Round 4: TITANS vs DOLPHINS (2024)

[Upthetits]

It’s interesting because there’s being underdone in fitness and there’s being overdone aswell. Looks to me like the boys went from one extreme with Holbrooks just play footy philosophy to the other with des’s notorious training from hell regiment. The offseason is meant to give you just enough ticker to last 5-7 minutes straight without a stoppage but if you overdo that you run the risk of fatigued muscles. Especially if des is flogging them throughout the week without the proper recovery analytics

That's what I thought, they look overcooked

[The Birdman]

Like everywhere here I think I’m really starting to lose faith in this club. The most frustrating thing for me is we have some really good players on our roster but we don’t utilise a game plan that plays to their strengths. It started with Holbrook, but Des doesn’t seem to have changed much and it’s frustrating to see the opportunity slip away.

I’ll start with the spine and in particular the hooker/fullback positions. At the Roosters Verrills was a very creative dummy halve. His strengths are his pass, but also getting in behind the ruck and feeding Tedesco and Manu. He’s coping a bit of slack on here recently but we are predominately using him as tackle bot and feeder the our halves. At times he’ll scoot and get in behind the ruck but no one is pushing with him. The reason for that is because JC (and now AJ because we have thrown him in the centres) are playing shape so are no where near the ruck. The strength of both AJ and JC at fullback is broken play. They are wasted out the back of shape as there is not enough room.

What is compiling this problem is Boyd standing far too wide and not straightening the attack. We also don’t turn any players under to straighten the defence line. We just go side to side and wonder why we run out of room on the field. DFafita running an inside line back back against the grain would cause the defensive line to hold more and space would open outside of him. It’s also a good opportunity to get him one on one with sliding defenders. Every time the ball goes out the line it just looks like a team who are waiting around for their time to run the ball.

Our forwards also get the ball far too much in good attacking territory. Too often do we play short on the 4th tackle. We’re not a big enough side to do this as much as we do. The game has changed now so there is no real benefits of a six-again, but we need to find more variety in our attack than forwards hitting it up to the forth tackle then a bomb. Especially as our outside backs aren’t especially good under the high ball and our halves do not have good short kicking games. We have the talent, we just need to execute a game plan that plays to players strengths.

This post needs to be framed. 100% Tanah is always positioned poorly to receive the ball at first receiver and then just crabs us sideways towards the sideline. He's got no idea how to put his OB's into advantageous positions. He's got nothing in his bag to stretch or compress the defensive spacing between defenders as he isn't particularly quick nor agile. No one in the opposition D line is concerned when the ball is in his hands.

[RavShamrock]

Hey NZF, you mentioned that there is not much benefit getting a six again call. I’m not sure if I am a fan of the repeat set rather than a penalty. Reason being (it happened in this game) the ref ruled 6 again in our favour only Metres out and the very first hit up we dropped the ball (may have been Mo). There is no advantage. Going back to the old way of giving a penalty (which won’t happen) would stop a lot of teams being off side knowing there maybe points scored against them. i.e. Option for 2 points or go for try. I think there should be an advantage played in this type of situation, ref rules 6 again in your favour, you fluff it 1st tackle so ref awards penalty. JMO

Love your thoughts here mate and the NRL should play way more advantage plays than they currently do.

[RavShamrock]

Hey Cowa not sure you should be putting this on here mate

[Cowabunga]

We legit act as if M Gorden was the dealer only....There were a tonne involved and still are.