Roar Rookie
Joined July 2023
3k
Views
1
Published
29
Comments
Published
Comments
Since Ivan Cleary was signed as Penrith's coach for the second time, five seasons and six off seasons have passed. History will show in…
It’s a bit like how the Latrell defenders talk about how you don’t want him making too many runs out of the backfield because then he’ll be too tired to weave his magic in the attacking half. Not all fullbacks perform the exact same role. However, I argue that in the modern game, Latrell is too far this way to be effective at fullback. Teams can’t afford to have a fullback with limited endurance or they just start every set on the back foot. They are also vulnerable in defence when their fullback can’t cover the ground needed to get to lateral kicks or quick backline passing plays. A Latrell type should defend in the centres but then have the freedom to roam when in the attacking third. Just because a player has a 3 or 4 on his back doesn’t mean he needs to stand one inside from the winger on the same side of the field all game. Positional roles can and should be different depending on what a coach has at his disposal across the whole team.
The NRL stat that isn't one, but should be: Working out which forwards really pull their weight
Not all middles perform the same role so in terms of measuring performance the metric is less useful. For example, Fish and Leota aren’t really required to amass big run metres in the Penrith system because that’s by and large the job of their back five. Fish and Leota’s job is to suck in the big ones as they slowly walk back on side while To’o, Edwards and co gain big metres off the back of each other. Then they get involved in the kick chase and have the job of dominating the opposition ball carriers in defence. Again, in defence it’s not about quantity either – it’s about dominating – getting quality first contact, turning players around or on their back and winning the ruck. The Fish and Leota starting prop combination is widely talked of as the best in the game but neither appears to rate particularly highly on your metric.
The NRL stat that isn't one, but should be: Working out which forwards really pull their weight
I think a metric that combines the two is useful in terms of measuring the total amount of work or energy expended by players…but…as mentioned in others’ replies, I think the balance is out in that run metres and total tackles are not directly comparable on a one for one basis. You’d divide run metres by a factor of 3 before adding them together. My guess is that the VB Hard Earned Index that Fox trots out every now and then does something like this.
The NRL stat that isn't one, but should be: Working out which forwards really pull their weight
Agreed. You want Kikau doing exactly what he does – using his rare combination of a massive frame, deceptive speed, footwork and skillfull hands to give nightmares to smaller players out on an edge.
The NRL stat that isn't one, but should be: Working out which forwards really pull their weight
I agree that total metres is flawed. A hit up of 8 metres where a player wins the ruck, gets on their front and plays the ball quickly, is more valuable than a 12 metre hit up where they lose the ruck, get laid on and give the defensive line time to set up for quick line speed on the next play. Similarly, total tackles doesn’t mean much – how effective are those tackles? Last year in a Panthers-Sharks game, McInnes had a ridiculous number of tackles but Penrith were annihilating them. It was an amazing effort from a sheer workrate perspective but in terms of quality…the guy was hanging on for dear life half the time.
The NRL stat that isn't one, but should be: Working out which forwards really pull their weight
Agreed. They also play different positions. In general, middle forwards will always outscore edge forwards in such a metric. Edge forwards need to be quicker and more mobile laterally because in attack they need to make use of the extra space and in defence they need to be able to negate the extra space.
The NRL stat that isn't one, but should be: Working out which forwards really pull their weight
The spotlight needs to be placed on the Roosters too. What on Earth are they doing?
1) The guy is terrible for their brand, is 35, and is only playing because of injuries. Is the 0.01% difference in overall roster strength gained by employing Jennings over a young developing outside back worth the bad press?
2) Surely (or at least hopefully) there are players uncomfortable sharing the dressing sheds with him? What do they say if their Mrs asks?
Whether NRL celebrates Jennings' milestone or not is irrelevant, the real issue is should he have been allowed back?
What on Earth are your Roosters doing, Lastword?
1) The guy is terrible for their brand, is 35, and is only playing because of injuries. Is the 0.01% difference in overall roster strength gained by employing Jennings over a young developing outside back worth the bad press?
2) Surely (or at least hopefully) there are players uncomfortable sharing the dressing sheds with him? What do they say if their Mrs asks? “Don’t worry, Babe – Jenno’s a good bloke – he only raped his wife twice…”?
Whether NRL celebrates Jennings' milestone or not is irrelevant, the real issue is should he have been allowed back?
What on Earth are your Roosters doing, Lastword?
1) The guy is terrible for their brand, is 35, and is only playing because of injuries. Is the 0.01% difference in roster strength gained in employing Jennings over a young developing outside back worth the bad press?
2) Surely (or at least hopefully) there are players who are uncomfortable sharing a locker room with him? What do they say to their Mrs if she asks? “Don’t worry, Babe – Jenno’s a good bloke – he only raped his wife twice…” ?
