prop forwards hard work in gaining field position is surplus to requirements.

We'll agree to disagree.

 

[Snake]

Sounds like a lot of sour grapes clouding peoples judgement on Klemmer. I thought Klemmer had been our most consistent and best forward. He dug in when defending the line and always made good meters. In saying that he has become very predictable and I am more excited with our new pack. The new pack look to have a great mix of talent and attitude and will surprise and sting most other fwd packs

 

[Chris Harding]

Fuck Klemmer.... that is all.

Yeah fine he made metres, but he gave away stupid penalties and lacked any sort of impact when it came to bending the line.

At least our new recruits in Napa and Sue should hit the line like madmen and try to tear through it.

Besides the bookies also missed that Tolman punches out big metres most games too. Last seasons injury we showed how much we missed him.

And metres isn't everything.. you make more metres from hitting the line and offloading, than doing a Princess Klemmer, hitting the line, backing into it, and letting the play die.

Roosters and Storm forwards don't punch out big metres, but they keep play flowing.

And what did his 175 metres per game deliver for us last year? The team needs more in attack than one ball hog driving forward after he's secured by tacklers.

 

[Chris Harding]

I don't understand how that argument is remotely relevant. Klemmer was responsible for making ground and getting us into that opposition 20. Our playmakers, and to a lesser extent outside backs are chiefly responsible for turning that field position into points. Their inability to do so is not a valid excuse to say that a prop forwards hard work in gaining field position is surplus to requirements.

We'll agree to disagree.

Klemmer's bullocking after he was tackled gained metres, but the opposition wasn't concerned that he'd let a late pass go, so were already setting the defence to negate any advantage his pushing and furious leg pumping gained.

 

[TwinTurbo]

Klemmer's bullocking after he was tackled gained metres, but the opposition wasn't concerned that he'd let a late pass go, so were already setting the defence to negate any advantage his pushing and furious leg pumping gained.

All true, but he gained metres that no other forward last year was gaining, which I don't believe is the case this year. It wasn't his fault that we were unable to take advantage of the field positions that he gathered, until later in the season when the combinations started to gel. I firmly believe that our current 10 (6 + 4) can, as a group, make up the extra 15 metres each that we lost when the pussey whipped one departed.

Go Dogs

 

[WFC03]

Klemmers numbers are deceiving. Yes he averaged over 170 meters but what type of meters? When he runs he doesn’t run at gaps but tries to run over players so the first defender just catches him and then 2 more come in to slow him down.
Post contact meters I hear you say? Well yes but while he is slowly walking forward the defensive line gets set and has a rest. Also the 3 tacklers always turned him on his back and would get a very slow play the ball from him. What about offloads? Well a lot of these were before the line or while he was running sideways across the field. Have a look at how many times he would break the first contact or get an arm free for an offload.

He looks good for the cameras with the bald head and the high knee running style but as a defense as long as you get a body in front he will not hurt u with the ball.
This is before you mention his poor lateral defense or line speed or stupid penalties he would give away.

 

[TwinTurbo]

iton

Klemmers numbers are deceiving. Yes he averaged over 170 meters but what type of meters? When he runs he doesn’t run at gaps but tries to run over players so the first defender just catches him and then 2 more come in to slow him down.
Post contact meters I hear you say? Well yes but while he is slowly walking forward the defensive line gets set and has a rest. Also the 3 tacklers always turned him on his back and would get a very slow play the ball from him. What about offloads? Well a lot of these were before the line or while he was running sideways across the field. Have a look at how many times he would break the first contact or get an arm free for an offload.

He looks good for the cameras with the bald head and the high knee running style but as a defense as long as you get a body in front he will not hurt u with the ball.
This is before you mention his poor lateral defense or line speed or stupid penalties he would give away.

Again all true, but the 10 (6+4) have to step up and make the forwards' metres to get us in a place where we can take advantage of the field position that they achieve. Sometimes (not every play) it does take "tuck a ball under the arm, put your head down and make as many metres as you can". Play 1, 2 or even 3 if necessary to get field position, it's an integral part of good game management.

