Round 7 - Knights vs Broncos - Pre-Match Discussion

[Splinter]

I am off to the US and then Europe for 6 weeks. I will be relying on getting info from the games from you guys when I can get online.
lets hope we can turn this around. Where has the forwards short passing to each other gone?

 

[Brocko]

1. Barba
2. Hoffman/Maranta - Hoff needs to realise quick smart he's a winger and nothing more.
3. Copley
4. Hodges
5. Vidot
6. Strasser/Kodi - Don't really mind which of the 2. Just needs to be someone who is actually a half.
7. Hunt
8. Mcguire
9. Macca
10. Kennedy - He's been poor as hell but I kind of feel if he got more minutes we'd see better from him.
11. Gillett/Glenn
12. Thaiday
13. Parker

14. Glenn/Gillet
15. Hannant
16. Hala
17. Oates

Get Mcguire and Kennedy to put in a solid 20/25 minutes before getting Hannant and Hala out there. Use those 4 in a proper rotation of front rowers for once. Thaiday/Parker can have stints at FRF if needed.

Oates on just before the half/end of the game could do immense damage to opposing teams wherever you play him.

 

[rnabokov]

In Hook's game plan, Barba at FB is becoming as serious an issue as Hoffman at 5/8

 

[Harry Sack]

I am not sure wholesale changes to the team fixes anything. We need Barba to find some form for starters. Get some depth in attack and we need to use our forwards better. I'd love a better 6 but I don't think we are getting it.

It's hard to explain but seriously, if our forwards received the ball a meter or so back from where they do, we'd look so much better. Rightly or wrongly, Barba isn't supplying us with what we need at the back, but he can offer something in the halves...so put him there.

I am off to the US and then Europe for 6 weeks. I will be relying on getting info from the games from you guys when I can get online.
lets hope we can turn this around. Where has the forwards short passing to each other gone?

If you want my facebook digits....let me know. I'm crazy jealous of you going to Europe especially

 

[Jeba]

1. Barba
2. Vidot
3. Hoffman
4. Hodges
5. Oates
6. Strasser
7. Hunt
8. McGuire
9. McCullough
10. Parker
11. Glenn
12. Thaiday
13. Gillett
---------------------
14. Hannant
15. Kennedy
16. Lowrie
17. Wallace

 

[Foordy]

Just a thought but, since Barba has been asked to do a big share of the playmaking duties, why not give it to him on a full time basis.

I personally think he could make a good 6. He has shown some good things this year so far. But I think a big part of his problem is that he is in two minds about what to do. Trying to decide between his playmaking role and running the footy.

He has had some success as a half both in the lower grades and very early in his NRL career. If he is successful , then he stays there in 2015, with Milford to fullback.

So I would go.

1. Maranta /Kahu
2. Vidot
3. Copley.
4. Hodges
5. Hoffman
6. Barba
7. Hunt

 

[Bucking Beads]

I can live with them moving Barba to 6 but it must be persisted with all season.

 

[1910]

Oates will play ISC tonight.

 

[Dexter]

Just a thought but, since Barba has been asked to do a big share of the playmaking duties, why not give it to him on a full time basis.

I personally think he could make a good 6. He has shown some good things this year so far. But I think a big part of his problem is that he is in two minds about what to do. Trying to decide between his playmaking role and running the footy.

He has had some success as a half both in the lower grades and very early in his NRL career. If he is successful , then he stays there in 2015, with Milford to fullback.

So I would go.

1. Maranta /Kahu
2. Vidot
3. Copley.
4. Hodges
5. Hoffman
6. Barba
7. Hunt

Yes thanks Foordy saved me the trouble, I like that backline and I think you are right. Barba is trying to be both fullback and 5/8, I'm not sure if that's why he is playing so poorly but it isn't helping.
The thing with Hoffman is he stuffed our momentum from fullback every time he got involved because he can't see the game so what does our attacking genius of a coach do? move him closer in so he stuff things earlier.

 

[rnabokov]

Barba to 5/8? Hoffman to wing?

That's a novel idea

 

[Unbreakable]

Although Barba has the tools to probably play Five-Eighth well, I think he's still a fullback through and through.. would much prefer we put someone else at Five-Eighth for the time being (Literally anyone, Jordan, Kodi, Jayden, Duncan, Zach)

 

[Dexter]

Throwing a rookie in there at 5/8 would be my last option TBH and lets keep it real here, Griffin can't bare the thought of bringing Oates off the bench so what are the odds of him putting a rookie in to play 80 mins.

