Defence

[Cobarcats]

I’ve been watching a few re-runs and hightlights of WT games and blind freddy could tell you why we lost so many games this year and that was due to lazy defenders and misreads. The amount of times opposition score from backline movements where our inside cover were practically walking is crazy, no brainer, if you were to pause the tv when the opposition are 25-40m out from scoring you will see the defensive breakdown, players all running on roller skates on the inside - no anticipation no effort, where else are they going to score, it’s so obvious. Melbourne on the other hand, their players fill the tv screen both in attack and defence. Our points ‘for’ this year is 500 which is enough for the top 8, our ‘against’ is 676, only the wooden spooner has worse D than that. Our defensive coaches need to work hard in the pre-season to sort this out. Again and again, year after year our D is crap!

 

[bathursttiger1]

“Defence” is that the thing around the ground?

 

[Papacito]

We're actually 8th on the ladder for average missed tackles and not that far off Penrith.

What really costs us are poor individual decisions and efforts rather than the defensive structure.

 

[Tiger-ferret]

Anecdotally, our misses lead to points...I don't know how to interpret that. Perhaps its the culture? "that missed tackle wasnt me so I wont bother helping to mop it up?"

 

[cktiger]

Anecdotally, our misses lead to points...I don't know how to interpret that. Perhaps its the culture? "that missed tackle wasnt me so **I wont bother helping to mop it up?**"

Yep, it's all about that extra effort.
Hoping the young guys are learning this lesson.

 

[JC99]

The defensive structures are terrible. This backtracking while teams attack our edges is just awful, the lack of effort from inside defenders stink and the number one thing that irks me is how often our defenders bite on the decoy runners

Been happening since round 1 and it still hasn't changed. Every week teams throw basic block plays at us and we create overlaps for them by trying to tackle the decoy instead of just sliding out and trusting their inside defenders

There's no trust, no line speed, no communication and no idea in our defensive line. Been awful this year!

 

[GCfan]

Anecdotally, our misses lead to points...I don't know how to interpret that. Perhaps its the culture? "that missed tackle wasnt me so I wont bother helping to mop it up?"

Perhaps that’s why you hear Madge say to the team over and over again to play for your teammate. Be that player that everybody else wants to play with. They showed a bit more of it last week against the Panthers but they’re coming from a long way behind.

 

[jrtiger]

the fact that we don't work from the inside is the reason we're in this mess. throw in players like Nofoaluma and Luch who consistently make poor decisions, and it was always going to be difficult to stop teams from scoring on our edges. it all comes down to workrate and finding a structure that works. we haven't got either of those at this point.

 

[TheDaBoss]

Mental as well?

One thing i noticed is when we conceed trys

E.g. on the wing..most of the time we just conceed defeat and give up..meanwhile the winger has run the ball from the sideline to under the posts...making jt a easier kick

 

[happy_tiger]

Doesn't count the amount of times when we literally don't get a hand on a player when they cruise through the middle of the ruck and score untouched ......or cruise through the edge ...or cruise through the backline ...or cruise on a 3 man overlap .....or just cruise

 

[Needaname]

Control the ruck.

Other then that, line up all the players across the field on the training paddock.
1-12 and fullback behind.

You know those training bands you see them use when they run in pairs, trying to pull the other guy with them.

Well put them to good use and instead of looping them in pairs, loop to the man inside and outside each player and spend an 80 min session each day defending am opposed side, slides and umbrella formations. If someone falls over as a result of being out of shape?
Start again.

 

[Magpie1969]

No line speed no trust in each other and mistakes lead to points. The word accountability seems to have taken the bus to Penrith

 

[boonboon]

Luciano Leilua - the worst defensive forward in the game is the main problem imo. Fox Sports collect a stat on try causes and line break causes and Leilua toos both counts. Was interesting last week v penrith he clearly was told to focus on defence as his hitups and runs were way down but his defence was better abd it made our whole right side better

 

[YesHeCheeKam]

We're actually 8th on the ladder for average missed tackles and not that far off Penrith.

