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globalrugbyleague - Sat, 10 May 2008 11:03:00 GMTTHE GRL Phantom will write from the bench this week after coaching himself to two losses in last weekend’s edition of Coaching the Coaches.
It's tactics time and last weekend the GRL Phanton got both games wrong.
I tipped the Panthers and the Cowboys and they got scuttled by the Rabbitoh's and Eels respectively.
Should I repeat those efforts I have vowed to drop myself to the NSWRL State Cup next weekend if I do not point this week’s favourites to victory.
Sydney Roosters V CANBERRA
Saturday 10 May 2008 17:30 (AEST)
Sydney Football Stadium
Referee: Jason Robinson
The Roosters
The Roosters have suffered two straight losses and were a little flat against the Knights and the Dragons.
On an interesting note, the Knights and Dragons exposed the Roosters' width defence and overall defensive line ability by swift, lateral movements of the football in attack.
Defensively, the Roosters were solid in the first five games of the NRL season. But recently they’ve had more holes than swiss cheese.
Another ploy to exploit the Roosters is running from dummy-half, especially at Mark O'Meley and Willie Mason.
Being phyiscally big they tend to get caught laterally when they back pedal in the defensive line by nippy runners from dummy-half, especially when the attack runs two or three dummy half runs at them.
.Mitchell Pearce and Braith Anasta call the shots in attack. They interchange at first and second receiver a lot to keep the opposition guessing.
A feature of Pearce's play is not getting tackled. The great players like Lewis, Johns, Sterling and Mortimer to name a few, were rarely tackled and were alive for the next ruck.
The Roosters big men like Mason, O'Meley and Cronulla-bound, Anthony Tupou love to hit the advantage line flat.
Tupou is on the bench this week and his impact running, particularly down the left hand side of the field is a sight to behold.
He can also ball play - a rarity for back rowers these days who have become power runners and relentless tackle merchants.
In defence, the Roosters love to gang tackle and slow down the opposition.
Because they have so many big forwards including David Shillington and Mason, O"Meley, Nate Myles and Lopini Paea, this allows their defence more time to regroup and reform the line.
The Raiders:
In a day and age when many teams played the same way, you could change the jerseys and wouldn't notice the difference. The Raiders are the exception.
They are a team of footballers and by stating this remind me of many teams in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Pure footballers, who can, pass, run, kick, tackle and cover all skills in the game.
The Raiders have trouble winning away but they have naturally gifted players with speed and guile.
Their team is physically one of the biggest in the NRL and they take the ''steam'' out of many teams because of the physical impact they inflict upon teams.
Todd Carney and Terry Campese in the halves are a neat fit. In the forwards, Alan Tongue, Nigel Plum, Dane Tilse, Tom Leahroyd-Lars, Scott Logan and the elusive and durable Lincoln Withers at number 9, can more than hold their own.
Defensively, the Raiders are fairly solid. Tongue is a dynamo in defence, chalking up the tackles and his forwards gang tackle very well.
Neil Henry will handover a good football team for David Furner next year.
Verdict:
Roosters by seven but this will go down to the wire.
ROOSTERS: 1. Sam Perrett 2. Amos Roberts 3. Iosia Soliola 4. Mitchell Aubusson 5. Shaun Kenny-Dowall 6. Braith Anasta 7. Mitchell Pearce 8. Mark O'Meley 9. Riley Brown 10. Lopini Paea 11. Nate Myles 12. Setaimata Sa 13. Craig Fitzgibbon Interchange: 14. Willie Mason 15. Frank Paul Nuuausala 16. Anthony Tupou 17. James Aubusson 18. Mickey Paea 20. Brent Grose Coach: Brad Fittler
RAIDERS: 1. Bronx Goodwin 2. Colin Best 3. Adrian Purtell 4. Joel Monaghan 5. Brett Kelly 6. Terry Campese 7. Todd Carney 8. Scott Logan 9. Lincoln Withers 10. Troy Thompson 11. Neville Costigan 12. Nigel Plum 13. Alan Tongue Interchange: 14. Marshall Chalk 15. Tom Learoyd-Lahrs 16. Joe Picker 17. Dane Tilse 18. Josh Miller 19. Trevor Thurling Coach: Neil Henry
PARRAMATTA V ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA
Sunday 11 May 2008 15:00 (AEST)
ANZ Stadium
Referee: Sean Hampstead
GRL Tip: Eels
The Eels
This will be the match of the round for Global Rugby League when the Phantom’s Dragons go up the GRL Traitor’s Eels.
