How to fix our playing problems. Please be constructive.

[andrew's_sharks]

After watching the game live last night and watching it again today, it is pretty clear what our main problem was. It wasn't attack it was defence. More specificall our right sided defence (that wasn't great either, but if we could have defended better we would have been in with a shot)

The main problem.

Bukuya (I really like Boogie and he runs great lines, but defending next to Barba was an issue)
Barba
Beale
Holmes.

These guys leaked so many tries, it was ridiculous! it was either 4 or 5 of the 6 tries came through that edge. Whenever they attacked it, it looked like they would break through. We can't replace Barba (not yet anyway), so clearly we have to make some changes here. It looked much safer when Lewis was on the field, he really stood up in defence.

As far as I am concerned holmes has to drop down or play fullback, he has talent but play him in position. He would be safe as a fullback, wing isn't his deal.

Gagan should be picked to play Wing (or Centre if Gordon shifts from fullback), he is a big strong guy and we really need that in defence, not to mention he can score a few tries which we know we need.
Lewis Needs to start and we need him playing long minutes, I would actually consider playing gallen/heighno or topou on this edge when Lewis is off and play boogie on the other side to give Wade a spell.

Beale....Im not sure weather I would replace him yet, Bird or Saulmalima might be worth giving a run if it doesn't work.

Or we place Gordon on the wing, Gagan in the centres and Holmes at fullback, I think that could develop to be a safe option in defence.

What do you guys think?

 

[Tiger Shark]

I'd put Lewis on that side now that he's back, He'll fix up some gaps. I'd really look at replacing Beale, what's with that hop before hitting the line ?! Not sure who with though. Sami seems to be going well in NSW cup but not sure of his defense.

I did notice Holmes did get more involved this game, he made some defensive errors but that wasn't just his fault.

 

[samshark]

The defence is ok. Attack is the bigger problem. If your attack and kicking game is rubbish then that impacts your defence. The two go hand in hand.

The whole attacking structure needs to be re-written. Forget about the grind and stop relying upon forwards making off loads to create your attacking chances.

Flannagan continues to adopt the grinding style play. Five hitups, kick the ball, lets get down the other end of the football and then give the ball to Carney or now give the ball to Barba, run a couple of other little set plays and try and score. This type of game plan requiries a pin point kicking game and great discipline and skill level to control the ball. Hein lies the problem. Our kicking game is absolutely rubbish and our discipline is crap also. Any momentum and meters gained through good hit is instantly lost with terrible kick. The grind will never work anymore, the game has moved on.

The other thing dopey needs to forget about is basing his attacking game around offloads. We do have some good off loading forwards - Gallen, Tupou, Heinington etc however defensive lines are so good these days there is no guarantee you are actually going to get any off loads away in a game. Good defenders will stop this, as we are seeing. The other teams are all over our guys like a rash. You cant rely on playing footy games and getting off loads away to create your attacking chances, wont always happen.

Dopey needs to get the forwards playing football before the line - more passing, decoy runners, better angles, multiple runners going to the line. Create some doubt in the defence. And then when we do get a bit of go forward happening go wide to our centres with a bit of room to move with no backrowers in sight.

See BW&B, its not too difficult is it? Thats just a couple of observations, I could go on. You need to get over your love for Flannagan and realise that just because he is coaching an NRL team doesnt mean he is actually any good. Coaches come and go. Coaches are regularly found out and sent to the scrap heap. Sometimes the guy on the street or the bloke coaching kids can have better ideas than dopes like Flannagan.

 

[BlackWhiteBlue]

the stupid errors and forcing passes and off loads that arent on is what is letting us down most. It hands over possession too easily. Then we have to defend again.

When toops dropped it on tackle 2 i was filthy. We seem to be trying to barge over too much. We are structured then once it comes to the business end of the field everyone gets lost. Its coaching and its also the people on the field. some of them just genuinely dont know what to do

 

[vicsharkfan]

We play like we did last night we win the 1st two games... Let's be honest the storm are a couple of runs above us in terms of playing structure... Like thresher said in the game thread to sit there at ground level and just watch the pure speed and real crisp backline passing really is a treat.
I actually thought last nites game was a little step in the right direction.

