Des... Some free advice.

[Novdoggie]

Ok Des, so a win is a win and good on the Dogs for coming out like they wanted it more. On effort and spirit we can't fault them today on that, though the Dogs history tells us this should happen week in week out. That's your job and we'll done you got them up for it today but let's face it, without the passionate anger from the fans it could have been very different. So let's hope this attitude and intensity continues. We'll done and good win Dogs!

But Des, let's not kid ourselves effort and spirit is not enough to cut it against the best teams. If we played this way last week sure we wouldn't have been beaten by 38 but I doubt, sorry I know we still wouldn't have outscored the Panthers to win even with today's great defensive effort. Saints didn't throw much at us today. If it were the Cowboys, Sharks or again the Panthers come finals time should we make it, c'mon the attack we are throwing at the defense simply is not at the level of these teams. Plain and simple come finals we will be just making up the numbers....again.

What do we have to do to get this level? Des, let me provide some free advice.

1. Inside 20 mtrs our halves need to go to the line and start putting players into gaps. Support players coming off the hip of the halves who are creating gaps by attracting two players. All top halves can create this, our halves need to study these plays and train their arses off until it perfected. You need to encourage this Des!

2. Repeat sets. It's obvious we struggle in this department. But to beat the top teams we need to apply pressure. We don't have to score off every play so patience is the key. Frawley is our best option NOT Mbye (three repeat sets today by Frawley) but Des you need to encourage it more otherwise we look scared at times to attempt it causing confusion. This ploy nearly worked early today except for Bmoz dropping ball. Back your halves and stop playing safe! It won't win us the big games.

3. Off loads. All the good teams have second phase play. It kills us, so we have to fight fire with fire. Des you are so structured and a statistic freak regarding possession you have trained it out of them rather than train the skill into them. So because we don't practice the skill, come game day we self destruct, asking why? Why are our completions so low? Again, encourage it and build confidence!

4. I would like to see our wingers hang around the middle on say a 3rd or 4th tackle once the forwards have run their straight lines putting us in good field position. Montoya and Morris coming in sniffing around for that short pass or inside ball catching their tired forwards off guard instead of having Tolman or Graham killing the momentum.

Look Des, I can go further but i don't get paid a million plus to do so as I'm just a passionate Dogs supporter that rides every play like the rest but I continue to wonder why you keep persisting with the same game plan when it just isn't cutting it to compete with the top teams. Let's hope today was a step towards doing so as I am sick and tired of going one step forward and two step back.

 

[Ahecee]

Point 4. You want the wingers to come in field late in the set to run in the middle after the forwards have got us moving there, when its been a long held strategy that works to get moving forward first, then move the ball wide and look to score on the edges?

I'm not so sure on that plan, it would be unexpected, but feels like that would kill the opportunities in the corners where most tries are scored. Seems you'd do that more so returning out of your own end in the first couple tackles, which, they already do.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Point 4. You want the wingers to come in field late in the set to run in the middle after the forwards have got us moving there, when its been a long held strategy that works to get moving forward first, then move the ball wide and look to score on the edges?

I'm not so sure on that plan, it would be unexpected, but feels like that would kill the opportunities in the corners where most tries are scored. Seems you'd do that more so returning out of your own end in the first couple tackles, which, they already do.

Rapana does it for the Raiders. He basically follows the ball to the opposite wing trying to get to dh or take a hitup. Sometimes he's there on the last ready to pass to Sezer for the kick haha.

 

[finchie]

Bmoz needs to be around the ball way more than he actually does when he's on the wing

The inside pass him and Graham have got going is awesome

Graham tries it with hoppa but no acceleration at all to burst thru

 

[Novdoggie]

Point 4. You want the wingers to come in field late in the set to run in the middle after the forwards have got us moving there, when its been a long held strategy that works to get moving forward first, then move the ball wide and look to score on the edges?

I'm not so sure on that plan, it would be unexpected, but feels like that would kill the opportunities in the corners where most tries are scored. Seems you'd do that more so returning out of your own end in the first couple tackles, which, they already do.

You see that's the thing, they need to pick their moments. It doesn't matter when in the set it's done but I say 3rd or 4th after forwards have made the tackles and they get lazy but whether it's early like you say it doesn't matter they need to do it more often. Kind of ad-lib footy we are not known for. We need to stop being predictable.

 

[liljohny]

Spare the dribble

 

[Novdoggie]

Spare the dribble

liljohny sorry if the lildribble is too sophisticated for you to understand or provide some constructive comments

 

[ddt192]

Des just throw your fuckin playbook out the window n let the boys play some footy

 

[JayBee]

Not sure how much Tolman would like wingers taking his ever-standard 6 metre, 4th tackle hit up.

 

[GoTheDoggies]

Des if you browse The Kennel...

Sort out the spine.

1. Sign a fullback or try Mbye there
2. Hopoate to right centre with Montoya on the wing

I'd like to see Frawley stay in the halves when Reynolds returns, atleast he demands the ball on last in the attacking zone and tries cross field kicks and grubbers.

 

[Ahecee]

You see that's the thing, they need to pick their moments. It doesn't matter when in the set it's done but I say 3rd or 4th after forwards have made the tackles and they get lazy but whether it's early like you say it doesn't matter they need to do it more often. Kind of ad-lib footy we are not known for. We need to stop being predictable.

Structurally, it doesn't sound awesome to me.

If the wingers are wandering out of position just when they feel like it, if the ball goes the direction of where they should be, it will end in a wasted tackle with no opportunity out there. We'd be asking Mbye to follow where to direct the ball, and he can't read simple overlaps, so I just can't see it working. Next season maybe, but honestly, why complicate the job of our halves when they are not really getting the basics right just yet?

Our brand of football has to match the players that are running it. We can't even setup our structure to grind forward, then grab more field position on the back of a kicking game because we don't have a kicking game. More complex structure would be awesome to watch, but we have to have the players to run them.

Right now, I'd bet we'll get better results once Reynolds is back by directing traffic left early on, then spreading right late in the set, do everyone's favourite play of having Reynolds run sideways......... it's not complex, but it does get results often enough, and it's really about as complex a play as our spine can handle, our plays do need to fall within the squads capabilities.