Opinion The Back Row

[GDR]

I know coming into the season we thought our back row was our best asset.. However after looking at the missed tackles top 50, it was alarming to see all of our current backrowers in the top 50..

CWH 39 from 8 games
A Elliott 27 from 9 games
Josh Jackson 25 from 9 Games
Rhyse Martin 22 from 6 games
And RFM wasnt much better in his couple of games he played this year..

i know the outside backs cop a flogging from the supporters, but i honestly think the problem starts a little further in.. these stats suggest the backrowers are not fit and not doing their jobs..

and besides CHN none of them offer much in attack either..

So what is meant to be our strength, appears to be our weakness..

 

[EB18]

Our backrow should be and should have from the start.

13. Jackson
11. Rfm
12. Chn

Fast powerful aggressive. All run good lines.

 

[B-Train]

Sometimes missed tackles can be a misleading stat. Obviously you want to miss as few a possible but I feel like with CHN, he tries to rush up and put a lot of shots on so while he might bounce off, he stops their progress and then he or others come in to finish the tackle off. So I can live with those ones.

It's the one on one misses or lazy tackle attempts where they make a break or get an offload which cause the most damage. I think the players always looking like they're out of breath and running on empty doesn't help. If they were fitter, we'd see a lot less misses. Either way, it's one of many areas that need to be addressed. The team is horrible in both attack and defence!

 

[BELMORE]

Our backrow should be and should have from the start.

13. Jackson
11. Rfm
12. Chn

Fast powerful aggressive. All run good lines.

Martins way better than RFM. Actually runs lines that are forward.

 

[Scoooby]

Yup I’d prefer Martin over RFM at this given time.!!

 

[GDR]

Sometimes missed tackles can be a misleading stat. Obviously you want to miss as few a possible but I feel like with CHN, he tries to rush up and put a lot of shots on so while he might bounce off, he stops their progress and then he or others come in to finish the tackle off. So I can live with those ones.

It's the one on one misses or lazy tackle attempts where they make a break or get an offload which cause the most damage. I think the players always looking like they're out of breath and running on empty doesn't help. If they were fitter, we'd see a lot less misses. Either way, it's one of many areas that need to be addressed. The team is horrible in both attack and defence!

if you rush out you better get your man, otherwise it is proven to be ineffective even if momentum is temporarily holted because the rushing player usually drops off an cannot assist with the wrestle, also a one on one tackle usually results in a quick play the ball.. Melbourne have proved that gang tackles are the most effective form of defence..

i whilst i agree that stats can be misleading, i still think its of great concern that our entire back row is amongst the 50 worst defenders in the league..

 

[B-Train]

if you rush out you better get your man, otherwise it is proven to be ineffective even if momentum is temporarily holted because the rushing play usually drops off an cannot assist with the wrestle, also a one on one tackle usually results in a quick play the ball.. Melbourne have proved that gang tackles are the most effective form of defence..

i whilst i agree that stats can be misleading, i still think its of great concern that our entire back row is amongst the 50 worst defenders in the league..

Oh for sure, I agree that it's alarming, I was just saying there are various types of missed tackles and some are worse than others.

For instance, Noddy would always miss lots of tackles but he'd halt their momentum enough so that half a second later, his teammates would finish the tackle off. So no damage done but it looks like he was a horrible defender according to the stats when he wasn't. Whereas someone like Tim Smith was a horrible defender and all of his misses were way worse as they led to breaks or semi breaks..

Either way, those are bad stats from your pack and it's a problem that needs to be addressed. Right now Tolman is the only guy in the whole pack who is a great defender.

We miss a player like Finucane badly. That was more Des genius!

 

[DinkumDog]

Oh for sure, I agree that it's alarming, I was just saying there are various types of missed tackles and some are worse than others.

For instance, Noddy would always miss lots of tackles but he'd halt their momentum enough so that half a second later, his teammates would finish the tackle off. So no damage done but it looks like he was a horrible defender according to the stats when he wasn't. Whereas someone like Tim Smith was a horrible defender and all of his misses were way worse as they led to breaks or semi breaks..

Either way, those are bad stats from your pack and it's a problem that needs to be addressed. Right now Tolman is the only guy in the whole pack who is a great defender.

We miss a player like Finucane badly. That was more Des genius!

Totally see the logic and in a perfect world Jacko would be our 13, but hasn’t it been established that this shoulders aren’t up to it? Don’t even get me started on losing Finucane and getting that peanut T-Rex! Deep breath - keep looking forward...

 

[Raysie]

That amount of missed tackles is very alarming.

 

[GDR]

That amount of missed tackles is very alarming.

Holland and JMK also appear in the top 50

 

[vegny]

If we put any of them in a winning team like roosters, storm or rabbits, they have the right motivation, they have to defend in a better position/situation, would the stats improve?
Just trying to figure out they are bad defenders or under performing.

 

[GDR]

some of the pathetic arm grabs that ive seen this year didnt require any stats to back it up .. but it just so happens that the serial arm grabbers are right up there in the stats..

 

[GA45]

Our backrow should be and should have from the start.

13. Jackson
11. Rfm
12. Chn

Fast powerful aggressive. All run good lines.

I’d prefer a starting backrow of
Finicune
Lane
Jackson

What could have been...

Our players are just too soft at the moment. Always falling off tackles. CHN shows some promising signs but that missed tackle stat is quite alarming

 

[GDR]

We 3rd overall for missed tackles


And 1st in the league for completions..


But Yet the coach wants carrying on about holding the ball in the press conference..

Hes other being dishonest or hes clueless .. TBH im not sure which one it is ..

 

[Kempsey Dog]

Wish our backrow was:
11. CHN
12. Matterson (should have signed him)
13. Jackson

 

[Kempsey Dog]

Totally see the logic and in a perfect world Jacko would be our 13, but hasn’t it been established that this shoulders aren’t up to it? Don’t even get me started on losing Finucane and getting that peanut T-Rex! Deep breath - keep looking forward...

The club can make good on the Finucane loss if we can steal Arrow off the Titans

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Pay has fucked what should be our biggest strength, simple as that really. A lot of the other issues big and small all go back to Pays inability to have the team working effectively as a unit by implementing strong core structures. The mindset around the club is also fucked right now.

 

[_G-Dog_]

Our backrowers are struggling in attack because our hooker and halves (especially when Forans out) lack vision and creativity..

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Our backrowers are struggling in attack because our hooker and halves (especially when Forans out) lack vision and creativity..

Our halves also play too wide. Cogger has been trying to come in and play on the ball more along with Foran in the second half last week, problem is the players around them then didn't have much of a clue. We're just poorly drilled, probably just do chain passing all day at training like u6s

 

[Bob dog]

So work on defense all week and nothing else except for one day on attack.
We are fucked until the line holds