 

[Weaponhead]

The defence is ok. Attack is the bigger problem. If your attack and kicking game is rubbish then that impacts your defence. The two go hand in hand.

The whole attacking structure needs to be re-written. Forget about the grind and stop relying upon forwards making off loads to create your attacking chances.

Flannagan continues to adopt the grinding style play. Five hitups, kick the ball, lets get down the other end of the football and then give the ball to Carney or now give the ball to Barba, run a couple of other little set plays and try and score. This type of game plan requiries a pin point kicking game and great discipline and skill level to control the ball. Hein lies the problem. Our kicking game is absolutely rubbish and our discipline is crap also. Any momentum and meters gained through good hit is instantly lost with terrible kick. The grind will never work anymore, the game has moved on.

The other thing dopey needs to forget about is basing his attacking game around offloads. We do have some good off loading forwards - Gallen, Tupou, Heinington etc however defensive lines are so good these days there is no guarantee you are actually going to get any off loads away in a game. Good defenders will stop this, as we are seeing. The other teams are all over our guys like a rash. You cant rely on playing footy games and getting off loads away to create your attacking chances, wont always happen.

Dopey needs to get the forwards playing football before the line - more passing, decoy runners, better angles, multiple runners going to the line. Create some doubt in the defence. And then when we do get a bit of go forward happening go wide to our centres with a bit of room to move with no backrowers in sight.

See BW&B, its not too difficult is it? Thats just a couple of observations, I could go on. You need to get over your love for Flannagan and realise that just because he is coaching an NRL team doesnt mean he is actually any good. Coaches come and go. Coaches are regularly found out and sent to the scrap heap. Sometimes the guy on the street or the bloke coaching kids can have better ideas than dopes like Flannagan.

Agree.

The kicking game horrendous. When Wade Graham is your main kicker your team is screwed.
Attacking structure is screwed. One out hit ups for a slow sweep play is doing nothing. The passing is ridiculously slow and the lines run are useless. Gallen passing to Robson for the out the back play to Gordon is done at glacial pace.

The way forward
Forwards run straight with support. The Fifitas and Gallen make huge yards when they can run at one or two defenders.
Barba and Robson need to play straight and not try to run around teams. Hit back rowers with short, sharp passes looking to create one on one situations for a tackle bust or offloading situation. The focus needs to be punching holes through rather than running around. We have power runners who can cause problems.
Find someone with a kicking game.

 

[GC Shark]

We need to start pushing up in defence and attack.

When we are defending we just stand there, hold our line and let the opposition come to us.
They are in control and we put no pressure on their attack to force them into error.

In attack our forwards run one out instead of two's and threes. We make metres but it doesn't really put the defence under pressure.
With support players it puts the defence in two minds on who to commit to. Sounds obvious but why aren't we doing it.
The one player who does commit to support through the ruck is Gordon but I'm still to see a forward pass it to him.
Players are spectating once they pass the ball instead of following the play in case of a break.

As for team changes I would drop Beale and put in Bird and drop Robson and put in Murphy.
Maybe with some new blood that opposition coaches haven't seen, we might get a different result.

 

[DANGA HATCH]

Agree.

The kicking game horrendous. When Wade Graham is your main kicker your team is screwed.
Attacking structure is screwed. One out hit ups for a slow sweep play is doing nothing. The passing is ridiculously slow and the lines run are useless. Gallen passing to Robson for the out the back play to Gordon is done at glacial pace.

The way forward
Forwards run straight with support. The Fifitas and Gallen make huge yards when they can run at one or two defenders.
Barba and Robson need to play straight and not try to run around teams. Hit back rowers with short, sharp passes looking to create one on one situations for a tackle bust or offloading situation. The focus needs to be punching holes through rather than running around. We have power runners who can cause problems.
Find someone with a kicking game.

