Repeat sets- what's the obsession?

[Rooster_6]

Ranked first in forced drop outs - Dragons
Ranked last in forced drop outs - Roosters

Ranked last in points scored - Dragons
Ranked second in points scored - Roosters



I love a good fad and this is definitely up there with the fascination over tries from kicks in 2008.

[Guest]

Most teams need to build pressure to be able to crack the try line, we don't seem to have that problem.

[chook 56]

Exactly.
Far better to put the points on the board, rather than keep hammering away with repeat sets.

It only becomes a worry if you aren't getting points when you make it to the right end of the field.

[The Brain]

None of the media types or Chookpenners have worked it out yet have you ..its not so much our players arent any good at it but we hardly put it on either..why? there is a method to the madness-sorry dont give away match plans...lol

[ism22]

Repeat set = you put pressure on and don't quite score but catch the opposition inside their goal.

Try = you put pressure on to the extent where you're able to either break their line and score, beat them with superior speed/jumping/athleticism/positioning or pull off a 1 percenter.

---

In Origin I know what I'd prefer out of the 2.

There's no team in the comp that sits around with the ball creating repeat sets from every play. The difference between the good teams and the bad teams is that the good teams score more tries than they let in.

Our 36-0 wasn't all Harlem Globetrotters material. The Dragons gave it to us (and I think actually had about the same, if not more posession, less penalties and a comparable number of errors.)

The difference? We didn't let them score despite multiple repeat sets on our line.

---

FWIW last year during Origin for our 2 losing games we were creating repeat sets and got close but were unable to finish.

I'm used to QLD wrongfully being awarded cheap tries. What can you do about it?

- Not a lot... make sure you score more (Maloney and Pearce can create opportunities but when gronks like Merritt drop the ball over the line, they can't do much about it.)
- GI and Slater will eat up metres no matter where you kick from and generally predict where the ball will go before it has hit the kicker's boot (and catch it... subsequently eating up metres.) Accept that there won't be repeat sets off most kicks! Tough luck... this means we're probably going to have to defend a lot of sets that start either from or close to the 50 line. Gallen, Lewis, Fifita, Tamou, Farrah...etc will all try their best there.
- Keep your chin up and don't give away any stupid penalties (e.g. throwing a "straight arm tackle"... QLD get away with them, NSW won't, so don't even try!!) QLD will do a good enough job of spoiling our plays/possession without us helping them.

[Kingsgrove-Loiner]

The 8 sets that Manly had back to back the other Monday night didn't seem to help them any.

Some teams get a repeat set by grubbering through just because they've run out of ideas - or lack the cojones to run it on the last.

[Guest]

Now imagine the scorelines if we controlled the games better.

[Bansai Pipeline]

So, you'd prefer to kick it dead?

Because the suggestion that we score every time we're on the opposition line is preposterous.

We lack that dimension to our game. The grinding game. The blow torch. The make them tackle themselves stupid dimension.

If you don't think we need it, then that's probably the same part of your brain that didn't rate Maloney or SBW.

[Danish]

Its not that it wouldn't be nice to have, its that we clearly are not struggling without it.

Our boys are far fitter than just about every team in the comp, and are FAR more committed in defence than ANY other team in the comp. As such we don't suffer from the "repeat set = try scored" syndrome that most teams do.

Personally I can't stand the boring as possession game that so many teams try to play these days. Saints brought it into fashion in 2009, and now thankfully it is starting to die a slow death as teams who love earning repeat sets (saints, Dragons, Manly) begin to struggle and slip down the ladder.

Souths are probably the only team that earns plenty of repeat sets while still maintaining a good attacking game, but to be honest I'd love to see them try that on with our team these days. They caught us when we were still forming in round 1, by round 26 our defence is going to be near impregnable so if they think they'll just be able to roll it into the ingoal and rely on our defence to crack, they'll be in for a long night.

[Danish]

So, you'd prefer to kick it dead?

Because the suggestion that we score every time we're on the opposition line is preposterous.

I'd prefer we ran it on the last more often than we do. We have lethal strike weapons across the park in Jennings, SBW and RTS, with a 2nd tier or brilliant line runners in Maubs and Cordner. Toss in some hard hitting forwards like JWH, FPN, and Guerra and honestly we would be a great chance of going over if we chanced our arm more.

The additional benefit of such a strategy as well means even if we get stopped we'll simply be giving the ball over 1 or 2 metres out from the try line, instead of more often than not gifting them an easy 20m. Even if we wind up bundled into touch we still save 10m.

[Bansai Pipeline]

I wouldn't be confident playing a pressure team in the GF if we lack that arrow in our quiver.

[FAZ]

Roosters build pressure with their DEFENSE.

[Bansai Pipeline]

I'd prefer we ran it on the last more often than we do. We have lethal strike weapons across the park in Jennings, SBW and RTS, with a 2nd tier or brilliant line runners in Maubs and Cordner. Toss in some hard hitting forwards like JWH, FPN, and Guerra and honestly we would be a great chance of going over if we chanced our arm more.

The additional benefit of such a strategy as well means even if we get stopped we'll simply be giving the ball over 1 or 2 metres out from the try line, instead of more often than not gifting them an easy 20m. Even if we wind up bundled into touch we still save 10m.

That's not a bad idea.

[Guest]

i would like to see it a bit more so it's less pressure off us and exhaust the opposition

[Bansai Pipeline]

Roosters build pressure with their DEFENSE.

I'm all for diamond hard defence, but some matches it can just crumble.

Grand Finals for example.

You reckon we'd have been able to weather the opening 20 minutes of Origin II?