Go Dogs

 

[Spoonman84]

You are always going to miss a rep standard prop that can play big minutes but to what extent won’t be known until we play. His meters will be missed but let’s see what the other props can do with more ball. His defence isn’t bad but it’s not outstanding either so I can’t see us being worse now he’s gone there. He turned up every week to play and I’m sure Klemmer being on the field gave the other players confidence so we will miss that too.

 

[Canis Maximus]

agree with everyone's comments -to a degree. If you take out 1 stat and look at it in isolation, you only get a bad case of Paralysis by Analysts. If you look at him from a holistic point of view, what will we miss more. Was it.....
his clever footwork that created all those 2nd phase play?
his ability to free his arms in those post contact meters, find support and offload?
his creativity which left the opposition defense wondering and therefore not getting back in line because of said offloads?
his quick play the balls which allowed our attack to capitalize on those great meters made and not allowing the opposition defense to set?

Yeah...... nah!
Klemmer's style suits a purpose, but i don't think its where Deano wants to take the team.
A creative, more agile forward who can read the play and off load at will, is by far a more dangerous one as the defense can never truly settle and will always be left wondering.

 

[Dognacious]

Sounds like a lot of sour grapes clouding peoples judgement on Klemmer. I thought Klemmer had been our most consistent and best forward. He dug in when defending the line and always made good meters. In saying that he has become very predictable and I am more excited with our new pack. The new pack look to have a great mix of talent and attitude and will surprise and sting most other fwd packs

Ppl do have a point about his post contact meters being a slow struggle followed by a slow play the ball, giving the opposition heaps of time to reset, killing the next play. I'd rather he hit the line hard, make no post contact metres, not be on his back all the time when tackled, so he can do a fast play the ball. Fast play the balls make more metres overall. Maybe we notice it more now we haven't got blue goggles on with klemmer

 

[DoggyStyla]

Fuck Klemmer, we won’t miss him.. He made a lot of meters because he was always on the ball..

 

[GUSLER]

DK made perhaps The most overrated meters in nrl history. I actually think his hitups made it easier for defensive lines. I’d like to see a stat on how many metres were made from the hit ups after klemmer. I’m guessing that number is woeful

 

[Mr Invisible]

Fuck Klemmer, we won’t miss him.. He made a lot of meters because he was always in the way.

Fixed that for you

 

[BlackDawg]

Klemmer won nothing for the dogs. He wont be remembered as anything other than a player that jumped ship when the going got tough. Peaheart's don't belong in blue & white so hooroo son.

 

[pisssst]

Seems to me Klemmer was offside with most of the playing group and coach. He is a great player on his day, but the overall harmony of the playing group is better off without him.

 

[Blue&whiteAxe]

Seems to me Klemmer was offside with most of the playing group and coach. He is a great player on his day, but the overall harmony of the playing group is better off without him.

Most of his mates were moved on - Mbye, Reynolds, Woods, Eastwood, Graham...

He was only close with RMF and Montoya at the end. Never even messaged Jacko when he decided to jump ship. Just rude & childish.

 

[Blue&whiteAxe]

Most of his mates were moved on - Mbye, Reynolds, Woods, Eastwood, Graham...

Aledgedly, he was only close with RMF and Montoya at the end. Never even messaged Jacko when he decided to jump ship. Just rude & childish.

 

[Mr Invisible]

He was a whiney, whinging **** and the playing group had had enough of him in the end. Were glad to see him go.

Have you heard a single player make reference to him since we fucked him off? NOPE!

 

[LG]

its pretty obvious that we will miss the thing klemmer did best, der

but as others have said, the numbers will not be as big as the article suggest due to opportunities increasing and others may well be better at other elements then klemmer was

in saying that, i have very rarely looked at napa as strong ball runner and if he and tolman end up playing 100-120 minutes between them, then that simply has to change because we know tolman is gonna be the same old work horse so napa has to bend the line consistently