 

[broncos4life]

Just a thought but, since Barba has been asked to do a big share of the playmaking duties, why not give it to him on a full time basis.

I personally think he could make a good 6. He has shown some good things this year so far. But I think a big part of his problem is that he is in two minds about what to do. Trying to decide between his playmaking role and running the footy.

He has had some success as a half both in the lower grades and very early in his NRL career. If he is successful , then he stays there in 2015, with Milford to fullback.

So I would go.

1. Maranta /Kahu
2. Vidot
3. Copley.
4. Hodges
5. Hoffman
6. Barba
7. Hunt

I totally agree with this, and as beads has said below, persist with it the whole season. To me it makes too much sense not to do it. Barba has lost a lot of his speed but his playmaking is really looking quite good, so why not put him at 6 so that his speed isn't in such a demand and he doesn't have to diffuse bombs. **** I would even have Hoffman back at 1 if it meant barba was at six. It would instantly take the pressure off hunt too.

Added bonus, give barba the 6 for the year so he can grow into the role, and then milf just slots into the 1 when he arrives, no need to have to wait for him to get used to 6

 

[broncos4life]

Although Barba has the tools to probably play Five-Eighth well, I think he's still a fullback through and through.. would much prefer we put someone else at Five-Eighth for the time being (Literally anyone, Jordan, Kodi, Jayden, Duncan, Zach)

I don't really agree with that tbh. Barba was a fullback through and through when he had the explosive speed that allowed him to break the line when in space, that (be it through injury or other) is gone and with the playmaking skills he has I cannot see how he couldn't make a fist of 6.

 

[Battler]

I'd like to see a backline of...

1. Barba
2. Hoffman
3. Copley
4. Hodges
5. Vidot
6. Anyone but Hoffman
7. Hunt

EDIT: Forgot about Copley. Oates back to the bench, but he has to actually play minutes.

 

[Morkel]

I'd like to see a backline of...

1. Barba
2. Hoffman
3. Copley
4. Hodges
5. Vidot
6. Anyone but Hoffman
7. Hunt

EDIT: Forgot about Copley. Oates back to the bench, but he has to actually play minutes.

This would be my preference, however we don't have a sufficient Anyone But Hoffman. Copley left centre for sure. Or right centre. **** it, let's bite the bullet and go out with our balls out:

01 Hodges
02 Hoffman
03 Reed
04 Copley
05 Vidot
06 Barba
07 Hunt

 

[Unbreakable]

This would be my preference, however we don't have a sufficient Anyone But Hoffman. Copley left centre for sure. Or right centre. **** it, let's bite the bullet and go out with our balls out:

01 Hodges
02 Hoffman
03 Reed
04 Copley
05 Vidot
06 Barba
07 Hunt

I love Hodges, he's one of my favourite players of all time, but I would feel extremely un-confident about him under the high ball / in defense at Fullback

 

[Morkel]

To me there are two really fucking simple things that we need to do that would make all the difference. Blatantly obvious for mine but they seem too obvious, which makes me think I might be missing something???:

* Use all 4 spine players for kicking. Barba kicked once, Hoffman kicked at least once (including THAT kick) but not much. McCullough kicked for the sideline brilliantly... once. Hunt's kicking is fucking atrocious, but it's because he has no room, ever. Hoffman, a left footer, even kicked that kick from the right side of the ruck. WTF??? All four need to be utilised, properly, not just as a token gesture, if only to give Hunt more room for when he does need to do a clearing kick.

* Forwards just need to run with more steam. Hala's run the other week was because he had a 15 metre run-up. Everyone at the moment is getting it flat-footed and trying to use footwork at the line. That's fine for 95 - 100kg back-rowers, but 110kg+ players like Kennedy just need to get a run up and run fucking hard. Yes, it's a bit more difficult to time, but that's what training is for. And it's not like the old days where a hard, straight runner is just asking to get smashed - they don't allow shoulder charges any more, remember??? Run fucking hard, fucking straight, worst case scenario is they belly out for quick PTB, best case there are three opposition defenders with tag marks on their faces. Do they still use tags on boots anymore? Whatever, big gaping shoe wounds. It's why the Burgess brothers are so successful.