Round 4 - Festival of Hate - Qld v NSW

[wamberal]

If the Tahs don't tear us a new one, then they are a laughing stock of a team.

Trying to lull us into a false sense of superiority, eh? I smell an ambush.

 

[Adam84]

Jeez look at that start-studded Tahs backline, I hope the Reds players have time to make some tackles in between asking those superstars for autographs

 

[Up the Guts]

So are they just going to open up the Members and Brewongle stand and leave the O’Reily and Trumper stands shut?

 

[Braveheart81]

So are they just going to open up the Members and Brewongle stand and leave the O’Reily and Trumper stands shut?

Here's the field.

My Tahs members seats are in the Noble Stand.

I assume Ladies and Members will be for SCG Members.

 

[PhilClinton]

I get the impression that Thorn's idea of a flyhalf's role is quite different from most other coaches. He doesn't seem at all interested in a 10 that directs the game. We saw this first with the exiling of Quade and replacing him with Jonno Lance. Jonno is a very good player, but not exactly a visionary on the field. Mind you, I'd prefer to have Jonno Lance wearing the 10 now rather than Hegarty or Stewart. At least Jonno could nail a cross field kick to his wingers pretty consistently.

Have you watched any games in the last few years? I think you contradict yourself a bit here, at least in my opinion. Quade isn't at all your stock standard play directing 10 - the guy is mercurial, he doesn't so much direct a game, instead he changes it's direction by playing attacking off the cuff footy. He's more likely to take the line on and try a flick pass than work through your standard setups and run through the back line array of set plays.

I think Thorn wants the 10 who directs the game, not the guy who will try and make the game his own. Stewart was being used as neither which was odd. Hegarty at least is known to find players with good passes and make his tackles. I think you'll find Hegarty being pretty close in style and mould to Jonno Lance, even both being used as 10s and 15s in Reds teams.

 

[Derpus]

You make a good point, actually. Jono and Hegarty are very similar.

 

[dru]

Have you watched any games in the last few years? I think you contradict yourself a bit here, at least in my opinion. Quade isn't at all your stock standard play directing 10 - the guy is mercurial, he doesn't so much direct a game, instead he changes it's direction by playing attacking off the cuff footy. He's more likely to take the line on and try a flick pass than work through your standard setups and run through the back line array of set plays.

I think Thorn wants the 10 who directs the game, not the guy who will try and make the game his own. Stewart was being used as neither which was odd. Hegarty at least is known to find players with good passes and make his tackles. I think you'll find Hegarty being pretty close in style and mould to Jonno Lance, even both being used as 10s and 15s in Reds teams.

Link called Quade one of the best in implementing a plan. So far I’ve seen little from Stewart in directing the game, it’s an area he needs to improve. This is consistent with Thorn needing to improve his ability to coach it. Big step forward this year through the full coaching team and it has been refreshing seeing Hegarty taking pressure off Stewart which hopefully let’s Stewart focus on this aspect. Time he spends positioned at 15 can only help if he is able to grasp it.

 

[Jets]

Well he's really taking the pressure off him this weekend.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Is Hegarty taking pressure off, or performing some of the key roles of a 10 that Stewart isn't able to (at this stage of his career, age 20).

That's the worry. We have a bunch of pretty good reserve 10s, and zero Super rugby starters.

 

[dillyboy]

I'll just leave this one here....

 

['Tattsy'TaylorFan1]

I really like Hamish Stewart as a player and it's a bit rough from Thorny to drop him to the bench. Kiwi commentator Tony Johnson really talked him up and said how much he liked him during the Highlanders match.

 

[TSR]

Have you watched any games in the last few years? I think you contradict yourself a bit here, at least in my opinion. Quade isn't at all your stock standard play directing 10 - the guy is mercurial, he doesn't so much direct a game, instead he changes it's direction by playing attacking off the cuff footy. He's more likely to take the line on and try a flick pass than work through your standard setups and run through the back line array of set plays.

I think Thorn wants the 10 who directs the game, not the guy who will try and make the game his own. Stewart was being used as neither which was odd. Hegarty at least is known to find players with good passes and make his tackles. I think you'll find Hegarty being pretty close in style and mould to Jonno Lance, even both being used as 10s and 15s in Reds teams.

Interesting. I would interpret his play completely differently. Not that I disagree he plays ad lib at times, but I would have said almost the exact opposite in terms of whether he is a game manager. To me, a feature of Coopers game is how he sits in the pocket directing his forwards around and being very specific when he wants the ball. He did it at the Reds and I reckon you can see he is directing the Rebels forwards around now.

Then, when he gets it, the work he does with players in motion is very good as well. No doubt some of this comes down to the individual players working hard off the ball, but Cooper certainly organises his attack off set peice and I’d be very surprised if he didn’t have a lot of influence on the attacking shape in open play as well.

One of the reasons Genia & Cooper work so well together is that Genia is used to the way Cooper manages the attack and can potter around for 2-3 minutes working forward runners and then, when Cooper wants it, flick a switch and deliver quick ball. With other players around him, guys like Digby, Ant & Rod Davies would run instinctive lines confident in how/where Cooper was going to shape the attack. It’s early days, but you can already see guys like Meakes & Maddocks developing a similiar understanding.

IMO when I watch Cooper I don’t look at someone who doesn’t game manage, but someone who game manages very well and plays his best football when he has a group of players around him who will follow his lead, react quickly and understand he is always looking to push the envelope.

 

[Strewthcobber]

^^^^ nailed it TSR.

Genia/Cooper works well because Cooper directs play, but Genia is the playmaker. Things have gone wrong for both of them over the years when Cooper has to touch the ball and do too much, or when Genia doesn't have a 10 organising the troops for him.

Probably why Cooper isn't seen by (poor) coaches as a good part of a system. He is the wrong cog to be doing that mechanical role.

He is at his best when he can wait and strike at the right time

 

[Sully]

Hmmm... I wonder what they're talking about IN THE MELBOURNE REBELS THREAD!!!

 

[fatprop]

Is Hegarty taking pressure off, or performing some of the key roles of a 10 that Stewart isn't able to (at this stage of his career, age 20).

That's the worry. We have a bunch of pretty good reserve 10s, and zero Super rugby starters.

I think it could be as much having 3 playmakers vs 2 and balance

With Paia'aua @ 12 you have the 2nd playmaker so Hegarty starts and Stewart finishes as the primary playmaker

 

[dillyboy]

Hmmm. I wonder what they're talking about IN THE MELBOURNE REBELS THREAD!!!

Well there's that many Reds playing for the rebels it's hard to tell them apart....

 

[Adam84]

Issue will be the defence, hope Duncan has been working on his technique and doesn’t continually tackle high.

Lucas will get plenty of game time at first receiver, it’s a staple of Jim McKay rugby.

 

[dru]

After catching up on Reb v Brumbies I'm ready for this. Bring it on Tahs, let's just see how Thorn's kids are shaping up.

Let's see the potential that McKay is pushing.

 

[Adam84]

its going to be a wet and soggy night, it’s either building to a dour affair or a classic battle in the mud.

Could argue this suits the Reds fowards more then the Tahs, but it also suits the big bodies in the Tahs backline

 

[KOB1987]

Anyone have a link to what’s going on out at the precinct prior to the game?