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- Oct 22, 2018
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With each game I grow more confidence, firstly there was a wide held belief that we didn't have any NRL quality "forwards" and would get steam rolled in every game. When it was consistently pointed out that we had a more than decent hooker, 2nd rowers and lock, with decent back ups for those positions, it was narrowed down to "props" from the erroneous "forwards". I have yet to see a game this season where we have even been dominated in the middle third, let alone being steam rolled. In half the games I believe we have been the ones doing the dominating.
Part of that is due to the modern approach of utilising the back 5 to take the metre eating load off the props, Ciraldo knows full well the advantages of doing that and is exploiting it here. Plus I would add that my view is we have amongst the NRL's best back 7 (after adding in the 2nd rowers) all of whom eat big metres.
Could we do with one more prop? Of course, but the endless comments of "why would X prop come to us when he would no support" has well and truly been proven to be bullshit. I have total confidence that we will either recruit one or promote one internally in the near future, and that they will buy into the "Bulldogs system", one that is being even more instilled in every training session and every game.
What are we missing?
I don't see the wide spread player deficiencies that we have suffered from for the last, too many, seasons. I don't see fitness being an issue any more. I see a coach who is no longer concerned with the players just making it through a game, to one who is instilling a confidence, belief, in the players to execute what they have trained long and hard for. What we are missing is the final pinch of confidence, the 5% of "we have got this" at the end of tight games and that only comes from winning the tight games.
Do we buy or promote a half back? We have some very talented juniors that are not that far away from NRL readiness, but with halves you always have to be careful not to promote them too early as they easily and quickly lose confidence and confidence is everything to a half. Young halves need to be protected, there are decades of NRL experience of halves having an alfa next to them in defence, every team has that, some more than others. Halves can't hide out on the wing like they used to, they have to stand up in the line and take their position. I see Kikau as our best halves defender, with him alongside them I don't believe that our junior halves would be overly exploited.
If a 30/31/32 year old decent NRL quality half back can be enticed away from their current club then that gives us the extra time to properly promote one or more of the juniors. If that doesn't happen then we may well have to bite the bullet and promote a junior earlier than would otherwise be the case. They will need protection, not just from someone standing next to them in defence, but from the whole club for them to survive the scrutiny, the microscope, that young half backs are always subjected to.
Always a Bulldog
Part of that is due to the modern approach of utilising the back 5 to take the metre eating load off the props, Ciraldo knows full well the advantages of doing that and is exploiting it here. Plus I would add that my view is we have amongst the NRL's best back 7 (after adding in the 2nd rowers) all of whom eat big metres.
Could we do with one more prop? Of course, but the endless comments of "why would X prop come to us when he would no support" has well and truly been proven to be bullshit. I have total confidence that we will either recruit one or promote one internally in the near future, and that they will buy into the "Bulldogs system", one that is being even more instilled in every training session and every game.
What are we missing?
I don't see the wide spread player deficiencies that we have suffered from for the last, too many, seasons. I don't see fitness being an issue any more. I see a coach who is no longer concerned with the players just making it through a game, to one who is instilling a confidence, belief, in the players to execute what they have trained long and hard for. What we are missing is the final pinch of confidence, the 5% of "we have got this" at the end of tight games and that only comes from winning the tight games.
Do we buy or promote a half back? We have some very talented juniors that are not that far away from NRL readiness, but with halves you always have to be careful not to promote them too early as they easily and quickly lose confidence and confidence is everything to a half. Young halves need to be protected, there are decades of NRL experience of halves having an alfa next to them in defence, every team has that, some more than others. Halves can't hide out on the wing like they used to, they have to stand up in the line and take their position. I see Kikau as our best halves defender, with him alongside them I don't believe that our junior halves would be overly exploited.
If a 30/31/32 year old decent NRL quality half back can be enticed away from their current club then that gives us the extra time to properly promote one or more of the juniors. If that doesn't happen then we may well have to bite the bullet and promote a junior earlier than would otherwise be the case. They will need protection, not just from someone standing next to them in defence, but from the whole club for them to survive the scrutiny, the microscope, that young half backs are always subjected to.
Always a Bulldog
