Beyond Being Best at Benchpress: Buff Babyface... badass or boob? - 2021 Round 21 (Warriors)

BurgoShark

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Brace for boring Burgo breakdown...

**

After a bit of time off (I decided to actually do my real job for a while) we return to breaking down player performances one tackle at a time. By popular demand (nah - only one person... stormshark) this week we look at Jack Williams. After a bit of a discussion about whether it was fair criticising Jack for a few mistakes while playing on the edge, coach Hannay obliges us and puts Jack into the starting line-up in the #13.

I didn't actually watch this game live (just saw the painful final minutes) so I don't have an opinion right now one way or the other as to how Jack played in this game. For the season up to round 20 my opinion of him is that he is the best in the team at quick play the balls and he is one of the better Sharks forwards at pushing forward after a half chance. He's had some issues with his defence, and can get worked over through the middle when he plays too many minutes, but is better in that area now than he was previously. He's also had some poor moments in previous seasons with his try-line defence, but that hasn't stood out this year as a problem.

Williams played 57 minutes in this one, across two stints. Stint #1 was the first 33:41 of the game. Stint #2 was the last 23:17... but with about 12 minutes to go Talakai came off injured so he finished the game on the left edge. I didn't include that final 12 minutes in here, because his involvement was pretty minimal. He had a couple of runs and a few tackles, but nothing happened either way which would change anyone's mind about his performance.

First, the official stats from NRL.com. As you guys will all know, I'm not big on judging someone based on their stat line, but I figure some of you will go and check this anyway - so I thought I'd save you the time.

13 runs for 128m (22m of which was on a kick return... so therefore...)
12 hit ups for 106m
48 post contact metres
4 passes
35 tackles, 4 misses, 2 ineffective (85.4%)
0 handling errors
1 penalty conceded (obstruction on the Talakai no-try)

Will post stint 1 and stint 2 separately.
 

BurgoShark

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Stint 1 - Kickoff to 34th minute

Sharks kickoff to start the game. As you'd expect, Williams is defending between the two props (Woods and Rudolf) from the kickoff. All three make the tackle up high. Williams puts AFB on his back slows down the ptb nicely. He chases from marker but the ball goes wide of him. Warriors get a penalty and head down field.

From the tap, Williams and both props make the tackle on AFB again up high. He finds his front. Williams chases from marker. Lodge bounces off Nikora and is tackled by both Brailey and Trindall. He gets a hand free and offloads just as Wiliams arrives to help (probably counts as an ineffective tackle, but that would be a tough call on him. Ball was gone before he got there). Poor play from Nikora to just peel off.

Ball comes to the middle and Williams is third man in to the tackle. The other two stay as markers.

No more involvement from Williams, but he is in position in the middle and moving in defence well. Warriors force a dropout.

*

On play 2 from the dropout Sironen takes a run towards Williams. He makes contact but doesn't wrap. Sironen falls to the ground and Brailey covers up (should probably go down as ineffective, but could count as a miss). Williams holds at second marker but the ball moves to the left edge. Next tackle they shift side-line to side-line and DWZ scores in the corner. Sharks have numbers but Mulitalo gets beaten. 6-0 Warriors

4 1/2 minutes gone. Sharks yet to touch the football.

*

Sharks kick off. AFB runs again. Williams and Woods tackle him but can't get him to ground. He gets a quick ptb. Williams chases from marker and hits Lodge low and drives him back. Lodge offloads (good contact but will go down as ineffective). Warriors make a break following the offload.

On play 3 they come back to the middle and Williams wrestles Hiku to the ground, but he finds his front again. They get another good quick ptb and the Warriors shift right.

Warriors kick and the Sharks finally have the ball. Tackle 1 inside their own 10. Six minutes gone.

AFB and Lodge dominating through the middle.

*

Sharks exit sets goes winger, winger, Brailey. Williams is there for a lead run on play 3 but isn't used, and fills in at dummy half on the next play. Trindall kicks on the 5th, Warriors field it on their 20 and return it almost back to their 40. Williams chases through the middle but isn't needed.

On the next play Williams gets good front on contact on Montoya, but again can't slow it down. He chases from maker but isn't needed. Montoya's boot goes for a scenic flight.