What really costs us are poor individual decisions and efforts rather than the defensive structure.

However Penrith have conceeded 280 points this year and we have conceeded 676. Id say alot of Penrith's misses are less detrimental with guys going for strips or a big hit at a non dangeorus part of the field (EG - Defending with opposition on back foot). Our misses are bad. We sit in with Cowboys, Broncos and Bulldogs in the bottom 4 worst defensive teams (Only about 30-40 points between us). They are all horrendous and a big gap between them and anyone else defensively.

The fact we were happy with the effort and defence last week, and we still conceeded 30 points shows where we are at.

 

[Le Tiger]

Luciano Leilua - the worst defensive forward in the game is the main problem imo. Fox Sports collect a stat on try causes and line break causes and Leilua toos both counts. Was interesting last week v penrith he clearly was told to focus on defence as his hitups and runs were way down but his defence was better abd it made our whole right side better

100% this. He started the year on the left and so our left edge was a shambles. Moved to the right and our right side became our weak side. It's not just his fitness, there are many times where it's the start of the game and his edge struggles.

He needs to move into the lock rotation. Have Laurie follow him around the middle of the field as he tends to get his arm free for an offload so we could see some success there.

 

[2005magic]

But, but, but, we trained well and the players know what they have to do........

Accountability nil, except for newbies being dropped.

 

[supercoach]

It all starts with your line speed. Watch the Storm, they run as fast in defence as they do in attack.
You come up hard and quick in a straight line with everyone knowing who their man is a good place to start. Also communication and a structure in place where everyone is on the same page.

Sounds easy, but been a long time since this club could hold their heads up in defence…it’s hard work

 

[Tim Sheens]

Luciano Leilua - the worst defensive forward in the game is the main problem imo. Fox Sports collect a stat on try causes and line break causes and Leilua toos both counts. Was interesting last week v penrith he clearly was told to focus on defence as his hitups and runs were way down but his defence was better abd it made our whole right side better

Yet the coach had him playing 80 minutes and in your opinion then decided to blunt his attacking game so that he could get through a match defensively.

Reminds me of watching Liddle similarly blunted and struggling after 30 minutes with the opposition running fresh giants at him either side of half-time and when not there, watching the middle and his replacement Simpkin targeted through the middle with pace as well by a novice temporary fill in coach against the sharks.

 

[JC99]

Luciano Leilua - the worst defensive forward in the game is the main problem imo. Fox Sports collect a stat on try causes and line break causes and Leilua toos both counts. Was interesting last week v penrith he clearly was told to focus on defence as his hitups and runs were way down but his defence was better abd it made our whole right side better

Yet the coach had him playing 80 minutes and in your opinion then decided to blunt his attacking game so that he could get through a match defensively.

Reminds me of watching Liddle similarly blunted and struggling after 30 minutes with the opposition running fresh giants at him either side of half-time and when not there, watching the middle and his replacement Simpkin targeted through the middle with pace as well by a novice temporary fill in coach against the sharks.

Our genius coach can't see that Luc and Doueihi shouldn't defend together and that Luc can't play 80!

 

[Red88_Tiger]

Luciano Leilua - the worst defensive forward in the game is the main problem imo. Fox Sports collect a stat on try causes and line break causes and Leilua toos both counts. Was interesting last week v penrith he clearly was told to focus on defence as his hitups and runs were way down but his defence was better abd it made our whole right side better

Yet the coach had him playing 80 minutes and in your opinion then decided to blunt his attacking game so that he could get through a match defensively.

Reminds me of watching Liddle similarly blunted and struggling after 30 minutes with the opposition running fresh giants at him either side of half-time and when not there, watching the middle and his replacement Simpkin targeted through the middle with pace as well by a novice temporary fill in coach against the sharks.

Our genius coach can't see that Luc and Doueihi shouldn't defend together and that Luc can't play 80!

Imo it’s your back rower that needs to be the dominant defender that relieves the weakness in your half . We don’t have that on either side. Although blore is showing promise.