PRE-GAME Round 3 - Broncos vs Cowboys

[CaptainHook]

Honestly, I don't get the Vidot love at all. He's not as good under the high ball as Maranta and has bombed a fair few tries of his own - maybe not blatant ones like Maranta but a bombed try is a bombed try, no? I would also argue he cost us more tries than Maranta did last year.

 

[Porthoz]

I don't recall Vidot bombing or costing us that many tries.
Other than the ability to catch bombs, Maranta has nothing at all.

 

[winslow_wong]

How maranta weaselled his way into first grade rugby league and to also become a household name still boggles my mind like no other. His try last night just adds to the mystery. Just some random dude who is there

 

[Unbreakable]

I don't recall Vidot bombing or costing us that many tries.
Other than the ability to catch bombs, Maranta has nothing at all.

I can recall 3 off the top of my head, 2 of which were literally him just dropping the ball with the line in front of him and no defenders, there's no doubt he's a spud when it comes to finishing tries (But so is Maranta, so.. yeah)

 

[CaptainHook]

How maranta weaselled his way into first grade rugby league and to also become a household name still boggles my mind like no other. His try last night just adds to the mystery. Just some random dude who is there

If you replace the word "Maranta" with the word "Reed" - you'll have piqued my interest.

 

[Ari Gold]

I would love to see Vidot get a gig because he has great go forward and he will be hungry. Maranta couldn't finish a cup of hot chips let alone a try!

I don't know why, but for some reason I can just imagine Maranta trying to finish a cup of hot chips and complaining they are too hot. And then he starts blowing on them trying to cool it down.

 

[Porthoz]

I can recall 3 off the top of my head, 2 of which were literally him just dropping the ball with the line in front of him and no defenders, there's no doubt he's a spud when it comes to finishing tries (But so is Maranta, so.. yeah)

Yeah, I think I can beat you by about 5 times that at the very least when it comes to Maranta. He actually managed to do the above in a single game... twice!

With the spuds we've had at 5/8, Vidot barely ever saw a ball coming his way. But even then, as bad as Barba may have been, he at least got some ball that way, and Vidot actually managed to score a few tries.

Maranta literally needs the get the ball gently gift wrapped delivered to him (like yesterday) to score a try.

 

[CaptainHook]

Yeah, I think I can beat you by about 5 times that at the very least when it comes to Maranta. He actually managed to do the above in a single game... twice!

With the spuds we've had at 5/8, Vidot barely ever saw a ball coming his way. But even then, as bad as Barba may have been, he at least got some ball that way, and Vidot actually managed to score a few tries.

Maranta literally needs the get the ball gently gift wrapped delivered to him (like yesterday) to score a try.

I get what you're saying - I do. It's a team sport and if one player is struggling then it has a ripple effect. It all makes sense.

Personally though, I've always hated the "if only" defense for a player's poor form. I see it a lot with guys like Reed, Glenn, McCullough etc. They're great players "if only" we had a better 5/8, "if only" we had a better coach, "if only" we had a better game plan, "if only" we were more fit, yadda yadda yadda.

I repeat - I understand it's a team sport - but I just think individual players should take a bit more ownership of their form and contribution to the team.

 

[Morkel]

I don't know why, but for some reason I can just imagine Maranta trying to finish a cup of hot chips and complaining they are too hot. And then he starts blowing on them trying to cool it down.

And blows too hard and knocks the cup on the ground, spilling the chips in the dirt.

 

[Super Freak]

I think it's important that Maranta gets picked again next week.

Hodges can't jump and he will be marking up on Linnett who will have Winterstein next to him. Both of those players have shown they can be good in the air and you know Thurston will be putting some kicks up..

I think it's important we have Maranta for his ability under the high ball. I don't have much confidence in Vidot.

If I was Hunt or Milford, I will be looking at putting up some bombs for Maranta. Winterstein can be also be terrible under the high ball.

 

[Porthoz]

I get what you're saying - I do. It's a team sport and if one player is struggling then it has a ripple effect. It all makes sense.

Personally though, I've always hated the "if only" defense for a player's poor form. I see it a lot with guys like Reed, Glenn, McCullough etc. They're great players "if only" we had a better 5/8, "if only" we had a better coach, "if only" we had a better game plan, "if only" we were more fit, yadda yadda yadda.

I repeat - I understand it's a team sport - but I just think individual players should take a bit more ownership of their form and contribution to the team.

