Commentators continue to opine about the brittle edge defence of the Storm. Is it possible that the bubble has burst?
But I don’t agree that this is the Storm’s problem.
“In trying to defend everything he defended nothing.” (Frederick the Great).
Melbourne play a compressed sliding defence. If the defence speed is fast enough, it works 90% of the time … when the other side is under pressure.
So why isn’t it working now?
And what are the problems in attack?
Structured Plays
Against the Panthers, for the second time this season the Melbourne Storm lined up in their structured attack formation. For the second time this season the passes started flowing and the ball went from right to left.
For the second time this season the opposition team was waiting to intercept the ball and run the length of the field to score a try. Against Penrith it was a Billy Slater ball.
In Round 7 it was Gareth Widdop pass.
Thus far this season the Melbourne Storm has limited its use of structured plays to three generic types:
(i) The large backline second man play (ball movement across the park with 2-3 dummy runners) that ends with the centre or winger crashing over to score;
(ii) The quick inside ball around the ruck ala Smith to Cronk back inside to Slater (although Hinchliffe was the target in the game against the Cowboys); and,
(iii) The set up for the second man play but, instead, Cronk plays the dummy runner with a “face ball” sending a large forward crashing over. Players including Kevin Proctor and Sika Manu enjoyed crashing over the line with this play last season.
If the structured plays for which the Storm have become infamous don’t change (or a variation adopted) then the punter will be watching a lot more intercepts and plays shut downs with rushing defence.
At present, the lack of confidence in these set moves has lead to flat play: instead of playing through the opposing team the Storm have contracted Wests Tigers syndrome – playing sideways.
What the Raiders and the Panthers figured out is that you can’t out Storm the Storm by copying what they do but you can try to shut down their attack. The result if that works: they have to resort to scoring off kicks with all the elements of luck and chance involved.
Last Play Option and Kicking
Last round the Storm finished their “come back” against the Raiders with a woeful option from Gareth Widdop off the back of a scrum feed. The kick sailed straight to Edrick Lee and the Raiders maintained their hoodoo against the Storm in Melbourne.
Widdop’s kick may have been the antithesis of Jarryd Hayne’s freakish field goal against the unlucky Broncos this round.
It was a panic kick.
Apart from the odd wayward kick like that of Widdop’s, Smith and Cronk are two of the best kickers in the game and repeatedly prove that every week. But who are they kicking to/for?
Matt Duffie, who had freakish success last year off Cronk kicks, is languishing on the sidelines. The reason: poor defence in a sole game against the Broncos.
Waqa can contest but his counter part, Fonua, is lacking in the kick contest department comparatively.
With an opposition player or three always ghosting Slater it is for the wingers that Cronk has to look, as he did last year with Matt Duffie.
Drop Balls
Mahe Fonua was responsible for two turn overs for drop balls against the Panthers. He was also responsible for two drop balls against the Raiders both in great field position for the Raiders.
The completion rate of the Storm, as a result of drop balls, is woeful (about 50% in the first half against the Panthers).
Fonua is marvellous in bringing back the ball to begin a set and reminds the spectator of a young Matt Utai, stocky, strong and great at bringing the ball back.
No doubt Bellamy hoped to emulate the Greg Inglis/Israel Folau effect – the other side kick, Slater returns (tackle 1), Inglis takes it up (tackle 2), Folau takes it up (tackle 3) – your opponent is already tired from tackling these big powerful centres and your forwards get a break.
It doesn’t work if someone drops the ball and gifts the other side field possession.
Get In Front
The Storm have written the instruction manual in past years of how to get in front and stay in front. Defending a lead, unsurprisingly, seems easier for the Storm than defending a deficit and then having to trundle up the other end of the field to try and level it up or get in front.
Getting in front involves attacking.
I hope they re-learn how to attack soon. Preferably before Monday’s game against the Sea Eagles.
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