Half a headache

[crouching_tiger]

I think Benji in the 6 jersey is the key to a big underlying problem in the team. He now has too much room to run and is still obviously being instructed by Sheens to play as an incognito halfback.
Moving him to centre will kill a few more of his options to stop running like a crab from side to side and likely force him to play more visionary passing football.
His general style of play is squeezing the outside backs out of too much room and this sends the team into scramble mode and unforced errors.
WT need to square up their halves to get the basic fundamentals back into their style of football to really threaten an opposition close to the line. Oppositions are working it out and sticking to the old adage of "all move up in one straight line" and are able to ride out the fancy footy and force WT to be their own worst enemies. WT don't bank too much on the defence sliding, they bank on a hole runner to make the sudden shift in direction from a straight runner.
Benji needs to get out of the 6 jersey so Sheens can't rely on him to be his halfback!!
I'd even be happy to have Ayshford in the 6 and Marshall in the 4!!

 

[izotope]

intresting thoughts.. don't know if i agree with you though. We've seen what he can do as a 5/8 with his head on, and we want him all over the field not locked on one side.

Since moltz is gone i really have no idea whats up with benji.

edit: wait, JUST RUN AT THE LINE BENJI.

 

[Staks]

You actually need a real halfback in the team for all that to occur.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Benji needs to get out of the 6 jersey so Sheens can't rely on him to be his halfback!!
I'd even be happy to have Ayshford in the 6 and Marshall in the 4!!

If Ayshford was #6, no one else would see the ball. At least Benji passes… That said, having Fitzhenry on the outside of me I wouldn't pass it either.

We've got enough problems with Sheens shifting four positions to cover just one. How about we stop suggesting moving players from their preferred positions cause it hasn't worked over the last three weeks.

 

[hammertime]

Moving him to centre will kill a few more of his options to stop running like a crab from side to side and likely force him to play more visionary passing football.

Am I the only one who thinks that some of the sideways play is what creates our opportunities? So many of Benji's great tries has been probing the line for a gap. It would be one of the last things I would want to stop. He would become predicable and his attack would be thrown out the window.

If we want someone to run straight at a hole, then throw it to a forward or a center with pace.

 

[Balmain_Tiger]

Moving him to centre will kill a few more of his options to stop running like a crab from side to side and likely force him to play more visionary passing football.

Am I the only one who thinks that some of the sideways play is what creates our opportunities? So many of Benji's great tries has been probing the line for a gap. It would be one of the last things I would want to stop. He would become predicable and his attack would be thrown out the window.

If we want someone to run straight at a hole, then throw it to a forward or a center with pace.

yes sometimes when he runs sideways it creates golden tries…but the times that it doesnt work kinda makes it seem like its not worth it...then again its not entirely his fault..he should have forwards running at angles that he can pass the ball to if need be

 

[Gobbs]

Pick specialists in their rightful positions. That's half the battle.

-Keep Farah at 9
-Keep Fulton to the Backrow
-Keep Marshall at 6
-Bring in Taumata or Lui at 7
-Drop the winger and promote a forward to the bench

I hear everyone calling for an organising Halfback. Wests haven't had an organising halfback since Prince left. Matt Head was probably the next best thing, but was not given a fair chance in my opinion.

With Farah orchestrating the attack from the ruck area, ala Smith for Melbourne, the Tigers do not really need to have traditional organising halfback. The 6 and 7 jersey play similar styles and roles. Both share the first and second receiver roles on opposite sides of the ruck. For example, Marshall likes to play wider on the left edge and plays closer on the right.

Moltzen was never an organising halfback. He was a pivot, a shifter of the football that could get the ball away quickly to Marshall or his outside men on the right edge. That has been the only real difference since he has been absent through injury. Wests are lacking that extra pair of hands that allows depth, space and breathing room for the outside backs.

With the imminent return of Lui and hopefully promotion of Taumata, both are equally up to the task of filling the void that both Lazarus and now Farah have failed to fill. At the end of the day, Wests Tigers attack and organisation operates from the ruck. Yesterday against Easts, it didn't. It didn't exist at all. Return Farah to 9 and let him once again call the shots from Hooker allowing a either Lui or Taumata to slot in and fill the void of being the shifting pivot that is needed.