In the lead up to round 8, I felt as though Parramatta were a week away from producing their best form
I tipped Penrith but did state whatever the Eels do they will begin to get better each week.
Brett Finch at number seven and first receiver is the right fit for this role. Feleti Mateo is also a superb number six, a footballer who can play beautifully with his ''hands and feet.''
Mateo has all the skills of a back and the speed and footwork to go with it and being a lock has the power and running game and hard-hitting defence to be the complete the package.
Ben Smith is back for the Eels as right centre. I believe his days ahead will feature in the back row but his size and strength will also help right winger Eric Grothe in defence.
In recent seasons the Smith-Grothe right side pairing has been formidable.
Grothe has had the habit this year of playing a compressed style of defence with opposition teams aiming long passes, using decoy plays and cross field and grubber kicks to his side of the field.
Smith works well and communicates with Grothe plus he plays better.
Parramatta's attack stems from their halves Finch and Mateo. Whichever side of the field the defence is short or there are less numbers, Finch and Mateo play run towards.
Jarryd Hayne as a left centre likes to roam down midfield like an extra fullback.
Normal fullback Luke Burt loves to tag his forwards, especially Nathan Cayless who surges onto his passes and find holes around the rucks.
Chad Robinson and Nathan Hindmarsh are the soldier-like workers in the back row in defence and make the hard yards.
The Eels need to get over the top of their opposition forwards. They did in the second half against Penrith and that’s the reason why they won.
The Dragons
The Dragons are a psychiatrist's best patient.
They are always at the doctors and secondly make the ''football mental health'' doctor rich.
There is loads of speed, skill and talent in this footy team and I still believe Nathan Brown can get this team into the eight.
Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Josh Morris, Brett Morris, Jamie Soward, Ben Hornby, Ben Creagh, Jason Ryles, Deanm Young and Justin Poore are all genuine talents.
It's getting them to row in the same direction which is the problem.
The Dragons play a unique style. Lots of flat runners from dummy-half and straight, quick play the balls, and sweeping plays with decoy runners.
Brown loves to use attacking raids down the short side of the field and then get say four attackers on three defenders, three on two etc, etc.
The Dragons also love to play two passes wide of the ruck while also kicking from second receiver a lot.
Dean Young at dummy-half, occasionally alternates into to a running back rower when Simon Woolford comes onto the field and this suits the Dragons.
His leadership, communication and hard work ethic sets the standard for his teammates.
Defensively, the Dragons are very solid. There isn't too much space in the line and they work well from marker. The biggest defensive weakness in the Dragons is around the play the ball late in each half,
That’s when big men such as Ryles, Poore, Dan Hunt get exposed by dummy half running or the first man taking the ball from dummy -half angling back towards them while they retreat in defence.
Verdict:
A draw after eighty minutes and a Golden Point to win to the Dragons via a Ben Hornby field goal.
EELS: 1. Luke Burt 2. Joel Reddy 3. Ben Smith 4. Jarryd Hayne 5. Eric Grothe 6. Feleti Mateo 7. Brett Finch 8. Nathan Cayless 9. Mark Riddell 10. Fuifui Moimoi 11. Nathan Hindmarsh 12. Daniel Wagon 13. Chad Robinson Interchange: 14. Matthew Keating 15. Brendan Oake 16. Weller Hauraki 17. Junior Paulo 18. Kris Keating 19. Taulima Tautai 20. Todd Lowrie Coach: Michael Hagan
DRAGONS: 1. Brett Morris 2. Jason Nightingale 3. Mark Gasnier 4. Matt Cooper 5. Chase Stanley 6. Jamie Soward 7. Ben Hornby 8. Justin Poore 9. Dean Young 10. Jason Ryles 11. Kirk Reynoldson 12. Ben Creagh 13. Stuart Webb Interchange: 14. Simon Woolford 15. Dan Hunt 16. Beau Scott 17. Michael Lett 18. Lagi Setu 19. Josh Morris Coach: Nathan Brown - Read More, Here
It's tactics time and last weekend the GRL Phanton got both games wrong.
