While I'm thrilled about the last two rounds, there is one aspect of the game that desperately needs cleaning up.
I'm a big fan of listening to Cooper Cronk analyse games and he makes a point that is has lately been repeated by the likes of Greg Alexander, Andrew Voss, Andrew Johns, Warren Smith and Brenton Speed to name a few. Think what you will of them, but they see each and every game and can see the trends of the top teams in 2022.
The better teams, when in the opponents' red zone (30m from the try-line), rarely see a need for settler plays. Ie., throwing a FRF or 2RF up the middle to attract a few defenders while the attacking line gets set for the next raid. They are able to fall into their set plays, or structures for eyes-up attack, without the need for settlers. They have the ability to go sideline to sideline with decoy runners, cut out passes and inside plays occurring naturally.
In today's modern game, the FRF and 2RF should be battling up-field and being staunch in defence through the middle. They should not be heavily involved when a team is close to the try line, unless working a crash play or running a defender-attracting decoy.
In our last two outings against the Eels and the Tigers, I noticed that while in our opponents' red zone, we had sets that almost always looked something like this:
Tackle One: Waddell takes a hit up
Tackle Two: Jackson takes a hit up
Tackle Three: Stimson takes a hit up
Tackle Four: TPJ is thrown into the line but rarely had anyone backing up ready to take the offload because all focus is on setting up a structure for the next play
Tackle Five/Six: Attacking play, usually directed via Burton but occasionally going through Flanagan.
With Averillo finding a home at fullback and definitely having a passing game in his skill set, I don't know why our team constantly uses up tackles as settlers that do nothing but allow the opposition to set their defensive lines.
We have Addo Carr, Schoupp, Kiraz, Averillo who all have tackle-break and line-breaking ability. We have way more offloads in our attack now that Max King and TPJ are having breakouts, and since being named for the 2023 Dolphins, even JMK is looking less JNK. We have creativity and early kicks in Burton and a crisp passing game in Flanagan.
Potter is doing an exceptional job but this is an area that needs immediate rectification in my opinion.