LIVE GAME Round 21 versus Panthers

[Needaname]

It took us over 20mins to get down their end, a chip kick or grubber behind the line 50m+ out would have had everyone on here baying for blood. For better or worse if we want to be a competitive team we have to be able to grind it out up the middle, earn the right to throw the ball around and try a few trick shots. Once you can defend your errors and recover field position it opens the game up and the options for you in attack. This was why the dogs attack was so dour last year and everyone was calling for Ciraldo's head. They were building the resiliency and systems in defence and attack until it was just muscle memory.

Do you see us building in the same fashion?

 

[Needaname]

I'm disappointed but not for the reasons you may think. We lost by heaps and didn't play too badly. That means the opposition was way out of our league. That's kind of disheartening learning how far behind the top teams we are. A reality check for our guys.

To put that into perspective despite there being probably a similar amount of change in both 17s from last year the difference is that Penriths change was to players outside their core, that has mostly remained in tact and it’s the younger inexperienced players that had to develop into the structures of the side.
Alternatively our core is relatively new our consistency in the side is built up of the support players that have been here long term such as Seyfarth, Twal, Doueihi, Pole and To’a. Compare that to Edwards, Cleary, Yeo, Martin and To’o.

 

[Needaname]

What do you reckon about their running style. Imo Seyfarth, Twal and May need to run with alot less verticality, what I mean is run more head first into tackles leaning forward more as they hit the line would help them land forward and hit the ground on their front. Atm when they run at the line particularly Twal he looks like he's hitting it standing straight making it much easier for the opposition to grab, wrestle and dominate the tackle.

To get a quick play the ball, you basically have to concede in contact. Ie hit and drop. As Jolls mentioned in an earlier post too high and they can use your body in the momentum of the tackle. Unless you can take advantage of running at a single or weak defender to break a tackle or the line, hit and drop is the more effective play.

 

[liltiger]

It took us over 20mins to get down their end, a chip kick or grubber behind the line 50m+ out would have had everyone on here baying for blood. For better or worse if we want to be a competitive team we have to be able to grind it out up the middle, earn the right to throw the ball around and try a few trick shots. Once you can defend your errors and recover field position it opens the game up and the options for you in attack. This was why the dogs attack was so dour last year and everyone was calling for Ciraldo's head. They were building the resiliency and systems in defence and attack until it was just muscle memory.

Thinking about it, you make a really good point. We could be on the same trajectory provided our recruitment is as specific as the Bulldogs was and not as sporadic as our used to be with signings for the sake of signings. The Bulldogs were very specific and meticulous with the guys they brought in. I was saying for ages they'll go nowhere because they don't have any size in their pack. How wrong I was.

 

[Needaname]

Thinking about it, you make a really good point. We could be on the same trajectory provided our recruitment is as specific as the Bulldogs was and not as sporadic as our used to be with signings for the sake of signings. The Bulldogs were very specific and meticulous with the guys they brought in. I was saying for ages they'll go nowhere because they don't have any size in their pack. How wrong I was.

It’s a long bow but I tried rewatching some games from 23 dogs season looking for signs that they were building a consistent structure despite being soundly beaten. You kinda see it in the games.

 

[TheEnz]

It’s a long bow but I tried rewatching some games from 23 dogs season looking for signs that they were building a consistent structure despite being soundly beaten. You kinda see it in the games.

Until we can defend our errors we will always be playing as conservatively as possible. The interesting thing is once you know you can defend your errors they happen very rarely because you play with confidence and you know you can always revert back to the grind to get ascendancy when momentum is against you instead of trying a hail mary play, Panthers, Dogs and to a lesser extent canberra and the Storm all do this.

 

[TSP]

Thinking about it, you make a really good point. We could be on the same trajectory provided our recruitment is as specific as the Bulldogs was and not as sporadic as our used to be with signings for the sake of signings. The Bulldogs were very specific and meticulous with the guys they brought in. I was saying for ages they'll go nowhere because they don't have any size in their pack. How wrong I was.

I’ll have to join you on the gallows re dogs pack.

 

[Needaname]

Until we can defend our errors we will always be playing as conservatively as possible. The interesting thing is once you know you can defend your errors they happen very rarely because you play with confidence and you know you can always revert back to the grind to get ascendancy when momentum is against you instead of trying a hail mary play, Panthers, Dogs and to a lesser extent canberra and the Storm all do this.

It’s the same story again isn’t it. I only watched the game in patches but reading through the play to play cruicial errors by us gave them territory and momentum to capitalise where as we just can’t take advantage in the same fashion at the moment.
I wonder about the penalty goal. For me that is a negative play at nil all. For me it gives a message to the side that we can’t score against your defence so we’ll have to take alternative options. Alternatively getting possession on the line and not scoring from it can be even more mentally boosting for the opposition. It’s the lesser of two evils really when you’re playing a tough opposition. I get it now though after watching the presser that Benji intended to go the distance with them the way they play. Is that a sign that he isn’t satisfied with a win whatever it takes like we did agaisnt the Titans and a look towards let’s build up our game so that when it all falls together we can maintain it for the long haul.