Reds 2014

[tranquility]

This article from Jim Tucker, has come directly from this thread.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/...-from-backrowers/story-fndpu22x-1226876135136

 

[qwerty51]

No I copied that piece from there, forgot to cite it.

 

[Tomikin]

Yeah the artical been out most the day

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[Tomikin]

Although a article from qwerty51 would probably be more coluorful and entertaining

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[tranquility]

No I copied that piece from there, forgot to cite it.

Sorry, I was unclear. I realise you didn't write the article, however the content and insight (not that any of it is too indepth) mirrors the sentiment and observations of this thread. Ie; Quirk under pressure, made in QLD recruitment, and possible need for an Argentinean backrower.

 

[kiap]

mirrors the sentiment and observations of this thread

Yeah, I'm claiming it.

No wrecking-ball grunt in the backrow, although they mixed up the message; I said get an Argentinian prop!

 

[RedsHappy]

"Old romantics of 2011 face chop as Reds face irrelevance"

Looks like J Carmichael's opening up re the core problems some of us (very few truth be told) have been on about since late 2012 and since....namely: whilst the Reds' business machine has thrived, its football machine has badly leaked oil and is now running on 5 out of 8 cylinders.....and with serious consequences now on show.

http://m.theaustralian.com.au/sport...face-irrelevance/story-e6frg7o6-1226876149687

 

[RedsHappy]

Sorry,poorly written.
Worse in 2012,than 2011.
My line of thought was that the Reds have deteriorated year on year since 2011, but only now is the coaching being questioned.

Uh-hmmm.......ILTW, you might recall I have been heavily questioning (a) the extraordinary decision (IMO truly awful decision) to appoint RG in 2012, since 2012 (b) during 2012 and more in 2013 I began to query elements of Link's focus and selection calls and further elements of the way the Reds' mode of play was evolving.

The problem was and in part remains that interest in these themes in these prior years was low: I regularly encountered a view that The New Reds Establishment Could Do No Wrong.

The fact is that Establishment has done a lot right since 2009, but in late 2011, its football side was caught with the ancient virus of hubris, and some very poor, non-strategic, self-flattering decisions started to be made with the negative consequences gradually unfolding, and gradually worsening, since.

 

[RedsHappy]

Sorry, I was unclear. I realise you didn't write the article, however the content and insight (not that any of it is too indepth) mirrors the sentiment and observations of this thread. Ie; Quirk under pressure, made in QLD recruitment, and possible need for an Argentinean backrower.

Tranq, it's a common experience for the notoriously lazy and mostly intellectually backward Aus rugby media to directly pick up well-discussed themes and facts here at GAGR and then later almost flagrantly claim them as their own inferred original thoughts and insights. Sometimes it's almost a straight lift up from these pages.

 

[gel]

“I don’t think we are playing with fear. This group of players has played in a lot of tight games and pride themselves on winning plenty of them,’’ Graham said.
“We do have to learn how to throttle sides.’’

This statement by RG raises my ire a bit:

We have played in a lot of tight games this year and have NOT won them either. That's why everyone is asking questions, Richard.

We used to throttle sides last year and the years before, so it's NOT something we need to learn - it's something we need to remember how to do.

I friggen hate it when managers, coaches (CEOs, Directors, Labor parliamentary members etcetera) just make false statements and think that the rest of the population will just swallow the bullshit. It's like they all read 1984, and thought that Newspeak was a good idea.

I have been willing to give the guy a break, and still am - but statements like the above wear really thin with me as it is generally a sign of someone who is in denial. RG - please don't be in denial.

 

[Ash]

The Reds made the finals in 2011 - 2013 by winning the horrible, ugly, tight clashes, some they probably shouldn't have won.

It doesn't bode well that we are now throwing away games we should have won, the most egregarious example being the Lions.

I hope that RG and his coaching staff have the good and can turn this around. But if the slides continues for the rest of the season, the fans will want blood.

Bit worried that we'll see 12. Harris 13. Taps 14. CFS next week, would like to see 12. Taps 13. CFS.

 

[Braveheart81]

The Reds have to keep evolving.

There's no better lesson than the Stormers who have played the same style for several years and have gone from winning 14/16 (albeit with zero four try bonus points in 2012) to sitting last on the table in 2014.

The Reds are trying to play a similar style to what worked so well in 2011 but they're missing some valuable pieces including Ioane to draw defenders and for Cooper to shovel crap ball to to set up for another phase and start again and in the forwards they've lost Higginboth and Samo who provided the power in the backrow.

Genia is nowhere near his 2011 form which is also hurting them.

