All the BEST halves offer a Triple Threat on Offense and have stout match winning defense. Mitch Moses can defend as good as any playmaker and can provide match winning tackles in his repoitiore.
Triple Threat on Offense is by challenging defenders through Running Passing and Kicking. All the greats Sterlo Mortimer Langer Stuart Johns Thurston and so on had Triple Threat capabilities. However, NONE had it as easy as todays modern halves to to manufacture Triple Threat Offense.with the advent of fast play hitups early in the tackle count.
Currently Mitch Moses is a ONE (single) Threat player - his weapon of choice is the KICK. and even that is mainly ineffective - more on that later. Moses does not offer a consistant threat to defenders by RUNNING and PASSING the football.
If I could offer ANY of you on ONE simple play that could alter Mitch Moses' playing career. Here it is
Background
Mitch Moses, despite his blistering pace and open field elusiveness RARELY challenges defenders with the RUN. Why is a mystery for me other than he has ZERO footy IQ and/or match/situational awareness AND/OR Poor coaching
Mitch Moses has the talent to TERRIFY opponents just with the THREAT of running the football but hardly ever chooses to use this area of his unlimited talent.
The CLEARY set play (as decribes below) COULD add TWO elements missing from Moses' general play - The RUN threat and the PASS threat on a CONSISTENT basis. Moses, in general play, always takes the ball deep on offense and simply shovels the ball out wide to the next player even when decoy runners are activated. Defenders simply pass off Moses to the next player, and this NEVER provides a decison to commit more than a single defender to occupy space in Moses' area.
The CLEARY play
In contrast, Cleary takes the ball to the line and is often accompanied by a straight runner acting as a LIVE or DECOY option with a second player trailing behind and wide as the SECOND option runner in the play. By running the ball TO THE LINE and with BOTH runners activated (Player 1 - running close and direct towards the line along side Cleary as either a LIVE or DECOY runner and Player 2 - trailing behing and slightly wider) gives CLEARY clear vision to observe defenders - the defenders are PREDICTABLE depending on their decision to be attracted to Player 1. If more than one defender is activated then CLEARY can have an easier 1-on-1 with his immediate defender and RUN the ball OR select Player 2 with the pass that is trailing behind and wide - EITHER way a numerical advantage has been created by SIMPLY taking the ball to the line, READING the defense and then executing the right option.
Conversly, If Player 1 does't attract additional defenders while Player 2 (stil trailing behind and wide - then Cleary has the OPTION to continue running, offer the short ball to player 1 that now has a 1-on-1 with a defender that also has to be mindful of Cleary's run options and pass options (still alive to Player 2)
Rotating and mixing play options here (depending on how the defenders REACT to Cleary's run threat) is now possible. Cleary runs the ball to the line, waits for the defense to react the EXECUTES one of THREE possibilites each time this play is run. This play also draws defenders inside and creates 1-on-1's and numerical mismatches out wide - ANOTHER BONUS.
Penrith run this play frequently and Cleary's ability to read the play is first class that play into his amazing skill set. Cleary is a great runner and passer of the football - So too is Mitch Moses. This type of play CAN be COACHED but requires a player with silky passing skills and terrifyijng running ability that can assess the defenders decisions and then make DECISIONS to RUN or PASS (to the correct option).
The Kick game
Mitch Moses has a naturally good short kicking game but rarely executes to provide Try's and Repeat Sets. Why, is a mystery to me. His success rate with short kicks should yield far better results.
His kicks in general play are mostly ineffective unless the game plan is simply going for maximum territory, then his kicks from behind half way are effective. His kicks when in the opposition half are generally too long, they rarely allow kick chasers time to get underneath the football and to AT LEAST challenge and PRESSURE the opposition ball catcher.
Kicking a higher and shorter (we are only talking about 10 meters here) changes a benign kick into a dangerous one - Cleary is the MASTER of this, why MORE halves dont copy this simple and EASILY COACHABLE approach is a mystery to me
Will Mitch Moses Ever Change ?
