Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

[king_sirro]

Is this a cricket thread?

Haha..off season tendencies I think. Personally I like how this thread sometimes evolves into different things. I know we have tried to keep that in other threads, but the fact is this thread is the only one most care about so this is where the most traffic is. It can vary away from the thread title a lot as a result.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Is this a cricket thread?

Most of the time when signings are discussed, it’s a fantasy thread.

 

[Buttface]

The biggest example of this is the 20 metre zero tackle restart. It was brought in to stop teams kicking dead on purpose to take the return by the likes of Jarryd Hayne and Billy Slater out of the game. But it also acts as an incentive against normal fifth tackle options: kicking a grubber for a winger who can't quite ground it is obviously not a negative play, yet it has the same outcome as booting dead from half way. Worse, there are completely peverse outcomes: if a winger dives for the line and drops it in play, restart with a first tackle at 10m. If he drops it in goal, zero tackles 20m.

It would be really, really easy to resolve, too. Just say that the zero tackle rule applies to any kick taken from outside a certain range - say, 30m. Or kicks that go dead untouched, or dead through the back of the in goal. But the NRL has no interest in making this 'fair' - they just want as many sets as possible starting in good field position, thus increasing the chance of points. The best thing about this rule is that it gives teams a leg up right at the handover, so it's relatively low impact.

It will backfire eventually. You already see teams dying with the ball on the fifth rather than risking a 20m restart, especially at the end of games when protecting a lead - when they judge that the risk of a 20m restart is greater than the pay off of possibly scoring. And in golden point, teams often turn down long range field goals because the relatively low chance of scoring isn't worth the better opportunity the opposition will likely get from a 20m zero tackle restart. Sooner or later there will be a period of time in which goal line defence has the upper hand, and teams won't want to roll the dice on the last unless desperate or with a gigantic overlap etc. But then the NRL will just change the rules again.

OMG, I thought I was alone.
Well said.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

Anyone watching NITV and the Koori Cup will recognise former Aust Schools and Balmain 5/8 Chris Morcombe playing 13 for South Taree.

 

[clontarfkid]

I also grew up in Berowra. Well Berowra Heights. I didn’t know he grew up there.

u wld enjoy the book.Berowra at the time was semi rural and.sounds an idyllic place to grow up vs houso dominated inner west in the 50s/60s that many of us (incl self)experienced
He went to local primary school,then Knox Grammar high school from memory
Not sure h'se ever had a real job(other than pro footballer/freelance journo) where listening and engagement with others wld normlly be normally pre requisites

 

[king_sirro]

Anyone watching NITV and the Koori Cup will recognise former Aust Schools and Balmain 5/8 Chris Morcombe playing 13 for South Taree.

Geez, he'd be 48

 

[Tiger Karen]

Most threads deviate on forums. Someone raises a point others find interesting and the train of thought follows. Then it’s up to the mods I guess.

I was listening to Flanno recently, he says it’s going to take some time for his players to play the game how he wants them to.

Kind of like an indoctrination process and i guess it’s the same for Benji.

I think one of our players said last year that when he’s training us, he can be pretty harsh but then chuck a wink in here or there to individuals so they know it’s nothing personal. So that’s one of his tactics.

Very different from Madges final days, where people said he had players walking on eggshells and high anxiety issues. Not to knock him personally.
I think the end of the relationship was probably right, but the timing not so good.

Jason Taylor has given some very interesting interviews about coaching, the wrong coach at the wrong time for us.

People compare coaches, but with a few exceptions it’s hard as they usually have different material to work with.

 

[hank37w]

Anyone watching NITV and the Koori Cup will recognise former Aust Schools and Balmain 5/8 Chris Morcombe playing 13 for South Taree.

The last try in this clip Shows Chris Morcombe scoring a try in both his and Balmain's second last game in the top grade in round 25 of 1999, unfortunately still losing to the Dogs.

He finished the season as Balmain's top try scorer with 9 tries. Makes a great break and backs up nicely to finish the try. Some other nice tries and memories in that short clip.

 

[pawsandclaws1]

The last try in this clip Shows Chris Morcombe scoring a try in both his and Balmain's second last game in the top grade in round 25 of 1999, unfortunately still losing to the Dogs.

