ADAM BLAIR’S WORK RATE IMPRESSES COACH TIM SHEENS

[Guest]

ADAM BLAIR’S WORK RATE IMPRESSES COACH TIM SHEENS

Tuesday 29 May 2012 8:31 PM

Wests Tigers Head Coach Tim Sheens is impressed with the work rate of second-rower Adam Blair in the opening half of the season.

The Kiwi vice captain is enjoying his first year at Wests Tigers after joining the Club following six seasons at Melbourne Storm. His experience has proved invaluable to the promising young forwards in the pack.

Sheens said Blair was beginning to adapt well to the Wests Tigers style of play and has not missed a match this season. Heading into last weekend’s win over the Cowboys, Blair was averaging 78 minutes a game, 9 runs, 68 metres, and 27 tackles per match.

“Adam’s work rate is great and he is just learning to play second nature in our game which isn’t easy,’’ Sheens said.

“He spent a long time at Melbourne playing a certain structure with certain calls.

“A lot of his work is unseen. He chases kickers, he is good in the tackle, carries the ball well and has got good footwork.

“Adam has had to come here and react quickly to how Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall play and that’s not easy as they play a lot of off the cuff football.

“It has taken Blairy a little bit of time to understand that but more and more he is finding his feet.

“Robbie likes playing off the back of Adam’s speed of the play the ball as it is hard to get him on the ground and hold him down.

“There are little things that you pay money for, not just scoring tries.”

 

[Spartan117]

Really enjoyed Blairs efforts in the Cowboys game last week.

As I wrote earlier in another thread. Insert Agro and i will be very happy.

 

[alexaki]

Justification to his $500k price tag

 

[Goose]

this article sums up what many have been saying all year.

enjoyed reading it and agree with it so much

 

[FootyJimmy]

Can some please explain the difference between what Blair was asked to do at the Storm and what he's asked to do this year?
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[alexaki]

Can some please explain the difference between what Blair was asked to do at the Storm and what he's asked to do this year?
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He had to carry less coin to the bank at the Storm

 

[fergiefurr]

i noticed he played on the right on sunday for the first time this year

i think he fits into our team better on the right. he was just getting in the way on the left in what was a partnership of marshall/ellis/lawrence/lote that has been so strong for 2 years. no idea why sheens switched ellis at the start of the year.

i know he has copped some flak on here, and in some ways deservedly so…however it was the clubs decision to sign him for such big money, not blairs. i go told by a BRET trainer that by all reports he is one of the most professional blokes in the nrl off the field and on the training paddock, stuff like this is good for the club in ways that cant really be seen.

im still very confident he will be a good buy in the long term for us.

 

[alexaki]

i noticed he played on the right on sunday for the first time this year

i think he fits into our team better on the right. he was just getting in the way on the left in what was a partnership of marshall/ellis/lawrence/lote that has been so strong for 2 years. no idea why sheens switched ellis at the start of the year.

i know he has copped some flak on here, and in some ways deservedly so…however it was the clubs decision to sign him for such big money, not blairs. i go told by a BRET trainer that by all reports he is one of the most professional blokes in the nrl off the field and on the training paddock, stuff like this is good for the club in ways that cant really be seen.

im still very confident he will be a good buy in the long term for us.

Ahh I'm sure Blair named his asking price…the club didn't come up with the $500k price
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[Goose]

you cant begrudge a bloke for getting the most money he can. If we didn't think it was worth it, we should not have paid it.

 

[Sabre]

Can some please explain the difference between what Blair was asked to do at the Storm and what he's asked to do this year?
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He had to carry less coin to the bank at the Storm

When he was there he had to hide the money in his free boat at his free house.
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[Bismark]

Can some please explain the difference between what Blair was asked to do at the Storm and what he's asked to do this year?
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Melbourne's attack is almost exclusively set plays. They have a very organised, structured, and textbook way of doing things, hence most people's criticism that it's boring or robotic. Everyone knows their job, they do their job well, are extremely disciplined, but fail to know what to do if the game plan fails (as seen in any game the Storm have ever lost)

Tigers are an unstructured team who decide what to do based on the feelings of Benji. What he sees, we do, so there are few set plays (only off scrums/taps) and most of the time it's reactionary attack, it's about as anti-Storm as you can get.

It'd be hard knowing EXACTLY what to do when you run on the field, then change to a club where you literally never know what you are going to have to do.

 

[Lisa]

I'm sure Tim accidentally forgot to include him impressive high missed tackle count as well.

I wonder what Tim thinks of Bell's or Fulton's stats compared to Blairs.

 

[hellman]

I'm sure Tim accidentally forgot to include him impressive high missed tackle count as well.

I wonder what Tim thinks of Bell's or Fulton's stats compared to Blairs.

I don't get his high work rate. Yes he has been playing better recently and I would love to see him turn into a weapon for us however I think Bell, Fulton and Hieghno all probably have better stats than Blair.

 

[dermo]

I'm sure Tim accidentally forgot to include him impressive high missed tackle count as well.

I wonder what Tim thinks of Bell's or Fulton's stats compared to Blairs.

I don't get his high work rate. Yes he has been playing better recently and I would love to see him turn into a weapon for us however I think Bell, Fulton and Hieghno all probably have better stats than Blair.

Most of Blairs quality work doesn't come up in stats, this weekend focus on who puts pressure on the opposition kicker, its always Blair. Also when the opposition makes a break or gets a quick play the ball and makes good metres you will notice Blair always sprints back to get in position, he rarely walks on the feild like some of the bigger players do. And he also gets the quickest play the balls out of all our forwards

 

[simonthetiger]

X2 Dermo.

Blair does a lot of non stat work that is invaluable to the side.

He is a real goer and im becoming a huge fan !!
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[everett]

Glad to have Blair on our side.

He has warmed to our style of play very well.

 

[tig_prmz]

Justification to his $500k price tag

really? from what i've seen this year, 500K is probs double what we should've paid.

 

[hellman]

Most of Blairs quality work doesn't come up in stats, this weekend focus on who puts pressure on the opposition kicker, its always Blair. Also when the opposition makes a break or gets a quick play the ball and makes good metres you will notice Blair always sprints back to get in position, he rarely walks on the feild like some of the bigger players do. And he also gets the quickest play the balls out of all our forwards

I am starting to see some of this however I still think we need more from him. Maybe I am being harsh however compared to Ellis his impact has been minimal.

I'd like to see some good runs and him busting the line a couple of times.

 

[Chunky_love_machine]

Sounds like Sheens after a loss. "we have to take the positives out of this and work on it". I like Blair but not for the coin to rush a kicker.

 

[Snake]

I'm sure Tim accidentally forgot to include him impressive high missed tackle count as well.

I wonder what Tim thinks of Bell's or Fulton's stats compared to Blairs.

I don't get his high work rate. Yes he has been playing better recently and I would love to see him turn into a weapon for us however I think Bell, Fulton and Hieghno all probably have better stats than Blair.

Most of Blairs quality work doesn't come up in stats, this weekend focus on who puts pressure on the opposition kicker, its always Blair. Also when the opposition makes a break or gets a quick play the ball and makes good metres you will notice Blair always sprints back to get in position, he rarely walks on the feild like some of the bigger players do. And he also gets the quickest play the balls out of all our forwards

Don't critisize Blair if you are not watching the game hard enough…what work he does is off the the ball IMO this type of work rate is as important as Benji,s breaks & passes,he might not be making long breaks or laying on cut out passes but he certainly is earning his coin... I am impressed with his perfomances over the last couple of weeks glad you signed on Adam.