"Chooks failing pressure test"

[Vasco]

Our best game in forcing repeats in years, vs TheBros the second time, and we lose.

Stats can be misleading and almost irrelevant.

This repeat set one is exactly that.

I reckon it's great, people bang on about repeat sets using stats but it's truly irrelevant to us this season. Ironically the stats actually show this.

But many of the same people won't even consider MLKs stats for metres, tackles, missed tackles, penalties, dropped pill etc cos it doesn't suit their argument.

Stats don't lie. People just like to manipulate their use to support their argument.

Fark me you hammered me with stats on a Marin Kennedy thread a week ago.

Must be a good batch of home brew this week.

[melon....]

"However, it is most surprising to see Johnathan Thurston has been unable to turn his forced pressure into more victories for his team."

JT's apparently the world's best halfback (or 5/8... or whatever they reckon he plays.) Has never really converted the fact that QLD is invincible into his club being invincible.

Gronk... doesn't even get a mention, but he's not really known for creating pressure. QLD and Australia just keep winning so neither are looking around for a new HB.

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My scare is that Pearce and Maloney both have a habit of kicking to the FB or winger's hands rather than space.

Particularly when it's GI or Slater they're kicking to (which to be fair are our likely GF fullbacks if we make it that far), it's really bad. Give GI/Slater ball + space and they'll very quickly eat up the space (and more.)

That said, in my view:
- Pearce is fast and has a habit of being in the roght place at the right time. I rate a try off a slippery pass/good positioning much higher than forcing a repeat set. I still remember when RTS made his debut... he stepped Morris then passed to Pearce (who kept up with him and left some fast Dragons chasers for dead.) Gronk doesn't have that... if QLD/Australia/Melbourne were losing then his head would be 1st on my chopping block. (Well not QLD/Melbourne... I'd make sure they signed him on $900k a year.)
- Maloney creates pressure through his kicks. Maybe his problem is that Tupou and Jennings are scoring lots of tries rather than coming in, letting the opposition get the ball and forcing repeat sets? Tries > repeat sets ALWAYS and that's what Jennings/Tupou/RTS...etc are getting!!
- Stopping repeat sets is my only concern. Yes we have a habit of defending 10+ repeat sets in our half without conceding tries, but why do we need to defend so many repeat sets? I could blame SKD/Mini (and probably get away with it) but to me is's a deeper question that involves team tactics.

Who knows... maybe it's our plan? For example I notice us kicking to the FB rather than space. BIG risk if that's GI or Slater (not if it's fat/balt Bowen)... but does that give us structure and let us control how they use the ball? (I.e. At least we know GI/Slater will run the ball hard, so there's no option of the winger running then offloading to them during broken play.) I dunno... just a thought.

Youre assuming Souffs will make the GF. Big Call.

[Guest]

On the sea where the tries are not on getting a repeat set or two before we create the opportunity to score wouldn't be such a bad thing. It would wear teams out and give us more dominance over the game. We do lack control of games sometimes and putting the pressure on other teams is necessary in finals.

I hope someone reads that article and gets the boys to force 20 line dropouts against the drag queens.

[Roostarz]

I'd rather have 1 set and score 6 points than "passing the pressure test" and have 8 sets for 0 points. Suck it WoManly!

[Guest]

We seemed to place a few in Manly's in-goal on Monday from what I saw. Certainly more then previous weeks.

[Kingsgrove-Loiner]

I reckon we probably attempt less grubbers than a lot of other teams, give that we have 'the giraffe' on the left wing.

As someone else pointed out as well, there's no point need to put a grubber through on tackle 5, when you already scored on tackle 4.....

[Guest]

There is nothing to those stats. I put it to the chookpen that only a team that is struggling to convert field position into points will feel a need to constantly look for repeat sets. We are getting the tries this year, so these stats are nothing to get nervous about. Discipline is (still) our biggest hurdle.

[Chook Norris]

I made a post on this around last week and just thought i'd post it again.

It may not seem like such a huge deal right now given the ease which with we usually score points, but at the same time why do we persist with tactics that don't really work? (in regards to continual failed cross field kicks that amount to nothing)

As well, as another user has said (as well as this article), it may matter a lot more as the season progresses mate. The ability to maintain pressure is crucial along with strong defence in big end of season games.
We seem impatient a lot of the time in a lot of these round games.
At times, we seem guilty of attempting to score from every play and this seems to cause a lot of frustration when it doesn't come off.
I believe i have read Robbo admitting to this in a post-match interview as well. For example, the Penrith game comes to mind. We were very impatient and pushed too many passes imo. Luckily for us their defence eventually cracked and the points then came easy. However, what if we face a team in the finals with very strong defence, but a lack of composure and patience has us trying to score from every single play? That leads to frustration, and frustration leads to poor decision making accompanied with mistakes.

Not every team is easy to score against, and thats when our patience and composure needs to come in.

Imo, we need to learn to grow that aspect of our game and it will benefit us down the track.

[Cockadoodledoo]

What is funny is that we seem to get the repeat sets when a part time kicker like Friend or Mini puts a grubber behind the line but someone like Pearce couldn't get a ball to stop in the bloody grand canyon.

[davos]

What is funny is that we seem to get the repeat sets when a part time kicker like Friend or Mini puts a grubber behind the line but someone like Pearce couldn't get a ball to stop in the bloody grand canyon.

The key for NSW winning origin 3 will be to go in with a 7.Maloney / 6. Carney combo in the halves. In game 3 last year, if memory serves me correct it was Pearce not Carney, who did not stand up against pressure. I was very suprised when Carney was omitted from the side this year.

Laurie Daley could go into the history books if he makes the change and it pays off, otherwise we will be spinning the same crap we have been for the last 7 years and lose another series.

1.Hayne/Dugan

6. Carney

7.Maloney(GK)

9. Farah

will probably win us a series

[Chook Norris]

What is funny is that we seem to get the repeat sets when a part time kicker like Friend or Mini puts a grubber behind the line but someone like Pearce couldn't get a ball to stop in the bloody grand canyon.

Agreed. Mini is far far more comfortable and effective in getting a repeat set, as is Friend

[Vasco]

Who cares what some nuffie fresh out of uni says about us.

The premiership table says a lot more.

[Guest]

There is a huge problem in the game today.
The latest generation seems to have been brought up watching basketball.

"Hope the team I support this year wins!"

(as long as the game is close and exiting..................)

Last thing we all wanna see is the team we've supported all our life win by 50!!!!!!!!!

bad 4 ratings....

[Guest]

Prior years while we were losing we struggled for repeat sets. It's jut something we don't do

[Chook Norris]

Prior years while we were losing we struggled for repeat sets. It's jut something we don't do

It's something we need to learn to do to be truly dominant. As i said above, we can't expect to score every time we get down to the try line