He finished the season as Balmain's top try scorer with 9 tries. Makes a great break and backs up nicely to finish the try. Some other nice tries and memories in that short clip.

Thanks for posting this clip. It was great to watch and Chris Morcombe was one of my favourites.

 

[Halbrowne61]

The last try in this clip Shows Chris Morcombe scoring a try in both his and Balmain's second last game in the top grade in round 25 of 1999, unfortunately still losing to the Dogs.

He finished the season as Balmain's top try scorer with 9 tries. Makes a great break and backs up nicely to finish the try. Some other nice tries and memories in that short clip.

Great memories of some brilliant tries. Can we create some more this season , PLEASE !!!!

 

[Mighty_Tiger]

The last try in this clip Shows Chris Morcombe scoring a try in both his and Balmain's second last game in the top grade in round 25 of 1999, unfortunately still losing to the Dogs.

He finished the season as Balmain's top try scorer with 9 tries. Makes a great break and backs up nicely to finish the try. Some other nice tries and memories in that short clip.

Love watching the old clips. Thanks for sharing.

 

[clontarfkid]

Most threads deviate on forums. Someone raises a point others find interesting and the train of thought follows. Then it’s up to the mods I guess.

I was listening to Flanno recently, he says it’s going to take some time for his players to play the game how he wants them to.

Kind of like an indoctrination process and i guess it’s the same for Benji.

I think one of our players said last year that when he’s training us, he can be pretty harsh but then chuck a wink in here or there to individuals so they know it’s nothing personal. So that’s one of his tactics.

Very different from Madges final days, where people said he had players walking on eggshells and high anxiety issues. Not to knock him personally.
I think the end of the relationship was probably right, but the timing not so good.

Jason Taylor has given some very interesting interviews about coaching, the wrong coach at the wrong time for us.

People compare coaches, but with a few exceptions it’s hard as they usually have different material to work with.

Think Madge will be a success at SOO,as hes very good at pulling together established senior players into a cohesive team(Souths/Wigan/NZ)..but not so good at developing young players nor developing a winning culture amongst these types

 

[2041]

OMG, I thought I was alone.
Well said.

It really drives me nuts because it's such a lazy way of promoting 'exciting' football. As in, I want to see teams taking high risk, high reward options on the last - scoring brilliant tries or being kept out by desperate defensive plays. And yet this rule gives a massive disincentive to doing so. The NRL apparently thinks it's more important to just get the other team up the other end as quickly as possible, as if all us dumb punters want is every game to end up 40-36 with a bunch of barge over or overlap tries (or, for one season, 72-6 with one team running wild up the middle) and aren't capable of appreciating a game that finishes 18-16 where every point is incredibly hard fought for.

 

[crazycat]

Most threads deviate on forums. Someone raises a point others find interesting and the train of thought follows. Then it’s up to the mods I guess.

I was listening to Flanno recently, he says it’s going to take some time for his players to play the game how he wants them to.

Kind of like an indoctrination process and i guess it’s the same for Benji.

I think one of our players said last year that when he’s training us, he can be pretty harsh but then chuck a wink in here or there to individuals so they know it’s nothing personal. So that’s one of his tactics.

Very different from Madges final days, where people said he had players walking on eggshells and high anxiety issues. Not to knock him personally.
I think the end of the relationship was probably right, but the timing not so good.

Jason Taylor has given some very interesting interviews about coaching, the wrong coach at the wrong time for us.

People compare coaches, but with a few exceptions it’s hard as they usually have different material to work with.

Fair point, we can't compare say Madge to Cleary as Cleary was building a squad while Madge had to manage what was built.

I think Taylor was trying to beef up our roster and keep Taupau, but boy did he go about it like an idiot. Had Taylor worked with Farah instead of declaring WW3 he may have lasted. But poor people skills is in Taylor's DNA. Fired from 2 clubs for it.

A coach needs to get a lot of things right and delegate their weaknesses out to people.

Todd Payten and Fitzgibbon know how to manage and work a forward pack, backs and halves far less so.

Your older coaches will get both roles, but may not have kept up with the changing game, i.e. Tim Sheens.

