Reds 2015

[gel]

There are 8 other teams in this years Super Rugb who scored less tries then the Reds..

There were plenty of areas the Reds fell over in, tries scored ranks well down on the list behind defence, S&C and basic handling.

Oh, please. Our attack this year was munted, and you know it. Stop being a Pfitzy.

Sure some tries were scored, but so many were bombed it just wasnt funny, and those tries that were scored were laboured affairs whilst other teams just strolled over with decent attack structure.

It's not like our try scoring abilities this year are anything special like the hurricanes or anything definable like that. Shit, I would be ecstatic if he was coaching us to be like them, but he isn't.

"Do something special, whizz kids" is not a strategy and Richard Graham is not a head coach.

 

[Ash]

Most of our tries were from close range, too. We were unable to finish nearly every line break we made further out, it was pretty diabolical.

There was a strong reliance on field position, hence the feel of munted attack, I suspect. We also refused to attack or barely every hold the ball in our half, and our counter attack was practically non-existent.

The second game vs the Brumbies was a classic, where we needed to score points to win, but we spent the last 10 minutes kicking the ball back to them.

 

[TOCC]

Are tries from close range worth less then those from long range? The statistic still stands that the Reds scored the 6th most number of tries in 2014, they also scored more tries then 3 of the teams who featured in the finals..

Defence amongst other things were a greater failure then the Reds score trying abilities in 2014, the fact the Reds scored as many tries as they did with such poor handling and precision is remarkable in itself.

Poor handling lead to the inability to maintain sustained pressure, the high number of turnovers resulted in ample attacking opportunity for the opposition, the poor S&C had the Reds fade out of games they could have won and saw their fine motor skills degrade faster then the opposition.

 

[gel]

Defence amongst other things were a greater failure then the Reds score trying abilities in 2014, the fact the Reds scored as many tries as they did with such poor handling and precision is remarkable in itself.

It is amazing that with the complete ineptitude in attack we still managed to score some tries. However statistics are like mixed metaphors: everyone has got one.

Yes we scored some tries, but it's a shame we had to so often rely on one or more of the opposition to be sent off to be able to actually score them.

I am interested to know, what style did you see Richard Graham bring to the reds this year in the same manner as the other coaches you have used as bastions of hope? What sort of team do you see him moving the reds towards?

I am interested, because I just can't tell at all what his plan for the team is. With the other coaches you mentioned - it was very clear what they were doing.

 

[Jets]

I am not sure I can discern what the hell the reds were trying to do this year. There has been no structure and no clear development in any direction. The difference between the Force under Graham and the Reds under Graham is that the Reds had a few players that were individually better which meant a couple more games were closer during the season than perhaps the Force had.

They had a clear plan of give it to Kerevi and hopefully he breaks the line. A major downside of this was that he only played a couple of games.

 

[Braveheart81]

They had a clear plan of give it to Kerevi and hopefully he breaks the line. A major downside of this was that he only played a couple of games.

I think JJ tried to pass it to him once or twice when Kerevi wasn't playing

Apparently you're not allowed to keep playing once the ball is in touch now or something.

 

[Tip]

In 2015, I'd like to see a definitive change in the Reds attacking structure to better suit our strengths.
I was VERY disappointed throughout the 2014 season at the Reds reliance on "Deans-ball" in attack.
Deans-ball involves forward pods of three running off the 9. Each forward stands ~2m or so apart and are all options for the next phase. The Wallabies used this tactic for 5 years, and the Reds have been using it since 2011.

The biggest gripe (I have many.) I have with this structure is that, (without Genia looping the forwards and giving the out-the-back ball to Quade) it offers us no forward penetration and doesn't ask any questions of the defense. Given that we do have one of the smallest packs rolling around, surely bashing it up the Pillar-post-key channel isn't the smartest move.

I'd prefer to see the majority of phase ball played with the forwards running off Quade and our 2nd playmaker (JO'C, Hunt, Taps or Lucas). The Reds need to play with more width and use their smaller & (theoretically) fitter pack to run the opposition off the ground. The added benefit is it would force Quade to stand flatter and play more direct.

TL;DR: Forwards run off Quade, not Genia.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Hey Tip,
good post.
Respectfully suggest you have a one-on-one meeting with RG

 

[Jets]

You have to remember that RG was a big part of the Deans ball era. Might be hard for him to get it out of his system.

