Things are becoming clearer

[bulldogsmyte]

A few musings…

1. Josh Jackson said in the post-match presser yesterday that their attack is suffering in the attacking zone because they’re ‘trying to score off every play instead of building the sets’. I’m sorry, but this is my biggest criticism and Jackson is the worst offender. The Storm, Eels, Panthers, Roosters etc will put play after play on. They will only use a forward hit up ‘settler’ if that forward has the capacity to attract 3-4 defenders and get a quick play the ball. Jackson and others completely fizzle the momentum with Tolmanesque hit ups that are slow, attract only 2 defenders and then allow the defensive line to reset.

2. Looking at the best halves combinations in the comp, there is an organising 7 and a running 6. DCE organises and does most of the kicking. Foran runs and engages the line. Cleary and Luai, same. Hughes and Munster, same. Moses and Brown, same. Reynolds and Walker (2021), same. Burton is a running 6 and should be left to play his natural game, only being relied to put in attacking kicks, not clearing kicks. Halfway onwards and that’s it. Wakeham, Averillo, BBO - they’re all running 6’s with little to no ability to organise. With this in mind, and with the knowledge that Flanagan is average at best, his game is best suited to supporting Burton. Hell at this stage I would even take Brooks over those above.

Agree with your 1st point 100% and some parts of your 2nd point.
Burton has by far the biggest boot so he should do the clearing kicks since the other "playmakers" can barely kick 30m.
Wakeham has next to no running game so he's not a running 6 and he's a shite HB as well.
I don't rate Flanno but given he's on the biggest coin out of all the "HB" players at our club and he's on contract til the end of 23 there is more incentive to use him rather than Wakeham. Wakeham is off contract at the end of this year and the club will be stupid to re-sign him again. The sooner we offload/let go of these wanna be HB the sooner we can sign a real HB.

 

[xanderalexander]

Lol no, not even close. Actually watch and not just what is registered as a run for a half.

I watch pretty much every game each week and these are official NRL stats. Not sure what you're referring to..

 

[NQ Dog]

It's not just individual players. It's the team as a whole, with 1 or 2 exceptions each week. (Dufty every week) we are not a team in motion. We stand in a bunch, we stand around scratching our heads, we are totally lost for a vast majority of the game. Watch the fluid motion and readiness of the Storm. Fucking poetry in motion. Baz should be coaching this into the Dogs, not hop, skip and a little jig. FFS, I could coach better than this shit.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

I watch pretty much every game each week and these are official NRL stats. Not sure what you're referring to..

So what do Cleary, Moses and DCE do when they get the ball in their hands?

 

[repolski]

Can’t wait to hear what Gus has to say about the game against Melbourne. Salivating

 

[dekepefc]

Can’t wait to hear what Gus has to say about the game against Melbourne. Salivating

Let's just hope we're not about to repeat this run from last year...... In 2018/19 we had bad games but never the week in week out floggings (2 weeks in a row max).

 

[xanderalexander]

So what do Cleary, Moses and DCE do when they get the ball in their hands?

Mate I think you're getting beyond the point.

Each team has a pair of halves. The better teams have the following characteristics:

1. One dominant, clear voice on the field who manages the majority of the organisation and general-play kicking
2. One second-in-charge half who has more of a 3rd/4th play involvement, either taking on the line or shaping set plays

The point is not that the better halves pairings have one boring and one exciting player. Moses, Hughes, Cleary, DCE all have a tonne of creativity and know when to take on the line or spy that little opening. But in the better performing teams, the number 7 is the director.

At the Bulldogs, Burton has not been able to play to his full potential (I believe) because his other half-partner is not organising in the slightest. There is way too much pressure on Burton to organise, kick, manage and also try to play his eyes-up footy.

That is why Flanagan, or even Brooks, is the answer. It doesn't matter that they are average at best.

 

[xanderalexander]

Let's just hope we're not about to repeat this run from last year...... In 2018/19 we had bad games but never the week in week out floggings (2 weeks in a row max).

Oh damn I remember that run. Dark days indeed...

 

[CrittaMagic69]

Mate I think you're getting beyond the point.

Each team has a pair of halves. The better teams have the following characteristics:

1. One dominant, clear voice on the field who manages the majority of the organisation and general-play kicking
2. One second-in-charge half who has more of a 3rd/4th play involvement, either taking on the line or shaping set plays

The point is not that the better halves pairings have one boring and one exciting player. Moses, Hughes, Cleary, DCE all have a tonne of creativity and know when to take on the line or spy that little opening. But in the better performing teams, the number 7 is the director.

At the Bulldogs, Burton has not been able to play to his full potential (I believe) because his other half-partner is not organising in the slightest. There is way too much pressure on Burton to organise, kick, manage and also try to play his eyes-up footy.

That is why Flanagan, or even Brooks, is the answer. It doesn't matter that they are average at best.

