I have played, watched and coached football for a very long time. I am amazed at this level of football how we lack direction and structure in attack. We simply dont ask questions of any team and we completely use our strike player ( HAYNE ) the wrong way IMO. Structure, kicking game and 4th and 5th play options are the work of halves. They have to have the vision and skill to read two plays ahead and get us to where we need to be in a set. Unfortunately, whilst i love his heart and courage, MORTIMER is a average NRL player if you compare him to players such as HODGINSON from Manly ( ex parra junior with similar career NRL games ). Mortimer is an ideal second phase support player picking up the scraps like he did last year so well. This year, he is needed to create opportunites but he cant. KEATING - never rated him at all. He either runs to the line and commits himself or he puts in no pressure kicks that relieve PRESSURE.
Answer - Dont know. HUMBLE is potentially good but DA must put him to 5/8 INVEST time with him, throw him the keys and tell him to own the job, own the creativity, play the game like a natural 5/8 and ask him to CREATE opportunities for his outside backs. Cant remember last time I saw TAHU get a clean ball in space or Reddy for that.
I still think ROBSON at 9 is our best option - what we lose in attack we make up for in defence. He is a strong defender and we need that. On teh flip side, the lack of creativity in dummy half makes us easy to be picked off. What we would do to have KINGSTON there again in 2010.
What is killing Parra in 2010 :
Poor kicking game - not getting repeat sets, not finding holes out the back, short kicking game.
Halves - not guiding the team around the padock and using our strengths HAYNE, MATEO 2 passes wide.
Structure in attack - 2nd phase works well when your driving through the corridor and your on teh front foot. It doesnt work when no one goes forward to create that space. Teams just slide, adjust and wait for the mistake which normally happens as the chain passing in itself builds pressure if you dont go forward at the time.
In ability to BUILD PRESSURE with our attack. Rolling the ball into the dead at the 78 min mark last night in wet, slippery conditions - it was game over, a chip kick not the greatest option.
Positive - DEFENCE is still great.
I wont give up on them but time is running out to fix this attack. Wenty is very ordinary, NYC the worst in the comp, INU playing like a busted, matt KEATING not up to this level.... not a lot of options. This is it.
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Especially with Keating. I also have never rated him. Before you all come on here & bash me. Yes Keating has done some good things, but overall his poor performances far outweigh the few good things that he does. Last nite I watched Keating continually call for the ball (Actually overcall) on the right side when nothing is on. He does it ever game. Keating struggles / has no vision or ability to build plays. That’s the part that kills me. That is my issue with Keating. He is a talented football player & has/can do brilliant things on the footy field. But Keating’s job is steer our team around the oval. This is where he falls down. Our team is suffering as a result of our poor half play. Morts needs to also take some responsibility here as well. But you can't sack both, so my pick is Keating & we keep trying to preserve with Morts. More so then anything else the need to keep pressing ahead with Morts is that we just signed him for $200k plus per season, so that’s as good as reason as any to keep developing Morts. Other then that I think he can continue to grow. I just don't get that same feeling with Keating. Keating looks more out of place trying to steer our team around the field then Morts for my way of thinking. I believe Keating’s poor play is effecting Morts.
Our team seems to have a obsession (Where it is now predictable) with running the ball on the short right side for last plays. Yes sometimes Keating has picked up Smith in previous games, but usually we run the right short side when nothing is doing. We live on hope we can break through the line as opposed to building the play. Its like we must run up the guts, 1 to left, back up the guts, back to the centre of the field & then Keating runs a short right side play. It doesn't matter whether a play is on the left or not, we seem to be mechanical to have a need to run 5th play right short side.
As Taylor has rightfully said, our halfs lack vision to build within a set, a decent play for last set options & more times then not we run stupid unorganised plays that prevent repeat sets or we run last play options that fizzle out to nothing plays.
When you talk of sacking someone you must look around to see if there is better option. Humble has not done anything to make me feel warm & fuzzy. Main reason is that he has only played about 200 minutes of top line footy. I would be loathe to throw him in there. I think we have moved on from Hayne & Mateo, so I guess we need to just keep struggling with Keating (shit that hurts) & look at buying a decent 5/8 for next year or 2012. I know this is not a great solution. I believe we will continue to struggle as a team without a decent 5/8 or # 7. We must have at least 1decent half. (Yes I was a person who supported the signing of Thurston).
Until we buy a decent 5/8 or # 7 we will not develop a internal 5/8 or # 7. Since the Sterling’s & Kenny's have left we have struggled as a team, 'casue we have not had a above average half. We have had good halfs, but we need above average & that’s why I say we need to buy one.
Our halfs need to aim up & prove me wrong, (I am happy to be proven wrong) Our dummy half needs to aim up or we will whittle away as a team that started as favourites to a team that will not make the 8.
I have faith that DA will find the right answer... however I wouldn't be surprised if we stumble our way to a slow death.