backline needs a spark

Lee's fedora said:
I'm....yeah im trying to rack my brain to figure out who the issues are for us attacking wise and my main issue as everyone's is lies with Luke Brooks.

The bloke is not a 7 he is solely 100% a 6 simple as that he's not an organisational 7 he's a running 6 when he's attacking the line and running the ball he's golden will break the line that's great for a 6 a 7 needs to steer the team around the park give directions.

The amount of times today I saw Api look at both Brooks and Adam and screaming "WHAT ARE WE DOIN?!" was astounding.

Nofo needs to go the dude is cooked he offers nothing in attack and is a liability in defence id rather throw Junior Tupou on the wing who is a genuine attacking threat instead of a crab who is scared to get tackled.

As long as brooks is at 7 we will continue to flounder
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Wakeham needs to be promoted to 7, Brooks to 6 and Douehi to either 4 or 13
 
We need Tedesco back so bad atm opposition only need to shut down ADS and our attack turns to crap, move Laurie and Noffa on get what we can for them use the roster spot for that young fullback we have and see if we can get a player even like Radrada we lack so much in so many positions.
 
diedpretty said:
Wakeham needs to be promoted to 7, Brooks to 6 and Douehi to either 4 or 13
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I'm starting to think this is the way to go. I think we should give up on Doueihi in the halves. He'll have a great game or 1/2 game at some point but it will be off his running game which he can do in other positions.

We need some changes.
 
sparci said:
get rid of this hot potato gameplan and actually organize some set plays ffs. our biggest problem (and my biggest complain) over the last 2-3 years has been getting to the opposition 20, now we basically live in there and cant manage to score. couldnt manage a single overlap vs 12 men..
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The game was very frustrating to watch when every player receives the ball and just passes it on....

Brooks looked good when he made a run... made some good yardage, instead of passing it to the next man.

He isn't and doesn't play like a halfback at all...

Too late in his career for a positional change, I think.... best to part ways.
 
Brooks, Douhi and Laurie have been togeather for nearly 3 years. If they havnt found spark yet they won't. Solution is simple. Brooks gone he's had 10 years that's more than enough time, he's a myth and not an NRL standard halfback. He would play a finals game in Super League. Douhi isn't a 5/8 he's a turnstile and lazy in defence. At best I'd give him a kick up the arse and tell him to get his defensive game sorted and I'll keep him as a centre only, if he's not happy he can go. As far as Laurie is concerned that poser can get lost. No try saving tackles, no try assists and no ability to organise our defence. Worst fullback in the comp. It's no coincidence our attack for the past 3 years has been garbage up till Hastings was put at lock last year, the same time the three amigos have been in our spine. Granted Douhi was injured last year that's why I give him a bit of a pass. Don't get me started on Nofo, he's the only NRL player who's ability as a ballerina has improved while playing the game. He needs to get lost aswell.
 
liltiger said:
Brooks, Douhi and Laurie have been togeather for nearly 3 years. If they havnt found spark yet they won't. Solution is simple. Brooks gone he's had 10 years that's more than enough time, he's a myth and not an NRL standard halfback. He would play a finals game in Super League. Douhi isn't a 5/8 he's a turnstile and lazy in defence. At best I'd give him a kick up the arse and tell him to get his defensive game sorted and I'll keep him as a centre only, if he's not happy he can go. As far as Laurie is concerned that poser can get lost. No try saving tackles, no try assists and no ability to organise our defence. Worst fullback in the comp. It's no coincidence our attack for the past 3 years has been garbage up till Hastings was put at lock last year, the same time the three amigos have been in our spine. Granted Douhi was injured last year that's why I give him a bit of a pass. Don't get me started on Nofo, he's the only NRL player who's ability as a ballerina has improved while playing the game. He needs to get lost aswell.
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Dang... 🥶

Cold. Hard. Truths.
 
Curaeus said:
If the press talk of Teddy possibly being moved on by the Chooks to accommodate Suuali's fullback ambitions and him having some difficulty locking in an extension with them has any substance at all, it may be worth an enquiry to see if there's any chance of him returning to WT. A very long shot I know but if we had someone like him there today and last week we probably win both games. Most likely a waste of time but we desperately need a game breaker and they don't come much better than Tedesco!
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Right now he would be the closest to a halfback or some semblance of a player who can organise. He still has a few good years into him but we need to be prepared it’s a retirement package.
 
I think the backline problem is easily solved!! They are just standing to close and flat to eachother, we are creating overlaps but they are so flat its hard to get the pass right at speed. the amount of times we just needed to draw and pass was ridiculous.

So at least we are getting there, but gees how about getting deeper and running onto it lads eh??
 
simonsatiger said:
I think the backline problem is easily solved!! They are just standing to close and flat to eachother, we are creating overlaps but they are so flat its hard to get the pass right at speed. the amount of times we just needed to draw and pass was ridiculous.

So at least we are getting there, but gees how about getting deeper and running onto it lads eh??
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Our formation and depth is all wrong atm.
We are all a flat track. We don’t even run with option’s it’s actually really strange to watch.

