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boonboon

Well-known member
Just to get off the Robbie crap for a while

I had a look through our performances last year and I noticed something. A key problem for us was when our centres were injured or unavailable. Now this makes sense but the amount of difference this made is crazy

Tigers 2015 when either Hoeter or Milone or Both played
Wins - 1
Losses - 7
For Ave- 16.25 points
Against Ave - 26.88

When neither played
Wins -7
Losses - 9
For Ave - 22.31
Against Ave - 21.69

So having Simona and Nofa on the field (as Patty and Kevie played almost every game) made a huge difference.

We really need to keep them fit this year but also find some other backup (which I think we have to an extent)
 
@Boonboon2 said:
Just to get off the Robbie crap for a while

I had a look through our performances last year and I noticed something. A key problem for us was when our centres were injured or unavailable. Now this makes sense but the amount of difference this made is crazy

Tigers 2015 when either Hoeter or Milone or Both played
Wins - 1
Losses - 7
For Ave- 16.25 points
Against Ave - 26.88

When neither played
Wins -7
Losses - 9
For Ave - 22.31
Against Ave - 21.69

So having Simona and Nofa on the field (as Patty and Kevie played almost every game) made a huge difference.

We really need to keep them fit this year but also find some other backup (which I think we have to an extent)
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x2

Nofoaluma and SImona are crucial for our attack. Hopefully Naiqama, Addo-Carr/Kharwin will chip in.
 
Very interesting indeed…..what it also shows is when our full backline is available, we obviously score more points and whats the saying " attack is the best form of defense.
 
Nice analysis.

In saying all this, the wins and points with preferred centres aren't great either - we aren't going to trouble anyone with 50% wins from first-choice teams.

BUT, I really noticed, quite badly, how many points we leaked when second-choice centres were defending. Not just as an analysis of defensive records, but watching teams punch holes in us during some games. At LO I sit in the Keith Barnes and it's really apparent, from behind the posts, when centres make defensive errors against set plays. This was particularly evident in the Penrith and Titans games.

It's not the old "oh Benji is a turnstile" or "Moses struggles 1:1". It's more that we carry some borderline-acceptable first-choice defenders already, and when you partner them with inexperienced (or slow) backups, the group as a whole does not stand up to repeated pressure.

In other words, having Brooks or Moses flanked by Milone or Sarge is a recipe for disaster.

I haven't the spare time just now, but I'd love to see analysis on the try-scoring channels that teams favoured against us in 2015\. I did a review after the Penrith game, and every backline move was focused on the gap between half and centre, in an effort to either get the fullback through or draw the opposition winger in for a cut-out.

Nofo is another bloke who makes poor defensive reads, he really needs to work on that in 2016.
 
I have no idea what the backline will even next year??

Teddy.SOmene.Simona.Kev? Nofa. Moses.Brooks.

Will Kev play centre? Nofa?? Seve??? Is Carr in the mix?
 
@jirskyr said:
In other words, having Brooks or Moses flanked by Milone or Sarge is a recipe for disaster.
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Yep, this was a huge issue for us last year. Whilst Milone and Hoeter were just kids thrown into the fire and clearly not up to it, even our first choice 17 struggled on the edges for the most part. Other teams ran their halves wider with back rowers on their shoulder, forced our guys to make decisions and punched holes in us week after week.
Not a surprise really given we lost our entire starting backrow from 2014 (Fulton, Blair and Thompson) and our centres were either injured (Simona) or out of position (Nofo, Naiqama) for large periods.
Not sure who will end up as right centre, but we'll be asking a lot of Sirro and Lawrence (or whoever plays as the wide backrowers) to both protect the halves and work well in tandem with their respective centres.
 
@Boonboon2 said:
the amount of difference this made is crazy
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It makes a huge difference. We had no depth plus we had one of the slowest wingers in the game on one wing.

I'm hopeful that getting rid of Richards will help and hopefully we have bought some depth.
 
@stevetiger said:
@Boonboon2 said:
the amount of difference this made is crazy

It makes a huge difference. We had no depth plus we had one of the slowest wingers in the game on one wing.

I'm hopeful that getting rid of Richards will help and hopefully we have bought some depth.
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Click to expand...

You don't know who we have purchased?
 
I wonder if Rankin will be considered a contender for right centre? From what I've read he's predominantly played at 1 or 6 in England, which will obviously have incumbents already here.
 
If it looks like:
Teddy
Hunt (I'm plugging for him)
Simona
Kev
Nofa
Moses
Brooks

The main problem is Nofa reading the play. If he and Kev can fix that before round 1 (he put Kev in all sorts of dodgy predicaments this year) we should be half way there.
If the back rowers are Siro and Rowdy I think they can protect the halves. If it is other back rowers we'll have to wait and see.
 
@magpiecol said:
@stevetiger said:
@Boonboon2 said:
the amount of difference this made is crazy

It makes a huge difference. We had no depth plus we had one of the slowest wingers in the game on one wing.

I'm hopeful that getting rid of Richards will help and hopefully we have bought some depth.

You don't know who we have purchased?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I think Josh Addo-Carr and Justin Hunt will be pushing for outside back spots. Maybe some of the young kids like Seve will kick on as well.

I think one of these players in place of Richards will help us. The problem last year was when we lost Simona we had nothing on the left side. When Simona was there he could somewhat cover for Richards lack of pace.
 
No offense to Patty but most of his tries last year were a result of Teddy or Simona basically putting him over the line untouched. If we can replace him with someone who has a bit of pace & power that will keep defences in 2 minds & hopefully bring us some more points.

Wouldn't mind seeing Seve at left centre with Simona on the wing. Imagine a back 3 of Teddy, Nofo & Simona!
 
Interesting stat. I remember Andrew Johns saying he thought center was the most important defensive position on the field.

These days with so many second man plays the edge defence is so important. Same with attack as centers are often the last pass before a try.

Neither Milone or Hoeter (as a center) are first grade standard. Gone are the days when a winger/fullback/back rower can fill in at center, it really is a specilist position. Hopefully Simona has an injury free year and eithe Seve or Heleta pefrorm well enough to take the other one.
 
@ricksen said:
I wonder if Rankin will be considered a contender for right centre? From what I've read he's predominantly played at 1 or 6 in England, which will obviously have incumbents already here.
Click to expand...

Ive wondered that too, the guy has an electric running game. would like to see him given a crack there over the trials.
 
I think the problem was much more acute than this because simona was injured early in games on at least 3-4 occasions necessitating a reshuffle that affected our edge defence. I think it happened on about a few times in a row when Lawrence was firstly shifted out. The most telling example was against Penrith when Lovett was shifted there. When our starting centres finished games we won more than we lost.
 
Obviously alot has to do with the re-shuffling of players and injuries. If we keep the same outside backs for the majority of the year the defense will improve out of sight imo. There just wasn't any cohesion and very little trust in the inside defenders.

Apart from lack of cohesion in the backs, as mentioned by RICKSEN, alot of the problems stem from the middle edges not doing a good enough job.
Expecting Joel Edwards to improve one of the back row edges (he can tackle and has some decent speed). Sirro needs to go to another level and start hitting harder and sticking.
 
@stevetiger said:
@greatodensraven said:
Wouldn't mind seeing Seve at left centre with Simona on the wing. Imagine a back 3 of Teddy, Nofo & Simona!

That would be good. Simona is great in the centres as well.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Simona's progress as a centre last season was great(when he wasn't injured), he will be every bit as good as Jennings in no time at all.
 
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