General The Halves Thread

[Xfactor]

Mod Edit

The trial game vs Broncos has generated some good discussion on Pita Godinet and the makeup on our halves. With Shaun Johnson injured/attracting criticism and new players Thomas Leuluai and Harry Seijka also in the selection mix, I expect more of this to follow in the coming weeks... so I'm going to compile some posts in here to keep things centralised

Cheers guys...

Bill Tupou.


oh, god no.


I would think Godinet has fb pedigree

I could learn to live with that.

But with Shaun Johnson & Seijka out, our halves stocks are reduced to Meteo and.........Shoulders obviously, but if one of them go down...???

Are we already at the point of pulling players from the 20's just to field a team for round 1? We all remember how that went last year.

Who are the Vulcans halves? Who is the Vulcans fullback?

 

[drake83]

Pita filled in at full back the year we made it to the gf for the vulcans and imo was the only reason in that game that they got back into it. If only that dam centre took the tackle instrad of tryin to be the hero vulcans would have won a nsw cup. Rant over but yea pita is more than capable at full back.

 

[Mr Frank White]

Hmm with Shaun Johnson & friend out, can we offers in their specialist roles? I'm thinking

6.Harry
7.Godinet

9. TL

 

[Sup42]

Once Johnson's over his arm injury, Godinet can hit all the holes he wants for the Vulcans. Lowrie was very good, and showed what a so called tackle bot can do when they aren't a lazy bastard...now all we need is for some of our attacking players to hit holes and support the ball carrier the same way.

We recruited TL to give the team a solid experienced half to give the team direction, leaving Johnson to have a more roving attacking role, so maybe some consistent support players for our most talented player isn't too much to ask.

I'll bite.

you won't build a league Club with that dismissive blinkered approach.....credit where it's due.

If you're happy to knock people for blaming Vatuvies deficiencies on others....maybe you could look at some in your favorite.

 

[Gizzyfan]

The problem with backing up Shaun Johnson is that he goes crossfield too much looking for opportunities to take a gap, if he played a bit more direct with support players he will be more effective imo. In short he thinks he must break the line to set up a team mate.

 

[wallacenz]

The problem with backing up Shaun Johnson is that he goes crossfield too much looking for opportunities to take a gap, if he played a bit more direct with support players he will be more effective imo. In short he thinks he must break the line to set up a team mate.

there was a classic moment last year that a few people on here commented on. He just set off across field from one side to the other and the whole team had to stop and it just looked like they were watching him play by himself. I know he was encouraged to use those skills by Mateo but its wearing a little thin now.

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

I'll bite.

you won't build a league Club with that dismissive blinkered approach.....credit where it's due.

If you're happy to knock people for blaming Vatuvies deficiencies on others....maybe you could look at some in your favorite.

I think you got the point. He has limited comments that aren't intended to get a bite. He is simply trying to wind everyone up because opinion has shifted over Godinet's importance.

I will bite too. I think a pair of team oriented halves is far more important than a player packed with individual brilliance but limited team focus. Though Johnson is extremely talented at what he does, individual flair alone can't deliver a title, only consistant team performance. I would like to see a way of fitting Shaun Johnson, Godinet and Leuluai (my opinion of him has changed somewhat too). Unfortunately I can't see a reasonable way apart from letting Friend go next year (an option I am not that keen on) and moving Thomas to hooker full time.

The abilities we have available to us are going to cost us a lot of players in the next couple of years.

 

[eX | Machina]

I'll bite.

you won't build a league Club with that dismissive blinkered approach.....credit where it's due.

If you're happy to knock people for blaming Vatuvies deficiencies on others....maybe you could look at some in your favorite.

I get where you're coming from. I believe he's not playing in the right position. TL is a great hooker and Godinet looks like more of a traditional half-back. Why not just shift Johnson into second receiver where he has room to move and take on guys out wide with his running game? win/win.

 

[facefacts]

there was a classic moment last year that a few people on here commented on. He just set off across field from one side to the other and the whole team had to stop and it just looked like they were watching him play by himself. I know he was encouraged to use those skills by Mateo but its wearing a little thin now.

Exactly, stopped and watched. I'm guessing our players are too stupid or lazy to realize they have a halfback who will on occasion ghost cross field looking for options...heres a crazy idea, give him some instead of standing flat footed taking a breather. no one complains about him running cross field when he puts on a try for someone, or breaks the line.

Johnson has faults in his game which i have spoken about plenty of times, but he is by a country mile our best chance at a premiership in the years ahead.

The problem with backing up Shaun Johnson is that he goes crossfield too much looking for opportunities to take a gap, if he played a bit more direct with support players he will be more effective imo. In short he thinks he must break the line to set up a team mate.

There are plenty on this site who seem to think if he's not breaking the line or setting up a team mate everytime he touches the ball "he's gone missing".

