happy_tiger
Well-known member
Good article on the NRL page about the Tigers
Tigers hunt new showstoppers
- Thread starter happy_tiger
- Start date
Tigers hunt new showstoppers
By Matt Encarnacion
1:30pm Wed 26th February, 2014
Tigers forward Adam Blair believes the side is still capable of attacking flair despite the departure of Benji Marshall. Copyright Grant Trouville/NRL Photos.
Tigers forward Adam Blair believes the side is still capable of attacking flair despite the departure of Benji Marshall. Copyright Grant Trouville/NRL Photos.
They were once the NRL's great entertainers, a guaranteed box office smash that could prompt expressions of wide-eyed wonderment from even the most casual of rugby league fans.
But with premier attraction Benji Marshall gone, it wouldn't surprise if coach Mick Potter implanted a more conservative playing style now that 18-year-old understudy Luke Brooks has been declared ready for the spotlight.
Not so, according to second-rower Adam Blair, who believes Brooks, veteran Braith Anasta and back-ups Blake Austin and Mitchell Moses boast more than enough flamboyance between them to keep Tigers fans on their toes on that old Leichhardt hill.
What they don't have though – with the exception of the near-retired Anasta – is experience. In other words: there'll still be plenty of sizzle, but be ready for the occasional fizzle.
"Of course it'll be a new style," Blair told NRL.com.
"Especially with the halves we've got, they like to run the ball a lot. And they're strong too so it's good we've got those boys in there [now].
"But they're young kids. They've got some learning to do but they've started off well [in the trials]."
The biggest difference, Blair points out, is the fresh and direct route Brooks has given the team over summer. He won't mention Marshall's willingness to skip across-field in search of that magic pass –the type we fawned over time after time – but this year it's different.
"I'm only in the middle but our halves are going straight to the line and taking on the opposition," he continued. "When your halves are going to the line and playing at them, it not only helps them more, but it gives your back-rowers more options.
"We've missed that a bit [last year]. But I think they've stood up. Especially for the young kids, it gives them some confidence going into the season."
Disregarding the shellacking their NSW Cup side received from Parramatta in Alice Springs, defence was a feature of the Tigers' other two trial wins – a 32-8 landslide over Penrith in Camden and a 28-22 victory over Cronulla.
Blair said the team's defensive displays would give further confidence to the team's burgeoning talent base that will be heavily relied upon to lift them up the ladder this year.
"This year and during pre-season [defence] has been our main focus," he said. "Every team needs to defend well. And if you're defending well, you can attack really well. Especially for us, our main focus in the pre-season has been our defence and it's showed."
http://www.nrl.com/tigers-hunt-new-showstoppers/tabid/10874/newsid/76483/default.aspx
By Matt Encarnacion
1:30pm Wed 26th February, 2014
Tigers forward Adam Blair believes the side is still capable of attacking flair despite the departure of Benji Marshall. Copyright Grant Trouville/NRL Photos.
Tigers forward Adam Blair believes the side is still capable of attacking flair despite the departure of Benji Marshall. Copyright Grant Trouville/NRL Photos.
They were once the NRL's great entertainers, a guaranteed box office smash that could prompt expressions of wide-eyed wonderment from even the most casual of rugby league fans.
But with premier attraction Benji Marshall gone, it wouldn't surprise if coach Mick Potter implanted a more conservative playing style now that 18-year-old understudy Luke Brooks has been declared ready for the spotlight.
Not so, according to second-rower Adam Blair, who believes Brooks, veteran Braith Anasta and back-ups Blake Austin and Mitchell Moses boast more than enough flamboyance between them to keep Tigers fans on their toes on that old Leichhardt hill.
What they don't have though – with the exception of the near-retired Anasta – is experience. In other words: there'll still be plenty of sizzle, but be ready for the occasional fizzle.
"Of course it'll be a new style," Blair told NRL.com.
"Especially with the halves we've got, they like to run the ball a lot. And they're strong too so it's good we've got those boys in there [now].
"But they're young kids. They've got some learning to do but they've started off well [in the trials]."
The biggest difference, Blair points out, is the fresh and direct route Brooks has given the team over summer. He won't mention Marshall's willingness to skip across-field in search of that magic pass –the type we fawned over time after time – but this year it's different.
"I'm only in the middle but our halves are going straight to the line and taking on the opposition," he continued. "When your halves are going to the line and playing at them, it not only helps them more, but it gives your back-rowers more options.
"We've missed that a bit [last year]. But I think they've stood up. Especially for the young kids, it gives them some confidence going into the season."
Disregarding the shellacking their NSW Cup side received from Parramatta in Alice Springs, defence was a feature of the Tigers' other two trial wins – a 32-8 landslide over Penrith in Camden and a 28-22 victory over Cronulla.
Blair said the team's defensive displays would give further confidence to the team's burgeoning talent base that will be heavily relied upon to lift them up the ladder this year.
"This year and during pre-season [defence] has been our main focus," he said. "Every team needs to defend well. And if you're defending well, you can attack really well. Especially for us, our main focus in the pre-season has been our defence and it's showed."
http://www.nrl.com/tigers-hunt-new-showstoppers/tabid/10874/newsid/76483/default.aspx
TurnStyle
Well-known member
Thanks for posting that tigersman!
Counting down the days now…!
Counting down the days now…!
PYMBLEPETE
New member
Whatever else one might think of Blair you cant help but acknowledge that he can string more than two words together and that his analysis of the way the halves play a game and the likely impact for the Tigers from a change of approach are pretty apt.
PYMBLEPETE
New member
@spearby said:
Yeh I agree; he has got that bad miss in is game (well since coming to us he has!).
simonthetiger
New member
Adam Blair is my new Fitzy…..cant bare to watch him fluffing around,
BrotherJim05
New member
Out of all the players I want to see lift, Blair is at the top of the list. I will crack the biggest fat if I see him smash Merrin come round 1\. I want to see the BEAST IN HIM…THE BEASSSSTTTTTTT
happy_tiger
Well-known member
The title of the story would of been so much better if it had read
Tigers Hunt new showstopper
Tigers Hunt new showstopper
