In fairness to Milford he has been "worked out" because he is the only threat and is defended tighter as such. What are his options inside or out? NIL at the moment. Look at the Roosters and when Keary takes the ball to the line he has 4 legitimate options that are all threats.
1. Short to back rower (Cordner)
2. Out ball to centre (Manu or Morris)
3. 2nd man block play to Tedesco
4. Run
All these options create doubt in the defensive line and they cannot overplay any one option. The Broncos presently have no players in motion without the ball and create no doubt. Opposition defenses just need to focus solely on the ball carrier.
Switch Milford and Kleary and Milford would be killing it and Keary would be getting criticized.
The structure and lack of effort off the ball are the biggest problems affecting Milfird and the team in general
Great post.
The missing ingredient is, as you say above, no bodies in motion, which is no consistent, functioning integration of players in settled structures and shapes that becomes second nature to the players. Our middle and edge is by and large, a dog's breakfast. No one really knows what's happening with rare exceptions when we set a shape and score some good tries. But that's the exception not the rule. The rest of our attack is more "leave it to the stars to do something special, like Fifita Staggs and TPJ".
Things just happen as they do with the Roosters as one example of a top side, because that is the way they are coached to do just that, and importantly, have been so coached for years, and using a more than less settled roster. Same with the Raiders, same coach for 7 years, same with the Eels.
So, and this has been canvassed here before, Seibold must be cut some slack on this issue, especially given the injuries to key players like Bird and Turps, a rookie FB in a key spine position, the departure of Macca around who this team has been built for years (whether we like the way it has or not, it still was built around him at dummy half), a new dummy half in Luke who isn't really doing any organising of note yet, a half back in his 1st season with us and a pack of really young forwards. Seibold has to make do with the cattle he has.
We desperately need an organiser in the middle, someone to whom the players will listen AND respond, and we desperately need a functioning spine which we just don't have yet. Turpin's return will go some way to fixing that.
As for Milford, he can't do what he is best at doing, as the post above says, given the shambles in the middle. His confidence is shot. And yes, maybe he does need a rest but then, will more changes to the spine return instant results? Will Dearden make a difference, at 19, with a few 1st grade games under his belt, trying to lead a disorganised rabble in the middle and edges? For mine, I doubt it.
Nevertheless, Seibold hs to be seen to do something so I can see Milford or Croft getting a rest, or it will be Seibold getting a rest, a long rest. No doubt that will make a lot of people on her happy. Personally, I don't think sacking Seibold in the short term is the answer to our problems.
Having said all that, I have 2 big issues with Seibold's coaching. First I don't think he is able to get the team to respond to his game plan. The effort against the Tigers was simply appalling, and continued what has been happening by and large for the last 6 weeks. As many others here have noted, it isn't rocket science so, maybe he is making it into rocket science, as a few of our players seem to feel from (alleged) media bites I have read. Or is it that Seibold is being undermined? Are our players just dumb, too young, etc etc. Whatever, setting a deep attacking line with forwards like Haas running onto the ball is just plain common sense. I can't get my head around why they don't.
However my biggest issue with Seibold though, related to the above, is that he just isn't getting the best out of our players. The best coaches do. Seibold is on really really thin ice here. The Tigers were a great example of that the other night. They were all over us, aggressive, disciplined and enthusiastic. Madge has made a lot of changes to his team over the past weeks. It has worked., and I think we have reached the point, as most of us are saying, that Seibold has to do the same, NOW, if for no other reason that he has to be seen to be doing something, whether or not it is the best thing, or whether or not it will work.
It will be most interesting to see the team picked on Tuesday, and of course, more interesting to see how we go against the Storm. Seibold's future is really on the line now.
There, my Sunday essay.