Backline: Slick and Quick

[JudesaGun]

We saw a trace of it yesterday, but our backline has the potential to be one of the quickest and highly-skilled in the league. This is when we play our best.

I'd love to see this line-up:


Malceski LRT Kennelly
Schnieder/ Crouch Barry Bolton

[NMWBloods]

Neither Barry nor LRT fit within any definition of "highly skilled" and neither does Crouch quite honestly.

Kennelly is quick but his kicking skills are mixed, especially over range.

Bolton is probably the best at the combination.

Malceski looks good, but still very early days.

Schneider has the combo, but still hasn't shown he can do it on a regular basis.

Having said all that, our half back run is exceptionally important to our ability to win. I'm just not sure that it is by virtue of being highly skilled and quick.

[Mel]

Barry needs to get a clue first. He use to be one of my fave players, but lately he is looking more and more bewildered, with the patented Leo Barry deer-in-the-headlights ? look being used more and more often. Is he trying to think too much?

[woo]

Originally posted by Mel
Barry needs to get a clue first. He use to be one of my fave players, but lately he is looking more and more bewildered, with the patented Leo Barry deer-in-the-headlights ? look being used more and more often. Is he trying to think too much?

heres the thing, Leapin Leo has always been a spot on the confused side of things...but on sunday unfortunately he kept getting the ball. The guys a great mark, great defender but please dont give him the ball in any attacking form....

[Go Swannies]

But last year we were bewailing that we needed another player to take on the gorilla full forwards and so release Leo's running game.

[NMWBloods]

I think he's spent so long as a pure defender he's forgotten how to do it! It was always a bit heart in mouth stuff, but at least he generally went forward. Now he goes all over the place and the others don't seem to used to it any more and can't get in the right spot and the right time.

[woo]

nah I disagree, I think hes always been a little unconfident taking it out of the 50....hes just too focused (and so he should be mind you)on defending that changing tack is to much.
The players around him should overall recognise this and protect him from getting himself in some of the messes he has found himself in- and lets face it- there has been a few of them

[ScottH]

LRT spent too much time looking backward after a mark, someone should point out which way is forwards. ========>>>

[Mel]

Gotta disagree with you woo. In the past he would get into trouble, but at least you would give him a 50/50 chance of getting a decent handball away. These days he seems to either not try to get it away at all (no idea he's getting into trouble) or handball to somebody who is going to get smashed as soon as the ball touches their hands. And he goes around in circles even more than ever. At least his cirlces use to kinda go forward!

[woo]

oh boy..just had a horrible flashback..was it goodes who was tackled in the middle of the ground whilst on a run meanwhile the entire crowd tried to let him know someone was on his trail..how bad was that moment...

[NMWBloods]

Yes. Run down by Davey.

[woo]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Yes. Run down by Davey.

geez that was freaking hopeless....

[Mel]

They need more communication out there that's for sure. I thought it was mostly better out there yesterday, because of Tadhg maybe, but it still needs work. Look after your teammates.

[woo]

Originally posted by Mel
They need more communication out there that's for sure. I thought it was mostly better out there yesterday, because of Tadhg maybe, but it still needs work. Look after your teammates.

if he couldn't hear us (wildly screaming fans)...some mug should have told him on the field. Def think Tadhg made such a difference overall.

[Mel]

Originally posted by woo
if he couldn't hear us (wildly screaming fans)...some mug should have told him on the field. Def think Tadhg made such a difference overall.

Yeah, I could hear it on the tele too, it was loud. I wonder how much of the crowd the players block out though, especially when they're focussed like I would like to think Goodsey was? Meh, doesn't really matter now does it.