 

[Balmain_Tiger]

Pick specialists in their rightful positions. That's half the battle.

-Keep Farah at 9
-Keep Fulton to the Backrow
-Keep Marshall at 6
-Bring in Taumata or Lui at 7
-Drop the winger and promote a forward to the bench

I hear everyone calling for an organising Halfback. Wests haven't had an organising halfback since Prince left. Matt Head was probably the next best thing, but was not given a fair chance in my opinion.

With Farah orchestrating the attack from the ruck area, ala Smith for Melbourne, the Tigers do not really need to have traditional organising halfback. The 6 and 7 jersey play similar styles and roles. Both share the first and second receiver roles on opposite sides of the ruck. For example, Marshall likes to play wider on the left edge and plays closer on the right.

Moltzen was never an organising halfback. He was a pivot, a shifter of the football that could get the ball away quickly to Marshall or his outside men on the right edge. That has been the only real difference since he has been absent through injury. Wests are lacking that extra pair of hands that allows depth, space and breathing room for the outside backs.

With the imminent return of Lui and hopefully promotion of Taumata, both are equally up to the task of filling the void that both Lazarus and now Farah have failed to fill. At the end of the day, Wests Tigers attack and organisation operates from the ruck. Yesterday against Easts, it didn't. It didn't exist at all. Return Farah to 9 and let him once again call the shots from Hooker allowing a either Lui or Taumata to slot in and fill the void of being the shifting pivot that is needed.

neither taumata or lui are specialist halfbacks…they both played 5/8 last year for their grade.

either way we need them there desperately

 

[Gobbs]

I think you misinterpreted what i was trying to say. Your halfback is no longer a halfback. Neither is your 5/8th a 5/8th. Well it's not the positional structure that Wests Tigers have and run out with week after week. Your 6 and 7, and no more than just first and second receivers and swap roles on different sides of the ruck. Regardless if its Taumata or if it's Lui, both will fill the void that Moltzen has left as a shifting pivot.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Moving him to centre will kill a few more of his options to stop running like a crab from side to side and likely force him to play more visionary passing football.

Am I the only one who thinks that some of the sideways play is what creates our opportunities? So many of Benji's great tries has been probing the line for a gap. It would be one of the last things I would want to stop. He would become predicable and his attack would be thrown out the window.

If we want someone to run straight at a hole, then throw it to a forward or a center with pace.

You're very right, but it's very predictable when he does it just about every set, and thats permitting we don't drop the pill before it gets to Benji. His problem at the moment is he isn't picking the right time to attack with whats in front of him, he seems like he has no answers and spreading it wide (regardless of whether we have numbers there or not, might I add) and we get picked off every time. He needs to start playing with a bit of commonsense and start taking on the line.

 

[Pokies]

Pick specialists in their rightful positions. That's half the battle.

-Keep Farah at 9
-Keep Fulton to the Backrow
-Keep Marshall at 6
-Bring in Taumata or Lui at 7
-Drop the winger and promote a forward to the bench

I hear everyone calling for an organising Halfback. Wests haven't had an organising halfback since Prince left. Matt Head was probably the next best thing, but was not given a fair chance in my opinion.

With Farah orchestrating the attack from the ruck area, ala Smith for Melbourne, the Tigers do not really need to have traditional organising halfback. The 6 and 7 jersey play similar styles and roles. Both share the first and second receiver roles on opposite sides of the ruck. For example, Marshall likes to play wider on the left edge and plays closer on the right.

Moltzen was never an organising halfback. He was a pivot, a shifter of the football that could get the ball away quickly to Marshall or his outside men on the right edge. That has been the only real difference since he has been absent through injury. Wests are lacking that extra pair of hands that allows depth, space and breathing room for the outside backs.

With the imminent return of Lui and hopefully promotion of Taumata, both are equally up to the task of filling the void that both Lazarus and now Farah have failed to fill. At the end of the day, Wests Tigers attack and organisation operates from the ruck. Yesterday against Easts, it didn't. It didn't exist at all. Return Farah to 9 and let him once again call the shots from Hooker allowing a either Lui or Taumata to slot in and fill the void of being the shifting pivot that is needed.

