2022 Playing Style

BurgoShark

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I love it too but I do hope Fitz has a plan B or C. I'm sure no matter how good it is, defences will work out how to nullify it. And there are not many centres like Harper who are as poor defensively. Des worked that out at half time when he replaced him and we didn't have the same success in the second half.

This bit from the article Thresher posted sums it up Chad...

But a lot needed to happen before Talakai could work his magic on the edge. The Sharks didn’t just give him the ball and wait for him to rip through the defence. Instead, they set up for the shift, played with variety in attack, and executed on their set pieces to perfection.

It wasn't on Harper mate, or Des figuring anything out. The Sharks pack and halves were dominant in the first half and that had the Manly defence backpedalling. In the second half that didn't happen, so the time and space was not there anymore for the backs.

Pick your preferred cliché...

- the game is won in the middle
- you have to earn the right to play expansive footy
- you have to go forward before you can go wide
- forwards win footy games; the backs just decide by how much

If the Sharks keep dominating the middle in the second half, the Talakai devastation continues. They didn't, so it didn't.
 

MrDravid

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Very obvious in the Roosters game yesterday - they kept going wide, but kept finding they had no space.
 
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This bit from the article Thresher posted sums it up Chad...



It wasn't on Harper mate, or Des figuring anything out. The Sharks pack and halves were dominant in the first half and that had the Manly defence backpedalling. In the second half that didn't happen, so the time and space was not there anymore for the backs.

Pick your preferred cliché...

- the game is won in the middle
- you have to earn the right to play expansive footy
- you have to go forward before you can go wide
- forwards win footy games; the backs just decide by how much

If the Sharks keep dominating the middle in the second half, the Talakai devastation continues. They didn't, so it didn't.
Thanks Burgo, certainly makes sense. The fact though that we didn't have the same domination in the second half, can that entirely be explained by the howling wind we ran into or did Manly take a step forward and we took a step back?
 

BurgoShark

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Thanks Burgo, certainly makes sense. The fact though that we didn't have the same domination in the second half, can that entirely be explained by the howling wind we ran into or did Manly take a step forward and we took a step back?
I think the latter. Wind obviously played its part in the kicking game though.
 

bort

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I think the latter. Wind obviously played its part in the kicking game though.
Which gives you worse field position and there are flow on effects from that too of course, but for the most part I agree it was more us easing off and them coming out wanting to undo some of the embarrassment.
 

apezza

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Which gives you worse field position and there are flow on effects from that too of course, but for the most part I agree it was more us easing off and them coming out wanting to undo some of the embarrassment.
I feel it was a bit like the start of the Melb game. They early momentum and we found it hard to get back.

They also changed their defensive structure and started rushing up out wide etc.
 
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I feel it was a bit like the start of the Melb game. They early momentum and we found it hard to get back.

They also changed their defensive structure and started rushing up out wide etc.
Exactly. While it wasn't enough to win the game, other teams may do this that aren't that far behind or at the start of the games. This is why I posted earlier that I hoped Fitz has a plan B or C.
 

Sparkles

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I love it too but I do hope Fitz has a plan B or C. I'm sure no matter how good it is, defences will work out how to nullify it. And there are not many centres like Harper who are as poor defensively. Des worked that out at half time when he replaced him and we didn't have the same success in the second half.
For mine, the beauty of this shape is that there are so many options. You have a forward up through the middle early on, Teig running the line back inside as a decoy or recipient, a cut-out to Ronnie or through the hands with Talakai (the greatest option in sport today). And that's if Nicho doesn't run it himself. You see those options taken at different times through the game, a lot of which comes from Moylan's reading of the defence in the moment and through the game. I think that decision making is one of Moylan's greatest strengths and why we look so good.
 

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After a few rounds iv noticed the top teams don’t have their half turn it back on the inside to a prop to settle the attack. “Aka the chad”
 

Sparkles

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After a few rounds iv noticed the top teams don’t have their half turn it back on the inside to a prop to settle the attack. “Aka the chad”
You don't rate 5th as a top spot? Would have given my left Nutley last year to be in the top 6.
Not sure how that works... 'The Chad' couldn't have changed the way he's playing as he's completely one-dimensional
 

BurgoShark

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I feel it was a bit like the start of the Melb game. They early momentum and we found it hard to get back.

They also changed their defensive structure and started rushing up out wide etc.
You can't rush up if you are losing the ruck.
 

Rob

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You don't rate 5th as a top spot? Would have given my left Nutley last year to be in the top 6.
Not sure how that works... 'The Chad' couldn't have changed the way he's playing as he's completely one-dimensional
Not a top team. Current spots arnt an indication on who’s the best teams.
 

bort

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After a few rounds iv noticed the top teams don’t have their half turn it back on the inside to a prop to settle the attack. “Aka the chad”
You don't rate 5th as a top spot? Would have given my left Nutley last year to be in the top 6.
Not sure how that works... 'The Chad' couldn't have changed the way he's playing as he's completely one-dimensional

The top teams have outside players set up and trying to do something though, so no need for half to give up on direction he's going and feed the unders player for a settler.

That runner has value in the force the defenders to halt or slow their slide to accommodate for the angle change, it's just less valuable if **** all else is doing.

Not to say Chad couldn't have found a few more outside passes but if you gave him right nows Moylan, Kennedy, Wilton, Talakai, Ronnie then I think he'd find Tolman back on the inside at least some amount less interesting.
 

Born&bred

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I feel it was a bit like the start of the Melb game. They early momentum and we found it hard to get back.

They also changed their defensive structure and started rushing up out wide etc.
Most of the analysis of that game gives me the shits big time.

We started without Katoa & Nikora, then lost Dale a fly fart into the game, then BHU later on...

We didn't perform that bad considering.
 

BurgoShark

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The top teams have outside players set up and trying to do something though, so no need for half to give up on direction he's going and feed the unders player for a settler.

That runner has value in the force the defenders to halt or slow their slide to accommodate for the angle change, it's just less valuable if **** all else is doing.

Not to say Chad couldn't have found a few more outside passes but if you gave him right nows Moylan, Kennedy, Wilton, Talakai, Ronnie then I think he'd find Tolman back on the inside at least some amount less interesting.
It's a myth anyway. I literally counted them one game when the whinging was at its peak and Johnson had way more than Chad.

It's probably more to do with the coach telling the halfback "don't get tackled in situation x" than the halfback himself. Under Fitz it seems Moylan and Hynes are quite happy to take a tackle and get a quick play the ball rather than dish it off to some unsuspecting forward who was hoping for a 15 second breather.
 

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It's a myth anyway. I literally counted them one game when the whinging was at its peak and Johnson had way more than Chad.

It's probably more to do with the coach telling the halfback "don't get tackled in situation x" than the halfback himself. Under Fitz it seems Moylan and Hynes are quite happy to take a tackle and get a quick play the ball rather than dish it off to some unsuspecting forward who was hoping for a 15 second breather.
Seems like a very Melbourne thing. Early in the Warriors game the spine ran it quite a bit it seemed.
 

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