Tweet
http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/t...5#.Ujfgmj8p4nx
FORMER St George Illawarra superstar Mark Gasnier looks back on Week 1 of the finals and singles out his player of the week to be awarded The Gaz Man.
And the award, for his leadership role in the Roosters' gutsy win over Manly, goes too …
James Maloney
HE really stepped up his communication on Saturday night. Maloney was barking orders at the troops continuously, whether it was encouragement or moving them into a certain spot so he could get a good kick away.
But above all, his body language on the field suggested he will do anything it takes to win a competition this year.
He actually reminded me of Johnathan Thurston, the way he led in little areas of the game.
If Manly chipped the ball he was the first to cover.
If someone made a break and was trying to draw the fullback, he was there attempting to slap the ball down like Thurston would.
This desire to win and compete on every play is an attribute you can’t coach.
It’s purely an attitude thing.
Maybe he is just a reflection of what the Roosters are about at the moment, but he is leading the way with the enthusiasm he shows.
He is deceptively strong as well - he has got that duck and shrug along with a step that allows him to break the line easily.
For a half he is also really good at being the third man in the tackle and getting back onside quick, which is a little technical thing coaches love.
But the great thing is that none of these extra efforts are affecting the other parts of game, whether it be steering the Roosters around the park, or the kicking and passing.
Everyone speaks of the influence Sonny Bill Williams has had on the Roosters' impressive season.
But Maloney has been the unsung hero of their rapid rise.
A lot of the times when teams recruit, they make the assumption they only need one key half but that is not always the case.
Again I draw on Thurston. Having Lui next to him regularly over the past seven weeks has taken a lot of pressure off him and resultantly made him a 10 times better player.
It’s no coincidence he has looked a lot more threatening in recent weeks.
Players are more worried about what Lui is doing, which gives Thurston even numbers on his side of the field, instead of allowing a team to stack an extra player on Thurston, which nullifies anything he’ll do.
The same goes for the Roosters and their halves pairing.
In terms of recruitment they have always had such talented back-rowers and outside backs.
They just needed that vital cog in the form of a quality halves partner for Mitchell Pearce.
A partner who does a lot of little things, and allows Mitchell to inject himself at the appropriate times.
This has simplified Pearce’s game and, as a result, the whole team’s performance has gone from strength to strength across 2013.
Read more: http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/t...#ixzz2f7fohJp0
FORMER St George Illawarra superstar Mark Gasnier looks back on Week 1 of the finals and singles out his player of the week to be awarded The Gaz Man.
And the award, for his leadership role in the Roosters' gutsy win over Manly, goes too …
James Maloney
HE really stepped up his communication on Saturday night. Maloney was barking orders at the troops continuously, whether it was encouragement or moving them into a certain spot so he could get a good kick away.
But above all, his body language on the field suggested he will do anything it takes to win a competition this year.
He actually reminded me of Johnathan Thurston, the way he led in little areas of the game.
If Manly chipped the ball he was the first to cover.
If someone made a break and was trying to draw the fullback, he was there attempting to slap the ball down like Thurston would.
This desire to win and compete on every play is an attribute you can’t coach.
It’s purely an attitude thing.
Maybe he is just a reflection of what the Roosters are about at the moment, but he is leading the way with the enthusiasm he shows.
He is deceptively strong as well - he has got that duck and shrug along with a step that allows him to break the line easily.
For a half he is also really good at being the third man in the tackle and getting back onside quick, which is a little technical thing coaches love.
But the great thing is that none of these extra efforts are affecting the other parts of game, whether it be steering the Roosters around the park, or the kicking and passing.
Everyone speaks of the influence Sonny Bill Williams has had on the Roosters' impressive season.
But Maloney has been the unsung hero of their rapid rise.
A lot of the times when teams recruit, they make the assumption they only need one key half but that is not always the case.
Again I draw on Thurston. Having Lui next to him regularly over the past seven weeks has taken a lot of pressure off him and resultantly made him a 10 times better player.
It’s no coincidence he has looked a lot more threatening in recent weeks.
Players are more worried about what Lui is doing, which gives Thurston even numbers on his side of the field, instead of allowing a team to stack an extra player on Thurston, which nullifies anything he’ll do.
The same goes for the Roosters and their halves pairing.
In terms of recruitment they have always had such talented back-rowers and outside backs.
They just needed that vital cog in the form of a quality halves partner for Mitchell Pearce.
A partner who does a lot of little things, and allows Mitchell to inject himself at the appropriate times.
This has simplified Pearce’s game and, as a result, the whole team’s performance has gone from strength to strength across 2013.
Read more: http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/t...#ixzz2f7fohJp0
Comment