I think Marshall has the people management skills and respect of the players.
Where Marshall will lack is defensive structures having played mostly under us, along with how to coach/work with a forward pack.

Hopefully Chris H and J Morris can make up for these weaknesses.

 

[Halbrowne61]

Fair point, we can't compare say Madge to Cleary as Cleary was building a squad while Madge had to manage what was built.

I think Taylor was trying to beef up our roster and keep Taupau, but boy did he go about it like an idiot. Had Taylor worked with Farah instead of declaring WW3 he may have lasted. But poor people skills is in Taylor's DNA. Fired from 2 clubs for it.

A coach needs to get a lot of things right and delegate their weaknesses out to people.

Todd Payten and Fitzgibbon know how to manage and work a forward pack, backs and halves far less so.

Your older coaches will get both roles, but may not have kept up with the changing game, i.e. Tim Sheens.

I think Marshall has the people management skills and respect of the players.
Where Marshall will lack is defensive structures having played mostly under us, along with how to coach/work with a forward pack.

Hopefully Chris H and J Morris can make up for these weaknesses.

Can I just also say CC “ if Farah had worked with Taylor he would have lasted “.
Robbie has been in and around a lot of shit for the Tigers and when I was around football it was the players who respected the coach and didn’t try to undermine them.
Taylor may not have had the appropriate skills but he was still the head coach. Same at South’s, so he was entitled to some respect.

 

[crazycat]

Can I just also say CC “ if Farah had worked with Taylor he would have lasted “.
Robbie has been in and around a lot of shit for the Tigers and when I was around football it was the players who respected the coach and didn’t try to undermine them.
Taylor may not have had the appropriate skills but he was still the head coach. Same at South’s, so he was entitled to some respect.

What have I done in opening this Pandora's box....

Yes your head coach is worth some respect. Farah made the stupid mistake of treating Gordon Tallis as a player and not a journalistic Snake... But I get it Farah was facing Taylor dropping him without a thought or any attempt at handling it.

I like how the Movie "moneyball" covers telling a player they are dropped. I don't think they got it right, but you put some effort into what you are going to say. You do it in private and you do it long before the media finds out.

 

[Dennisspicer1]

Now gonna see if I can find some old footage of Larry Corowa.

 

[Halbrowne61]

What have I done in opening this Pandora's box....

Yes your head coach is worth some respect. Farah made the stupid mistake of treating Gordon Tallis as a player and not a journalistic Snake... But I get it Farah was facing Taylor dropping him without a thought or any attempt at handling it.

I like how the Movie "moneyball" covers telling a player they are dropped. I don't think they got it right, but you put some effort into what you are going to say. You do it in private and you do it long before the media finds out.

Spot on !!

 

[Tiger Karen]

There’s nothing wrong with a bit of strident disagreement if it’s based on the friendship and respect.

Bennet seems to keep up with the game, so Im not sure age was the issue, it’s more what he was trying to do. I’ll lean on Api when he said that the players weren’t suited to Tim’s game and vice versa. And truth be told, we saw some awful performances. Most players went backwards in all kpis. So a horrific disconnect.

A worry I have about Benji, Tim’s ways are a major influence on him. I don’t think we want an extension of the dysfunctional Tim’s ways.

If Benji was coaching the halves last year, it wasn’t impressive. He may be better in the overall leadership. I hope so.

I mean we will find out how fresh his game plan is and whether he can get the player motivation underway in due course.

What we should get from a Benji is some good post match interviews as he is unique.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

There’s nothing wrong with a bit of strident disagreement if it’s based on the friendship and respect.

Bennet seems to keep up with the game, so Im not sure age was the issue, it’s more what he was trying to do. I’ll lean on Api when he said that the players weren’t suited to Tim’s game and vice versa. And truth be told, we saw some awful performances. Most players went backwards in all kpis. So a horrific disconnect.

A worry I have about Benji, Tim’s ways are a major influence on him. I don’t think we want an extension of the dysfunctional Tim’s ways.

I mean we will find out how fresh his game plan is and whether he can get the motivation underway in due course.

It’s more of a case of some coaches can move with the times as they get older. Bennett and Bellamy are good examples. Sheens is a good example of someone who couldn’t.