Bennett on Benji

[innsaneink]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/wayne-bennett-would-consider-move-back-to-representative-coaching-duties/story-e6frexnr-1226564560908

…................Crawley: Some people were saying Benji Marshall should not have been an automatic selection given his form last year. I know you weren't happy about those comments. What do you say about where he is at as a footballer?
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Bennett: I think he is in a good place in his life. He is at a great age where his development should be at its maximum.
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Do you think that was being shown in the football he played last year?
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It is easy to criticise Benji but the Tigers struggled a lot with injuries, perhaps their forwards weren't as good as they would have liked to have been and five-eighths are very dependent upon what their forwards are doing. You always have to be careful with players like Benji, they are unique. That is what makes them so entertaining and so great to watch. Somewhere there is a balance but to put the game that he plays totally away would be an injustice to him and the game................

 

[happy_tiger]

At least you know where teams thought they could beat us last year

Lets hope Potter has a magic cure to our forwards issues

If not bring on 2012 all over again

 

[Tigrr]

The forwards especially Woods,Galloway ,Farah and Fulton mostly kept us in the games last year . It was the backs who played poorly

 

[alexaki]

Our forwards should go much better in 2013…we farewelled Heighno who IMO was ineffective in D and attack, We recruited well in Eddy and Braith..we simply cant start the games with Braith and Fults in the starting side...too light IMO and we will get rolled before we know it and always will be on the back foot...I think Potter being a backs coach recognises this whereas Sheens a forwards coach failed to....

 

[supercoach]

Far from convinced we have the pack to set the platform this year, to me the balance is out of whack. Now Iam not sure if it was the way Sheens had them playing or they were just not good enough but last year the forwards were punching bags for the other teams.

Let hope with a number seven and a pack that is under coaches instructions to rip and tear we give the backs a platform. The big questions do we have the cattle that can bend the defensive line and sting in defense?????

 

[The_Tooth]

I tend to agree with Tggrr here. So many times the forwards did their job and got us up in the opposition 20, only to see Benji or Robbie throw possession away with a kick on the third or some other high risk play.
Hopefully Potter puts some emphasis on patience at both ends of the field by instructing the players they don't have to score straight away and gets the halves to look for repeat sets when no try scoring option presents itself.

 

[Masterton]

I tend to agree with Tggrr here. So many times the forwards did their job and got us up in the opposition 20, only to see Benji or Robbie throw possession away with a kick on the third or some other high risk play.

As much as I agree with you about opportunities missed, it should be pointed out that we were one of the worst packs in the comp in both metres gained and conceded, which makes it hard to win games. I think we were poor in forwards and backs last year, unfortunately.

 

[supercoach]

Stats dont lie, our forwards were poor in 2012 and most of the better sides made them look average. Rugby league is a simple game, its about making yards and than kicking the ball and stopping the other team from making as many yards. If you are conceding lots of yards each set 99 times out of 100 you will loose. If the seven can point them in the right direction and Anasta is the go to man on the last things may improve, but I just dont see our forwards powering through the advantage line

 

[Guest]

I tend to agree with Tggrr here. So many times the forwards did their job and got us up in the opposition 20, only to see Benji or Robbie throw possession away with a kick on the third or some other high risk play.

As much as I agree with you about opportunities missed, it should be pointed out that we were one of the worst packs in the comp in both metres gained and conceded, which makes it hard to win games. I think we were poor in forwards and backs last year, unfortunately.

This combined with conceding nearly the most linebreaks in the comp really did hurt the Tigers.

The team has bulked up during this off-season. Hopefully the attacking and defensive structures in place are adhered to and are effective, and if so we'll see a much improved and competitive side.

 

[happy_tiger]

The forwards especially Woods,Galloway ,Farah and Fulton mostly kept us in the games last year . It was the backs who played poorly

You can't expect the backs to score tries from 40,50 or 60 metres out

We rarely had field position due to our shocking defence , woeful kicking game and lack of go forward

Most of that relates to our forwards and halves , not our backs

 

[Tigrr]

Tigrr wrote:The forwards especially Woods,Galloway ,Farah and Fulton mostly kept us in the games last year . It was the backs who played poorly
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You can't expect the backs to score tries from 40,50 or 60 metres out

We rarely had field position due to our shocking defence , woeful kicking game and lack of go forward

Most of that relates to our forwards and halves , not our backs

Your comments have some veracity and reflect the ineffective coaching more than the poor form of the forwards. Also, Umm err…the halves are backs !

 

[happy_tiger]

Tigrr wrote:The forwards especially Woods,Galloway ,Farah and Fulton mostly kept us in the games last year . It was the backs who played poorly
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You can't expect the backs to score tries from 40,50 or 60 metres out

We rarely had field position due to our shocking defence , woeful kicking game and lack of go forward

Most of that relates to our forwards and halves , not our backs

Your comments have some veracity and reflect the ineffective coaching more than the poor form of the forwards. Also, Umm err…the halves are backs !

Halves are halves , ask someone like Watto did he class himself as a back or a forward . Yes technically they are backs but when you talk about setting your backs up to use the ball you usually talk about your centres wingers and fullback

Did you watch some of the simple tries that teams scored through the middle of our ruck in 2012 Our forwards have a lot to prove in 2013 and if they don't aim up like 2012 we will be royally screwed