Excellent post.
As we saw on Sunday and have done in the past weakening one position to cover for another very rarely is a good thing.
I really hope a fully fit Lui is available in 2 weeks time v Souths. I believe he can bring stability to our side that we havnt had since the shuffling of positions occurred once Moltzen went down.
Lui seems to play a very controlled game in the top grade with a good quick passing game to his outside men and a very polished kicking game, especially when kicking out of our own half. For some it may look like Lui is doing nothing flashy but he takes a lot of the playmaking pressure off Farah and Marshall.
Taumata i would like to be seen used off the bench as impact player, instead of having a winger who sits on the bench for the whole 80 mins. We can use him the same way the dogs use Ben Barba, and im sure in games like yesterday which are dour tackle orientated affairs bringing on a guy like Taumata could really spark up our attack. Especially if you get him following Fifita around looking to receive offloads.
The combination i would like to see is:
Farah 9
Lui 7
Benji 6
Taumata 14

 

[ron_burgandy]

LOL yeah move benji to centre that will solve everything, hes our most creative player, most our tries this year have come on the back of something hes done, this is truly one of the dumber suggestions ive heard,

how about this CT drop fitzy off the right wing and put someone there with the ability to break the line or out pace the other winger or out leap the other winger. when was the last time fitzy had a piece of individual brilliance that won us a game? when was the last time fitzy figured in dally M points, when was the last time he made an individual line break and not put into a gap?

marshall is the least of this teams worries

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

i never looked at it that way Ron. you raise some solid points. Leave Benji where he is. Benji was not born to play in the centres.

 

[ron_burgandy]

i never looked at it that way Ron. you raise some solid points. Leave Benji where he is. Benji was not born to play in the centres.

careful AHX if you agree with me too much innsaneink will think that you are my alias account or that you are my mate on another computer in my house…lol.

i just dont see why anyone with a logical though process would think this team is better off with benji in the centres

 

[triserratops]

Pick specialists in their rightful positions. That's half the battle.

-Keep Farah at 9
-Keep Fulton to the Backrow
-Keep Marshall at 6
-Bring in Taumata or Lui at 7
-Drop the winger and promote a forward to the bench

I hear everyone calling for an organising Halfback. Wests haven't had an organising halfback since Prince left. Matt Head was probably the next best thing, but was not given a fair chance in my opinion.

With Farah orchestrating the attack from the ruck area, ala Smith for Melbourne, the Tigers do not really need to have traditional organising halfback. The 6 and 7 jersey play similar styles and roles. Both share the first and second receiver roles on opposite sides of the ruck. For example, Marshall likes to play wider on the left edge and plays closer on the right.

Moltzen was never an organising halfback. He was a pivot, a shifter of the football that could get the ball away quickly to Marshall or his outside men on the right edge. That has been the only real difference since he has been absent through injury. Wests are lacking that extra pair of hands that allows depth, space and breathing room for the outside backs.

With the imminent return of Lui and hopefully promotion of Taumata, both are equally up to the task of filling the void that both Lazarus and now Farah have failed to fill. At the end of the day, Wests Tigers attack and organisation operates from the ruck. Yesterday against Easts, it didn't. It didn't exist at all. Return Farah to 9 and let him once again call the shots from Hooker allowing a either Lui or Taumata to slot in and fill the void of being the shifting pivot that is needed.

Couldn't have written it any better myself!
:sunglasses:

 

[king_sirro]

Benji in the centres…...........NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[innsaneink]


Why not KS?
Everyone else is out of possy.


 

[alien]

Don't give Sheens any more stupid ideas. He has enough of them already. Benji should stay at five-eighth and Robbie should stay at dummy-half.

 

[crouching_tiger]

Just as i thought. Plenty of you are brainwashed to the fact that WT have done away with the PROPER 7 and 6 roles and fallen for Sheensies "they are just number on backs" routine. You say my suggestions are not valid, yet you want to say things like Marshall is "in his best position" and suggest players such as Taumata, Lui, Moltzen in the number 7 jersey when all 3 of them are true 5/8ths…
Then all you can say is my ideas are silly, when you can't even pin down where the true problems lie in the team..
Every single one of you who are calling for Marshall to be left at 6 may as well say "keep Benji at halfback"....

 

[innsaneink]

Ummm I think most are saying dont move him to centre….but well done coach, youve outsmarted us all again