This hits the nail on the head. For mine, we need Gallen and the Fifitas as our three rotating props playing straight up the middle. Gallen bends the line every time he plays straight he's a strong and attracts three with every hit up. He also needs to be told that he has a maximum one hit up per set. The Fifita boys playing at the same time on each side of the ruck could be confusing for oppositions, they have the size and power to make a difference. This allows Lewis, Graham, Bukuya, Tupou and Heighington to play as skilful back rowers with either Tupou or Heighno playing the extra prop.
The main problem is a kicking game and a nippy half. We just don't have this position covered. When the Bunnies lost Reynolds for a while last week, they were lost at sea and looked like a rabble. The Rorters put three quick tries on them. As soon as he came back they took control of the game again. I wouldn't punt Robbo from the team yet but he would be on my bench to cover half and hooker.
Todd Murphy needs to be our half, especially if he has a half decent kicking game. We need someone who can find metres with a kick. It is also time to play Val Holmes at Fullback and bring in Gagan and Bird.
Look the year isn't done yet but as we saw last night, we are not in the same ballpark as the Storm, Roosters and Rabbits. When I watch these sides play I see on paper that we have a pack to match these sides but the quality of our 1 to 7, especially the 7 isn't in the same league. Defensively some of these guys may be poor but attacking wise we are equally poor attacking.
We need to score points.
My 17:
1.Holmes
2.Feki
3.Bird
4.Leutele
5.Gagan
6.Barba
7.Murphy
8.Gallen
9.Ennis
10.A Fifita
11.graham
12.Bukuya
13.Lewis
14.Fifita
15.Tupou
16.Heighington
17.Robson

 

[samshark]

Aside from the obvious problems with the attacking structures everything is just too slow. Robson is too slow with his passing, as is Gallen.

We are too old and too slow. Our half, the forwards, even Gordon at fullback. All too slow. Its a young mans game.

 

[1990 sharkie]

An injury to our 1,7 and 13 will create some forced changes we all want

Can someone explain how a fresh prior/ Taga are not better than an 80 min gal. He makes lazy mistakes and tires himself out even more trying to be a half

Holmes
Feki
Bird
Leutele
Gagan
Barba
Murphy
Fifita
Ennis
Fifita
Graham
Lewis
Gallen

Toops
Heighno
Taga/Houma
Prior/ boogs

Sheppard

 

[Gards]

In attack need players in motion, decoys and depth

better use of bench
need a half with quality kicking game
better discipline, if fifita can't get it together drop his ass to send a message
tighten up defense around the ruck and out wide, particularly the right side
flanno to smoke less bongs

 

[fitz]

... get the forwards playing football before the line - more passing, decoy runners, better angles, multiple runners going to the line. Create some doubt in the defence. And then when we do get a bit of go forward happening go wide to our centres with a bit of room to move with no backrowers in sight...

Yep.

Yeah I know they've got the cattle to do it but have a look at how Melbourne draw and pass and we hit and spin every time and try to wrestle to get an arm free. Anyone notice a play that Melbourne put on last night where a set play was used where they draw a defender, pass right draw two defenders and then an inside ball to Slater running through the centre at pace? Pretty to watch - coached to entertain.

Us.... 5 hit-ups without support play followed by a dud kick. Yawn.

 

[Bundy Shark]

Sorry, I don't have a good spare half hour at the moment to offer my thoughts but Flano is getting shown up how much ability he has right now.

 

[CrankyShark]

The defence is ok. Attack is the bigger problem. If your attack and kicking game is rubbish then that impacts your defence. The two go hand in hand.

The whole attacking structure needs to be re-written. Forget about the grind and stop relying upon forwards making off loads to create your attacking chances.

Flannagan continues to adopt the grinding style play. Five hitups, kick the ball, lets get down the other end of the football and then give the ball to Carney or now give the ball to Barba, run a couple of other little set plays and try and score. This type of game plan requiries a pin point kicking game and great discipline and skill level to control the ball. Hein lies the problem. Our kicking game is absolutely rubbish and our discipline is crap also. Any momentum and meters gained through good hit is instantly lost with terrible kick. The grind will never work anymore, the game has moved on.

