Fiery Forwards - Where Do You Stand?

[redbur95]

Josh McGuire received another charge from the judiciary today for a careless high tackle. It's not his first offence and it certainly won't be his last.

It made me wonder - is it worth having a player prone to the occasional on-field misdemeanor if that player's fieriness and toughness is key to their on-field aggression and hence, their high status as a player?

I think that it's totally worth having aggressive players on a team when they do everything legally but are still plain scary (e.g. Tallis), but how thin is the line between purely aggressive players like McGuire, who I wish would be a little more disciplined, and thugs like John Hopoate and Steve Matai?

The main question here is: how effective would 'tough' players be if they became more disciplined?

 

[Big Pete]

You don't want forwards to give away penalties but you want them to be able to smack runners with the footy, make the big carries and intimidate the opposition.

In this case, it was nothing more than an accidental tackle. But let's say if they're a Napa or Gavet where they teeter that line then I'm okay with them giving away the odd penalty as long as they keep the opposition in check.

Otherwise they're just penalty magnets handing the opposition golden opportunites which they'll take advantage of.

 

[rnabokov]

Accidents happen. Malice happens. Swinging arms are the major culprit. A stupid thing to do in tackles.

Rather than "Fiery Forwards", I prefer controlled aggression.

One solution is to teach and reinforce proper tackling technique, either 1 or 2 tacklers - around the legs, or shifting your forward momentum into the ball carrier under the rib cage, lifting and then dumping them on their arse. Thaiday showed how to do it on JWH.

The other method is a full frontal hit (very good if you have forward momentum and both arms wrap up the ball runner).

This is real aggression: intimidating, a real hit which hurts and drives the attacker backwards.

A swinging arm (with a few rare exceptions like going for the ball) in a tackle is stupid. The risk of contact with the head is always there. That is what is the basis of a penalty magnet.

I like Bennett's commitment to strong defence and good tackling technique. Gillett is a good example of his influence I think. The key is however, consistent controlled determined aggression ... which only comes with good line speed where the defence is moving forward, and not flat footed or in a slow moving broken line. We have been so guilty of that.

 

[Brent81]

Accidents happen. Malice happens. Swinging arms are the major culprit. A stupid thing to do in tackles.

Rather than "Fiery Forwards", I prefer controlled aggression.

One solution is to teach and reinforce proper tackling technique, either 1 or 2 tacklers - around the legs, or shifting your forward momentum into the ball carrier under the rib cage, lifting and then dumping them on their arse. Thaiday showed how to do it on JWH.

The other method is a full frontal hit (very good if you have forward momentum and both arms wrap up the ball runner).

This is real aggression: intimidating, a real hit which hurts and drives the attacker backwards.

A swinging arm (with a few rare exceptions like going for the ball) in a tackle is stupid. The risk of contact with the head is always there. That is what is the basis of a penalty magnet.

I like Bennett's commitment to strong defence and good tackling technique. Gillett is a good example of his influence I think. The key is however, consistent controlled determined aggression ... which only comes with good line speed where the defence is moving forward, and not flat footed or in a slow moving broken line. We have been so guilty of that.

Good teams generally have an intimidator in them.

When we were at our best we had Ryan, Tallis etc....

I still think we are short of a big intimidating forward ie JWH etc....

 

[BroncosAlways]

I'd take Martin Taupau at Broncos in a heartbeat, blokes seem genuinely scared to tackle him sometimes.

 

[jarro65]

Good teams generally have an intimidator in them.

When we were at our best we had Ryan, Tallis etc....

I still think we are short of a big intimidating forward ie JWH etc....

Gavet was supposed to fill that role before his injury, and to a lesser extent, Blair was brought in to provide some 'mongrel' too if i'm not mistaken.

Thaiday could also be a main player in the intimidation stakes as well, if he keeps producing performances like he did against the Roosters.

 

[Morkel]

In terms of tackling style, I love the under-the-ribs pick-up-and-drive too. But it's hard to pull off as every forward runs slightly sideways or at least doesn't telegraph their intended impact point, and you can't hit and drive unless you know their exact line. Worked against the Roosters because they thought they could use their size to get over the top and deliberately avoided footwork.

 

[subsbligh]

I think a lot of that perceived enforcer threat is gone now with fighting being outlawed. Grubs rule now.

So, if anything the ill disciplined players are less effective as their upside is diminished.

Can you imagine Josh Reynolds giving Tallis a facial on the ground or elbowing him in a tackle? Good luck walking off the ground after that son.

 

[Morkel]

I think a lot of that perceived enforcer threat is gone now with fighting being outlawed. Grubs rule now.

So, if anything the ill disciplined players are less effective as their upside is diminished.

Can you imagine Josh Reynolds giving Tallis a facial on the ground or elbowing him in a tackle? Good luck walking off the ground after that son.

This all the way. Players like Beau Scott who get away with illegal play in every ruck is unfortunately something that is rewarding for teams. I'd much rather someone who plays hard, legally, but misses one game a year because of something accidental than lower ourselves to grub status.

 

[Huge]

Where do I stand ? Behind them and hopefully out of sight ! Really, you don't need them. If I could have Martin Bella cloned, I'd have four of them in my team ! I just want forwards who go forward and you simply cannot belt or intimidate them. There are forwards out there who simply hit harder than others and do it legally, that's my type. Hard edged tackling machines.