OFFICIAL Jock Madden #244

crazycat said:
For all the criticism...
This is our RESERVE HALF.

Jock has done better then:
Sezer
Brooks
Jackson Hastings
Humble
John Morris when at halfback.

Look does he have points to improve, YES. He will improve them.
Our halves are meant to be Luai and AD. Jock is easily outshining a whole littany of failed halfbacks and failed reserve halfbacks at our club.
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On that list - You forgot to include Jock Madden during his first stint here
Wakeham
 
crazycat said:
It really does, doesn't it.

Plus he had Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt to talk with and mentor off + all the Broncos coaching staff.

As a WT player, Jock was our typical average/poor half. Now he seems to have learned to become a halfback.
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Most or all our failed hafbacks played behind soft packs. Our forwards now don't take a backward step. Madden was always a talented player, a star prospect coming out of the Newcastle juniors. Most good halfbacks need time to develop their games and it helps to have a strong pack to lay a platform.
 
stevied said:
Most or all our failed hafbacks played behind soft packs. Our forwards now don't take a backward step. Madden was always a talented player, a star prospect coming out of the Newcastle juniors. Most good halfbacks need time to develop their games and it helps to have a strong pack to lay a platform.
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Kinda,...

There was the pre-brooks era where we never really had a halfback after Scott Prince left. Our pack IMHO then was pretty good... Come 2011 we gain a few forwards and Robert Lui at halfback actually steers our team around.

Then the Brooks era and I don't think our forward pack was that good, but we had Marty Taupau and Adam Blair at the start. This lead to some beef in the pack but we had a lot of passengers.

Then it's not much from our forwards except one season of Matterson.

I get the real vibe watching us now that all the Forwards are playing off each other. Terrell May carried us last season. This season I see more interaction and people pushing each other along.
 
stevied said:
Most or all our failed hafbacks played behind soft packs. Our forwards now don't take a backward step. Madden was always a talented player, a star prospect coming out of the Newcastle juniors. Most good halfbacks need time to develop their games and it helps to have a strong pack to lay a platform.
Click to expand...
Yep, he still doesn't have the big boot on him like Douehi at his best does.

Madden has straightened the attack extremely well. His decision making about when to straighten them throw wide, or turn it back in or spread the ball wide has been amazing. I genuinely didn't know he had that in him.

His 5th tackle options have also been good in decision making, positioning and execution. He's always in the right spot.

I watched him very closely and he was always giving ball runners options. He kept running a lead line, but what's better is that he kept getting behind the ball and being a genuine option to receive the ball after being a decoy. Then at 5th tackle, he would hide behind the ruck and then quickly move to the right. So even if the markers are trying to get to him, he's worked his angles out very well.

Api needs to plan the sets a little better though as we finished a few sets way too much on the R side which doesn't help as both our lockers are right footed.

Overall, he's doing so many little things right. You can't be this good overnight. He's probably worked on his basics his entire life and formed such good habits. He probably doesn't even understand what he's doing good as it's not like he's doing something extra ordinary.

I love players like him. And as a person, seems so humble too..
 
tig_prmz said:
Yep, he still doesn't have the big boot on him like Douehi at his best does.

Madden has straightened the attack extremely well. His decision making about when to straighten them throw wide, or turn it back in or spread the ball wide has been amazing. I genuinely didn't know he had that in him.

His 5th tackle options have also been good in decision making, positioning and execution. He's always in the right spot.

I watched him very closely and he was always giving ball runners options. He kept running a lead line, but what's better is that he kept getting behind the ball and being a genuine option to receive the ball after being a decoy. Then at 5th tackle, he would hide behind the ruck and then quickly move to the right. So even if the markers are trying to get to him, he's worked his angles out very well.

Api needs to plan the sets a little better though as we finished a few sets way too much on the R side which doesn't help as both our lockers are right footed.

Overall, he's doing so many little things right. You can't be this good overnight. He's probably worked on his basics his entire life and formed such good habits. He probably doesn't even understand what he's doing good as it's not like he's doing something extra ordinary.

I love players like him. And as a person, seems so humble too..
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Very astute comments. That's exactly what I see! Agreed, he is a very humble, hardworking and team first player. No ego, just gets the job done. Hope Benji keeps him there but I doubt it.
 
crazycat said:
Kinda,...

There was the pre-brooks era where we never really had a halfback after Scott Prince left. Our pack IMHO then was pretty good... Come 2011 we gain a few forwards and Robert Lui at halfback actually steers our team around.

Then the Brooks era and I don't think our forward pack was that good, but we had Marty Taupau and Adam Blair at the start. This lead to some beef in the pack but we had a lot of passengers.

Then it's not much from our forwards except one season of Matterson.

I get the real vibe watching us now that all the Forwards are playing off each other. Terrell May carried us last season. This season I see more interaction and people pushing each other along.
Click to expand...
Its never just the forwards or the backs, we have had some decent forward packs over the last 10 years and they have at times, especially earlier in the season, held their own and got us on the front foot, however if our halves and backs don't convert all that effort to positive outcomes its only human nature to drop that effort a level or 2. That's when we spiral and have 7 losses in a row. NRL is all about the 1%ers if you drop just 1% it can take you from top 8 the wooden spoon.
 
Just to make things even more brilliant, apparently the Broncos are still paying most of his wages.

I'd be tempted to start him at 7. Only tempted tho.

Also think its really important to remember that we signed him as a backup pivot for squad depth. He's doing his job brilliantly but completely unfair if he's not got a starting spot for now. What's happening RN is exactly what was written on the tin.
 
TheEnz said:
Its never just the forwards or the backs, we have had some decent forward packs over the last 10 years and they have at times, especially earlier in the season, held their own and got us on the front foot, however if our halves and backs don't convert all that effort to positive outcomes its only human nature to drop that effort a level or 2. That's when we spiral and have 7 losses in a row. NRL is all about the 1%ers if you drop just 1% it can take you from top 8 the wooden spoon.
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Totally get what you are saying and I agree.

Was kinda worried last year as we see Api and Terrell may go 100%, others let the side down a little.

I still don't think we are a 1%ers side yet. Were playing with energy, enthusasism and momentium.
 
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