After 200 first grade games, I doubt it - but I believe by adjusting his game to take the line on like Cleary does with 2 set play runners CREATES the opportunity for Mitch Moses to offer a TRIPLE THREAT possibilties on Offense (something that he fails to offer right now) and a simple tweak of his kicking game can make Moses WORTHY of his $1.5million dollar salary and conisitantly provide MATCH WIINING plays to his arsenal.
Right now thougfh, it is a waste of money based on the 80min return his play offers - but there is some hope for the optimists. I'm just not one of them.
Happy to be 100% wrong btw, and hope that Moses EARNS his millions, then we will all be happy
Replies
I said
Mitch Moses has a naturally good short kicking game but rarely executes to provide Try's and Repeat Sets.
Moses' short kicking game is his 1 wood and best asset
Talent isnt the issue, I have repaeatedly said that.
YES he call do it all, but his involvement and when to 'put the hammer down' is the issue. The play I have described in a 'bread and butter'play that COULD increase Moses' involvement in plays that create more results - mis-matches etc etc
Mate, I'll back my RL acumen anyday - played the game and have been watching RL for nearly 50years mate.
Oh, I and I have constantly praised Moses' defense
Ohhh, and most importantly - can't please people who don't have much clue about rugby league!!!! - careful u sound like a hypocrit hahaha, just sayin
Soooooo Moses's shouldn't change a thing ???? hahaha
😂 Love it Pops.
For the record Tele , actually He just broke an NRL record.
Tele1 - youve got some very good footy knowledge its a shame you apply it incorrectly.
2023 - NRL stats for line engaged by a player. ie running 6th overall Mitchell Moses with 23 runs. 2022- 16th overall 101
2023 - NRL attacking kicks 6th overall Mitchell Moses. 2022 1st overall
2022 - NRL 1st in try assists
2022 - First in Kick Metres
2022 - First in all kicks.
I also like how you have him on a wage increase of $1.5m. Thats a new one.
I enjoyed the read on Cleary, he is certainly one of the best halves currently playing no doubt - shame he got beat last night.
I dont understand how you say he dosnt run when he is in the top echelon of all players for line engaged. Interesting interpretation.
Not sure who you watch but Moses has been engaging the line and running a lot more the past couple years. He runs and get line break plenty of times usually down a blind side and I have noticed is getting more confident and not scared to be tackled like previous years.
Most of his runs come on 4th or 5th tackle which is obviously a coaching thing but makes sense when we have strong runners of the footy and Dylan is our running half. Plenty other halves in game wouldn't run as much as Moses or have his speed. He makes plenty of half breaks or line break assists as he runs across field looking for defender to come out of line before passing to papallii (last year) or Penisini
This is even for laughably inaccurate than the earlier blog. Mitch is an exceptional ball runner. His passing game is terrific.
You've made a series of statements that are not only wildly inaccurate, but you've provided no evidence to support said claims.
Sterlo a running threat, wtf bro, sterlo was slower than JA.
The only area moses is lacking is consistency.
The amount of sniping jinking litlle side-steppy runs made by sterlo that led to support runners playing into space and try's was off the charts
The only area moses is lacking is consistency. // Exacxtly and INVOLVEMENT - this is my over arching point
I think his involvement is fine, I would like to see him play both sides of the field more often but that's more on BA than moses. It's his game management that is inconsistent, he is a far better game manager now than he was when he arrived at the eels but at times he drifts back into playing that hectic style he was known for at the tigers.
He has improved every year at the eels and is now in his prime years, he needs to find the composure he shows last night at a more consistent level to be the player he is being payed to be.
MM is probably the fastest half in the game. He is a running threat, yes I would like to see some of his kicks find the turf not down the throat of the wingers .
Agreed on both counts, his running potential is terrifying and his long kicking game needs polish
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