Trying to run the Warriors ragged isn't exactly a new strategy to those sides who believe they have the superior fitness like the Dragons so Kearney and his coaching staff should know what the Dragons are going to throw at them.
Our defense is still very suspect but there's an area of improvement I've noticed from last season and that's our ability to come up in a line then fan out as required, okay the line speed may not be 100 percent but were not committing to the player with the ball until he makes a decision and actually engages the line, there's been the occasional one on one spot tackle but even if the player manages an offload our scramble has largely been good so those are positive signs for us. Having Roger Tuivasa-Sheck back should benefit our defensive numbering and our housekeeping at the back.
To limit their game plan we need to control their ruck and we do it like the best teams do it with solid marker defense and by getting to the ball carrier in numbers, wrapping the ball up and managing the player to the ground long enough to reset our defensive line but not so long that we give away penalties, it's a fine line.
I may be proven wrong and I'll be stoked if I am but with our Prop rotation at the moment I don't see our middles dominating the Dragons on attack by punching holes and offloading or bending their line or even getting too many quick play the balls TBH so we need to do those other things well off the ball so we can get some parity there because our advantage is that our back line matches up favorably compared to theirs.
Looking for Vete, Lisone and Gubb to fire up if named, much depends on their performance until Matulino returns.
Our defense is still very suspect but there's an area of improvement I've noticed from last season and that's our ability to come up in a line then fan out as required, okay the line speed may not be 100 percent but were not committing to the player with the ball until he makes a decision and actually engages the line, there's been the occasional one on one spot tackle but even if the player manages an offload our scramble has largely been good so those are positive signs for us. Having Roger Tuivasa-Sheck back should benefit our defensive numbering and our housekeeping at the back.
To limit their game plan we need to control their ruck and we do it like the best teams do it with solid marker defense and by getting to the ball carrier in numbers, wrapping the ball up and managing the player to the ground long enough to reset our defensive line but not so long that we give away penalties, it's a fine line.
I may be proven wrong and I'll be stoked if I am but with our Prop rotation at the moment I don't see our middles dominating the Dragons on attack by punching holes and offloading or bending their line or even getting too many quick play the balls TBH so we need to do those other things well off the ball so we can get some parity there because our advantage is that our back line matches up favorably compared to theirs.
Looking for Vete, Lisone and Gubb to fire up if named, much depends on their performance until Matulino returns.
