Bluebody
The Strategist
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Canterbury have developed into the best team in the competition and they deserve to be premiership favourites. However, the best team doesn't always win the grand final. Believe it or not, if the Dogs are to be premiers this season, a loss right now is just what they need.
The Bulldogs are vulnerable at present and ready to be beaten. Their run of consecutive wins won't last forever and, if the Tigers are on their game this evening, it could end tonight. Despite winning their past two games, the Dogs are down on form. They were out-played by the Broncos last week, even though they won the game. And while it is possible that the scare Canterbury got from the Broncos will be enough to get them firing again, nothing re-focuses a team like a loss.
Two weeks ago in Newcastle the Bulldogs blew the Knights off the park by scoring four tries inside the first 20 minutes. However, from that point on, the only points the Bulldogs scored were from a penalty goal in the last minute of play. Last week against Brisbane, the Dogs were on the receiving end of a similar fast-start with the Broncos jumping to a 14-0 after only 14 minutes. Canterbury eventually hit back with a try to Josh Jackson only three minutes before half-time. Prior to this try, however, the Dogs had played 100 minutes of football without scoring a try. In fact, the score line for the 100 minutes before the Jackson try was 24 points to the opposition and two to Canterbury.
While the lack of points in that period will be a concern for coach Des Hasler, it is the way the Broncos broke through the Dogs' defence in the first half that will be most alarming. The last thing a coach wants to see is his team conceding breaks - and tries - through its defensive line instead of around it.
Picture one is from the Broncos' first try last week after only one and a half minutes. In the lead-up, Brisbane produced a Canterbury-like play with some nice passing among their forwards. However, the crucial part from the Dogs' perspective was when Ben Hunt committed Kris Keating to tackle him and Josh Morris didn't react. Morris simply had to move in-field to tackle Ben Te'o and the try wouldn't have been scored. As it was, Morris hardly got a hand to Te'o, who ran straight through the hole and over Ben Barba to score.
Picture two is the lead-up to a break made up the middle of the field last week by Ben Hannant. As Hannant carried the ball forward, he angled slightly to his right to pass the ball to Josh McGuire, who was running in support. Before Hannant passed the ball, Dogs defender Frank Pritchard moved forward to tackle McGuire, which opened up half a hole for Hannant. This put Hannant one-on-one with Michael Ennis. Without help from Pritchard, Ennis wasn't able to bring down Hannant and the Broncos front-rower broke through the line before being stopped by Barba. This was the Broncos' fourth clean break through the Bulldogs defensive line in 23 minutes. Brisbane's inability to convert two of these breaks into tries ultimately cost them the game.
Although the Bulldogs have been down on form in their last game and a half, their ability to still record victories is a great sign. After 11 straight wins, their confidence is obviously sky high. However, I'm sure the catch phrase around Belmore Oval this week has been, "yes we won, but we have to improve." But, as any coach will tell you, it is much harder to get your team to learn the lessons from last week's game on the back of a win than it is on the back of a loss. Then again, Hasler isn't just any coach.
Watching this Bulldogs team over the next few weeks is going to be riveting. Every game they win gets them closer to their next loss. And if they don't have a loss soon, they'll miss their chance to take some of the pressure off. You see, there is already enough pressure in winning a comp. But if these guys keep winning they will need 17 straight to win the grand final. This would smash the record set by the Rabbitohs in 1925 of 12 straight victories to win the premiership - an undefeated run. On top of that, Hasler is in line to become the first coach in history to coach consecutive premierships at different clubs. While there is absolutely no doubt Hasler is good enough to achieve the second of these accomplishments, I believe the first one is too much to ask in this day and age. Time will tell as win No.12 awaits the Dogs tonight.
Source: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/why-a-loss-wont-hurt-the-dogs-20120816-24bjo.html#ixzz23iubN5CS[/url]
This guy does think too deeply. He does not factor in how we raise our intensity when we are behind and how we lower our intensity when we are far in front.
The Bulldogs are vulnerable at present and ready to be beaten. Their run of consecutive wins won't last forever and, if the Tigers are on their game this evening, it could end tonight. Despite winning their past two games, the Dogs are down on form. They were out-played by the Broncos last week, even though they won the game. And while it is possible that the scare Canterbury got from the Broncos will be enough to get them firing again, nothing re-focuses a team like a loss.
Two weeks ago in Newcastle the Bulldogs blew the Knights off the park by scoring four tries inside the first 20 minutes. However, from that point on, the only points the Bulldogs scored were from a penalty goal in the last minute of play. Last week against Brisbane, the Dogs were on the receiving end of a similar fast-start with the Broncos jumping to a 14-0 after only 14 minutes. Canterbury eventually hit back with a try to Josh Jackson only three minutes before half-time. Prior to this try, however, the Dogs had played 100 minutes of football without scoring a try. In fact, the score line for the 100 minutes before the Jackson try was 24 points to the opposition and two to Canterbury.
While the lack of points in that period will be a concern for coach Des Hasler, it is the way the Broncos broke through the Dogs' defence in the first half that will be most alarming. The last thing a coach wants to see is his team conceding breaks - and tries - through its defensive line instead of around it.
Picture one is from the Broncos' first try last week after only one and a half minutes. In the lead-up, Brisbane produced a Canterbury-like play with some nice passing among their forwards. However, the crucial part from the Dogs' perspective was when Ben Hunt committed Kris Keating to tackle him and Josh Morris didn't react. Morris simply had to move in-field to tackle Ben Te'o and the try wouldn't have been scored. As it was, Morris hardly got a hand to Te'o, who ran straight through the hole and over Ben Barba to score.
Picture two is the lead-up to a break made up the middle of the field last week by Ben Hannant. As Hannant carried the ball forward, he angled slightly to his right to pass the ball to Josh McGuire, who was running in support. Before Hannant passed the ball, Dogs defender Frank Pritchard moved forward to tackle McGuire, which opened up half a hole for Hannant. This put Hannant one-on-one with Michael Ennis. Without help from Pritchard, Ennis wasn't able to bring down Hannant and the Broncos front-rower broke through the line before being stopped by Barba. This was the Broncos' fourth clean break through the Bulldogs defensive line in 23 minutes. Brisbane's inability to convert two of these breaks into tries ultimately cost them the game.
Although the Bulldogs have been down on form in their last game and a half, their ability to still record victories is a great sign. After 11 straight wins, their confidence is obviously sky high. However, I'm sure the catch phrase around Belmore Oval this week has been, "yes we won, but we have to improve." But, as any coach will tell you, it is much harder to get your team to learn the lessons from last week's game on the back of a win than it is on the back of a loss. Then again, Hasler isn't just any coach.
Watching this Bulldogs team over the next few weeks is going to be riveting. Every game they win gets them closer to their next loss. And if they don't have a loss soon, they'll miss their chance to take some of the pressure off. You see, there is already enough pressure in winning a comp. But if these guys keep winning they will need 17 straight to win the grand final. This would smash the record set by the Rabbitohs in 1925 of 12 straight victories to win the premiership - an undefeated run. On top of that, Hasler is in line to become the first coach in history to coach consecutive premierships at different clubs. While there is absolutely no doubt Hasler is good enough to achieve the second of these accomplishments, I believe the first one is too much to ask in this day and age. Time will tell as win No.12 awaits the Dogs tonight.
Source: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/why-a-loss-wont-hurt-the-dogs-20120816-24bjo.html#ixzz23iubN5CS[/url]
This guy does think too deeply. He does not factor in how we raise our intensity when we are behind and how we lower our intensity when we are far in front.
