Taggers

[NMWBloods]

If you've got both elements then great (certainly could be argued that we have a great attacking HB line as well as a potent forward line). But defence is the sine qua non of recent premiership success.

The 3 teams I've mentioned have been the ones most associated with all out attack & none of them have seriously threatened for flag over recent times. Perhaps the closest would be Port but who knows how many more flags they may have won with a tighter defensive game plan.

I wasn't thinking about all-out attack. We are now all-out defence, and I would like to see more balance between attack and defence.

[giant]

I wasn't thinking about all-out attack. We are now all-out defence, and I would like to see more balance between attack and defence.

Quite, but that's not what my initial comment was about.

On the "all-out" defence issue, I think when we're playing well and with confidence, we do the tough defensive things AND move the ball quickly & directly, rebound well, take plenty of marks inside 50, etc etc. When we play without confidence, we tend to just fall back on the defensive side of our game - and move the ball slowly and sideways, drop marks, kick to contested situations etc. And of course start slowly!

[NMWBloods]

Quite, but that's not what my initial comment was about.

On the "all-out" defence issue, I think when we're playing well and with confidence, we do the tough defensive things AND move the ball quickly & directly, rebound well, take plenty of marks inside 50, etc etc. When we play without confidence, we tend to just fall back on the defensive side of our game - and move the ball slowly and sideways, drop marks, kick to contested situations etc. And of course start slowly!

Yes, that's very true, but I think we psyche ourselves into that mindset to a certain extent.

[giant]

Yes, that's very true, but I think we psyche ourselves into that mindset to a certain extent.

Yep, and I guess your original point was "if the selection panel chooses an abundance of defensive style players, it's hardly surprising we end up with that defensive mindset." It's obviously not a precedent that I'd want to repeat too much, but I tend to agree.