Whether NRL celebrates Jennings' milestone or not is irrelevant, the real issue is should he have been allowed back?
Discussion of Jennings was glaringly absent from NRL 360 last night despite Buzz being on the panel. I wonder why???
Whether NRL celebrates Jennings' milestone or not is irrelevant, the real issue is should he have been allowed back?
So Ivan instructed the players to try and hit Walsh in the face with their cheek and risk breaking their own face and missing multiple games, all in the hope of getting Walsh from the field in a home and away game they were already massive favourites to win? 😂
'If the NRL are serious about concussions, where does this sit?' Kevvie fires up after May escapes ban for Walsh's fracture
If May bent and lowered his centre of gravity, he would have hit Walsh twice as hard. Who’s to say that if May had hit Walsh in the chest with the front of his shoulder, Walsh’s head wouldn’t have snapped forward and whacked the back of May’s shoulder? Walsh wasn’t concussed but he would have been then!
'If the NRL are serious about concussions, where does this sit?' Kevvie fires up after May escapes ban for Walsh's fracture
Exactly as Taylan knew he has a harder cheek than Reece. Maybe Penrith are injecting their players’ cheeks with Botox?The NRL should investigate or maybe even WADA because of course the NRL are conspiring to ensure that Penrith win every premiership in perpetuity.
'If the NRL are serious about concussions, where does this sit?' Kevvie fires up after May escapes ban for Walsh's fracture
You don’t think May pulled out as much as he could? He could have hit him way harder. What if May had fully held off out of a duty of care, Walsh dummied, and then cut back inside to score near the posts? May would have been criticised for not putting pressure on the ball carrier.
'If the NRL are serious about concussions, where does this sit?' Kevvie fires up after May escapes ban for Walsh's fracture
Didn’t May have a cut to his cheek too? If it was intentional he would have hit him with a harder part of his head!
'If the NRL are serious about concussions, where does this sit?' Kevvie fires up after May escapes ban for Walsh's fracture
St. Dom’s can though! Gus’ first gig as a first grade coach was at the Dogs but he coached his first side at St. Dom’s.
How could they let them go? The team of Panthers discards who'd still challenge the NRL top four
Yeah, you could be right. Maybe Cartwright moved to St. Dom’s after starting at St. Mary’s High? I know he played for St. Dom’s (now Brothers) at some point in weekend footy though. I don’t think Fittler started at St. Dom’s either?
How could they let them go? The team of Panthers discards who'd still challenge the NRL top four
Ha. Good point! If the players that have left wouldn’t fit under the cap that says a fair bit about the production line…
How could they let them go? The team of Panthers discards who'd still challenge the NRL top four
I did miss Blake as he left mid 2019. Thanks. He’s not in the NRL anymore though so would be in the NSW Cup back up group. Cartwright left before Ivan came back so I didn’t include him.
How could they let them go? The team of Panthers discards who'd still challenge the NRL top four
Love this idea.
I would also like to see a new award voted for by the coaches like the AFL Coach’s Association award where in each game the two coaches award 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1 points to the five players from either side who were the most influential. I place far more stock in it than the Brownlow. Who better to judge player performance than the coaches?
The NBA solution which would fix broken Dally M voting system to avoid more Hammer blows
As a Panther, that would make me smile but as an NRL fan, it’d make me spew. I can’t stand how European soccer spits out the same contenders year on year – the only thing that keeps things interesting for the rest of the clubs is the hope of not being relegated. And as a Tottenham fan, I haven’t even had that – we’ve finished between 4th and 8th in 15 of the last 20 seasons and haven’t finished above 2nd (were still 7 points off 1st) or below 11th. If that European Super League ever gets off the ground, it’ll ruin things even more.
How could they let them go? The team of Panthers discards who'd still challenge the NRL top four
Dragons have 6 players with rep experience so I’d place them on the next rung down, especially since only Hunt and Su’a have played any rep footy in the last 3 seasons and with only Hunt getting a gig last year. Hunt – 17 origins / Bird – 5 origins / Su’a – 4 origins / De Belin – 3 origins / Allan – 1 origin / Faitala-Mariner – 1 NZ cap.
How could they let them go? The team of Panthers discards who'd still challenge the NRL top four
Correct. That’s why he is listed as being recruited to Penrith as a ‘free agent’.
How could they let them go? The team of Panthers discards who'd still challenge the NRL top four
I’m pretty sure that Sheens, Hasler, Cartwright and Fittler all attended St. Dom’s, meaning that there was a time where 4 of the 16 NRL coaches came from the same school.
How could they let them go? The team of Panthers discards who'd still challenge the NRL top four
Watching the Storm last night, I realised that I forgot Shawn Blore.
How could they let them go? The team of Panthers discards who'd still challenge the NRL top four