And he did by literally carrying the team on his back!
He played on the wing and the ball didn't get there, unlike Maranta who did get chance upon chance and squandered almost every one of them. That's not something he should take responsibility for imo.

I'm not saying Vidot doesn't have flaws, but he has an upside Maranta just doesn't have, and I'd like to see him play on his favourite side outside of Hodgo, to see what he's worth. He did quite well for Samoa there.

 

[rnabokov]

I get what you're saying - I do. It's a team sport and if one player is struggling then it has a ripple effect. It all makes sense.

Personally though, I've always hated the "if only" defense for a player's poor form. I see it a lot with guys like Reed, Glenn, McCullough etc. They're great players "if only" we had a better 5/8, "if only" we had a better coach, "if only" we had a better game plan, "if only" we were more fit, yadda yadda yadda.

I repeat - I understand it's a team sport - but I just think individual players should take a bit more ownership of their form and contribution to the team.

As I understand it Bennett has primary responsibility for the individuals in this team: form and contribution... and taking ownership, which means getting dropped like Bennett did Thaiday (to good effect).

At the same time, I agree with CaptainHook: "It's a team sport and if one player is struggling then it has a ripple effect. It all makes sense."

However, one caveat, it might well be as you say : "yadda yadda yadda" about the game plan - if only we had one, yet an individual's say, hot form would mean far less in a poor team structure and game plan which failed to give that player the opportunity to show that form in the context in which his form is relevant: to contribute to the team, which means the team's structure and proper use of an individual's talent.

The way the Roosters use Cordner and Guerra is a prime example, especially when compared to the way we use, or don't use, Gillett.

He can play out of his skin but what use is that if all he gets is an ordinary pass in the face of 3 defenders usually up the middle instead of playing out wide in an attacking structure built around giving him time and space?

Which brings to the fore the questions of Hunt, Milford and Macca, and the way the team should be built around them.

 

[Ari Gold]

Most interesting thing will be how Boyd changes the dynamic of the team when he returns to the team as Bennett designed to be. There's no doubt he has some playmaking skills and knows how to be part of combinations. However, he's not a kicking option and whilst he's a decent second receiver he's not a primary playmaker and I'm not sure if his threat in attack will be able to open up the space for Milford that I think he needs.

Boyd is not particularly good in open spaces. Capable, but he's no Slater or Milford etc. so I feel Boyd will need to create the space for Milford. Personally I still think long term that's something that Taylor would have done better, but hopefully Boyd can prove me wrong because we're fucked in attack if he can't.

 

[Sproj]

All this talk about game plans and time and space starts and ends with the same problem, the guy in the 9 jersey.

 

[Morkel]

All this talk about game plans and time and space starts and ends with the same problem, the guy in the 9 jersey.

Agreeing more with every game I see. Even a veteran like Ballin can still find the knees to fire them off the ground, and with proper timing the running forward has the ball at full speed while the defence is still 6-7 metres away. In contrast, McCullough's grab, half-step, and shovel means our forwards can't hit top speed because the window to receive the ball can fluctuate greatly, and they need that room to adjust. So they'll often get the ball at half pace with the defence right on top of them. That's the difference 0.25 or 0.5 a second can make.

 

[Alec]

I don't mind the shoveling to the front rowers anywhere near as much as the slow service to the halves. That's the unforgivable part.

Granville might not have been always accurate, but when he hit the mark, that extra time with the ball really gave Hunt a big advantage last season. I believe there was a 10 minute period against a side when Hunt came up with 3 tries off Granville's passes.

 

[Harry Sack]

I don't know why, but for some reason I can just imagine Maranta trying to finish a cup of hot chips and complaining they are too hot. And then he starts blowing on them trying to cool it down.

Fucking brilliant.

 

[rnabokov]

Agreeing more with every game I see. Even a veteran like Ballin can still find the knees to fire them off the ground, and with proper timing the running forward has the ball at full speed while the defence is still 6-7 metres away. In contrast, McCullough's grab, half-step, and shovel means our forwards can't hit top speed because the window to receive the ball can fluctuate greatly, and they need that room to adjust. So they'll often get the ball at half pace with the defence right on top of them. That's the difference 0.25 or 0.5 a second can make.

Couldn't agree more.

and maybe add to that 2 missing ingredients: are the forwards in the middle standing deep enough and actually getting to top speed in the first place - depth being the issue, and, is the ball then being offloaded or passed to and by the halves, to equally at-speed back rowers running the right running angles.

Back to Macca, he just can't seem to adjust to the speed with which it is necessary to get the ball out where it counts