The most glaring problem seems to be the backrow to me. Schatz and Quirk are reasonable in isolation but together they don't make a good combination because neither of them is a strong enough ball carrier. Early in the season it was Schatz who was ineffectual, now it is Quirk. Whatever the case, I think they need to make a change in one of those positions sometime pretty soon.

 

[Brumby Runner]

The Reds made the finals in 2011 - 2013 by winning the horrible, ugly, tight clashes, some they probably shouldn't have won.

It doesn't bode well that we are now throwing away games we should have won, the most egregarious example being the Lions.

I hope that RG and his coaching staff have the good and can turn this around. But if the slides continues for the rest of the season, the fans will want blood.

Bit worried that we'll see 12. Harris 13. Taps 14. CFS next week, would like to see 12. Taps 13. CFS.

We want Red!

 

[emuarse]

Watching a repeat of the game highlights against the Force, I am concerned with the number of backs tries that are been allowed to happen against us.
Our defence in our back line is suffering and that might have been because it hasn't been allowed to settle.
I think it was the backs that lost us the game, not the forwards.
We lost the game not because we didn't make enough points, but because we leaked too many. This is an area the Reds can and should improve on .
So put that up your arse, those raging on the lack of penetration by the forwards, and smoke it.

 

[I like to watch]

The Reds made the finals in 2011 - 2013 by winning the horrible, ugly, tight clashes, some they probably shouldn't have won.

It doesn't bode well that we are now throwing away games we should have won, the most egregarious example being the Lions.

I hope that RG and his coaching staff have the good and can turn this around. But if the slides continues for the rest of the season, the fans will want blood.

Bit worried that we'll see 12. Harris 13. Taps 14. CFS next week, would like to see 12. Taps 13. CFS.

So far you have won 3 from 7,and arguably have already played many of your tougher games ( and completed your SA tour).If you win 6 of your last 11, you will finish very close to 58 points,which is the same as the past 2 years.
The main thing that has changed up there,is the perception of the Reds supporters.
And the fact that this conference is much teougher than it has been ever before.
Your team is reasonably consistent,but the teams around you are improving.

 

[tigerland12]

That's the thing, we aren't playing BADLY , it's the likes of the Rebels and Force improving that has made us think we are going shithouse, when in retrospect they have just improved significantly, making the conference much tighter.

We have had most of our tougher away games, and to be honest, most of those games we have played well enough to win (Lions, Sharks, Force).

That being said, you expect more from them, and I think RG has some explaining to do with how we are playing. We really look like we are going through the motions most of the time.

It was said a few post at back, but Quade is carrying this team.

 

[USARugger]

Quade backpedalled straight to 2009 with the defense he put out against the Force.

I can't recall a tackle that wasn't a high shot on the ball and he fell off the tackle a few times because of how high he was going. He's getting away with it 50% of the time now because he's bulked up in the past few years but it's still unacceptable to be going that high when you're the only man making the hit.

If he can keep his attacking form up though he's going to be giving France some serious headaches.

 

[I like to watch]

Look at the stats, in 2011 you had a for & against of + 125
In 2012 & 2013 your F/A were +12 & + 25.
If Link was still there you would all be saying the boys are on track,Link will have them peaking for the semi's.

 

[RedsHappy]

So far you have won 3 from 7,and arguably have already played many of your tougher games ( and completed your SA tour).If you win 6 of your last 11, you will finish very close to 58 points,which is the same as the past 2 years.
The main thing that has changed up there,is the perception of the Reds supporters.
And the fact that this conference is much teougher than it has been ever before.
Your team is reasonably consistent,but the teams around you are improving.

Just to note, there are no 'equals a win' 4 bye points this year, so last year's adjusted 58 is 50 this year.

The Reds are on 15 points today. If we win 6 more (assuming no bonus points) I would think that will total 39. Even if we impute 6 more BPs (from however) from the next round on, then we'd be at 45.

And we only have 9 more games to play, and two bye weeks. So, to be on 50 points at the end of those 9, we need say 7 wins and 7 more BPs (say 5 X 4 tries and 2 X 7 point losses). Is this a credible forecast for the rest of the Reds season?

To me, this next win+BP requirement to be at an (assumed) similar table position to prior years is not looking 'consistent' with our 2012 and 2013 runs toward final table outcomes.

 

[I like to watch]

Just shows I can't multi task.
Yep 50 is the new 58, with the treatment of the bye,which I had assumed,but did not elaborate.
What your post does demonstrate is that this years comp is effectively 2 rounds shorter than previous years. So that 58 in an 18 match season,equates to 44 in a 16 match season with no bye points.
But your right, 6 wins from 9 matches with bonus points in 5 or 6 games,seems along bow ATM.