I agree with the above sentiments. Poor kicking and relatively far fewer prospects of scoring or even getting good field position to have a crack at the line turns defences to mud pretty quickly. Also, the grinding style is fine if you have a long kicking game. We don't.

The other thing dopey needs to forget about is basing his attacking game around offloads. We do have some good off loading forwards - Gallen, Tupou, Heinington etc however defensive lines are so good these days there is no guarantee you are actually going to get any off loads away in a game. Good defenders will stop this, as we are seeing. The other teams are all over our guys like a rash. You cant rely on playing footy games and getting off loads away to create your attacking chances, wont always happen.

This is killing us. By way of example we've turned Fifita's game to mud by doing this. I don't know what the stats are but it is a losing strategy. As a team we are basically handing over possession with comparatively little success when the offloads come off.

Thats all I have. It is easy to see what is wrong but fixing it within the parameters of the squad we have is not going to be an easy task.

 

[Gibs]

Last night we had 79% completion against the storms 92%

 

[ET19]

Our kicking game is beyond poor. Can someone please learn how to do a torpedo spiral bomb. Robson's defence is great but enough of the drop punts.. please!!!

 

[BlackWhiteBlue]

Yep.

Yeah I know they've got the cattle to do it but have a look at how Melbourne draw and pass and we hit and spin every time and try to wrestle to get an arm free. Anyone notice a play that Melbourne put on last night where a set play was used where they draw a defender, pass right draw two defenders and then an inside ball to Slater running through the centre at pace? Pretty to watch - coached to entertain.

Us.... 5 hit-ups without support play followed by a dud kick. Yawn.

Gals hit and spin is his pet move. Or is it his only?

 

[snowman]

playing straight and direct in attack would help, instead of sliding and turning the inside ball

moving up before we slide, I didn't see much of the game last night but I saw will chambers score against ricky and feki and I felt that could have been stopped if they moved up and slid

decoys, players in motion, and getting wade to play 5/8 inside the 30 on attack. have a decoy and stand barba deep, with another decoy to have holmes deep

we have too many back rowers again, it was awesome getting bukuya again, but now we have 6 backrowers in heino toops wade lewis gallen and bukuya, meaning 3 start and 3 on the bench, so our bench is way too light

and a better use of the bench, it is unacceptable that a play like prior and taga can start and only play 20 minutes, if they are going to do that, give that to houma, who is big and aggressive.

that's just my thoughts

 

[endevour shark]

Gals hit and spin is his pet move. Or is it his only?

When our forwards turn and go backwards into a tackle the oppo loves it. We always end up on our backs resulting in a slow play the ball or, an attempt at a low percentage off load. gives the defence plenty of time to get back and ready to go again

All the top teams mostly end on the knees when they get tackled then up again for a quick series of play the ball. We are losing the rucks nearly every time we are in a contest either in D or attack. Top teams do a lot to slow us down and man handle us they are trained to do this.

IF YOU ARE CONTROLLING THE RUCK AREA VERY OFTEN YOU CONTROL THE GAME

We also look very slow in most things we do.

It may help if we occasionally move up quick in defence we are putting very little pressure on the attacking team when we mostly let them come to us. Perhaps we could learn or relearn how to attack in defence

 

[endevour shark]

Gals hit and spin is his pet move. Or is it his only?

When our forwards turn and go backwards into a tackle the oppo loves it.( GAL and Hino are the worst offendors) We always end up on our backs resulting in a slow play the ball or, an attempt at a low percentage off load. gives the defence plenty of time to get back and ready to go again

All the top teams mostly end on the knees when they get tackled then up again for a quick series of play the ball. We are losing the rucks nearly every time we are in a contest either in D or attack. Top teams do a lot to slow us down and man handle us they are trained to do this.

IF YOU ARE CONTROLLING THE RUCK AREA VERY OFTEN YOU CONTROL THE GAME

We also look very slow in most things we do.

It may help if we occasionally move up quick in defence we are putting very little pressure on the attacking team when we mostly let them come to us. Perhaps we could learn or relearn how to attack in defence.

Having a good Kicker is or 2 is also essential.