Hastings lock

[Alltheway]

Have to disagree & agree with a lot that has been said. As stated in the first post, we have 2 5/8s running. I have seen in the past where a talented ballplaying lock has played like a 5/8 (eg Jim Dymock) but i cant remember a lock playing like a halfback. I think that is thinking outside the box & worth persisting with. Hastings was still doing what he does best(organising) and played pretty much a 7 role with a few hitups. I take the point we lose a "fulltime" forward in this arrangement, however I think when the bugs are ironed out we will find the extra attack will more than make up for this. Have both wingers & even one centre take an extra ruck up when we are pushing out of our end, but start play a bit of footy outside our 40. Also , while I agree Douhie needs to pass the ball more, we have to remember he has only just come back from injury.
I agree our go forward has been missing all year, so it is very easy to blame Brooks & Hastings . But seriously are they supposed to have to ruck it up as well as make the plays? With this new arrangement, I believe it will encourage us to play a bit of footy, just like the old days when The Tigs were well known for it.

Agree, it’s the first time they played in this format, give it time to develop. It was clunky but that’s really not unexpected. The main problem yesterday was and has always been brooks 5th tackle kicking. The commentators where talking about it endlessly. Not one player went up for any of his kicks, no pressure applied, not sure if it’s his kicks are too deep or the players are unaware of what he’s doing??
I think Hastings at lock is worth persisting with, why not?
I have watched brooks through the under twenties to first grade. He’s no organising halfback never will be, not smart enough. But, he was a much better kicker in the 20’s kicked fourth/twenties regularly and could stop the ball in the ingoal with back doin on a dime. He just lacks the confidence, hopefully bunji can bring that back for him. Would help if we had a decent pack though!!

 

[Kelce68]

Yes, he is inferior.

Objectively.

I don't argue that he's not loyal. I argue that he's not up to snuff. His service and failure to get to the ruck on countless occasions is woeful. His running game has evaporated.

And I like him.

 

[jadtiger]

Alexander and Flanagan agreed 13 didn't work as it put too much pressure on the forwards.

Agreed,our forwards need to be stronger and putting a half back in at 13 will only work very rarely if at all

 

[Snoz]

Agree, it’s the first time they played in this format, give it time to develop. It was clunky but that’s really not unexpected. The main problem yesterday was and has always been brooks 5th tackle kicking. The commentators where talking about it endlessly. Not one player went up for any of his kicks, no pressure applied, not sure if it’s his kicks are too deep or the players are unaware of what he’s doing??
I think Hastings at lock is worth persisting with, why not?
I have watched brooks through the under twenties to first grade. He’s no organising halfback never will be, not smart enough. But, he was a much better kicker in the 20’s kicked fourth/twenties regularly and could stop the ball in the ingoal with back doin on a dime. He just lacks the confidence, hopefully bunji can bring that back for him. Would help if we had a decent pack though!!

I agree with a number of posts hoping that Benji can bring out the best in him.
However, isn't Benji there already? Why can't they see that this is a priority area? Wasn't our Acting Head Coach once an elite halfback? What more does he need? #floggingadeadhorse

 

[The SHADOW]

not up 2 it , will get worse with age

 

[Champ1]

Agree, it’s the first time they played in this format, give it time to develop. It was clunky but that’s really not unexpected. The main problem yesterday was and has always been brooks 5th tackle kicking. The commentators where talking about it endlessly. Not one player went up for any of his kicks, no pressure applied, not sure if it’s his kicks are too deep or the players are unaware of what he’s doing??
I think Hastings at lock is worth persisting with, why not?
I have watched brooks through the under twenties to first grade. He’s no organising halfback never will be, not smart enough. But, he was a much better kicker in the 20’s kicked fourth/twenties regularly and could stop the ball in the ingoal with back doin on a dime. He just lacks the confidence, hopefully bunji can bring that back for him. Would help if we had a decent pack though!!

Alltheway, I think you pretty much nailed it.

 

[twentyforty]

I agree with a number of posts hoping that Benji can bring out the best in him.
However, isn't Benji there already? Why can't they see that this is a priority area? Wasn't our Acting Head Coach once an elite halfback? What more does he need? #floggingadeadhorse

You’re absolutely right!
Why hasn’t this already been done?

 

[earl]

Alexander and Flanagan agreed 13 didn't work as it put too much pressure on the forwards.

I don't think it was an abject disaster and I can see how people like it but I agree with this point.

We get rolled consistently in the forwards and our backs are not great at making busts out of nothing or even finishing plays off.

People seem to dislike Staines but he is quick and caused us all sorts of problems. We don't have many if any players like that.

To'a did make a really good bust out there. I think he makes our top team every week.

I think we should play Matamua and Joe O alternating at lock.

Hasstings was pretty good for us but that move was just designed to play AD and Brooks in the team rather than pick one of them.

 

[earl]

You’re absolutely right!
Why hasn’t this already been done?

I don't think Brooks was bad. There was kick he put up that was fine and I think it was Corey Parker stating it was a terrible kick. It wasn't a terrible kick.

I also think this misses the point completely. The question is who do we pick to give us the best chance of winning games more regularly.

I think it starts with the forwards and playing Hastings at 13 when he is really just playing as a 7 makes us a weaker team. Brooks and Doueihi are definitely in our top 13 players but the problem is they play the same position. I say pick one and play the other in reserve grade or off the bench.

