I know this has been said before but I'll say it again.
I posted a few times that I couldn't get my head around why the difference between our 1st two rounds, and the last two. Having read this thread, and watched all games, the answer is obvious. Others have pointed it out in this thread. This new Rule forces teams to re-think their defensive structures, develop really quick PTB's in attack and
fitness. All these basic elements of good football are now more than ever critical to winning ... and not getting flogged. We haven't adapted. The last 2 results show that, and sadly, having a rookie forward pack hasn't helped. It takes time to adapt.
This for mine, is now really all on our coaching staff, and we have been stuffing around with inconsistent defence since our fantastic structures and attitude in 2015/16.
Trent Robinson wrote somewhere that for the foreseeable future, this new Rule will see score lines blow out and close games diminish, unless those games are between the top teams who are top teams because they have adapted to the new Rule, like the Roosters, Canberra and the Eels. But then, top sides have always played like top sides. The new Rule just brings this into sharper focus.
Robinson wrote that the game is now more than ever (like it or not) about
QUICK changes in momentum - stopping well executed attacking momentum- defending intelligently and effectively against it, and developing one's own attacking momentum to the max.
With the new Rule, slow, sloppy defensive structure, poor tackling techniques and less than optimal fitness are now being exposed more than ever before. Teams with slow PTB's and sloppy shapes are being hammered. Intelligent use of the bench is also important. We need to adapt, and fast.
Our "wait for them" defensive structures are actually a good way of dealing with the new Rule, but only if we defend as we did back in '15.
Here's how to do it. Until we do, we will get flogged every time ... and man do we miss Matt Gillett on the edge.
https://www.nrl.com/news/2015/06/24/the-breakdown-with-matt-elliott-broncos-defence/