Cowboys to gamble on off the cuff attack

@ The Barry "I think there’s a massive amount of exaggeration with this “we’re playing off the cuff” No team plays like that." No mate, Souths adopted that attacking style under Seibold in 2018 leading to the Rabbitohs having the number 1 attack in the NRL. Also Jason Demetriou brought this style to the Illawarra Cutters which lead to their 54-12 Intrust Super Championship victory over the Burleigh Bears in 2016. Before that the Walker brothers (Ben and Shane Walker) co-coached the Ipswich Jets to the 2015 Intrust Super Cup Championship title. So this style DOES exist. Before Seibold introduced this attacking style in the 2018 pre-season the standard play from a kick off was to have 3 forwards hit the ball up through the middle third before initiating a sweeping block play on the 4 tackle down one side of the field and then rinse and repeat on the other side followed by a kick chase on last tackle. Seibold broke this up after an initial settling return of the kick to shift the ball 2 - 3 passes to either side of the field and immediately attack an edge. Seibold confirmed that he gave Cody Walker complete creative control this year, allowing his to overcall Adam Reynolds and even run the ball on last tackle if the option was there. The success of this attacking method simply takes advantage of structured defences that have adapted to a predictable formula of attack. This allows them to compress their defence in the middle and slide to cover a ball as it is shifted wide later in the tackle count. By spreading the ball early and changing this predictable pattern defensive lines are thrown into chaos trying to adapt their defensive line on the fly.

No one player wins a GF, it is always a team effort. While I don't necessarily agree he was the CC medalist in 15, his contribution to getting the team to the dance was recognised by his 4th Dally M medal, 3rd Golden Boot and Dally M Captain of the Year. Those facts cannot be argued. I haven't cast anyone out. I said Green made some fundamental errors this year in his roster rotation. What would Bennett have done A) Dropped players who were not performing long before their season become shot. B) At no point would he have $2.5m taking their break at one time on game day. JT13, Scott and McLean consistently on the bench for the 1st 20mins of the 2nd half - never. Jensen, ave 100m off the bench and 95% tackle efficiency, getting dropped every other week for a bloke doing half that - never.

"20min off the bench" is a little dismissive of the 29 games prior to that GF win. Martin came to the Cowboys in Rnd 17. 6 tries in 12 games in 2017? JT played 7 games that year, he laid on 8 tries and scored 61 points. While (IMO) Martin didn't have a great '18 season I do think he is a quality player but no where near the category of JT, even at the same point in their career. No argument Prince was a better/more experienced half up until 04 and while his team would go on to win the 05 GF, Thurston would win the 05 Dally M, clearly the better #7 from that year on as judged by better scribes than you and I To say he had "good fortune" in keeping the Qld #7 due to loyalty is ludicrous. In '06 he made his debut for Aust and kept that jumper his entire career - is that due to loyalty as well?

Are you not being a generous with JT playing less than 20min off the bench in the Bulldogs GF win? Little difference to Martin being a starting half at the same age. He made the Kiwi team because of his talent. Sliding doors as Martin was injured and Cleary and Moylan formed a partnership. JT played Origin in 2005 because he was in an inform Cowboys team and Queensland took a punt with youth. After the 2005 GF Prince was regard by many as the superior 7. JT had some good fortune because QLD are very loyal, they kept winning series and he was never injured during much of his early time at Rep level. Martin scored 6 tried in 12 appearances with Morgan in 2017. JT has scored 6 tries in his last 50 plus games for the Cowboys.

Nat. It’s all relative. Martin played NRL at a younger age. He was in the Kiwi side at an earlier age. JT was called up and come of the bench in the Bulldogs GF win? Come on JT played less than 20 min off the bench as you point out. Martin started in all the 2017 finals games. JT was well outplayed by the Tigers team twice in 2005 in his GF starting role. Martin lost against the Storm in 2017. The Storm 2017 would have donkey whipped the Tigers 2005 team IMO. Are you seriously torpedoing my comment comparing the 2 on those results with that dribble? JT at hooker or fullback would be better than Martin? You’re kidding. They are both running instinctive 5/8 and their ability to back up, score and playmake as a second receiver is very similar at the same age IMO. Martin is not a dominant kicking game manager and neither was Thurston as you can attest to the Cowboys going backwards from 2006 -2011. It’s about opportunities and Martin has been awaiting his, I don’t think he made a bad fist of it playing on 1 leg in 2017 outside Morgan.

