Old Mate
NRL Captain
- Jul 5, 2008
- 3,613
- 3,872
They already got revenge earlier in the year.
PRE-GAME [Round 20, 2026] - Broncos vs Panthers
- Thread starter ningnangnong
- Start date
Nerd
QCup Player
- Sep 27, 2020
- 733
- 2,502
Whatever grace period Madge got with winning the premiership is most certainly used up. Losing Teo as our defensive coach has been an absolute disaster and looks like he did the right thing for his coaching career by walking.
The players seem to be putting in so I don't think Madge has lost the group but even worse, whatever style of play Madge has come up with obviously isn't working. I get that we have had a massive impact from injuries but that doesn't explain our passive, ineffective defence and our bumbling, struggling attack.
Watch the better teams like Redcliffe and their defenders hit with their shoulders in tackles with the first tackler often being low. Contrast that with our passive defenders that catch and hold the the runner who either stays on his feet for a quick play the ball or carries the clinging defenders 3-5 m after contact then gets a quick play the ball.
Our attack is the same. We seem to have designed our attack around to aging 7's who could play the game in dinner suits. Both Reyno and Hunt just do not straighten and take on the line at any stage of the game and their first instinct is to go sideways and try to pick up a flat runner which more often than not results in an unforced error. The defence also knows that our halves won't run the ball and just slide onto the poor runner. I get that aging 7's do this to minimise injuries and prolong their career but it is killing our attack. The one game where Duffy was an organising 7 looked much better.
I also don't get the fascination with keeping Paix at hooker. His work out of dummy half is just a handbrake in attack. The moment Mozer came on last night our attack went up a gear. I know he isn't as good in defence as Paix but the Paix at 9 for 60 minutes stint isn't working. When fit I'd rather have Billy starting at 9 for 20 minutes then Mozer till the end of the game with Billy then able to cover for a halves/hooker injury or back row replacement.
The players seem to be putting in so I don't think Madge has lost the group but even worse, whatever style of play Madge has come up with obviously isn't working. I get that we have had a massive impact from injuries but that doesn't explain our passive, ineffective defence and our bumbling, struggling attack.
Watch the better teams like Redcliffe and their defenders hit with their shoulders in tackles with the first tackler often being low. Contrast that with our passive defenders that catch and hold the the runner who either stays on his feet for a quick play the ball or carries the clinging defenders 3-5 m after contact then gets a quick play the ball.
Our attack is the same. We seem to have designed our attack around to aging 7's who could play the game in dinner suits. Both Reyno and Hunt just do not straighten and take on the line at any stage of the game and their first instinct is to go sideways and try to pick up a flat runner which more often than not results in an unforced error. The defence also knows that our halves won't run the ball and just slide onto the poor runner. I get that aging 7's do this to minimise injuries and prolong their career but it is killing our attack. The one game where Duffy was an organising 7 looked much better.
I also don't get the fascination with keeping Paix at hooker. His work out of dummy half is just a handbrake in attack. The moment Mozer came on last night our attack went up a gear. I know he isn't as good in defence as Paix but the Paix at 9 for 60 minutes stint isn't working. When fit I'd rather have Billy starting at 9 for 20 minutes then Mozer till the end of the game with Billy then able to cover for a halves/hooker injury or back row replacement.
Bucking Beads
International Captain
- Mar 5, 2008
- 26,823
- 12,159
We will win this one.
LittleDavey
State of Origin Rep
- Mar 25, 2013
- 5,172
- 10,115
Can't agree with the Teo take. Our defence has been bad for years, this is not a new thing. The two games after he left, we looked the best defensively that we have for years! Time may prove me wrong but I don't think Teo was that big of a loss with respect to how we defend. Personally I think it's more that we are a man short on the coaching staff - combined with injuries, chopping and changing players week to week means there's no consistency, guys are running out next to different players literally every week so there's no combinations, no confidence able to be built in the guy beside them etc. Losing players nearly every game as well.
Yes I am also frustrated that we don't seem to hit in defence and hopefully we get someone in SOON to start preparing an overhaul of our physical defence in the off season. I also hope that we get the referees in ASAP for guidance on what is and isn't acceptable in the ruck, because we get absolutely slammed in that department. I've made my thoughts on that very clear so I won't repeat them here, but we don't get as much leeway in the ruck as other teams which is at least in part due to not effecting tackles well. We also need to train to not have guys caught on the ground nearly every tackle, that's another blindingly obvious area we're struggling in and have for a long time.
These are long term issues which have not simply started after Teo's departure.
Our attack I agree is awful for the most part, we still don't seem to have much in the way of structured plays. I hate how we just go side to side barely ever using our forwards close to the line, it's so frustrating when you have at least Haas, X and Peeks who can all find a gap or make one. Barrett is attack coach and he hasn't gone anywhere, so I don't know what we're doing there. Again injury and outs is not helping us in this department either.
Agree with Duffy, the kid is good, keep him in. Agree with Billy/Mozer as well, Paix can go to bench and play the Smoothy smaller lock type role (geez I'd love Tyson back - R&R team?!?!)
