We did OK at this for a while this year but have gone back to our old ways of trying to score on every set. I suggest that in the first twenty minutes, wearing your opposition down is more important than scoring. Scoring does deny them possession; however, it does not seem to tire teams out and destroy their will to win as much as repeat sets or repeated long kicks into the corner. With the current refereeing, maintaining possession and tiring the opposition so they make mistakes is even more important. I was not impressed by the Warriors match and specifically our lack of game management. Determination and all-out attack will not keep us in the top four and this is why last weekend is the only game I have not put money on the Eels. Manly in red hot form did not worry me, it was our regression to no game management that concerned me. A great boxer who is very determined but runs out throwing haymakers will often lose. Boxers need to work their opponent before the knockout blow and the same for a footy team. But we do not seem to get this. There are three people I believe responsible, BA Gutho and Moses. Moses seems to try to be the smart playmaker, not sure how successful he is but he seems to be trying. BA sometimes says things like respect the opposition and seemed to somewhat get it but I think he bears most responsibility over this and I became very critical of him for this after being an ardent supporter. I also blame Gutho. While I have always supported Gutho as a great fullback (even when he started on the wing for us and everyone else wanted him gone) and agree he is our heart and soul. I just never thought Gutho was our head. Happy for him to change. There was one game where I commended Gutho on restraint - he had an opportunity to put a grubber in behing a fast advancing line on the 2nd or 3rd but held back and ran back to the middle. We compressed the defence and wore them down and saved the risky play for the last and Gutho put the grubber in and we scored. However, this seems to be the exception. Early against Manly we had a chance to go for repeat sets and wear them out of their red hot form But Gutho decides to bomb a tall winger on the 3rd. This was a lost opportunity and a momentum changer. Gutho is leader and he needs to restrain his risky plays to appropriate times and prioritise tiring the opposition or we need a leader who can.
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Good read Wile and worth thought. Yes I think Gutho does make rash plays sometime but I think manly was upto Gutho's plays as he didn't get the oppertunities as he usally does making it look like he wasn't involved much. It seems they (Manly) realise Gutho is our main play maker as most breaks and moves invole him and they shut him down which in turn stunted our attack. He was not as effective as usual but Moses was also diappointing as his kicking game was not up to scratch. In saying that I mean his kicks were the wrong type t that point of the game. If you take a look most of his kicks were the same, had no pressure when taking them and they went straight to the fullback or winger and were to deep for our players to put them under pressure. He needs to very them, kick for the corners, grubber into the ingoal etc, better options then what he is doing. He is the experienced half and needs to take control and have better game management.
Agree
We have a number of talented players that need guidance to when to unleash and when to keep it simple.
I don't think Gutho plays well against Manly. He seems to want to prove something to the players he played with duirng his junior days. Especilly the Trbojevic brothers. That goes for BA as well - he doesn't coach well against his previous clubs.
A lot of the plays broke down at key moments and in my opinion Moses didn't show enough patience.
I would be interested to know at what point the players deviated from the game plan or was that the game plan?
I hope we never play the Batemans Bay Tiges :)
LOL