Another run and another offload from Lodge. Warriors are rolling downfield easily, but a pass goes forward on the 4th.

8 minutes gone. The Sharks get the ball from a scrum ~20 out from their own line.

*

Williams takes a play 2 hit up and is rolled onto his back. Slow-ish ptb but the next run by Talakai is good. It sets up a good run and quick ptb from Woods. Brailey scoots and finds Williams pushing up nicely in support. He stays on his feet and plays the ball. Trindall kicks. Montoya fields it inside his 10. Three Sharks are in attendance but nobody tackles him, so he runs 15. Williams dives and tries to ankle tap him but misses (will be counted as a miss, but again this would be a tough call). This was awful play from the Sharks. Schoolboy stuff. They kick to a corner, and there is a 15-17m gap between where the ball lands in the right corner and the nearest Sharks player on the left.

Good set, OK kick, awful chase. Sharks have had a very poor first 9 minutes.

*

Next play is an AFB offload for Walsh and they are on the Sharks 40.

On play three they come to the middle. Williams is showing signs of tiring (already!!) and is flat footed in defence, causing a but of a staggered defensive line. AFB runs away from that part of the field, but still makes massive metres. They shift left on the next play, then kick to a corner and score - but the video ref saves the Sharks (Chambers tackled in the air). 50/50 I reckon. I've seen those go either way. Sharks get lucky.

Sharks penalty. They kick it out, and then get another one for a high tackle. They tap it 25m out from the Warriors line.

*

Williams is a lead runner on play 2 for a right edge shift, and then as we've come to know an love... he is used on the next play on a slow unders play after two passes back to the right upright. He makes good yards though, and gets a decent enough ptb setting up a left edge shift... then backs up on the next tackle for a crash play. He's tackled by three players and gets a super-slow ptb. Trindall puts in an ordinary grubber, takes Hiku high, and the Warriors are off the hook. They kick it out and will tap it on their own 40m line.

Sharks getting dominated by Warriors middles, and failing to build any pressure with their kick/chase. 12 minutes gone.

*

On play 2 Williams is involved in a tackle. The player bounces of him and lands on the ground as someone else wraps him up (could possibly count as a miss/ineffective). On the next play he takes Curran high, wrestles him to ground, but lets him find his front again for another quick ptb. Warriors come again with Lodge. Bang, quick ptb.. then AFB straight through the ruck. Williams is the A defender but misses him badly. Brailey and Kennedy tidy up.

Sharks get the ball from the kick ~3m out from their line.

Sharks have no answer for the Warriors props. Men against boys.

*

Sharks exit set uses outside backs before a good run from Talakai on the last. Trindall kicks from 35m out and a good chase keeps the Warriors inside their 30.

*

On play 3 Talakai puts his hand up. He comes in and whacks DWZ, who drops it and the Sharks get the footy back. Put this bloke in the middle Hannay FFS!

*

On play 1 Williams takes a run to the middle, finds his front and gets a good ptb. Best one yet, and it sets up a great Rudolf run on the next play. Sharks shift left but Talakai drops it. Come on Sifa. I just gave you a wrap mate. Hold the ball.

*

Warriors bring it out from their own corner, Williams is involved over the top on play 3, and the Warriors kick early. Kennedy drops it in the tackle. Sharks challenge unsuccessfully. Another 50/50 and the Sharks lose out on this one. Warriors ball on the Sharks' 30 after 16 minutes.

Sharks doing almost everything poorly.

*

On play 2 we see another Lodge run, another offload. Curran makes it to 5m out, but Williams is pushing across (travelling) nicely and wraps him up. Next play is (who would have guess?) another good Lodge run and another offload. Walsh kicks but the weight is wrong. Sharks 7 tackle set.

If the Warriors had a spine who could execute inside 10 they would be up by 2-3 more tries by now.

*

Sharks go winger, centre, winger for the first 3 plays, before Woods takes a run. Williams is there as a support runner, and it holds the defence off Woods. He makes good metres and gets a quick ptb. Tracey kicks on the last and forces a dropout.

