Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor gives halves Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses licence to entertain

[supercoach]

I love attacking footy as much as the next bloke, but I wonder…. how many times do you think Cameron Smith or Darren Lockyer went to their coach and asked to be "let off the leash"?

Not that I read too much into the comments. Typical pre-season attempt to get more members.

Thats my read on the article to, just the usual fluff we get at this time of the year

 

[happy_tiger]

The other question I'm interested to hear is what do people think Brooks strength is

Running game or passing game ??

Look I think his running game has potential as he is quite strong when he runs the ball

Early in games I'd love to see him run at the defence when he has room to move

It really puts defences in two minds if your 7 runs early and will help Moses's running game as well , particularly if Moses runs straight after

I've always been a big believer that close to the line that your halves running one after the other can be devastating if they get reasonably quick play the balls

I agree his running game has potential.

If anything I'd say he decides a little too early when he's going to run or pass, so on a run play the ball tends to get tucked before he has the opposition guessing.

But he is fast enough even over a short distance, and he's a good size/shape. He probably also needs to try to get a fend going a bit as well, because from memory lots of his runs are just NFL-style rushes with back tightly packed. Compare to a Tim Simona, who looks to defeat the defender with a fend rather than just tackle busting.

I think what you pointed out, the halves taking strategic runs together, is something the Roosters had built success on with Pearce (more of stepper) followed by Maloney (more of a hole runner).

Still looking for Brooks to bring a more consistent kicking game too, because I think he has plenty of boot and decent control. It's almost like he need to be in a groove, because sometimes his kicking is quite excellent.

Totally agree , he tucks the ball far too early when he is going to run and it is telegraphed

And the other issue if something then changes in the defensive line he then telegraph's he has changed his mind

Think of Sterling ,Johns ,Langer and Lewis ,they always carried the ball in two hands , were all devastating ball runners using all different styles to break down defences whether it be footwork , strength ,guile or speed

 

[happy_tiger]

And you mentioned the Roosters and I was thinking of Lam and Fittler

Quite often Lam would take the line on and then Fittler would follow straight up and take the line on after a quick play the ball and he would isolate a prop and just hit him with that big right foot step

I think Moses with his speed and footwork could be just as effective , but the key needs to be a quick play the ball , making sure Brooks hits the hole and then if he doesn't make the break hits the ground on his belly and gets up quickly

 

[stevetiger]

Im saying its a pretty big call from young guys like Moses and Brooks to come out and openly question the coaches tactics.

They need to come out and back it up now.

Im looking forward to the changes though.

They aren't stating anything that wasn't completely clear to us last year. Taylor muffed up his game plans last year.

Now the pressure is on Brooks and Moses to perform. I think they can both have good seasons but time will tell.

 

[Tigerdon]

Quote "People talk about five hit ups and a bomb, well let me tell you most teams do it for 3/4 of a game because it works. "
I'd rather watch "hand-puppeteering" (afl) or union than that. Which is why I'm Tigers fan..yes the Tigers style can be frustrating but it makes u jump out of your chair involuntarily.
Bombing to a winger doesn't excite me either. Watching Brooks and Moses set up Teddy/Simonia/Nofo does.

 

[Geo]

I believe stevetiger believes Taylor muffed up the game plans last year…I could be wrong...

 

[pHyR3]

This is how they should have been allowed to play from round 1 last year, except Taylor wanted us to play like the Chooks. Hopefully we're a bit more exciting to watch with ball in hand this year. It would be great to see Simona get more quality ball as I don't think I've seen him this fit, and Nofoaluma looked sharp in the Storm trial. Here's hoping…

honestly. it may be unpopular and it was godawful to watch, but i think that year of dead boring structure taught us how to play boring and with some defence that i haven't seen at the club since at least 2011 maybe even 2005 which isnt saying much but it was definitely an improvement from 2013-14.

point is, if we can effectively choose when to play boring and try to grind it out like 2015 and then switch it on as needed that is what makes a top 8 or even top 4 side.

issue is we could never switch it on in 2015, and had lapses in our D at times during games

 

[innsaneink]

I believe stevetiger believes Taylor muffed up the game plans last year…I could be wrong...

Yeh, think I may have read that once or twothousandtimes :bash

 

[TrueTiger]

I believe stevetiger believes Taylor muffed up the game plans last year…I could be wrong...

Correct GEO,Steve is always bagging out JT for his game plans and structures,he fails to see that JT was teaching the young ones about NRL defensive structures…Steve also loves to tell me how I crucify Robbie by stating the things that he has done in the last couple of years,yet he continually crucifies JT....double standards I would think...

 

[happy_tiger]

Barring 2005, the successful teams always have a hard edge when it comes to defense.

Even in 2005 we only conceded on average around 9 points a game during the semis

 

[foreveratiger]

Quote "People talk about five hit ups and a bomb, well let me tell you most teams do it for 3/4 of a game because it works. "
I'd rather watch "hand-puppeteering" (afl) or union than that. Which is why I'm Tigers fan..yes the Tigers style can be frustrating but it makes u jump out of your chair involuntarily.
Bombing to a winger doesn't excite me either. Watching Brooks and Moses set up Teddy/Simonia/Nofo does.

Yeah i agree with the Tries from Bombs , i have always said that tries from Bombs should only be worth 2 Points as in my opinion it's a Lottery play…..i still can see Lote Tuqiri knocking that ball on vs the Warriors ( in the Semis that we lost ) , the cross field Bomb that led to the Krisnan Inu Try .
I know it's within the rules of the game but i just don't feel it has the same value as a Try going through the hands of 11 players and making 70 Metres to score a brilliant team TRY .

Tries from Bombs are a Lottery play for mine.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

People seem to think that throwing the ball around is written into the clubs constitution. We don't have to play the style we did last yr, but we don't have to revert back to our 05 style to be successful either.

 

[Russell]

I believe stevetiger believes Taylor muffed up the game plans last year…I could be wrong...

I think so Geo. He as only mentioned it 499 times so far, I think one more time should convince us. LOL

 

[diedpretty]

"Robbie Farah praised the arrival of attacking coach Craig Sandercock, who made a point of asking Farah, Brooks and Moses what plays they wanted to embrace. Farah, like Brooks, hopes to adopt more of a running game again."

Oh Hallelujah - the attacking coaching savior has arrived. Oh wait he came from Newcastle.

 

[Pawsandclaws]

I believe stevetiger believes Taylor muffed up the game plans last year…I could be wrong...

Correct GEO,Steve is always bagging out JT for his game plans and structures,he fails to see that JT was teaching the young ones about NRL defensive structures…Steve also loves to tell me how I crucify Robbie by stating the things that he has done in the last couple of years,yet he continually crucifies JT....double standards I would think...

Can't wait for the JT crew to remind us of how the new defensive structure/masterpiece implemented by the famed said coach saved us from the wooden spoon.

 

[Tigerdon]

"Robbie Farah praised the arrival of attacking coach Craig Sandercock, who made a point of asking Farah, Brooks and Moses what plays they wanted to embrace. Farah, like Brooks, hopes to adopt more of a running game again."

Oh Hallelujah - the attacking coaching savior has arrived. Oh wait he came from Newcastle.

Maybe Newcastle didn't have the skills to execute anything an attacking coach came up with.

 

[jirskyr]

I believe stevetiger believes Taylor muffed up the game plans last year…I could be wrong...

Yeh, think I may have read that once or twothousandtimes :bash

Yeah but at least now JT has learned his lesson and changed his plans.

 

[pHyR3]

"Robbie Farah praised the arrival of attacking coach Craig Sandercock, who made a point of asking Farah, Brooks and Moses what plays they wanted to embrace. Farah, like Brooks, hopes to adopt more of a running game again."

Oh Hallelujah - the attacking coaching savior has arrived. Oh wait he came from Newcastle.

Maybe Newcastle didn't have the skills to execute anything an attacking coach came up with.

JT came from the chooks; tried to implement their structures and got crucified because we werent good enough to adapt.

its about the individual, not what club he came from

 

[jirskyr]

Don't know what part of our defence improved cause there was no improvement on the 2nd half of the Season.

I looked it up the averages when I got home.

1st half 2011 - scored 21.50 ppg, conceded 20.00 (diff +1.50), 7th place
2nd half 2011 - scored 21.75 ppg, conceded 15.83 (+5.92), 4th place

1st half 2012 - scored 21.58 ppg, conceded 18.58 (+3.00), 4th place
2nd half 2012 - scored 20.58 ppg, conceded 27.33 (-6.48), 10th place

1st half 2013 - scored 13.75 ppg (!), conceded 27.08 (-13.33), 14th place
2nd half 2013 - scored 18.42 ppg, conceded 30.17 (-12.05), 15th place

1st half 2014 - scored 20.92 ppg, conceded 21.83 (-0.91), 7th place
2nd half 2014 - scored 14.08 ppg, conceded 30.75 (-16.67), 13th place

1st half 2015 - scored 17.58 ppg, conceded 20.17 (-2.59), 13th place
2nd half 2015 - scored 23.17 ppg conceded 26.50 (-3.33), 15th place

Several things:
- The defence for the first 12 rounds of 2015 was the 4th-best performance of any half-season since 2010 (N = 10). It was also the best defensive half-season since start of 2012\. Does this coincide with the "shackled" and possibly incorrect game plan? Attack is 3rd lowest in the previous 3 seasons (N=6).

- The defensive ppg blows out in the back half of 2015\. Does this coincide with what is generally believed to be an unshackling of the attack? The attack improves, but the gap between attack and defence worsens.

- 2011 is the only season where defence improves in the back half.

- Any half-season where attack > defence is a very good one, not just an ok one. At the middle-point of 2012 we were 4th on the table.

 

[Tim Sheens]

"Robbie Farah praised the arrival of attacking coach Craig Sandercock, who made a point of asking Farah, Brooks and Moses what plays they wanted to embrace. Farah, like Brooks, hopes to adopt more of a running game again."

Oh Hallelujah - the attacking coaching savior has arrived. Oh wait he came from Newcastle.

Maybe Newcastle didn't have the skills to execute anything an attacking coach came up with.

Yet they still beat us twice last year.