05 April 2002:
Saints' attacking style

I was having a look at the Saints style of attack, compared to the not only
other sides in the competition but also Saints teams of yesterday. It seems
to me that the Saints are not playing the style of attack to realise their
full potential. I may be wrong and probably the brains trust at Saints no
better but Iwill give my opinion of how I think Saints should play with
the calibre of players that they possess. 

The way they currently play is like this. We have two very talented in
props in Ryles and Bailey who give us excellent go forward. We have
second-rowers who play out in the centres and a lock who is quite small for
a forward yet takes the ball up the middle like an extra prop. Our hooker
is great but can only play half a game. Our backs hardly ever see the ball
and the only way Blacklock sees the ball is if he comes in searching for
it and he is one of our most potent attacking weapons. Gasnier and Hookey,
two of the most gifted players in the league both on their feet and with
the ball in there hands are often starved of posession. The only way they
see ball is runs from dummy-half or straight hit-ups where they make plenty
of metres and basically play as extra forwards. Cooper one of the fastest
players in the league really only also sees ball from dummy half runs where
he also makes plenty of yards. Our backs hardly see the ball through the
style of play that we play in our halves and most notably through chief
playmaker, Trent Barrett. The flat style of play where Barrett runs across
field looking to pop a short ball to a player running into a hole. That is
how we play. If we do spread the ball wide it is at a time where we haven't
gone forward first and go no where out wide. Then this leads us to our
biggest problem, kicking game, its poor because we don't get a roll on and
the opposition teams are able to apply pressure on our kickers. 

The way I would play is like so. I'd continue to have our props playing
strong in the centre of the ruck. I'd also move our second rowers in a lot
closer to the action with one on either side of the props on the edge of
the rucks. I'd have the second rowers doing a job similar to the props and
trying to get the team on a roll so we could shift the ball wide. I'd have
the fullback especially and to a certain degree the lock in the middle of
the field backing up the big fellows waiting for an off-load. I'd have our
halves playing a lot deeper and and not to play one dimensional popping
short balls and going to the line. I'd play with a lot of width in our game.
Trent Barrett can throw a long ball and put a player in space just as well
as he can going to the line and popping a short ball. I feel Barrett has
become too predictable and opposition coaches have figured out and nine times out of ten this is what he will do. The defence is sweating on his support players and Barrett is becoming somewhat ineffective.

If you watch the best  player in the world, Andrew Johns. He has a brilliant backline outside him and sometimes he just gets deep throws a long ball, giving players room to move and let them do there own thing. Other times he sees a gap and the throws a long ball with the player running into a gap. While sometimes he runs himself and on other occasions he hits the line and pops a short. Because he has so many options and is not one dimensional you can't stop him. I feel Barrett can be just as effective and it would be more beneficial for the team. Baz has to have an option for short ball whether it be a Hooper, Blacklock or a Timmins. An option inside and a lot of options such as Gasnier or a Hookey out wide. I'd also have Peters directing the forwards around the field and Barrett playing a lot wider. We must use our backline because they are all so talented. If Gasnier and Hookey given space and room to move and one on one nine times out ten they'll beat there man. If Blacklock or Cooper given room to move they're gone. We must use our backline as imagine Hookey and Gasnier hitting holes at pace. We'd be near unstoppable.

Also with moving ball wide we'd make more metres get on more of a roll and kicking game would become easier. 

Basic concept forwards play in forwards and take team forward. Halfback
directs team around the field. Five-eight plays wider and looks after backs
and plays much deeper with more options. Backs are given clean ball with
room to move. Then i feel we can realise our potential as an attacking
force. It also seems that the team doesn't always work together and plays
a lot of one-out footy. We must learn to work as a team, back each other up,
run decoys etc etc.

Next week I will look at the defence of the side.