Too Slow

[balmain boy]

JAC ok fine, he’s fast. James Roberts. But actually IMO I feel that many sides do not have speed merchants out wide - many sides are going for power in the centres and height out wide.

E.g. Broncos - have Roberts ok. But also Oates and Bird. Dragons are all stocky - Aitken, Lafai, Ravalawa, Pereira. Knights have Ramien, SKD, Lee - that’s power and height there. For Roosters, Manu and Latrell are powerful rather than fast, and Tupou is an ostrich. Warriors - Kata, Hiku, Maumalo, Fusitu’a - mostly a power game. Sharks have Dugan and Morris - lacking for speed. Storm - Scott and Chambers, JAC and Vunivalu. That’s far more power and centre craft than pure pace.

Practically every single player you mentioned is faster than everyone in our outside backs. Or at least equal to them.
For this year our only option is to promote Smith to wing. We don't have any fast backs in ISP. Flegg remains to be seen, haven't had a chance to see any of our boys in open space.

 

[jirskyr]

Corey Thompson is fast enough as is Mbye. And frankly I've never seen Esan Marsters in an all-out footrace with Solomone Kata or Jack Bird, so it remains to be argue who is faster. Luke Brooks is arguably one of the fastest HBs in the entire comp, but I've never actually seen him footrace many of the other HBs, nor do I have access to all the team's sprint data.

And then to say everyone I mentioned "is at least as fast as our own backline" - well that's pretty mcuh my point. If they are all about the same pace, then the pace differential ceases to exist = not a talking point. You are either clearly faster than someone, or you are all about the same.

So if we are going to buy for speed, let's be legitimate and talk about players who are so fast that we can all agree who is faster, rather than some vague assertion that some players in other backlines may or may not be slightly faster or slower than our backline.

 

[balmain boy]

You only need to be faster than the person chasing you (/you're chasing) to score or prevent a try.

I'd say that all of the players you've mentioned, bar maybe Bird, are faster than our fastest outside back (thompson)

We have, by far, the slowest backline in the comp. And it's disappointing.

 

[The_Patriot]

There will be a failed NFL player looking for an NRL contract pretty soon I think.

Rhymes with Ballentine Jones

I wouldnt be so sure he is going to fail. The system he is is the same one that promoted Jordan Malata to the NFL draft. Worst case he will get a shot on someones practice squad. Maybe even the Patriots.

You really think he is giving that up.

 

[The_Patriot]

You only need to be faster than the person chasing you (/you’re chasing) to score or prevent a try.

I’d say that all of the players you’ve mentioned, bar maybe Bird, are faster than our fastest outside back (thompson)

We have, by far, the slowest backline in the comp. And it’s disappointing.

Thats the absolute reality of the situation. I wait to see how people try and excuse it and argue it however. Makes for light entertainment.

 

[earl]

Masters was great when he wasn't making mistakes. The problem is that he made a lot of mistakes.

 

[upthetigers]

We really need some speed on Fonuas wing

You want to drop one of our best players? Jennings doesn't even look fit give me a break.

 

[Tiger_Steve]

I think Marsters is an exceptional footballer but he frustrates me. He dances and steps and jinks. I want to see him run on to the ball and try to beat a man through speed through a gap. Can’t recall him stretching out apart from when playing for New Zealand

 

[The_Patriot]

I think Marsters is an exceptional footballer but he frustrates me. He dances and steps and jinks. I want to see him run on to the ball and try to beat a man through speed through a gap. Can’t recall him stretching out apart from when playing for New Zealand

Was at the game and watching him very closely. He had had a quiet start to the season so i was expecting a big game.

Unfortunately Luke Brooks and Benji Marshall are destroying him. He is not Chris Lawrence or the kind of player to hit a hole after the half does all the razzle dazzle.

Same situation as Latrel Mitchell. The only way you use him is to give him early ball and give it to him often.

Marsters is not getting early ball . When he does get early ball he will beat the first man on almost every occasion.

 

[earl]

Unfortunately Luke Brooks and Benji Marshall are destroying him. He is not Chris Lawrence or the kind of player to hit a hole after the half does all the razzle dazzle.