 

[TOCC]

It is amazing that with the complete ineptitude in attack we still managed to score some tries. However statistics are like mixed metaphors: everyone has got one.

I have never seen a team struggle to score tries in either code of rugby as hard as the Reds have.

mixed metaphors are like ill-informed opinions: everyone has got one.
The Reds scored more tries then 8 other Super Rugby teams in 2014, If you think the Reds inability to score tries was a major flaw in their 2014 campaign then you are ignoring other more glaring and obvious factors.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Defence maybe???????????????????

 

[fatprop]

In 2015, I'd like to see a definitive change in the Reds attacking structure to better suit our strengths.
I was VERY disappointed throughout the 2014 season at the Reds reliance on "Deans-ball" in attack.
Deans-ball involves forward pods of three running off the 9. Each forward stands ~2m or so apart and are all options for the next phase. The Wallabies used this tactic for 5 years, and the Reds have been using it since 2011.
.

This what the Tahs forwards did all season, they used pods of three pigs all season, the system works if done dynamically.

The big difference is the lack of runners in the Reds pack, too many toilers, not enough angry running units, they need to get the balance right

 

[Train Without a Station]

Players in motion. Static ball won't get you over the gain line.

 

[gel]

mixed metaphors are like ill-informed opinions: everyone has got one.
The Reds scored more tries then 8 other Super Rugby teams in 2014, If you think the Reds inability to score tries was a major flaw in their 2014 campaign then you are ignoring other more glaring and obvious factors.

Nice one.

I do think their inability to score tries is a major flaw. The statistics do not take into account their inability to score tries against a 15 man defence.

What I am trying to point out is that just about *everything* else is also a major flaw. There are very few positives.

You think the tries scored this year are a positive (I am guessing given your persistence on this one and only point). I think we have quite obviously struggled. Fine - we disagree on this.

You have presented stats that back up what you say, and I am saying that I *think* that those statistics may be tempered by some other factors not quite apparent (like the percentage of tries scored when someone was yellow carded, the piggy backing down the field by the referee in order to actually get into the opposition 22 etc etc). I am sorry that I don't have the time to work out what those numbers are, but my *perception* from watching the reds this year is that they have relied heavily on just some occurrences whilst oppositions have generally not had to do so. Go read the various reds match threads as well and read the comments by just about everyone - it is a virtual smorgasboard of "how can this team suck at attack" etc etc.

I am not ignoring other issues. I have highlighted and stated them often.

What structure do you think RG brings to the reds that gives you hope and optimism the way that the other coaches you have listed did?

 

[gel]

Actually don't bother. I have made my point several times now and you consistently have ignored it and instead focussed on the tries thing to the exclusion of every other point I have made and repeated.

You are just being a Pfitzy and I have been suckered in.

Sorry guys - as you were. Continue posting about whatever.

 

[Sully]

And a try is a try. Who fucking cares about yellow cards. It probably means they did something illegal to stop a try.
To be in the top half of the field for tries scored means there are other bigger problems. And I'd suggest the 500+ points we leaked would be #1

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[Tiger]

They'd better release some names for next year soon or we're going to whip ourselves into such a frenzy of speculation that we'll basically self-destruct.

 

[gel]

And a try is a try. Who fucking cares about yellow cards. It probably means they did something illegal to stop a try.
To be in the top half of the field for tries scored means there are other bigger problems. And I'd suggest the 500+ points we leaked would be #1

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My gosh - you are right!!!!!!

The tries is obviously the ONLY thing I mentioned that was a problem to the exclusion of everything else.

FFS focus on the full context of what I wrote and stop being dicks about it.

 

[Sully]

My gosh - you are right!!!!!!

The tries is obviously the ONLY thing I mentioned that was a problem to the exclusion of everything else.

FFS focus on the full context of what I wrote and stop being dicks about it.

FFS it's not all about you. I spend about as much time focusing on your posts as you spend on other people's posts.

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[gel]

FFS it's not all about you. I spend about as much time focusing on your posts as you spend on other people's posts.

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Who were you replying to if it wasn't me then? I'm the one that brought up the tries and the yellow cards (amongst other things) - and it is directly after mine.