Our field position is on point so the forwards to some degree are doing the right thing but gets all undone by the basics of the game.
 
simonsatiger said:
I think the backline problem is easily solved!! They are just standing to close and flat to eachother, we are creating overlaps but they are so flat its hard to get the pass right at speed. the amount of times we just needed to draw and pass was ridiculous.

So at least we are getting there, but gees how about getting deeper and running onto it lads eh??
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If it's that simple we should just sack the coach.
 
I like that there was at least some balance FOR Brooks in this thread. I didn't think he was our biggest issue yesterday. That run across field where NOBODY gave him a running option should be a huge neon sign. We need our centres to run lines, our second row to run lines. Brooks is at his best when he can drop that short pass to a good line runner. Talau, Papali'i, Naden...didn't offer him enough. Strangely, the best line runner yesterday was Kepeoa. Our wingers don't offer a running option either.

Bateman, Pole, Blore & Matamua are the guys that will likely help Brooks out most. I imagine we see a mix of them come into the side soon enough. I was pretty disappointed with Papali'i yesterday.

Doueihi could also help Brooks out by running lines off him as well. He's a big unit that can cause a moment of doubt in the opposition.

There were a couple of occasions where Brooks & Laurie looked to combine inside. If they make that work, it's yet another attacking option. But for that to happen, we need momentum up front & to HOLD ONTO THE BALL.

It might not be what everyone wants to hear, but I think the most obvious backline move is going to be at fullback. Laurie is still hit & miss under a kick. And he doesn't break the line. He's ALMOST good. He ALMOST makes a few plays. It seems likely that Staines would move to fullback. Bula is clearly the long term option.

I wonder though if Laurie to 5/8 & Doueihi to fullback might not actually be the better move. Doueihi running off those inside balls from Brooks is more damaging than the flyweight Laurie doing the same. And Doueihi is no worse that Laurie under the high ball.
 
no, staines should immediately switch to fullback this week, his speed was noticeable in comparison to laurie on kick returns in the short time he played there, looked way better than laurie. If sheens doesnt make this swap immediately next team list I've lost all hope in him. Put Adam at center, bring in wakeham to partner brooks/laurie (since we cant pick will smith) and the odd one out to reserve grade
 
Demps said:
1 Staines
2 Tupou
3 AJ
4 Naden
5 Toa

Talau and Nofo - shopped.
Laurie - no contract offered.
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If we are going to do some radical changes in the backs and we know it won't happen, I would also look at:

Keep AJ at second row for now because he going ok and we are short there at the moment.

Doueihi to # 3

Brooks to 6 & give Wakeham a run at 7, he at least showed a little something in the Canberra trial.

What have we got to lose apart from some games and we are doing that at the moment anyway.

Like I was saying it won't happen and probably all we may see out of this is Staines at fullback.

Some are suggesting Daine Laurie on the wing but he still has to commit to attacking the high ball at wing so I am not sure how well that would go.

Other than that we don't have a terrible lot of options in the backs until after round 10 by which time our season is well and truly over if it isn't already.
 
The backline needs leadership. They play with no trust because no one is calling the shots. Brooks and Douehi can't expect to come in and out of games and have the players outside them aware of what they are doing.
 
The Chad said:
I like that there was at least some balance FOR Brooks in this thread. I didn't think he was our biggest issue yesterday. That run across field where NOBODY gave him a running option should be a huge neon sign. We need our centres to run lines, our second row to run lines. Brooks is at his best when he can drop that short pass to a good line runner. Talau, Papali'i, Naden...didn't offer him enough. Strangely, the best line runner yesterday was Kepeoa. Our wingers don't offer a running option either.

Bateman, Pole, Blore & Matamua are the guys that will likely help Brooks out most. I imagine we see a mix of them come into the side soon enough. I was pretty disappointed with Papali'i yesterday.

Doueihi could also help Brooks out by running lines off him as well. He's a big unit that can cause a moment of doubt in the opposition.

There were a couple of occasions where Brooks & Laurie looked to combine inside. If they make that work, it's yet another attacking option. But for that to happen, we need momentum up front & to HOLD ONTO THE BALL.

It might not be what everyone wants to hear, but I think the most obvious backline move is going to be at fullback. Laurie is still hit & miss under a kick. And he doesn't break the line. He's ALMOST good. He ALMOST makes a few plays. It seems likely that Staines would move to fullback. Bula is clearly the long term option.

I wonder though if Laurie to 5/8 & Doueihi to fullback might not actually be the better move. Doueihi running off those inside balls from Brooks is more damaging than the flyweight Laurie doing the same. And Doueihi is no worse that Laurie under the high ball.
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Very sensible post,i agree with much of it
 
Mighty_Tiger said:
Right now he would be the closest to a halfback or some semblance of a player who can organise. He still has a few good years into him but we need to be prepared it’s a retirement package.
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He would likely remain a very dangerous player for a few years yet and is a real leader as well. Maybe Benji can have a word to him. No longer managed by Moses either. Long shot for sure but just might work because of the Sualli factor.
 
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