I'm not, we just look at it in different ways. All that matters is roles and combinations,. Obviously one half is more dominant but it's way beyond a runner and organiser bs. Brooks and Flanagan? lol seriously? bahaha

 

[xanderalexander]

I'm not, we just look at it in different ways. All that matters is roles and combinations,. Obviously one half is more dominant but it's way beyond a runner and organiser bs. Brooks and Flanagan? lol seriously? bahaha

Burton and Wakeham = bahahhahahaha
Burton and Averillo = bahahhahahahahahahahahahhaha
Burton and BBO = bah habhabhabhabbahabhbahbahbhabhbahbhabhbhbhbaha

Burton and Flanagan (1.5 years experience in NRL at Sharks and Roosters systems) = not the best but better than the above
Burton and Brooks (10 years experience in NRL with number 7 on his back) = still not the best but better than the above

 

[bradtalo]

he's in form.
- Round 1 against Souths he had a try assist, a line break assist,177 kicking meters and kicked 4/4 in a 24-16 win
- Round 2 against Canberra he had 2 try assists. 2 line break assists, 118 kicking meters and kicked 6/9 in a 48-12 win
- Round 3 against Blacktown he had 2 try assists, 1 line break assist, 311 kicking meters and kicked 5/5 in a 30-0 win
- Round 4 against Mounties he had 1 try, 1 try assist, 2 line breaks, 1 line break assist, 105 kicking meters and kicked 4/5 in a 28-18 win.

Compare that to yesterday, wakeham 0 line breaks, 0 line break assists, 0 try assists, 81 kick meters. Burton 0 line breaks, 1 line break assist, 0 try assists, 348 kicking meters.

Wakeham was going good too until he moved to first grade under Barrett. If Flanagan gets another chance he will just be like Wakeham. Barrett is the common denominator. Barrett has to be the major problem with his structures.

 

[CBDoggies]

What completely fucks my brains is that if Baz has made Burton look average with the stupid game play he keeps choosing to play. How bad are the players really? The ones we have let go? The current ones we have? Is he the reason none are thriving and everyone is looking shit? It’s a serious question I can’t seem to answer myself

 

[Total Fool]

What completely fucks my brains is that if Baz has made Burton look average with the stupid game play he keeps choosing to play. How bad are the players really? The ones we have let go? The current ones we have? Is he the reason none are thriving and everyone is looking shit? It’s a serious question I can’t seem to answer myself

Come to Belmore…. “Where you’re guaranteed to kill your career”

 

[Bazildog]

What completely fucks my brains is that if Baz has made Burton look average with the stupid game play he keeps choosing to play. How bad are the players really? The ones we have let go? The current ones we have? Is he the reason none are thriving and everyone is looking shit? It’s a serious question I can’t seem to answer myself

Just posted in the Matt Burton thread my thoughts on some of the mental suggestions about what we should do. Dufty to 6 , JAC to 1 Burton to 7 and even the crazy idea of releasing Barrett and putting Furner in charge…

Barrett is the problem and this is a Gus issue. I look forward to seeing how he deals with it.

 

[Mattreneeandgus]

Doesn’t matter who are halves are, with JMK at dummy half, they will never get the ball when needed and when they do it is from his slow shit passes that take all day so the defence is up in our backline so can do nothing anyway

 

[Bulldogz82]

A few musings…

1. Josh Jackson said in the post-match presser yesterday that their attack is suffering in the attacking zone because they’re ‘trying to score off every play instead of building the sets’. I’m sorry, but this is my biggest criticism and Jackson is the worst offender. The Storm, Eels, Panthers, Roosters etc will put play after play on. They will only use a forward hit up ‘settler’ if that forward has the capacity to attract 3-4 defenders and get a quick play the ball. Jackson and others completely fizzle the momentum with Tolmanesque hit ups that are slow, attract only 2 defenders and then allow the defensive line to reset.

2. Looking at the best halves combinations in the comp, there is an organising 7 and a running 6. DCE organises and does most of the kicking. Foran runs and engages the line. Cleary and Luai, same. Hughes and Munster, same. Moses and Brown, same. Reynolds and Walker (2021), same. Burton is a running 6 and should be left to play his natural game, only being relied to put in attacking kicks, not clearing kicks. Halfway onwards and that’s it. Wakeham, Averillo, BBO - they’re all running 6’s with little to no ability to organise. With this in mind, and with the knowledge that Flanagan is average at best, his game is best suited to supporting Burton. Hell at this stage I would even take Brooks over those above.

Sad but true unfortunately

 

[Bulldogz82]

OFFLOADS -
It's good to see that we have finally got some offloading forwards which we haven't had for for a while as it adds another dimension to our attack...

BUT FFS - A pop it out the back offload whilst held on to by defenders is most effective when we are at very least 30m away from the try line to create second phase play to gain yardage but it doesn't have to happen on every F'n run!!!

BUT WTF happened to a Big Bastard running between 2 defenders 10 to 20 metres away from the line with the ball out in two hands to draw the defenders in & to then PASS BEFORE THE F'n LINE to another Big Bastard who is running at 100 miles an hour like he's life depends on it to receive the ball and hit the gap next to his team mate.

At best, he goes through the gap & scores.

At worst, he gets a quick play the ball to set up the next play for a try scoring sweeping move out to the backs.

FFS, this is junior F'n football tactics that still work in the NRL - But our $700k + players have failed to do this once all season.

I wanna see these MF's hit the line like their F'n Life depends on it.

(sorry for the expletives all, can you tell I'm a little upset?)

Our best bulldog teams of the Past all had forwards who run in pairs and link up with eachother while engaging the defence. Simple but effective yet not used by barrett. Surely between Thompson, vaughn and tpj this could be effective through the middle

 

[2thebone]

Trent Barret has a winning rate less than 20%. Can anyone not see this. He is absolutely not a first grade coach. Please someone help

 

[amapusae]

Barrett is the problem. Every week more damage is being done to the players, he’s got to fucking go if we’re ever gonna not be a laughing stock

 

[AlzzBulldog]

Barrett is the problem. Every week more damage is being done to the players, he’s got to fucking go if we’re ever gonna not be a laughing stock

The longer he stays the more damage.. of course I would love to be proven wrong
60 points this week is not out of the question against Penrith maybe 70