Matty Johns believes the inconsistent Eels should do away with a tactic that creeps into their game, which makes their halves move too laterally without playing what is in front of them.
Speaking on the Matty Johns podcast, Johns questioned whether Brad Arthur should ban drop-off plays where the halves crab across field, in order to play a more direct style that has proven successful for the team.
“Watching Parramatta just a little observation and I’m happy to be shot down here, but they sort of drift in and out of how they should play,” Johns said on The Matty Johns podcast.
“Junior Paulo said it a couple of times playing that power game. He said a funny thing. He said to me, we play our best football at night.
“And I wonder because during the day game and the ball is just smacking you in the hands a little bit when they are moving the ball around, that it leads them to play a little too sideways.
“Watching Dylan Brown. Watching Mitchell Moses and watching the team. If I was Brad I would be considering banning them from playing those drop-off plays. You know those cross plays where you catch the ball and drift across.
“Particularly young Dylan Brown because while it is a little investigation and you are settling yourself into the game, but the movement of going sideways can become habit forming. Your thoughts on that?”
Cronk agreed the Eels need to play more direct, but encouraged them and particularly Moses and Brown to have more variation in their passing and running games.
“As long as they have some variations on it i.e. show and go, step and go,” Cronk said.
“Moses did it the other week against the Roosters. Your little drop off play showed the dummy and set up Papalii.
As long as they don’t fall into the practice of just handing that off all the time I think that can be OK.
“Dylan Brown is very good straight up and down on inside shoulders. Mitchell Moses actually likes to go across field.
“So I don’t mind if they do that, but every now and then throw the dummy and snap off your right or left foot just to keep them alive because if you do the run a couple of times then the drop off might help you the next time you do it.”
Replies
I don't know why we are like this as a team, the players we've got have been together for 3-4 years now we should be ontop of our game. Pretty frustrating. Hopefully we're timing our run for the finals, noticed RCG n JP playing less minutes
Cronk would be the perfect halves coach for us.. Might help us inside the attacking 20m zone .. it's frustrating how good we make teams look in goal line defence
A couple of years ago I noticed this in Mitchell's game. His first step was always sideways. It was a problem. He's managed to fix it.
I don't think you can pinpoint the Eels drifts in and out of games down to the halves being too sideways these days. Against Manly in the second half, our first few sets were just slow. Slow hit ups, slow play the balls, slow line speed. Everything was slow. It wasn't until we were down by 10 points that the Eels kicked into gear and drifted back into the game at the intensity necessary. That's all between the ears.
We still play way too sideways in the red zone Mutts, our attack is all premeditated moves and shapes we have been throwing at the opposition for 9 years straight...Hence why a kick is always our go to try scoring play.
This has been improved this season but there are patches in games where we seem to lapse back into this attitude. When Parra are running hard and offloading like there is no tomorrow, we look like the most lethal team in the comp.
I've just watched a replay of last friday nights game, Moses does use the drop play a few times in the Manly redzone in the first half - it's a nothing play, all it's says it's we setting up and telegraphs what the attack is doing way before the line so it's easily defended.
Geeezus , ya mention it on here and every khunt tells ya you're on drugs and Moses is faultless and is a fucking live wire . Matty John's and Cronk say it and all of a sudden everyone's noticed it 😂😂
Credibility Wiz, me fears you exxagerate toooooo much.....bit like zacharys disease.
"every khunt tells ya you're on drugs and Moses is faultless" How many kents do we have on here?
The real question is why do all the other players on here fear to pull you up? I think you intimidate them Wiz. I will put up a picture of how they seem to see you!
Notice the little blond standing behind you, the one with the bone.
Ps I know I set myself up for an image after this LOL
I disagree, Mitchell has been at his most dangerous when he is running in any direction. Our problem is we are not cohesive as a whole team, by that I mean the forwards needs to know or be told when we need a quick play the ball, a slow play the ball leading into a set play is simply snuffed out because the opposition have time to set their defence.
I'd definitely be telling Simonsson and Opacic to stop crabbing across field, it doesn't gain anything. I forget which game it was, Opacic crabs across the field and drops the ball into mahoneys hands, Reed was standing still having a breather and all of a sudden he has the ball in his hands and the opposition forwards in his face 😳
He had that wtf look on his face.
I hate Cronk.
Every premiership he got he cheated.
But he would make a great coach I reckon.
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