You’re right Nat we have argued about JT all year. Different opinions about what makes a good first receiver and all round 7. They have based their entire team around JT since 2007 and tried to find to away to secure a Premiership. He took a fair chunk of cash and the Cowboys had a great forward pack for him to run behind IMO. If you believe JT was the sole reason they won in 2015 you must have not seen what Morgan, JT13, Scott, Granville, Feldt, even Tamou, Coote and O’neil contributed. Thurston made 2 poor kick errors and a handling error which the Broncos scored 10 points off in the GF. Linnett drops the ball with the line open in GF. The pass from Thurston was ordinary and behind him. The Cowboys were 8th when Thurston was hurt and finished in 8th. They scraped into the GF final a bit like they won the 2015 GF in the final 10 seconds. They won because of something special from Morgan and Feldt down the right edge. JT was ordinary all night and didn’t create one TA despite his predictable attacks down the left. Milford was brilliant as was Parker, Blair and the above mentioned Cowboys. JT was CC medalist?The only agenda I have is with people saying the Cowboys only win because of Thurston and only lose because everyone else let him down. Green was the head coach and they have finished 5th, 3rd, 4th and made a GF from 8th with $2-3 million dollars on the sideline and you “ cast him out “ because he supported your man JT to the end? His only mistake as coach was sticking with the Thurston game plan. You have to give him some credit for his coaching ability up until that decision on May 17. What would Bennett have done?

Mate you've glossed over many points and the first few sentences are speculative opinion only. Thurston signed his extension back in May '17, they weren't to know he would do his shoulder injury in July. However, it is more than fair to say they would have finished higher on the table than just scrapping into the 8 - on the back of Saints loss. You and I have had this argument all year and I have been pointing the finger at Green all year. As I have consistently said some players, their entire backline, were dismal yet would be dropped until the horse had bolted. Hess was far better coming off the bench in tries, RM, TB, PCM... all in 20 less mins per game. Cooper was far less effective and far more errors. Playing Martin where he had better players consistently. That's all coaching decisions and I've made that point all year. However, your KM complaint is new. Yes he missed tackles, so you may as well sack Maloney, Hunt, Brookes and Townsend as they missed the same and significantly more. JT lead your team to their first premiership. He's been top 3 players in the NRL for a decade and the one player the whole team has been built around and a major part of them making the finals every year since 2010. Yet, it seems because they made the GF in '17, again long after they resigned him, you would cast him out based on that. Forget the fact he lead the stats this year and 1 & 2 in 2016 before resigning and he lead the Cowboys to 4th, 3rd and 5th table finishes (in respective years) in that time.

Maybe Cowboys (Green) decision to resign JT for one more year locked in the game plan? JT’s extension led to Coote, Linnett and Winterstien continuing whilst Ponga was lost and other younger players missed out. The 300 club and beating John’s points record was front and centre of JT playing one more year. The Cowboys lost several games leaking points through Thurston’s edge but you also consistently blame everyone else? If they win people worship Thurston? If they struggle it’s the other players and now you’re blaming Green? They were predictable with the right to left JT, Cooper show which was at the heart of the problem. Let’s see what damage Hess does next year crash balling opposition edge defenders. Lets also see what Barba does in attack (TB, LB, RM)compared to Coote’s output. Coote was terrible in attack but stayed in the team to help JT whilst Hampton and Martin got screwed over. What choice did Green have ? IMO Thurston is a 6 and yes he should play eyes up because he has never been able to lead a team around the park consistently.

You're not seriously comparing Martin to JT? You're being a bit generous with "much younger" rep debut with 1 game off the bench for NZ at 21yo, JT was 22 when he debuted for Qld. By the equivalent age (23), JT has been to two GFs winning one, played 6 origins, 4 tests for Aust, Dally M #7, RLPA#7 and Dally M winner. In a year ('18) where the Cowboys playmakers were injured or out of form, Martin was still dead wood. Remind me of 1 time the team had to wait for JT to get back onside so they could take a kick for touch? He was garbage in the halves, FB and hooker role this year.

