Kicking game- a must fix for next season

[RoosterBooster]

It is fairly obvious that our kicking game is a major reason for our poor season.

Our long kicks have no hang time and often land on the 20/30 meter line. This puts pressure on us as the opposition is constantly in a position to put up an attacking kick or forcing us to bring it off our own line. This leads to fatigue and due to our poor error rate, hands to ball back to the opposition in good filed positions.

As Walker and S Smith are very young they can improve in the department during the offseason?

Out of interest can someone tell me what Cassius Tia ( Jersey Flegg) kicking game is like. He certainly strikes his goal kicks nicely

IMO if we don’t fix this for next season it does not matter what we do we aren’t a hope .

[NorfolkStreetKid]

Our chase can't get to the kicks we put up now, nevermind kicking them further. Kick accuracy is much more important than just distance. Keary and walker can both put up bombs from 40 m our, Hutch can kick longer, but hopefully he won't be there.

[Thirteen]

A good and timely because never was it more obvious than last weeks game.

Last weekend you could clearly see the difference in the two kicking games. Their halfback put up well placed and very high kicks that our back 3 really struggled with. Our kickers were far inferior and never tested their back 3 once.

We can’t go into next season with a combo of Keary and Walker when neither can kick longer than 40 metres or higher than 20. To be a top side you need a decent kicker. Something needs to change.

[Easts75]

Our kicking gsme is laughable...Sandon Smith is just as bad as Keary and Walker

I have zero faith we're winning anything with those 3 in our halves rotation

Our squad next year looks barely any better. Young is a good signing, Leniu has shown nothing when asked to play more minutes

If massive changes and brutal decisions aren't made very soon it will be much the same next year sadly

[HunchoRooster]

Agree the kicking game is troublesome from a distance and height POV but we looked like world beaters at times with Sam and Keary in the halves. I think its the style of kicking we've done this year. The midfield bomb speculator is putrid and predictable. Distance kicking is important but I'd take Sam and Kez over someone like Fogarty, who was mentioned for his high kicks last week. A big kick is one thing, there's a lot more we are missing than that. I do see it being an isssue when our forwards do nothing with the ball and we are forced to kick from deep inside our own half.

[zac]

i reckon walker could easily put another 10m on his kicks as he develops - look at the way he added distance with his goal kicking

[Rooster_6]

Cooper Cronk & Luke Keary as a kicking duo never had a strong long kicking game and it didn’t end up being an issue.

Sure Sam Walker will probably naturally start to kick a little longer as he continues to grow and put on size but not like he’s going to magically go from having a weak boot to a strong one.

If you really think it’s a massive issue (I don’t) then the only way you fix it is by finding someone with a long boot and only playing one of Keary or Walker.

Cassius Tia is still playing Jersey Flegg, he’s a long way off First Grade.

[bondi.boy]

Seems Dragons are trying to offload $800,000 Lomax.
Would he be any good as a kicker for us?
Still under contract so would be much lower cost.

[Thirteen]

You can’t use size as an excuse for not being able to kick long. Adam Reynolds is tiny. He kicks very long. You can improve your technique and your balance and therefore the length of your kicking but kicking is a natural skill, you have it or you don’t.

[Thirteen]

Cooper Cronk & Luke Keary as a kicking duo never had a strong long kicking game and it didn’t end up being an issue.

Sure Sam Walker will probably naturally start to kick a little longer as he continues to grow and put on size but not like he’s going to magically go from having a weak boot to a strong one.

If you really think it’s a massive issue (I don’t) then the only way you fix it is by finding someone with a long boot and only playing one of Keary or Walker.

Cassius Tia is still playing Jersey Flegg, he’s a long way off First Grade.

I think Keary’s eventual replacement should be someone who can kick long and kick high.

[Rooster89]

Cooper Cronk & Luke Keary as a kicking duo never had a strong long kicking game and it didn’t end up being an issue.

Sure Sam Walker will probably naturally start to kick a little longer as he continues to grow and put on size but not like he’s going to magically go from having a weak boot to a strong one.

If you really think it’s a massive issue (I don’t) then the only way you fix it is by finding someone with a long boot and only playing one of Keary or Walker.

Cassius Tia is still playing Jersey Flegg, he’s a long way off First Grade.

It's the kick chase that matters more I think.

[QWERTY]

Our kicking gsme is laughable...Sandon Smith is just as bad as Keary and Walker

I have zero faith we're winning anything with those 3 in our halves rotation

Our squad next year looks barely any better. Young is a good signing, Leniu has shown nothing when asked to play more minutes

If massive changes and brutal decisions aren't made very soon it will be much the same next year sadly

Leinu’s been great, and both sides of his game are as good as the other. He’ll be even more ready to play longer minutes with a preseason under his belt.

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

Too bad we couldn't get Burton. I don't think a long kicking game is as important as an accurate one. But it definitely helps

[Rooster90]

I'd honestly consider signing Aidan Sezer for next year, wants to come back to Australia and is a decent stop gap 7

[bondi.boy]

Burton has a big kick and not much else. He kicks out on the full when his kicks go astray.
We're better off with Keary and Walker.