When I read Markus posts re both footy and cricket I think to myself  "Self, pay attention, this guy is a sporting savant"... 
watchinh you tapping away at the keyboard crafting a post must be like watching David Helfgott compose...
;)

Impressive comeback from the tigers... pronanly the best game I've seen mbye play not that he had a massive amount of influence in the result.,

Harold Matts won today against Souths and will play in the GF next week against Newcastle. Massive effort from them after losing the first two games of the season.  Everything is getting on track after all the years of neglect. Onwards and upwards!    

Gee a lot of long posts full of drivel the last few pages. 

Good to see Foran will be coming back much sooner than later.  Not that I would let him play on the brookie hell hole this week.

That makes a lot of long ones, and one shirt one... ;)

Crickeys... tigers game and start of this one a serious lesson in 'wanting it more'...

Attack was ok but IMO not as good as the mentality in reserve grade.

I know it's a different speed and intensity, I made it clear in my post, but what I was highlighting is that they have far more players in motion, less one out stuff, more decoy plays and more angled runs.

They are technically better than first grade mentality of 4 one out hitups and then a spread to the wing followed by a kick. 

But it's the enthusiasm in the line speed that impresses me the most. 

If our first grade played like that, we wouldn't be conceding 40-50m + attacking kick. We would be limiting attacks to just 30m + hail Mary kick. 

It would put us territorial par with the opposition and we wouldn't have to rely on penalties, errors from opposition or favourable re calls to get on top. Quite simply, we would be bordering on top 8.

Will be a nice selection headache for Pay... cogger has exceeded expectations particularly in D... kicking strong without being great..
Harry has a little second year syndrome going on being under a lot more pressure, opposition running an extra play or 4 at him every game to wear him down, and would still like to see him run just a couple times more during a game...

I said afew as I didnt want to make it sound like I had seen the whole of last season - I didnt. But I did watch at least 6 or 7 games particularly back end of season. It was enough to make a comparison. I still stand by it and every game I watch justifies my opinion even further. 

Would you prefer to read a piece from Danny Weidler?

You're comparing two different comps with completely different styles and importantly different stakes...
i shouldn't have to tell a great footy mind as yourself that lower grades are generally played more openly than firsts... you may remember the NRLols  amazing idea that was Toyota cup.,.

Lololol... Absolutely not...

Yep, saw a lot of favourable refs calls last night. Too bad not too many were to our favour.

I'm hoping this weeks contributions from Cogger and Meaney continues to keep the pressure off him. Even Thurston struggled in his early games and we had a much better team back then.  Its too much on Lewis' shoulders to carry the attack on his own. Too much for anyone really...

22 year old kid with the least experienced spine, and youngest team in the comp... hes killing it... if we can keep 1, 6. 7 and this pack together... find a first rate rake... things are on the up...

Dman, there are NRL teams (Roosters, Storm, Souths, Parra, Broncos) that play with furious line speed for major parts of the game. It's not just limited to reserve grade. There is a reason the above teams do well every year - except parra last year. 

All I'm saying is that if we adopted it ourselves it would improve us to possibly finals footy. And that is with no roster change. 

JMK obviously been coached to not do any playmaking but for someone who played in halves for us last year, I dont think he should be muted. Pay should encourage him to put a little kick in here or there and keep the opposition guessing. We are in a rebuild so its worth taking a gamble. We all saw what Des did to Lichaa. By HD's report, Lichaa was a gun hooker in reserves with lots of variation in his game. Somehow we have not seen it. 

Exactly how I see it, JMK is a good 14 / backup 9 who can also fill in a halves spot.
JMK may develop into a top 9, he is progressing.

Yep.. its called rorting the salary cap...

Agree somewhat... but you gotta have the players that can maintain it... and if you don't, you gotta play a style that best suits your cattle...
for us to play that style for 80, a roster change is needed...

Lichaa looked good in the lower grades, best player on the park, but I am not sure that style would have translated to NRL. Lichaa did have more variety in his game, but it was reserve grade long ago and probably based on 3-4 games.

But on the point, bad or unsuitable coaching can ruin a players game.

Good coaching can improve a players game, so far I think a few of our team are improving.
Appart from Lichaa no one is playing worse than 2018 form. 

Lo has simply didn't make the step... plenty don't... Des or otherwise... 

Irrespective of the talent they acquire through "management" of their cap, they still train for and play football with line speed as a crucial cog in their gameplan. 

I dont think it's even in our gameplan. 

You're probably right... and it's about cattle... its about what works best with what you've got.. getting up and back and up again for 80 is bloody tough...
im not sure if its about doing it for 80 as much as picking your moments... 
our last premiership team knew when to turn it in, they didn't do it for 80...

Yep. Our last premiership team certainly did it at the beginning of each half. Getting off to a good start is paramount.

This team....and recent year Bulldog teams, look fatigued on the first defensive set even if they kick off first! Its shocking to not have any enthusiasm from the outset. You've lost already.

Like you mentioned 5 teams that play like that, do you really believe the other 11 don't simply because it's not the plan???... and do you really believe they do it for 80 every week, or is it the right moments...
and let's not forget most of those teams are given a leg up if the opposition donor to them via an offside penalty all too regularly..

Nope. The 5 I mentioned do it for nearly 80mins. The rest do it sporadically. We dont. Only ever if we are trying to pin them in the 10m after 1 or 2 good swarming tackles. Did it more when we had JR. Nowdays there is no one. CHN has it in him instinctively as he has come from Penrith, but it shows coz he rushes out and creates a staggered line. He was awful on a couple of occasions in first half last night. 

To do it effectively, you need the whole umbrella defence to do it together. You have to train for it. 

Sorry, Napa also does it but like CHN, it can be dangerous if he is the only one. 

Poor Josh Morris tonight.... doing his best Marcelo Montoya impersonation