The puzzle of the spine and backline

R

Rambo2714

New member
I think what most coaches generally try to do is get there best players in the 17 and then arrange them into the best possible positional structure.

So here is my crack at the puzzle of the spine and back line for 2012 :

1\. Benji Marshall
2\. Matt Utai
3\. Chris Lawrence
4\. Lote Tuquire
5\. Mitch Brown
6\. Tim Moltzen
7\. Robert lui
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I've thought about moving Marshall to Fullback on a few occasions… But, surely you dont rate Brown & Utai ahead of Ayshford?
 
Benji should be at 6\. I think the spine also includes Farah at 9\. Lui probably deserves first crack at 7\. Moltzen deserves a crack at 1\. That is the first option for our spine and to me you want them all there this year to make a call by the end of the year.

I'd have Lawrence & Ayshford in the centres and Tuqiri and Brown on the wings.

I think that either Lui or Moltzen will fail and one of them will end up at 7\. Then I'd move Brown to fullback and have Utai on the wing (if he stays).

What I'd love to see is a back 3 of fullback Lawrence and Tuqiri and Brown on the wings with Lawrence learning how to play fullback. That back 3 would have us on the front foot a lot of times when we start our sets. You could then have Lui, Moltzen and Benji rotating in the middle. If one of Lui or Moltzen fail you just bring in the next one.
 
@Rambo2714 said:
I think what most coaches generally try to do is get there best players in the 17 and then arrange them into the best possible positional structure.

So here is my crack at the puzzle of the spine and back line for 2012 :

1\. Benji Marshall
2\. Matt Utai
3\. Chris Lawrence
4\. Lote Tuquire
5\. Mitch Brown
6\. Tim Moltzen
7\. Robert lui
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I would have thought the approach would be to develop young players in playing positions, which suit their abilities. As they develop, the coach would then be in a position to select the best player for each position.
With your proposal, what happens, if you seven best players are all wingers?
 
Benji should be a 6 first and foremost. Sure, it's nice to think he might get more chances/time to break the line at fullback, but he won't run the ball back hard enough to be a fullback, plus, you completely limit him as a ball player.

I hope Mullaney gets a chance at fullback. We need a quality support player, like Wade Mac. Brown is quality too and he seems to be improving considering those high balls he has been taking this year. If he improves his support play, he should be our number 1.

Moltz has already had chances at 1, in fact the same as Brown. Brown is better. Moltz has to be our number 17 if he is going to stay. Or we could let Lui shop around (knowing that we have Miller) and give Moltz a good crack at 7 until Miller is ready.
 
A few of us were discussing the backline over a few beers at Henson Park yesterday and we kind of felt Moltzen is a 5/8 or HB at his best, so came up with this backline

Fb- Lote Tuqiri
W- Matt Utai
C- Lawrence
C- Ayshford
W- Mitch Brown
FE- Benji
Hb - Lui

I think getting Lote into FB will give him more space and time and utilise his power running especially as he gets older - he has everything you could want in a fullback - our only worry was that he does such amazing work outside Lawrence but we thought Brown could look great outside Lawrence
 
@boonboon said:
A few of us were discussing the backline over a few beers at Henson Park yesterday and we kind of felt Moltzen is a 5/8 or HB at his best, so came up with this backline

Fb- Lote Tuqiri
W- Matt Utai
C- Lawrence
C- Ayshford
W- Mitch Brown
FE- Benji
Hb - Lui

I think getting Lote into FB will give him more space and time and utilise his power running especially as he gets older - he has everything you could want in a fullback - our only worry was that he does such amazing work outside Lawrence but we thought Brown could look great outside Lawrence
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I remember Sheens being asked at the start of the season last year about Lote at 1.
He said something like "We'll stick him on the wing for a bit until he gets up to the pace of NRL"
Though that was before MacKinnons arrival.
 
Lets wait an see I think we will have at least one major signing for the backs for next year .On current personnel it would be
1 Brown
2 Utai
3 Ayshford
4 Lawrence
5 Tuqiri
6 Marshall
7 Lui
14 Moltzen
Only change maybe if the new Fijian Express proves himself during off season to be capable of cracking it in NRL . Obviously based on Utai re signing
 
1\. Jake Mullaney
2\. Lote Tuqiri
3\. Blake Ayshford
4\. Chris Lawrence
5\. Matt Utai
6\. Benji Marshall
7\. Robert Lui

If injuries occured my back up team:
1\. Brown
2\. Marika Koroibete
3\. Geoff Daniella
4\. Geoff Daniella
5\. Faleula Finau
6\. Tim Moltzen
7\. Jacob Miller
 
Save the $300,000 on Moltzen and punt him. (Which I find hard to believe)

Put Brown at Fullback or a younger specialist fullback…..value for money.
 
@Chunk said:
Save the $300,000 on Moltzen and punt him. (Which I find hard to believe)

Put Brown at Fullback or a younger specialist fullback…..value for money.
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To go against all my posts and this hurts because I am having a lot of fun with the Moltz = good times line. 300 grand is way overs for Moltzen at this point. Yes he has the ability to be at that level for a long time but so have plenty of other players that never got to that level.
 
Moltz on 300….. Seems like overs for mine. I noticed late in the game last week he went to fullback, I wonder if it will happen again today? Hope not!!
 
It's based on our current roster , and although I know nothing like it will ever happen . It gets all our best players in the run on side and all of them in positions which I believe they can and would excel.

Leaving Ayshford out is a tough call ,but I think he would be valuable on the bench as a utility IE can be used in forwards .

Marshall at fullback would carve up . Tuquire was signed to play Center and I believe he would be a power house there. This also accommodates both lui and moltz in he halfs where they will play well.
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Also the easier solution , to put moltz at fullback makes me nervous . I dont think he has the right set of abilities to be a FG full back . I think he has the ability to be a top half .

I think Marshall would be very good as full back as it gives him plenty of opportunities to attack broken defensive lines , reduces his work load in defense and still allows him to chime into the back line when necessary .
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@Rambo2714 said:
Also the easier solution , to put moltz at fullback makes me nervous . I dont think he has the right set of abilities to be a FG full back . I think he has the ability to be a top half .

I think Marshall would be very good as full back as it gives him plenty of opportunities to attack broken defensive lines , reduces his work load in defense and still allows him to chime into the back line when necessary .
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My issue with Benji at Full back is similiar to Moltzen Have seen him under a few bombs and he seems to lack commitment and confidence to the high ball
 
If we are experimenting, then my first "experiment" would be

1.Lawrence
2.Brown
3.Ayshford
4.Sironen
5.Tuqiri
6.Marshall
7.Lui/Miller
 
Moltzen failed to attack a bomb at the back - let it bounce - apparently listening to the game broadcast on radio on the way home
 
@innsaneink said:
Moltzen failed to attack a bomb at the back - let it bounce - apparently listening to the game broadcast on radio on the way home
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Not true - he had a really good game.
 
@biggest tigers fan said:
@tiger05 said:
@innsaneink said:
Moltzen failed to attack a bomb at the back - let it bounce - apparently listening to the game broadcast on radio on the way home

Not true - he had a really good game.

sure you werent watching the game vs the sharks in 2009?
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Yep - and plenty of posters on here knocking him should be admitting he had a good game today.

C'mon - it doesn't hurt to admit he had one good game.
 
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