Boyd Cordner & forward pack

[Jacks Fur Coat]

R6 I think you over complicate what is a pretty simple game

I acknowledge the need for basic structures and labelling certain roles etc... but to suggest a particular player can only play left or right, or tight or wide, or roving or stationery is a bit silly and limiting.

Good players can and should be able to adapt to different roles...with the odd exception of a skinny speedy winger or 125 kg prop...typecast them as appropriate.

Im glad you are not our coach.

[kakaruk]

Cordner is improving with every game. I thought Coote would be the best lock forward id ever see but I am starting to think this kid might turn out to be just as good. What is he now 21 years old?

[stsae]

R6 I think you over complicate what is a pretty simple game

I acknowledge the need for basic structures and labelling certain roles etc... but to suggest a particular player can only play left or right, or tight or wide, or roving or stationery is a bit silly and limiting.

Good players can and should be able to adapt to different roles...with the odd exception of a skinny speedy winger or 125 kg prop...typecast them as appropriate.

Im glad you are not our coach.

I reckon every NRL coach would have more complicated game plans than what 6 has described. In fact technically what he's saying isn't far off the mark.

Left right edge, zones, channels, middle third etc is just how coaches break the field down to grids where certain players mostly contain themselves.

You are right good footballers will be able to adjust to any role at any stage. That's why I rate Maubs, he can play any role and be consistent. And a good system, which we seem to have been developing under Robbo, will be simple and allow what we saw on Friday night, the ability to move the puzzle around and still get a win.

I guess everyone sees the game differently. Posters like 6 and Yak and others like to discuss those things. I understand what they are trying to say but it's not for everyone, breaking it down to the nth degree.

Teabags and Apple see the game the older way, like myself and you I'm guessing, KISS style.

I love watching everyone argue about it though. No ones right and no ones wrong. Doesn't stop nothing though. Everyone wants to win the battle.

[Guest]

There is no reason to have a set structure or strategy against the other 15 teams as different teams require different approaches in the way we play our game. There is no reason why Sonny Bill Williams can not play a roaming role in attack and defend on the right edge alongside Shaun Kenny Dowall and Mitchell Pearce.

Friday nights match did show me that Boyd Cordner is a far more effective player on the fringe than he is in the centre of the field and Frank Paul Nuuasala is best played in the middle-third where he is to run as hard as he can and look for the short passes or offloads after contact. Aiden "Che' Guerra is possibly our strongest hole runner and I believe he is deserving of the final backrow bench spot in our full strength line up as Mitchell Aubusson often takes the tackle in stead of looking to give his centre quality ball. This lack of distribution I noticed was particularly poor for Shaun Kenny Dowall earlier in the season and Michael "Jenko" Jennings does not receive the same quality of possession outside of Aubusson as he did with Williams. Mitchell Aubusson is a fine player but does not particularly excel above other players in any area.

I would also like to see Sam "Victa" Moa moved to the bench to provide our team with aggressive impact after our starting props have been rested. Martin "Marty" Kennedy and Luke O'Donnell do not provide this level of impact and O'Donnell is best served to start the match to absorb the early going. Should Kennedy face a long term injury then Isaac Liu can replace him on to the bench and continue to provide us with strong runs and tackles.

The pleasing thing about our forward pack is the versatility we have. Our backrow is able to shuffle around between the fringes and middle-third without diminshing the quality of their play and the depth of talent covers any enforced changes we face. To lose both of our starting props and have their bench replacements step up to the task and our reserve grade players come in has not affected us too greatly as it may in other areas or for other teams.

A small depth chart on players we have used or can use:

Props: Hargreaves, Moa, O'Donnell, Kennedy, Nuuasala, Liu, Napa, Tasi
Left edge: Williams, Cordner, Guerra, Aubusson
Right edge: Williams, Aubusson, Guerra
Lock: Nuuasala, O'Donnell, Hargreaves, Williams, Cordner, Liu, Arona

I have arranged the players in what I believe for each role is our strongest player. Almost every player can shift roles and some can play across either edge or in the middle. I believe that Sonny Bill Williams would be most effective on the left hand side of the field along with our five-eighth and left centre who are both running orientated players. A nice little partnership was forming on that side of the field before the Williams switch to the right, however Boyd Cordner's strongest position in my view is also left edge so moving Williams who can excel almost anywhere is a smarter move than having an extremely strong left edge and weakened right egde.

............Hargreaves....................Friend.. ........................O'Donnell..............
.............................Cordner.............. .............Williams............................. .
..............................................Nuua sala.............................................. ...
.................................................. .................................................. .......
...............................................Pea rce............................................... ....
.................................................. .............Maloney.............................. ...
................Jennings.......................... .....................Kenny-Dowall...............
Tupou............................................. ..............................................Shec k
......................................Minichiello. .................................................. ....

Mortimer
Kennedy
Moa
Guerra

I believe that to be our strongest and balanced team on paper.

[Guest]

I'd love to see something like;

8. JWH
9. Friend
10. LOD
11. Cordner (left)
12. Aubusson (right)
13. SBW (roaming)

14. Mortimer
15. Moa (hear me out)
16. Kennedy
17. FPN (playing time at 2RF/lock)

Number 15 would raise a few eyebrows, but I think more and more we are seeing top line front rowers come off the bench for a big impact. Moa off the bench could provide a huge impact ala Fifita at the Sharks or Matulino for the Warriors the last month or so. He showed he can change the game against the Warriors and he would still get the same minutes off the bench, just in a different order. I know he's proven he can start with a bang too but I felt at some stages early on we lost a bit of momentum when JWH and Moa both came off within 5 minutes of each other.

LOD and Kennedy have improved their game recently so it might not be as big a deal anymore but we won't know until JWH is actually back. But imagine having to deal with JWH for 20 odd minutes only for Moa to come out along side FPN. It would be hell for the opposition imo.

I was looking for somewhere to discuss LOD.
I watched Fridays game again and he probably played his best game for us against the Dogs. The guy is out-and-out tough and I hope he sticks around for us before retiring (preferably at least one more year).
On Friday he gave a bit out, got a decent dish back and then gave them a bit more. Really looking forward to seeing his game in September.