*

Williams returns the dropout (there is that 22m run) stays on his feet and gets a good ptb. Williams is then used as a lead runner on play 3 for an unders play for Talakai to score. Unfortunately for Jack, gets stops in the line and Talakai gets an advantage from him being there. Obstruction penalty.

Warriors tap it on their own 30.

*

On play 2 Williams misses Curran before Rudolf and Woods lock him up. He's really struggling defensively in this period.

Warriors kick to a corner and the Sharks have it 1m out from their line on tackle 1. Tolman is on for Rudolf.

*

Exit set goes winger, winger, Woods, shift left. Tracey is tackled and Trindall kicks from inside 40. Walsh fields it and returns to just inside the Warriors 40.

*

Williams is involved on play 2, wrestling the Warriros player on to his back and slowing him down. He chases from maker and makes the next tackle with help from Tolman.

Warriors lose it on the 4th. Sharks ball from a scrum on their own 20.

*

Good run from Williams on the 4th play gets the fastest ptb of the day and they make great metres on the next play. Finally we get a nice kick to the corner and catch the Warriors a few metres out. Anyone notice how Trindall is doing end-over-end bombs to the corner every chance he gets? Are we all happy to admit now that this is a coaching thing?

*

Warriors come out from their end, Williams gets involved in one tackle before the Warriors get a (completely ridiculous) 6-again call on play 4.

In the fresh set, Williams gets involved over the top on play 2, covers from second marker, and comes in at the end of the next tackle to help out. The ref calls held as he gets there though, so he doesn't contribute much.

On the next play AFB finds Sullivan short and he breaks the line, but he trips. Williams is travelling across well and covers up over the top. A good kick to the corner gets the Warriors a dropout.

BHU is on for Woods. 25 gone.

*

Sharks get the ball back from a short drop out. Nice play. They have the ball ~12 metres out.

Exit goes through Katoa first, and then Williams has a lead run for BHU. He makes good metres. A couple of tackles later Williams runs the block play passing for Trindall out the back and they shift right. Trindall bombs from halfway. It goes just over 20m and the Warriors are tackled just inside their 30.

I can't decide who has a bigger man-crush on the play of AFB right now... myself or Flanno.

*

Williams makes a good tackle on play 2, rolls the winger on his back and slows him down. Warriors kick it out. Sharks play the ball ~10m out.

Warriors kicking in to touch late in halves seems to be something they are coached to to. Very different to how most teams play.

*

Sharks go winger, centre on the exit set. It looks like nothing is on, but after a run from Chambers they manage to catch the right centre on the ground and the right winger at marker. Kennedy is good enough to recognise this and they go straight at poor Curran who is now facing a 2 on 1. Kennedy slices through to setup a try for Tracey.

Poor play from DWZ there. There was reason to get involved in that tackle, and his centre was already in there - but nice play from Kennedy.

29 minutes down. 6-all. Warriors well on top but Sharks get one against the run of play.

Both AFB and Lodge are now off the field.

*

Williams runs a first man decoy for Tolman on play 2 coming out from the kick off and, takes the next play himself. He then runs a block play passing again for Tinrdall on play 5 (Sharks usually use outside backs on exit sets, but tend to use mostly forwards after points). Good set. Again Trindall puts in a 20-25m bomb though, and the Warriors have it just inside their 30.

Williams gets involved on play 2, and then again on play 5 where he wrestles Tevaga to ground and slows him down.

Warriors kick and Kennedy is tackled just outside his 20.

*

Sharks go winger, centre on the exit set, and get back to back set restarts. Williams takes a run on the (3rd) first tackle and sets up a Tolman run. Then Williams makes the block play pass for Tracey to the left on the 4th, and takes a good run back to the middle on the 5th. He stays on his feet and gets a good ptb. They shift right but Kennedy throws a poor pass to his winger and it is dropped.

*

Williams is involved on tackle 1. On the next play the Warriors get a couple of offloads and make it up to their 40. Williams has tracked the play nicely and rolls the centre onto his back. He chases hard from marker and makes a get legs tackle on play 3. Warriors shift right and the Sharks shut it down. Warriors kick and the Sharks have it 5m out.