I tipped the Panthers and the Cowboys and they got scuttled by the Rabbitoh's and Eels respectively.
Should I repeat those efforts I have vowed to drop myself to the NSWRL State Cup next weekend if I do not point this week’s favourites to victory.
Sydney Roosters V CANBERRA
Saturday 10 May 2008 17:30 (AEST)
Sydney Football Stadium
Referee: Jason Robinson
The Roosters
The Roosters have suffered two straight losses and were a little flat against the Knights and the Dragons.
On an interesting note, the Knights and Dragons exposed the Roosters' width defence and overall defensive line ability by swift, lateral movements of the football in attack.
Defensively, the Roosters were solid in the first five games of the NRL season. But recently they’ve had more holes than swiss cheese.
Another ploy to exploit the Roosters is running from dummy-half, especially at Mark O'Meley and Willie Mason.
Being phyiscally big they tend to get caught laterally when they back pedal in the defensive line by nippy runners from dummy-half, especially when the attack runs two or three dummy half runs at them.
.Mitchell Pearce and Braith Anasta call the shots in attack. They interchange at first and second receiver a lot to keep the opposition guessing.
A feature of Pearce's play is not getting tackled. The great players like Lewis, Johns, Sterling and Mortimer to name a few, were rarely tackled and were alive for the next ruck.
The Roosters big men like Mason, O'Meley and Cronulla-bound, Anthony Tupou love to hit the advantage line flat.
Tupou is on the bench this week and his impact running, particularly down the left hand side of the field is a sight to behold.
He can also ball play - a rarity for back rowers these days who have become power runners and relentless tackle merchants.
In defence, the Roosters love to gang tackle and slow down the opposition.
Because they have so many big forwards including David Shillington and Mason, O"Meley, Nate Myles and Lopini Paea, this allows their defence more time to regroup and reform the line.
The Raiders:
In a day and age when many teams played the same way, you could change the jerseys and wouldn't notice the difference. The Raiders are the exception.
They are a team of footballers and by stating this remind me of many teams in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Pure footballers, who can, pass, run, kick, tackle and cover all skills in the game.
The Raiders have trouble winning away but they have naturally gifted players with speed and guile.
Their team is physically one of the biggest in the NRL and they take the ''steam'' out of many teams because of the physical impact they inflict upon teams.
Todd Carney and Terry Campese in the halves are a neat fit. In the forwards, Alan Tongue, Nigel Plum, Dane Tilse, Tom Leahroyd-Lars, Scott Logan and the elusive and durable Lincoln Withers at number 9, can more than hold their own.
Defensively, the Raiders are fairly solid. Tongue is a dynamo in defence, chalking up the tackles and his forwards gang tackle very well.
Neil Henry will handover a good football team for David Furner next year.
Verdict:
Roosters by seven but this will go down to the wire.
ROOSTERS: 1. Sam Perrett 2. Amos Roberts 3. Iosia Soliola 4. Mitchell Aubusson 5. Shaun Kenny-Dowall 6. Braith Anasta 7. Mitchell Pearce 8. Mark O'Meley 9. Riley Brown 10. Lopini Paea 11. Nate Myles 12. Setaimata Sa 13. Craig Fitzgibbon Interchange: 14. Willie Mason 15. Frank Paul Nuuausala 16. Anthony Tupou 17. James Aubusson 18. Mickey Paea 20. Brent Grose Coach: Brad Fittler
RAIDERS: 1. Bronx Goodwin 2. Colin Best 3. Adrian Purtell 4. Joel Monaghan 5. Brett Kelly 6. Terry Campese 7. Todd Carney 8. Scott Logan 9. Lincoln Withers 10. Troy Thompson 11. Neville Costigan 12. Nigel Plum 13. Alan Tongue Interchange: 14. Marshall Chalk 15. Tom Learoyd-Lahrs 16. Joe Picker 17. Dane Tilse 18. Josh Miller 19. Trevor Thurling Coach: Neil Henry
PARRAMATTA V ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA
Sunday 11 May 2008 15:00 (AEST)
ANZ Stadium
Referee: Sean Hampstead
GRL Tip: Eels
The Eels
This will be the match of the round for Global Rugby League when the Phantom’s Dragons go up the GRL Traitor’s Eels.