 

[tony soprano]

I don't think it was an abject disaster and I can see how people like it but I agree with this point.

We get rolled consistently in the forwards and our backs are not great at making busts out of nothing or even finishing plays off.

People seem to dislike Staines but he is quick and caused us all sorts of problems. We don't have many if any players like that.

To'a did make a really good bust out there. I think he makes our top team every week.

I think we should play Matamua and Joe O alternating at lock.

Hasstings was pretty good for us but that move was just designed to play AD and Brooks in the team rather than pick one of them.

Yeah that's another point Hastings at 13 moved matamua to 12 and his been prop or 13.

It's an issue as AD and Hastings are the slowest halves in the comp and Brooks is a dumb footballer

 

[twentyforty]

Yeah that's another point Hastings at 13 moved matamua to 12 and his been prop or 13.

It's an issue as AD and Hastings are the slowest halves in the comp and Brooks is a dumb footballer

Not saying much I know, but Hastings ran past Jennings as if he was standing still. Early in the game when the foot wasn’t as much an issue, maybe?

 

[earl]

It's an issue as AD and Hastings are the slowest halves in the comp

Maybe but I don't care if they are slow if they are making busts and creating tries and putting in good kicks.

They are also two big guys who threaten when they have the ball. Doueihi's try yesterday was quality.

 

[stryker 69]

I don't think Brooks was bad. There was kick he put up that was fine and I think it was Corey Parker stating it was a terrible kick. It wasn't a terrible kick.

It was a terrible kick for a couple of reasons. It didn’t seem to be communicated to the outside chasers. If they were aware, they didn’t explosively chase it. It is more plausible they had no notice. It wasn’t high enough which gave those who did chase it no time to compete for it. It was just a turn over of possession. We were a very low percentage chance of scoring from it barring a dropped catch.
Compare it to Hastings kick which Maumalo scored from. It was planned, it was high and from the moment it left his boot, it looked a likely chance for points.

 

[tony soprano]

It was a terrible kick for a couple of reasons. It didn’t seem to be communicated to the outside chasers. If they were aware, they didn’t explosively chase it. It is more plausible they had no notice. It wasn’t high enough which gave those who did chase it no time to compete for it. It was just a turn over of possession. We were a very low percentage chance of scoring from it barring a dropped catch.
Compare it to Hastings kick which Maumalo scored from. It was planned, it was high and from the moment it left his boot, it looked a likely chance for points.

It's clear Hastings is a better 7 than brooks

 

[earl]

Compare it to Hastings kick which Maumalo scored from.

This proves my point. Hastings did put in a great kick at a critical time but Douiehi and Hastings put in a lot of kicks and they weren't that good. Brooks put in an average kick to the corner that was fine. It wasn't terrible at all.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions but I think Brooks cops it way too harshly.

 

[earl]

It's clear Hastings is a better 7 than brooks

I think Doueihi is a better 6 as well.

 

[king_sirro]

This obsession with Doueihi and Hastings being the "slowest halves in the comp" is doing my head in. Hastings is slow yes, but Doueihi is not a slow half. He has shown time and again he has the pace to make inroads with half chances, like his try yesterday and many incisive runs. He might not be quick over a long distance, but his pace for a 6 is more then adequate to take advantage of space.

The problem with Hastings is that he is slow and chooses to do things slowly, thats a bad combo. Sometimes he attacks at pace over the advantage line and he looks good and the team looks good, but most of the time he does it too slow. It should be easy to fix. I felt yesterday he controlled the middle well and at the right pace, it fell down badly with Brooks and Doueihi being legless out wide. Doueihi besides some runs was awful. No passing or kicking game. I do expect that to improve with game time though, he looked rushed yesterday.

The speed of those 2 together isn't an issue for me, it's about adjusting how they apply certain aspects of their game, Doueihi needs to work very hard and get some time on the field, and Hastings just needs to do what he does 2 steps quicker. Brooks it's all over for IMO, but i guarantee Sheens will stick with him.

 

[Tim Sheens]

We need to realise our pack is without lucy,blore, stefano and Twal. You add that punch in and suddenly Hastings at lock ain’t so bad as the big bois can carry their weight unlike Musgrove, Kelma etc.

Exactly.

WT also had a kid that seems a middle playing on the left edge, another on the same wing that doesn't get the early hit up metres of Nofoaluma, outside of another relative rookie with a couple of games at centre playing between them.

That and Maumalo along with Toa shifted to the right edge, alongside Doueihi playing his first match of the year in the six, Joffa in the prop rotation and Simpkin there for the first time in ages.

It was basically a new side with so many foreign to those playing directly beside them, against a side, though depleted, was probably still more settled than ours and that ran on a better team to boot.

 

[Masterton]

This obsession with Doueihi and Hastings being the "slowest halves in the comp" is doing my head in.

They both managed to get on the outside of players to create opportunities. Hastings reminds me of later-day Jason Smith. Certainly not speedy, but has a good idea of where he needs to be going.

I thought Brooks was decent yesterday. A few nice touches. I'd just prefer Hastings and Doueihi on recent form.

 

[tiger_one]

Jackson Hastings led the Tigers in touches (66), runs (24) and tackles (41) and finished behind only Joe Ofahengaue in running metres (161m).