2021 kicking dilemma, DISCUSS...

[ism22]

This is one of people's worries for 2021 and nrl.con posted an article on it so I thought I'd setup a chat.

(See NRL article at https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/01/25/...ocks-for-2021/).

Starter points:
- It's a numbers game. The difference between SST booting it straight & hard versus Reynolds having the ball on a string is only about 10 percentage points. Having a good kicker versus an okay one doesn't make THAT much of a difference!
- SST kicks with a better average than guys like Ash Taylor and for some reason ranks above Pongie-boy. He kicks for Tonga and isn't 1/2 bad.
- Lam had one one kick which he missed in 2020 (I thought he had more?) Presumably there's room for improvement there.
- Old Mate Drew's got nothing. Keighran's decent but won't play.
- Keary and Friend don't kick (although in every other team all halves and hookers can give it a crack so go figure... why?) :P

[The Lip]

Agree a kicker at 100% turns 4 into 6 - a kicker at 75%
turns 4 into 5.5 the difference isn’t as great as some would make it out to be.

[mattyh]

it is basically saying, a 70 % kicker which sst is , is adequate. goal kicking is highly unlikely to make the difference between making the 8 and missing, ditto 4, ditto making a gf, ditto winning the whole damn thing.

[Mickie Lane]

I would rather a Flannagan, Maloney, Latrell goal kicker than a 70% goal kicker, it makes a difference & teams don't win the comp without a sharp shooter.

[Thirteen]

Who remembers that wet and very windy day at The SFS when SST kicked about 6 from 6 from the sideline against The Tigers.

Despite this, I don’t look at him as a recognised goal kicker.

I can’t believe we are going into the season without a recognised kicker. It will cost us.

[Easts75]

I dare say SST has practised his kicking more this off-season than his whole career combined...i have faith in him

[Henry P is a cheat]

Who remembers that wet and very windy day at The SFS when SST kicked about 6 from 6 from the sideline against The Tigers.

Despite this, I don’t look at him as a recognised goal kicker.

I can’t believe we are going into the season without a recognised kicker. It will cost us.

2016 - one of the few nice moments from that season.

[mattyh]

I would rather a Flannagan, Maloney, Latrell goal kicker than a 70% goal kicker, it makes a difference & teams don't win the comp without a sharp shooter.

sorry mickey, but latrell was no sharp shooter , we won 2 comps with him as kicker. yea it can make a difference, a big difference no. but yes yes you do have to kick 7/10 minimum.

[mattyh]

damn im watching the 87 soo on fox. you wanna talk shit goal kicking ....

[ccfc bondi]

It's very simple, you can't win the NRL without a top-notch goal-kicker. The difference may not be that much, but that is the difference between winning and losing on so many occasions. I'm still not happy about letting Lattrell go not only for his overall game, but for his kicking abilities. I don't know what we've got with all the new up and coming halves, but hopefully one of them can get to somewhere near Flanagan's ability.

[roosterproud]

Billy smith kicks

[Hawkeye]

Its one thing talking about SST kicking at 70%, but dont forget he's only on the field 60% of the time ... ok I grabbed that percentage out of thin air, but the teams with the good goal kickers are players who play the entire match, whereas Siua does not. So if SST is only considered a second rate kicker and is our best option, then when he's off the field we'll have a third rate kicker in charge. So yes I see it as a real problem for us ..unless one of our current players has a hidden kicking talent that we aren't aware of.

[King Salvo]

If SST is the main goal kicker the issue is he wont be playing 80 minutes week in week out so a second or maybe third kicker will need to be found in the 17 that play each week.

Supposedly Tedesco can kick but i have not seen any stats to verify this. Lam can kick but more a stop gap option one would say and he maybe best to concentrate on his half back role instead of having the added goal kicking responsibility. I did hear that Friendly and Keary can kick but again no stats on this.

Turning the 4 into 6 is still important even with these rule changes so the Chooks will need to have options and these options need to be practicing this on a regular basis.

Fitzy or Jason Taylor could help in this department - Both around the same % 75/76% goal kicking success in their respective careers - Cronk helping with half back roles and general play kicking as well.

It is hoped that goal kicking wont cost games but it may - time will tell

[Bahrain Rooster]

I’m sure Robbo has a plan. You don’t go into a season with a kicker who’s %age isn’t too flash and isn’t on the field for 80 minutes. I predict that Lam will start at 7 and kick for us with SST as the backup when he’s on and Teddy as the backup when SST is off.

[mightyrooster]

The title of this thread sounds like an essay topic for an English assignment. Seriously though the goal kicking will be an issue for sure unless one of the guys has been putting in extra hours practising during the pre season. Apart from SST the other recognised kickers aren’t guaranteed to play in the first 13 - Smith, Walker, Keighran. It certainly is a bit of a worry.