Our bench needs to be revamped.
We need more thrust which our bench tonight was unable to deliver..... Gower, Terepo, Alvaro, & Taka, putting immense pressure on the kicking games of Moses and D Brown from the Broncos defenders rushing through.
This has to be fixed by bringing in two big mobile props on to the bench, enter Utoikamanu and Kaufusi.
Give these juniors a reason to shine v Manly and throughout the finals.
Alvaro, Terepo & Gower are failing in this area. They are not consistently bending the defensive line.
It's time to blood these two giants.
2019 Finals/Grand Final Winning Squad
1. Clinton Gutherson
2. Maika Sivo
3. Michael Jennings
4. Waqa Blake
5. Blake Ferguson
6. Dylan Brown
7. Mitchell Moses
8. Kane Evans
9. Reed Mahoney
10. Junior Paulo
11. Shaun Lane
12. Manu Ma'u
13. Nathan Brown (Rd 25 v Manly - Marata Niukore)
14. Brad Takairangi - Utility for backs and fowards
15. Stefano Utoikamanu
16. Oregon Kaufusi or Tin Mannah v Manly Rd 25
17. Marata Niukore (Rd 25 v Manly - Peni Terepo or Amdrew Davey)
Replies
That’s the problem with us continuing to play up the middle third with our starting props off the field , we can’t dominate the ruck so we need to play more expansive with more mobile forwards on the field.
When our bench comes on we need to pick up the pace and play fast . Match a game plan to the players on the paddock not one size fits all. Adjust to your squads strengths and bring in our backline with early ball then angle back in to the forwards making defences continually move up both sides of the ruck unable to drop off bringing fatigue to the opposition enabling offloads. Body’s in motion.
That's what I thought would happen but even the expansive game can't expand without forwards bending the defensive line to create the essential space (depth) and time (extra 1 to 3 seconds) to expand across the field and from there run an array of offensive attacks (including kicks) against a disjointed defensive line. Maybe it will start v Manly, Something has to give now Brad Arthur,
During the Finals, sure use Fergo as an extra thrusting forward but not yet v Manly. Sivo is already doing a great job but it will be so much better with Utoikamanu & Kaufusi thrusting with Paulo and Evans.
Coming out of our red zone, sure use Sivo and in the Finals Fergo, but once we get past our 30m line we leave Fergo and Sivo on the wings because our big pigs will be doing the thrusting setting up for the expansive game where we need Sivo and Fergo out wide to finish off our moves and score points where we can.
That’s why you get deeper in attack froggy especially when teams are well off side rushing up ,you get set deeper with the backline hitting the ball at speed creates your own momentum negating the rushes defence.This is what I’m talking about adjusting in real time throughout games you sometimes have to create your own space.
From penalties, scrums and refs holding up play, sure, but during a set without the pack pushing through the defensive line it gets very challenging to create such depth with a defensive line moving up quickly in a straight line across the park and or sliding when required. Then you need kicks or attempting formation runs on the open side or short blind side runs with 3 or 4 attackers and usually with a great ball player (Keary, Cronk, etc) creating openings by going across the defensive line or by running at the defensive line and passing just before or in or through the line to attack within the space provided.
Time for the coach to step up and pick the side as per Froggy's list. We cannot play Alvaro, Peni or Gower again. They have been good clubmen and no disrespect to them but the time has come for change starting this Tuesday. Cometh the hour cometh the man. The truth stimulates the strong and only intimidates the weak. Time for strength in our team selection.
I agree Tragic.
We need the two boppers on the bench to help with the go forward when the starting props get a rest.
Gower ain’t cutting it unless we change tactics when the props are subbed.
Lets hope BA wakes up and sees this flaw before we lose the next two.
Agreed and something now has to give,
Constantly selecting Alvaro, Terepo, Gower, and Tepai is bringing this team down. Our starting forwards in Paulo, Evans, Lane, etc are holding their own but once we go to our bench we are going backwards.
We got shredded by two 19 year olds, yet our coach is terrified in giving our young tyros a go.
Gower has been a great servant for this club but it;'s time for him to hang them up. Alvaro was off the pace the whole night and is a shadow of the player that held our pack together last year. Taka is not a forward he is not tough enough or has the work effort. As soon as Evans and Paulo go off we have absolutely zero. Come on BA time to grow a pair and gamble on some youth, development club LOL.