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Former Bulldogs playmaker Braith Anasta says halfback Moses Mbye’s game has gone backwards
FORMER Bulldogs playmaker Braith Ansata believes Moses Mbye has “been held back” as a player and claims the 23-year-old’s game has gone backwards since becoming the club’s first-choice half.
When Trent Hodkinson left for Newcastle last year, Mbye was put into the No.7 alongside Josh Reynolds in what looked like an exciting combination - yet ultimately left many fans feeling deflated.
Anasta was one of those people who was far from impressed with what he saw.
“I’ve watched a lot of Moses Mbye in the 20s and I think he’s been held back,” Anasta told foxsports.com.au.
“At times you see him get in open space and no one catches him. He’s one of the quickest halves in the game but he’s got skill and a passing game.
“He’s got everything they need but I feel like his game has gone backwards a little bit because of how much control they give their forwards.
Moses Mbye of the Bulldogs scores a try.Source: Getty Images
“In attack there’s too much emphasis on the Bulldogs’ forwards.”
An instinctual player, Mbye is at his best when he’s playing what he sees but his creativity has been stifled; lacking direction at times and with the forwards touching too much of the ball in key moments and on crucial plays.
That’s why Anasta has challenged Reynolds to bite the bullet and direct the team this season, so 23-year-old Mbye can flourish.
http://supercoach.com.au/?code=nrl&game=classic&source=foxsports
“Reynolds has got to have that control but I don’t know if Reynolds has got it (in him) either,” Anasta said.
“Reynolds is more an off-the-cuff player himself. That’s where they could be going wrong.
“They’ve got [Michael] Lichaa in there. He’s only a young bloke too. He doesn’t really have that ability like when [Michael] Ennis was there to get them to certain places on the field or take control.
“None of them are really dominant, which is why their forwards get so much ball.
“Reynolds is the obvious choice to try and be that leader to take the pressure off Mbye and Lichaa, and let them play eyes-up, instinctive football.
“That’s what they’ve got to do. They need a dominant nine, six or seven and play footy off the back of that.”
For Anasta, who spent six years playing in the halves for the Bulldogs, the kicking game is another area of concern.
While he expects it was a tactic of coach Des Hasler’s to have his players die with the ball on the last rather than kick throughout stages of last season, it’s an approach that needs revamping if the Bulldogs are going to be a premiership threat.
https://fantasy.foxsports.com.au/nrl/predictor/tipping/#login
“It’s a bit of an unknown for the Dogs,” he said.
“The key for me is they’ve got to give their halves more control. They’ve got to be more dominant, call the shots, get the ball when they want it and they’ve got to improve their kicking game.
“I don’t know if it was a ploy from Hasler, I think it was because eight or nine times in games last year they were tackled on the last.
“Their kicking game needs to improve and their halves need to be given free rein.”
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...s/news-story/8b6e8698231ec007930b79114eaee1b6
Nothing we already know
FORMER Bulldogs playmaker Braith Ansata believes Moses Mbye has “been held back” as a player and claims the 23-year-old’s game has gone backwards since becoming the club’s first-choice half.
When Trent Hodkinson left for Newcastle last year, Mbye was put into the No.7 alongside Josh Reynolds in what looked like an exciting combination - yet ultimately left many fans feeling deflated.
Anasta was one of those people who was far from impressed with what he saw.
“I’ve watched a lot of Moses Mbye in the 20s and I think he’s been held back,” Anasta told foxsports.com.au.
“At times you see him get in open space and no one catches him. He’s one of the quickest halves in the game but he’s got skill and a passing game.
“He’s got everything they need but I feel like his game has gone backwards a little bit because of how much control they give their forwards.
Moses Mbye of the Bulldogs scores a try.Source: Getty Images
“In attack there’s too much emphasis on the Bulldogs’ forwards.”
An instinctual player, Mbye is at his best when he’s playing what he sees but his creativity has been stifled; lacking direction at times and with the forwards touching too much of the ball in key moments and on crucial plays.
That’s why Anasta has challenged Reynolds to bite the bullet and direct the team this season, so 23-year-old Mbye can flourish.
http://supercoach.com.au/?code=nrl&game=classic&source=foxsports
“Reynolds has got to have that control but I don’t know if Reynolds has got it (in him) either,” Anasta said.
“Reynolds is more an off-the-cuff player himself. That’s where they could be going wrong.
“They’ve got [Michael] Lichaa in there. He’s only a young bloke too. He doesn’t really have that ability like when [Michael] Ennis was there to get them to certain places on the field or take control.
“None of them are really dominant, which is why their forwards get so much ball.
“Reynolds is the obvious choice to try and be that leader to take the pressure off Mbye and Lichaa, and let them play eyes-up, instinctive football.
“That’s what they’ve got to do. They need a dominant nine, six or seven and play footy off the back of that.”
For Anasta, who spent six years playing in the halves for the Bulldogs, the kicking game is another area of concern.
While he expects it was a tactic of coach Des Hasler’s to have his players die with the ball on the last rather than kick throughout stages of last season, it’s an approach that needs revamping if the Bulldogs are going to be a premiership threat.
https://fantasy.foxsports.com.au/nrl/predictor/tipping/#login
“It’s a bit of an unknown for the Dogs,” he said.
“The key for me is they’ve got to give their halves more control. They’ve got to be more dominant, call the shots, get the ball when they want it and they’ve got to improve their kicking game.
“I don’t know if it was a ploy from Hasler, I think it was because eight or nine times in games last year they were tackled on the last.
“Their kicking game needs to improve and their halves need to be given free rein.”
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...s/news-story/8b6e8698231ec007930b79114eaee1b6
Nothing we already know
