Making more Tackles & Lack of Use of Bench is killing us

[Aladinsane]

I have been thinking this since the Cowboys game, that Sheens persistence of using 16 playeres for 95% of a match and our poor completion rate this year, was the main reason why we had those four losses lately.

That Cowboys win was a very costly one, not only for losing Tim Moltzen for the year, but the fact we played for most of that match with only 15 players and had to make 64 more tackles than the Cowboys. Being the second leg of a massive road trip, playing the Raiders in Canberra the week before, the Wests Tigers were always going to struggle against the Bulldogs. It didn't help that ref, Jarred Maxwell, had his house on the Bulldogs being the first try scorers , and hence burnt out the Wests Tigers in the first half with the Bulldogs enjoying 60% possession in the first half, and the rest is history. The WT had to make another friggin 66 tackles in that match, and with injuries increasing and Sheens refusal to use the interchange bench properly ( he only played Geoff Daniela(17) for 12 minutes & Willie Mataka(19) for 14 minutes) the main core of the team was burning out fast.

It continued in Round 7 against the Panthers, where the fatigue was starting to show on our team , where they made a massive 89 more tackles than Penrith , and Sheens lack of use of the bench kept on happening , where he left Geoff Daniela warming the bench for 79 minutes….Sheens must have thought he might as well shake hands with the opposition.

Sheens kept the practice of not utilizing the bench again in Round 8 against the Roosters, where the WT were up 8 Nil at half time, only to be run down in the second half by the Rossters 12-8., and yes you guess it, he only used Nathan Waters for 10 minutes in the second half, and Mitch Brown didn't even a start, and as Willow said in his Match report..."Worked on his tan throughout the game sitting on the bench and engaged in several conversations with his manager I think" :laughing: if it wasn't so sad.

In fact ,Sheens's use of Daniel Fitzhenry,from the bench started the burnout, with only playing him for 4 minutes in each of the first 2 games.

In the first 9 games this year, the Wests Tigers have made an incredible 249 tackles than their opposition. I am happy to say the tide changed last night....
1) the lads had to come out committed, and it showed right from the start, except for that Ben Rogers great solo try.The team only had 16 missed tackles.
2) The team's compeletion rate was 83% hence
3) They made 71 FEWER tackles than Newcastle
4) The 3 main interchange players & starting squad all had great games, hence I can understand Sheens only using Brown for 5 minutes or so.
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Anyway, hopefully Sheens has learnt his lesson finally about a bigger pack , so the team doesn't get outmuscled, and that the team keeps focusing on what they did so well last night....a good completetion rate, a low missed tackle count and a 17 man team effort., playing for each other and the pride of our great jersey... :sign:

I still think , that if this balance can be maintained ,the boys stay loyal to each other... **we can make the top 4...**as this comp is a weak one, and up for grabs for any team committed for the entire 80 minutes and a coach willing to learn from his mistakes of the past
What do you guys think ?

 

[BRET]

Agree with all you said except the coach learning from his mistakes. I don't think he will. Earlier this season I was starting to ease up with the flack against him because I thought he was learning from mistakes, but it seems he learnt nothing and was just panicing after losing Moltzen. And then of course the same stupid things that made most of us shake our heads started happening again.

 

[Tigerdave]

Good post and I have to agree with BRET, I thought Sheens had learned from his mistakes but after the Dogs game he fell back into the same ole same ole.

The problem is, we don't know if that will happen again, he seems set in his ways. Hopefully we won't get any major injuries for some time, so we won't see him do the player shuffle.

 

[Aladinsane]

Agree with all you said except the coach learning from his mistakes. I don't think he will. Earlier this season I was starting to ease up with the flack against him because I thought he was learning from mistakes, but it seems he learnt nothing and was just panicing after losing Moltzen. And then of course the same stupid things that made most of us shake our heads started happening again.

Sorry BRET, I should have added the word"Hopefully" in front of…"a coach willing to learn from his mistakes"
:frowning:
I know a lot on here lately have been bagging our coach.....personally I have been a big fan of Sheens for years, but this year Imust admit I have been perplexed and frustrated regarding his bench selections & use of it, his loyalty to the core playing group and hence his relucance to promote reserve grade players having a real dig and playing well.

But no one on here ,can have a go on Coach Sheens work ethic.Seriously the guy is so passionate about the Wests Tigers , as I see him at a lot of reserve grade games studying the form of them , I guess. His wife, like mine, is seriously a footy widow, as the guys is also talking, watching & thinking Rugby League.I just wonder sometimes why he doesn't see the efforts of some reserve graders , like I do ,and other fans on here do.

Sheens loves our Club , and the rumour that Ricky Stuart could end up coaching our great team makes me violently ill.......give me Sheens any day........And I still believe that if our team stays focused they can be there this year in the grand final, and I for one ,will gladly eat humble pie, over this dig at him regarding his team & bench selections

 

[bbobb]

Great Post Aladine

Few points:

While I think you raise some valid concerns regarding use of the bench, the problem has been exaccerbated by our diabolical handling. Ironically, our ball control in this appauling conditions at Newcastle was better than it had been for the previous three weeks.

Defence is primarily about attitiude. That attitude is normally reflected in line speed and shape'. In the Rabbitohs game both of thse facets were deplorable. In the gane aginst the Dogs, it was for the most part very good as was the attitude. I believe that the players are fit enough to handle the defensive work load so long as their attitude remains solid. I do however agree that fatigue can impact attitude.

To my mind the role of the bench is to provide impact. The primary aspect of this impact is in attack. Yes, they do have a defensive role but I feel a bench player would not be picked on their defensive capabilities as the main criteria.

I actually believe that in the longer term when we are playing semi-final football (and I believe we will), having fitter players who are used to working harder and maintaining that positive attitude towards defence will stand us in good stead.

I do however struggle with having a Mitch Brown and geoff Danilea sitting on the bench. A utility is a utility (Can play in the backs or forwards). Neither of those players are going to have a positive effect in attack or defence. I would much rather a player who can play the role of game breaker in attack.

Put succinctly - we hold the ball. We do less defence. On that point, I think the re-introduction of Robert Lui will grealty help our cause here. In the second half against the Knights he played a more traditonal half-back role and gave structure to our attack which leads to more confidence in the players around him. I like Benji at second reciever, where he can get the license to do what he is best at - play what he sees and a more ad-lib style.

Anyway - Go Wests Tigers! :sign: