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Going forward, our spine is a mess. Our forward pack is shaping nicely. I’m interested in people’s thoughts: what’s more important in building a squad - getting the spine right or getting the forwards right? Madge seems to be focusing on getting a tough pack set but is this to the detriment of an effective spine?
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Chicken or the egg?
Seriously, forwards give the thrust but the spine is the rudder of everything.
So I’d go with the spine (in theory) but realistically, they both need focus. -
We’ve got most of the pack right, when players are fit. The spine is the issue, with Benji at the back end of his career, Brooks struggling to assert any type of authority and control on the game, Doueihi playing on 1 leg and Harry heading back to Melbourne next season. We’re well served at 9 with Liddle and Simpkin, I’m not worried about that. It will be interesting to see if Brooks plays any better at 6 or whether his role remains exactly the same. We need someone who can control and close out a game. And therein lies our big problem…
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Has to be the pack, and luckily for us, it’s looking good. The spine is another story. The 1, 6, 7 and 9 that run out for us round 1 next season is anyone’s guess. You’d think Dewey and Brooks will be two of them, whether they are 1 and 7, idk. I got a feeling AD will end up at 6 with AJ or Mbye at fullback.
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@willow said in Spine or Pack?:
We’ve got most of the pack right, when players are fit. The spine is the issue, with Benji at the back end of his career, Brooks struggling to assert any type of authority and control on the game, Doueihi playing on 1 leg and Harry heading back to Melbourne next season. We’re well served at 9 with Liddle and Simpkin, I’m not worried about that. It will be interesting to see if Brooks plays any better at 6 or whether his role remains exactly the same. We need someone who can control and close out a game. And therein lies our big problem…
James Moloney for a year would do the job
Can also kick goals
Defence is the problem but most halves do struggle with Defence
He may be interested in coming home to Australia
Brooks could learn something from him
And if he can’t its time to let brooks goOthers have mentioned Sezer but out of the two I would go Moloney
I would be very happy with Gareth Widdop for a year
Another option is
Jackson HastingsSalford Red Devils’ story this year is a true underdog story, Ian Watson’s men were expected to be relegation candidates, his team and Jackson Hastings had something to say about that. They’ve reached the play-offs defying anyone’s expectations, and Hastings has had a stellar year. He’s one of the nominees for the Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel award, he’s assisted an astonishing 36 tries, scored 8 and made 3763 metres
I know its super league but still very impressive stats -
I think we are looking pretty good in the forwards. The spine is a big concern for me at present, I think Doueihi is a centre, Benji is past his best, Brooks seems to be really struggling under Madge, we lose Grant next year and at this stage Liddle has been unable to stay on the field.
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Forwards win football matches…Backs decide by how much…
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Pack needed attention first. They will allow our spine, no matter how ordinary they look, to even get into the game.
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@Geo said in Spine or Pack?:
Forwards win football matches…Backs decide by how much…
This right here
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Both are the problem. Our forwards were outclassed by a Warriors pack last week and our spine outside Harry has been poor all year…and when are we ever going to get a goal kicker
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Good question.
Doesn’t matter how good the spine is, it won’t function well behind a pack that’s going backwards.
I think Maguire has got his priorities right. Get the pack going forward and defending the middle then sort the spine out. -
Yep pack leader first … then the rest.
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@WT2K said in Spine or Pack?:
@Geo said in Spine or Pack?:
Forwards win football matches…Backs decide by how much…
This right here
To a certain degree. Over that 9 year qld domination they hardly ever beat us in the middle. At best they matched us.
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We just need some classy players!
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Dragons (2019-20) and Bulldogs (2017-20) are good case studies to show what happens when a good or decent forward pack is led around by numpties. They have the forwards to go up against any team, yet they suck.
You need to have two dominant player makers in your spine, with a third decent option. It doesn’t matter whether it is your 1, 6, 7 or 9. Newcastle show why you need balance. Pinning everything on Pearce allows defenders to gang up on him. Kurt Mann is good if they have a dominant 9, but with the fill-ins they’ve had, he doesn’t offer enough to take attention from Pearce. Ponga is always going to be your third play maker.
Some food for thought. Apply it to us how you see fit. I think Doueihi fits in well as a third play maker. Grant has been posing threats all season at 9. The problem seems to be that we have games where both the 6 and 7 clock off.
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