Samisoni Langi

[Yak]

Don't agree with your comments on the spine. Melbournes 1, 7 and 9 don't get the ball more because they are their best players. It's because those positions touch the ball more than any other player on the field. Therefore having those 3 as their best players is of significant advantage.

Sure those positions naturally get the most ball because they are central distributing/ball playing positions and yes the Storm are advantaged because they have their best players in those positions, but it does not mean every team should focus on spending big on only those positions. I believe most of Melbourne's plays revolve around those players because they are their best so they play to those strengths. Most teams have tried to replicate the same style when their best strike weapons are not in those spine positions, much to their detriment. We have not tried to replicate that style and have instead played to our strengths. Mini is less involved in attack, and that has been allowed through our halves playing on the same side of the ruck. And more play is directed out wide to our attacking weapons in SBW and Jennings. St George won a premiership from playing to their strengths in Boyd and Creagh when they had one of the most average half and hooker combos in the comp.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

I don't understand why the whole spine obsession still exists. I would have thought given the year we've had people would see that success has a lot more to do with a well-coached structure and playing to your strengths. Our best creators in attack are our 3, 6 and 12 so we play to those guys a little more than others. Melbourne's best players just happen to be their 1, 7 and 9 so these in turn are the players who receive the most ball. Teams who go out and try to buy a quality "spine" are setting themselves up for failure imo. The key is to work your game around your best players and ensure that those supporting or distributing to the better players are competent in their roles. If Samisoni Langi ends up being as good in first grade as he promises and in fact has enough ability to take over from SBW to some degree then we will pay him accordingly no matter what position he plays. I personally think he could become a great left edge second rower. SBW is proof that you don't need to be in the "spine" to make a match-winning impact. If Langi keeps developing at the rate he is currently, by the time SBW moves on which i think will be the end of next season we will have a young man with many of the same attributes. His footwork for a big man is amazing. Having an edge forward that can ball play before and at the line has been shown to be a great weapon this year. And i think we'll find even his kicking game will be a big plus down the edge, as its a tactical play that doesn't get used enough at the moment. Having a second rower that can kick accurately down an edge firstly takes pressure off your halves, allows a run play option on the last, means you're kicking to space because the winger cannot drop back and the fullback normally sticks too close to the posts if an open side kick is expected, which means a shorter kick will find the ground in the corner with a compressed chase. One of the best 5th tackle options if you have a player to execute it. Langi would bring a lot to the team and if he's a dominant player in first grade he need not worry about not receiving enough ball while he has more than competent halves and Robbo is coach. Can't wait to see him play come Origin time cos i think he will score himself a position off the bench coming into the back end of the season.

Peeps just like saying "spine" cos they think it makes em sound RL educated.

[chook 56]

Peeps just like saying "spine" cos they think it makes em sound RL educated.

And ages ago spine referred to the engine room....where the hard yacka was done. The backbone of the team.

[Guest]

Don't agree with your comments on the spine. Melbournes 1, 7 and 9 don't get the ball more because they are their best players. It's because those positions touch the ball more than any other player on the field. Therefore having those 3 as their best players is of significant advantage.

Im with yak. Take 9 for example, how many teams get away with a 9 that just does a job - nothing flash just tackles hard, consistent. Same goes for halves. You can get away with a 7 that points people around and just gives good quick ball to your outside backs without moving the stars on his own. In fact in the past, it was far more common to have a great attacking threat out wide and have halves that are like cogs in a machine - just get the job done and get the ball where it needs to go. There is nothing to suggest that this still cant work. Maloney is a classic example of this. Yes he is in line for a game of origin but the strength of his game is just being a cog - kicking well, giving good early ball where it needs to go, putting his body on the line in defence and backing up his forwards looking for offloads.

[Chookies74]

In the old days, as long as you could hold your own up front, if you has a ball playing second rower and a gun centre, you were in with a chance. Maybe everything old is new again.

[roostwin]

I don't understand why the whole spine obsession still exists. I would have thought given the year we've had people would see that success has a lot more to do with a well-coached structure and playing to your strengths. Our best creators in attack are our 3, 6 and 12 so we play to those guys a little more than others. Melbourne's best players just happen to be their 1, 7 and 9 so these in turn are the players who receive the most ball. Teams who go out and try to buy a quality "spine" are setting themselves up for failure imo. The key is to work your game around your best players and ensure that those supporting or distributing to the better players are competent in their roles. If Samisoni Langi ends up being as good in first grade as he promises and in fact has enough ability to take over from SBW to some degree then we will pay him accordingly no matter what position he plays. I personally think he could become a great left edge second rower. SBW is proof that you don't need to be in the "spine" to make a match-winning impact. If Langi keeps developing at the rate he is currently, by the time SBW moves on which i think will be the end of next season we will have a young man with many of the same attributes. His footwork for a big man is amazing. Having an edge forward that can ball play before and at the line has been shown to be a great weapon this year. And i think we'll find even his kicking game will be a big plus down the edge, as its a tactical play that doesn't get used enough at the moment. Having a second rower that can kick accurately down an edge firstly takes pressure off your halves, allows a run play option on the last, means you're kicking to space because the winger cannot drop back and the fullback normally sticks too close to the posts if an open side kick is expected, which means a shorter kick will find the ground in the corner with a compressed chase. One of the best 5th tackle options if you have a player to execute it. Langi would bring a lot to the team and if he's a dominant player in first grade he need not worry about not receiving enough ball while he has more than competent halves and Robbo is coach. Can't wait to see him play come Origin time cos i think he will score himself a position off the bench coming into the back end of the season.

Sounds like our spine has scoliosis