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There isn't much to be taken out of a Longmire press conference after a loss - typically bemoans the area we performed poorly in, of which there has been a long, alternating list in recent times (poor pressure, were smashed around the ball, turnovers etc etc). To me it always comes across with a tone of 'I don't know why, I had a vision of what they should have done but the players just f'd up'. That was tolerable when we won consistently and poor performances were the exception - but there's only so long that a tradie can blame his tools before questioning his methods or the suitability of the assets/tools he's using. Or call out that we are learning / rebuilding and that we have to accept inconsistencies and some poor performances.
I was puzzled by his 'front third' comments - if he's talking about the area ~0-60m from goal, it is completely vacant for the majority of each game. Only when we get any sort of consistent ball movement from defence and/or lock the ball in the forward line do we have any presence of personnel in that part of the ground. So to be breaking down entering that part of the ground as we rely solely on the slingshot from deep in defence would to me seem to be expected, rather than a shock or disappointment.
Our i50 numbers are consistently low as well, so it's a real double-whammy - not getting the ball into that area as often as needed, but when we do it is a long kick generally not to our advantage.
If he meant 'our front third' which the way we set up is technically the area about 60m from the opposition goal, that is actually where most of the problems lie - the opposition still have players there applying pressure and not allowing an easy exit, but generally also more players than us between there and our goal, so we have nothing to go to.
He was asked repeat questions about a change of style, turning the season around etc - the first answer was along the lines of 'we did it before (2017) so we can again', but when pressed further (that it is a different side now, that the ability to turn it around is more difficult) he pretty much agreed with that with a sense of resignation.
I was puzzled by his 'front third' comments - if he's talking about the area ~0-60m from goal, it is completely vacant for the majority of each game. Only when we get any sort of consistent ball movement from defence and/or lock the ball in the forward line do we have any presence of personnel in that part of the ground. So to be breaking down entering that part of the ground as we rely solely on the slingshot from deep in defence would to me seem to be expected, rather than a shock or disappointment.
Our i50 numbers are consistently low as well, so it's a real double-whammy - not getting the ball into that area as often as needed, but when we do it is a long kick generally not to our advantage.
If he meant 'our front third' which the way we set up is technically the area about 60m from the opposition goal, that is actually where most of the problems lie - the opposition still have players there applying pressure and not allowing an easy exit, but generally also more players than us between there and our goal, so we have nothing to go to.
He was asked repeat questions about a change of style, turning the season around etc - the first answer was along the lines of 'we did it before (2017) so we can again', but when pressed further (that it is a different side now, that the ability to turn it around is more difficult) he pretty much agreed with that with a sense of resignation.
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