 

[wallacenz]

Exactly, stopped and watched. I'm guessing our players are too stupid or lazy to realize they have a halfback who will on occasion ghost cross field looking for options...heres a crazy idea, give him some instead of standing flat footed taking a breather. no one complains about him running cross field when he puts on a try for someone, or breaks the line.

they had to stop he killed their space, the team was moving forward and he decided to zig zag sideways across field. they couldnt do anything else except overrun him

 

[facefacts]

they had to stop he killed their space, the team was moving forward and he decided to zig zag sideways across field. they couldnt do anything else except overrun him

You remember that one particular instance when he was trying to create something for the team which didn't work out, what about all the times where he did the same thing but this time he puts a team mate in for a try?.....which would happen a damn sight more often with more support players.

 

[wallacenz]

You remember that one particular instance when he was trying to create something for the team which didn't work out, what about all the times where he did the same thing but this time he puts a team mate in for a try?.....which would happen a damn sight more often with more support players.

thats right i do remember that one because it stood out. the team obviously wasnt in on the play. at the end of the day its a team sport. how about last week, running cross field, tried getting through a gap, couldnt so threw the ball over his head..

 

[facefacts]

thats right i do remember that one because it stood out. the team obviously wasnt in on the play. at the end of the day its a team sport. how about last week, running cross field, tried getting through a gap, couldnt so threw the ball over his head..

You mean the one where he'd broken the line and beat 2-3 guys yet had no one in support, that one?

 

[¿N. ig-mah¿]

I think there needs to be adaptation from the team and Johnson. There is no point running across field looking for runners in the Warriors, when everyone knows we have no one interested in running. There is no point having a half who plays a different game to his team mates. You simply can't have a halfback who plays that individually. Train the team to play Johnson's game, or train Johnson to play the teams game.

 

[eX | Machina]

I think there needs to be adaptation from the team and Johnson. There is no point running across field looking for runners in the Warriors, when everyone knows we have no one interested in running. There is no point having a half who plays a different game to his team mates. You simply can't have a halfback who plays that individually. Train the team to play Johnson's game, or train Johnson to play the teams game.

Hence why you play him wider and deeper and don't ask him to be the linchpin!

 

[wallacenz]

You mean the one where he'd broken the line and beat 2-3 guys yet had no one in support, that one?

lol no he just ran into a trap and panicked.

 

[facefacts]

lol no he just ran into a trap and panicked.

Wow thats some sort of trap, letting him break the line, then stand up defenders and be one support runner away from a try assist...amazing.

That was the only time i remember him throwing a loose ball, but i will check my sky tomorrow.

 

[mode81]

Godinet had Lowrie hitting a hole immediately.
While true Johnson was playing a lone hand.....who's fault is that ? the Warriors either are lazy or know one knows what Johnson is going to do next........direction is what the team needs more than a touch football ethic of putting all the eggs into a chase Johnson basket......what happens when you don't have players like that available ? the team doesn't know how to implement fundamental structured moves.

Thomas could spend the entire season chasing Johnsons tail and still be none the wiser.....Tim Sheens might have been able to design a game plan around unpredictability......Elliot already has Mateo to try and figure and he's a forward.

The sooner Johnson takes responsibility for playing a team game the sooner we look serious about winning.

I don't know why Johnson just doesn't take on the line like Thurston, if Johnson was more direct and not a crabber like Benji then we'll become a better team for it but I suppose that will come with experience, Johnson is quite a big fulla for a halfback so he can handle the physicality

Now that Johnson's out for a while I think Godinet will go well in the halves he's had that experience of grafting away week in week out for the Vulcans at NSW Cup level which Shaun Johnson hasn't had so he's primed to direct this team and hopefully implement moves from scrums or tap penalties, mind you structure has never been our forte.

 

[Sup42]

I don't know why Johnson just doesn't take on the line like Thurston, if Johnson was more direct and not a crabber like Benji then we'll become a better team for it but I suppose that will come with experience, Johnson is quite a big fulla for a halfback so he can handle the physicality

Now that Johnson's out for a while I think Godinet will go well in the halves he's had that experience of grafting away week in week out for the Vulcans at NSW Cup level which Shaun Johnson hasn't had so he's primed to direct this team and hopefully implement moves from scrums or tap penalties, mind you structure has never been our forte.

Agreed.
I recon with his build he could be a much better defender as well. They put him up against Akuma Ta'ai one time and he went much better the following game....kept it up for a while before he let it slip.

I wonder if Johnson has just not grown out of his individual style from the 20's days , he was a greedy player at that grade sometimes , able to turn on a miracle move and more often than not pulled it off.
He has an outrageous precocious talent , like Marshall they either win a premiership almost single handed or reduce a club to hit and miss , up one week tearing anyone to shreds, down the next....tough players to support.

Johnson has had 16 or more NRL games.....other players are coming at him from within the club.

I would like to see Godinet get six games at half.....eighty minute games , and measure his efforts on winning percentages.

 

[facefacts]

lol no he just ran into a trap and panicked.

It was at the at the 46 minute mark, and was the only thing close to a reckless pass he threw in the whole game, and granted it was a pretty average one, but he had just broken the line, and beaten 3 players, on the last tackle...just when you'd think players around him should be expecting something to happen.