Martin is the same age as JT when he came to Cowboys? He’s actually played more Rep football and debut was much younger. You’re right his kicking is much like JT w when playing at the Bulldogs behind Sherwin. Martin is very creative and supports well in attack much like Thurston did at the same age. I’m not sure people really understand what a good kicking 7, running 6 actually do in attack. (Langer, Lewis)(Cronk, Munster), (Stuart, Daley), (Prince, Marshal). (Cronk, Keary) ( Johns, Fittler), (Cronk, JT) and in 2017 Morgan and Martin started to produce plenty of attacking options.

The points come from field position and a good kicking game. Reynolds finished 1st, Milford 2nd, Cronk 3rd kicking 330 plus metres and that’s where the points came from. Even Manly (DCE)and the Titans ( Taylor) with 250m scored more points than the Cowboys. The fact that Thurston averaged 20th in the halfbacks with 170m the same as C.Smith is a indication of why the Cowboys struggled for points. Without Coote and Morgan, JT was toothless. Look at what Lewis brought to the Bulldogs. Morgan averaged more than 400m in last years semifinals? Clifford has a big kicking game and the more Thurston allowed him to kick towards the end of 2018 the better the Cowboys went. JT try assists are poor if you consider the amount of possession he requires in the attacking 20. There is a major reason the Cowboys have only finished once in the top 4 in 13 years with JT being the dominant (kicker) play maker. The kicking of Lockyer, Prince and Cronk and Smith have also played a huge part in QLD’s success.

I get he have an agenda against him but you're wrong. The greatest issue this year was not JT, it was Green and the decisions he made around the team.

The Cowboys finished top of the Comp in time in possession last year. They had a Rep forward pack with the most damaging ball runner in game and a weapon called “Hess” who got little ball on the right edge close to the line. Thursto finished 20th for average KM and handled the ball almost 15 times a game on average than any other half (mostly in the attacking 20). TA’s to JT but 12 other teams out scored the Cowboys?

Agree. It is unlikely he will be another JT, but I know what you mean. But I think you keep him as far away from Martin as you can. Martin doesn't have a kick or pass game. If you fall for a Martin dummy, you should be in NSW/QLD Cup the next week. That said, Clifford, at this stage of his career, is a bit of a Morgan style player. We shall see how the two go working together. They may be too similar to work, but given the other options, they will have to find away to make it work.

I reckon young Clifford is the key for the Cowboys going forward. He has immense talent but might still be a season or two away from taking charge, but I reckon Green should have him earmarked as their next JT. Getting him to interact well with the likes of Morgan, Barba, Martin & Hampton should be priority for this season.

I think it’s all a smokescreen. What coach is really going to tell his team “don’t worry about a game plan, just play what’s in front of you” I certainly don’t think Green is that coach. We need to keep in context as well that this is a winger discussing game plans...yeah right mate, like they tell you...!!!

If you want to play "off the cuff" footie, you need guys in the team with both the vision and the ability to instigate this type of play. I look at the Cowboys and can't see anyone who fits mould. Plenty of guys who can join in, once a play has started, but none who could get it going, eg a Cam Smith, Alfie Langer, Damien Cook type. I suspect this might come back to bite North Qld

35% of the Cows trys last year had JT as the try assist. The next most was Ash Taylor with try assists for 28% of the Titans tries. The rest of the ball players (eg. Keary, Tedesco, Munster, Widdop, Johnson, Turbo etc.) sit at around contributing 19-21% of try assists for their teams. In 2017 (when it was the Morgan show) he had 24 try assists (26% of their tries) and they effectively finished 8th (just). Cows have to come up with some other ways to score points this year. Saying it will be ad-lib is one thing, having the people to execute is another. We have seen how that plan has worked out for the Warriors over the years... There best years have been the most structured years.

At least there is intent there to try and change their attacking style for the coming season. Any change would have to be an improvement on the same old same old predictable game plan they employed this year. I think their success this year will rely heavily on Morgan taking the baton from Thurston and guiding the new look team around the park...consistently...for the whole game ...every game ....for the whole season. He certainly has all the required skills but IMO consistency is his main problem problem...he tends to go missing a little too often at times. Hopefully he can find the form that made him a stand-out in the latter part of the 2017 season.

Green had the best 'eyes up' players since Cliffy Lyons and now opted for structure. Now he has a rookie and a running 5/8 in Morgan and wants ad-lib play, why, because he has Barba? I hope Benny goes well for them but I don't think I'll see his name leading the LBA and TA column at the end of 2019.