Round 6 - Storm vs Knights

[yourhero]

http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/melbou ... 98b422e9dd

Legends savage Billy Slater diving antics: ‘I don’t like it. It’s kind of embarrassing’

So, if Slater stays on his feet after the Fitzgibbon contact, the minor contact may have just been enough to give the other Knights defenders the chance to regroup and make a try saving tackle on Slater. Likely the ref doesn't send the player to the bin and the Storm are disadvantaged without the Knights being punished.

It is the definition of a professional foul no matter how the haters want to spin it.

The exact same scenario played out in the Sharks/Dragons game following. When taking a quick tap, Dugan had a Dragons player in an offside position make contact with him. He didn't hit the deck. That distinction seems to be everyone's gripe. They ignore the fact that it is still a professional foul and still a valid sin-binning.

The same people bitching about it on social media were glad that Levi milked a penalty in the game. Is that not virtually the exact same thing? Playing for a penalty?

Tall poppy syndrome in full effect it seems.

[Danger D]

Maybe there's a reason for it but I just cannot understand why any winger would stand so far inside his opposite number. Anyone have an explanation?

People hating on Suli's defence need to acknowledge the great work the Knights did in creating the overlap with Ponga and Fitzgibbons demanding extra attention. With the inside defenders convinced play was headed the other way, the halves and Ponga took the play down their left edge which forced the line to compress and then the winger has to come in. The golden rule of rugby league is that it's better to be beaten on your outside than on your inside. If there's an overlap (usually a 4 on 3) then the defensive team usually positions themselves so that the attacking team has to score on the edge.

[blazza18]

I don't believe it was necessary to leave as much room as Suli left there. I think the line marking is 10m in and Suli was around there.

[Danger D]

He may well have left too much room because he was overconfident in his own pace and ability to push Sio out wide to the sideline. It wasn't an amazing defensive decision but once they created the overlap on his inside they were odds on to score anyway and it would have taken a phenomenal effort on his part to have stopped it. Maybe he was overcompensating for the one he let in when he slipped and Sio scored on his inside? I thought he was a bit too far out for that one.

[blazza18]

You're probably right and it's a good explanation for why he would be so jammed in.

His decision making has been definitely questionable. For a team who doesn't have many breakdowns he's a clear weak link in the line.

[Bullucked]

His decision making has been definitely questionable. For a team who doesn't have many breakdowns he's a clear weak link in the line.

This always irritates me. As a former winger, albeit in Union but the principle is the same, if your inside players don't slide across you're left high and dry. You have to defend the player in front of you, not stand wide, defend your winger and let everyone stroll through the middle. When an overlap occurs always look to where the inside men have got to. As Danger said, it's a golden rule that it's better to be beaten on your outside than on your inside, in both codes. Better to use the sideline as a defender and if they do get around it's much better that they score in the corner and make the conversion harder.

[Danger D]

Agree Bullucked. By the time they've created an overlap, there isn't a whole lot Suli can do. I think what makes it a bit hard to realise though is at the other end JAC is doing a phenomenal job jamming up and in at the right time and showing them the sideline at others: but this just means JAC is doing really well rather than Suli doing poorly. Suli has some questionable defensive reads but just last week he stopped a certain try when he got under Malakai W-Z to hold him up in goal so I don't think he's as much of a liability as some on here think.

[blazza18]

Eh, yes JAC making better decisions than Suli is good for one and not good for the other.

Once the overlap occurs both Young and Suli are on the back foot and ball watching. Either one has to make the decision to come up and apply pressure, right?

[Bullucked]

Once the overlap occurs both Young and Suli are on the back foot and ball watching. Either one has to make the decision to come up and apply pressure, right?

It's such a tough decision this one. When you think that's the option and you think you're gunna get em the ball gets shifted past the person you're going to get. Remember, when an overlap occurs they're not facing their opposite number, rather, an inside player and you look very foolish when the cutout ball is thrown to the outside person(s). It's so important for the whole team to slide - and talk.
I would think as a team, a Melbourne Storm Team, that they would all take responsibility when the opposition gets around the outside.

I've got to say how constantly amazed I am with the way the Storm do so well to slide across. (In either direction)

[Danger D]

It's so important for the whole team to slide - and talk.

I suspect that maybe Suli may rely on Will a bit more than we realise to give him direction on what action to take. If the centre jams in on the ball carrier then the winger's job is to stop an offload or quick pass (they can't make a defensive tackle in that instance because they're already stuck in a 2-on-1 with massive gaps on both sides). If the centre doesn't jam then the winger has to make the decision to slide or stay with the inside attacker (most likely). The communication between winger and centre is pivotal in these situations and I'm hoping that when Will returns we'll see a bit more confidence from Suli.