In the lead up to round 8, I felt as though Parramatta were a week away from producing their best form
I tipped Penrith but did state whatever the Eels do they will begin to get better each week.
Brett Finch at number seven and first receiver is the right fit for this role. Feleti Mateo is also a superb number six, a footballer who can play beautifully with his ''hands and feet.''
Mateo has all the skills of a back and the speed and footwork to go with it and being a lock has the power and running game and hard-hitting defence to be the complete the package.
Ben Smith is back for the Eels as right centre. I believe his days ahead will feature in the back row but his size and strength will also help right winger Eric Grothe in defence.
In recent seasons the Smith-Grothe right side pairing has been formidable.
Grothe has had the habit this year of playing a compressed style of defence with opposition teams aiming long passes, using decoy plays and cross field and grubber kicks to his side of the field.
Smith works well and communicates with Grothe plus he plays better.
Parramatta's attack stems from their halves Finch and Mateo. Whichever side of the field the defence is short or there are less numbers, Finch and Mateo play run towards.
Jarryd Hayne as a left centre likes to roam down midfield like an extra fullback.
Normal fullback Luke Burt loves to tag his forwards, especially Nathan Cayless who surges onto his passes and find holes around the rucks.
Chad Robinson and Nathan Hindmarsh are the soldier-like workers in the back row in defence and make the hard yards.
The Eels need to get over the top of their opposition forwards. They did in the second half against Penrith and that’s the reason why they won.
The Dragons
The Dragons are a psychiatrist's best patient.
They are always at the doctors and secondly make the ''football mental health'' doctor rich.
There is loads of speed, skill and talent in this footy team and I still believe Nathan Brown can get this team into the eight.
Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Josh Morris, Brett Morris, Jamie Soward, Ben Hornby, Ben Creagh, Jason Ryles, Deanm Young and Justin Poore are all genuine talents.
It's getting them to row in the same direction which is the problem.
The Dragons play a unique style. Lots of flat runners from dummy-half and straight, quick play the balls, and sweeping plays with decoy runners.
Brown loves to use attacking raids down the short side of the field and then get say four attackers on three defenders, three on two etc, etc.
The Dragons also love to play two passes wide of the ruck while also kicking from second receiver a lot.
Dean Young at dummy-half, occasionally alternates into to a running back rower when Simon Woolford comes onto the field and this suits the Dragons.
His leadership, communication and hard work ethic sets the standard for his teammates.
Defensively, the Dragons are very solid. There isn't too much space in the line and they work well from marker. The biggest defensive weakness in the Dragons is around the play the ball late in each half,
That’s when big men such as Ryles, Poore, Dan Hunt get exposed by dummy half running or the first man taking the ball from dummy -half angling back towards them while they retreat in defence.
Verdict:
A draw after eighty minutes and a Golden Point to win to the Dragons via a Ben Hornby field goal.
EELS: 1. Luke Burt 2. Joel Reddy 3. Ben Smith 4. Jarryd Hayne 5. Eric Grothe 6. Feleti Mateo 7. Brett Finch 8. Nathan Cayless 9. Mark Riddell 10. Fuifui Moimoi 11. Nathan Hindmarsh 12. Daniel Wagon 13. Chad Robinson Interchange: 14. Matthew Keating 15. Brendan Oake 16. Weller Hauraki 17. Junior Paulo 18. Kris Keating 19. Taulima Tautai 20. Todd Lowrie Coach: Michael Hagan
DRAGONS: 1. Brett Morris 2. Jason Nightingale 3. Mark Gasnier 4. Matt Cooper 5. Chase Stanley 6. Jamie Soward 7. Ben Hornby 8. Justin Poore 9. Dean Young 10. Jason Ryles 11. Kirk Reynoldson 12. Ben Creagh 13. Stuart Webb Interchange: 14. Simon Woolford 15. Dan Hunt 16. Beau Scott 17. Michael Lett 18. Lagi Setu 19. Josh Morris Coach: Nathan Brown - Read More, Here