Williams is replaced by Rudolf
 

BurgoShark

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Stint #2 - 57th Minute to 68th minute

After a 7 minute rest before halftime and a 16 minute rest after it, Williams returns to the field. Sharks are up 16-12. Warriors have still been the better team by far, but an Evans sin-binning and a couple of individual pieces of good play from Kennedy got the Sharks in front on the scoreboard. The first 15 minutes of the second half the Sharks middles were better at going forward, but were falling off tackles and giving up massive metres in defence. Fifita and Rudolf in particular were poor. As for the halves... I have nothing. They were just bad.

Lodge and AFB are both back on. Let's get back to Williams..

*

Jack makes the first tackle on AFB. He isn't able to roll him over, but he spins him around so it is enough to slow him down. Warriors work it out and Jack backs up on the play with a good tackle, rolling the Warrior onto his back. The Warriors lose it on the next play.

*

Williams runs a good decoy for Fifita on play 2, enabling him to make good yards. He stays in the middle and does this again two tackles later... but Fifita has the ball stripped.

*

Warriors bring it out. Williams involved on play 2 and then again on play 4. Another AFB offload leads to a left edge shift. Hiku steps inside a cover-defending Williams (a miss), but Ramien and Kennedy get him. 50m gain on the play - offloads are killing the Sharks again. It's not a coincidence that the only time in this game the Sharks were in it was while AFB was off the field.

Last tackle. They shift right, Chambers can't tackle and neither can Tracey. 16-all.

*

Sharks kick off and Warriors bring it out. Williams involved on play 2 and again with a good low tackle on Evans on play 3. Warriors getting super fast play the balls in this set. They run an inside play on Williams as the A defender.. and get him... but he juuuust gets enough of Walsh to make him lose the ball.

*

Sharks bring it out from their own 30. Williams gets a tip on from Woods on play 3 and a good play the ball, setting up a left edge shift.

Evans gets binned for a "head slam". They must have mistaken him for Jack Hetherington, because this was a SOFT penalty/binning. You see worse in under 9's. Just a good low tackle from Aitken down low imo.

Talakai is hurt. BHU returns to the field, pushing Williams to the left edge. He is much less involved from this point.

***

As I said above, I did watch this final 12 minutes and track it, but he didn't do much either way.
 

BurgoShark

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... and as requested, a 5 line version which sums up this game:

There once was a gentleman Jack
Who was a weapon at times in attack
but in defence he caused harm
sometimes threw out an arm
and couldn't get Addin on his back
 

Sparkles

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Really interesting Burgo. Reading that, you'd think he's a hard worker with good attributes who gets around the park with and without the footy, but doesn't quite have enough endurance or technique to be consistent. Checks out.
 

Gards

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Really interesting Burgo. Reading that, you'd think he's a hard worker with good attributes who gets around the park with and without the footy, but doesn't quite have enough endurance or technique to be consistent. Checks out.

he's been a far better player than this all season coming from the bench with lower minutes compared to the last 2 games
 

Sparkles

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he's been a far better player than this all season coming from the bench with lower minutes compared to the last 2 games

They're all better on lower minutes, which is making things a tad difficult
 

egg

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Chambers going to get lower minutes this week .
Should help , might be his best game for us ;)
 

BurgoShark

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They're all better on lower minutes, which is making things a tad difficult

What's making things difficult is Hannay picking blokes on the bench and then playing them for 3 minutes (or not at all).
 

stormshark

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Interesting summation, mmm jurys still out, but like that he seems to be running in 2s, decoys etc, in addition to his main role, that takes extra effort. Il watch more closely next game.
 

Tank

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Woke this morning with a sense of impending doom.Fear this lot will run up a fair score against us this arvo.
If we dont aim up in the middle ( and nothing of late suggests we will) Pearce Ponga and Best will have a picnic.
Looks and feels like our mob have spent their pennies and are just waiting for the end of the year
I hope I'm wrong but cant see it
 

BurgoShark

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Woke this morning with a sense of impending doom.Fear this lot will run up a fair score against us this arvo.
If we dont aim up in the middle ( and nothing of late suggests we will) Pearce Ponga and Best will have a picnic.
Looks and feels like our mob have spent their pennies and are just waiting for the end of the year
I hope I'm wrong but cant see it

Yep we're gonna get spanked

Wrong thread
 
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