Same situation as Latrel Mitchell. The only way you use him is to give him early ball and give it to him often.

Marsters is not getting early ball . When he does get early ball he will beat the first man on almost every occasion.

I take it you didn't watch the game. Benji was giving him early ball all the time.

Marsters also made a fair number of breaks and then he dropped it or played the ball incorrectly.

 

[AL The Tiger]

He made 2 errors…

 

[The_Patriot]

I take it you didn’t watch the game. Benji was giving him early ball all the time.

Marsters also made a fair number of breaks and then he dropped it or played the ball incorrectly.

Lol no he wasnt. Just passing him the ball isnt early ball.

 

[maxxy86]

Looks like Jennings is our Lolihea this season….but I honestly say I don’t really know. Wasn’t an avid rabbits supporter.

 

[TigerSJ]

IMO Marsters is generally dangerous in Attack and suspect in D. I thought he did look most likely to make a break or create something, other than Brooks, however both made way too many errors - which stopped us from building any pressure.
Jennings looks really ordinary at the moment which makes me wonder if he needs to be hungrier by spending some time in reserves, or whether he needs to be on the wing and not in the centres.
We are getting nothing from Mbye at all, and looked better with Thompson at the back. Maybe we need a shake up in the outside backs and fullback to get these guys firing as we certainly looked like we have no spark in attack. Really the only attack we have had this season has come through Farrah and without him having another blinder against the dogs, it looked like we had very little.

The thing that surprised me the most was the lack of condition we showed in the latter part of the first half. The third try the Dogs scored was simply the inside forwards not coming across thus leaving a huge gap on the inside and if you look closely it is Aloiai and Mikaele that are the culprits - they looked completely gassed. Perhaps losing Garner threw our rotation out and some guys played too many minutes.
Without the line speed in D and the lack of aggression in the wrestle we lost the forward battle, and when you lose that so clearly, it becomes hard to win the game.
As for the forwards - Twal tried hard but Matulino was soft. Garner was injured and Matterson was shuffled around the park. Taylor puts in a solid effort always but is no game breaker. I thought Packer had some impact when he was on and the rest were just very average in enthusiasm and hunger.

 

[upthetigers]

Scored a lot of tries for the bunnies but any winger would have scored those tries. Still has everything to prove at the Tigers if he wants to keep his spot.

 

[Tim Sheens]

if you look closely it is Aloiai and Mikaele that are the culprits - they looked completely gassed. Perhaps losing Garner threw our rotation out and some guys played too many minutes.

Despite the breeze disadvantage, we were well in the game with Mats and Twal at worst holding their own in the middle for the opening stint with Taylor mopping up, but went backwards when the interchanges began for mine. Only noticed reasonably increased minutes from Twal and MCK, who was cramping up after cameo appearances at the end of the first two matches.

Thought we looked much better when Elijah and Ben belatedly returned later in the second half.

* List item

 

[prattenparkchild]

Geez, some of our people here are hard task masters. A loss and the knives are out. Common fellas, Maguire is doing what he can with the squad he has inherited from an uninterested and distracted merkin whose recruitment / retention decisions whilst at WT in 2018 will forever be judged against his bailing on us to go to Penrith. The existing team is playing pretty well and we should support them anyway, not trash them the moment we loose. I love the way Maguire tore them an new one after the game- passion and hard love like that is what we have needed for a long time. Players know they cant coast.

There will be turnover at end of season but like its so often stated here- we can only make offers, its up to the players to decide- and we know the real names in the game don't come here. We have to try to unearth an up and comer or someone form ESL but there aren't that many big, fast and experienced wingers around are there.

 

[Matto]

What would you rather tho? A fast but inexperienced team or an experienced but slow team? Cos at the moment, we have a bit too much experience overshadowing the speed and youth (Reyno, Garner, McIntyre, etc)

 

[upthetigers]

Speed in the backline without question.

 

[innsaneink]

On the rare occasion we make a break or find space down the sideline it seems we are always run down…. Our guys coming to a stop to come infield killing momentum... Don't need need a spreadsheet or sliderule to see this