Early Attack:
Our attack to start games is non existent. We got no ball player in the middle to start the game since Walker is on the bench and Hopgood ability in that department is gone backwards. We refuse to build pressure as well. We just go for the all of nothing play which doesn't come off. To start the game we gave away three 20m restarts. Moses needed to demand the ball and step up there. Really really poor. Hopefully JDB starting at lock next year helps with the link play. Need to work on attack structure anyway.
Effort:
First game in a long time I questioned some of the desire in the players. Iongi watching Duncan go all out for the ball on the floor was poor. Someone who has put effort on effort all year. I hope and believe that the effort issue is a one of game in our rebuilding year. Just got complacent and expected the win.
Support play:
How many linebreaks with no support play. Big area for Iongi to improve. Really wish Iongi had a bit better top speed. His footwork and acceleration is good. But he lacks the top speed to be a support player in time.
Tuilagi:
He runs great lines and has a great offload. But go watch how much Souths exposed Tuilagi efforts and lateral movement. He could not keep up with Souths shifting the ball that eels had to keep back pedalling to conceed meters. Moses could not slide as Tuilagi would take forever to get to his man. Williams and Kautoga have to be our edges next year. Just use Guymer as the back up option as he is defensively more sound than Tuilagi even if his attack isnt much.
Doorey:
He is a clear depth option. Defensively he struggles. He only has minimal good games in him. He had a couple good games in him earlier but recently he has lost his form again. Cannot be in the best 17.
Attacking Kicks:
Our attacking kicks are shit. Lomax ability in the air has disappeared. Can't catch anything anymore. Moses accuracy for those kicks were horrible as well. He needs to land in on the goal line not 5m inside the field.
Papalii:
He has no idea what he is doing as a 6. I do not think a pre-season there will change it much. His instincts are so much like a fullback. He doesnt see the game as a 6. He needs to be the back up fullback next year and thats it. Him at 6 essentially eliminates our left side attack. Fox got thrown so many hospital passes.
Red ball attack:
Papalii contributes to this issue as he is not a 6. He does not straighten the attack up at all on shape. On shape he runs like he is sweeping out the back like a fullback even though he is playing 6.
Moses does not touch the ball enough in attack. He needs to control the team. But right now we look clueless and looking for Walker to call the shots. Moses is the halfback. He needs to set our attack up better. He organises a one out settler every second tackle which is putrid. Get players going running under lines cutting back in or some short passes going with your backrowers running at the halves to generate quick play the balls instead of these boring settles. We were dominating them in the ruck but we tried going around them with diaboloical shifts. How did Moses to step up at the start of the game and allow those 20m restarts pissed me off.
Replies
I hope not EA because that's the nature of the beast Lomax relies on physicality and if he's burnt man we are in trouble.
My biggest concern around him is his defense he's had a pretty average month missing some dead set sitters that need to be made.
yep defence comes first. His yardage was great yesterday so perhaps he is fine physically. Maybe the mental toll?
Maybe EA but he's a veteran now mate I'd expect him to be able to handle it.If he was a young up n comer I'd agree the mental and physical toll are viable but Lomax I hope not.
Yea
Lomax, maybe all the things you have said but he is still a bloody great player for us, a natural leader in game play.
I think he is trying a touch to hard. He will make the Kangaroo tour which unfortunately means he is not going to have a great rest as he will be on train on squad as soon as our season ends.
Once upon a time a Kangaroo trip was the making of a player, over the years I saw good club footballers comeback as top class players but those trips may have had 15/20 games scheduled, these days its 3 test matches, in and out..... not sure of the value but playing with better players will only improve your skils.
@EA.........We attacked everywhere to start the game....the rewards were fcuk all for a lot of effort.
The 6 is not even a 6.... when Ryles brought Iongi back into the side, he had the choice of Hawkins or Joash to play 5/8. He picked Joash....I reckon he knew what Hawkins offered but was still unsure of Joash.
He made that decision and would have learnt by it. We can say we have a view what he learnt but we cannot have the temerity to say we know better than the coach.
Can you accept that in your AI summary in your opening post, it has a lot of judgement in it that places your view ahead of the coach.....seems too easy to criticise, rather than be creative about what he may have learnt.
AI gives you the ability to word opinions and sometimes they get it right, but it has also made you look highly judgemental in the critique of individuals. A judgement that doesn't necessarily gel with your expertise in a comparative sense.
I never use AI
Well lets asume you did. I was trying to help.
It did not read like AI at all to me EA.
He should get a holiday in England at year's end
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