Rebels vs Highlanders
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@Machpants said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
I just wish he could offer a running threat, he just doesn’t go anymore. That is bad news at international level, as they can relax around the ruck when he’s there. Unless it’s dry powder…
I've wondered about this over the last couple of years. Opposition teams know that if Smith is picking up the ball you can pretty much guarantee it's either going to be kicked (averagely) or passed (brilliantly) - he isn't going to run it. This was all good when the forwards did their jobs and the backs did theirs. This isn't always the case at the moment.
Still he's still head and shoulders above the next best. And we don't want to head down the Brendon Leonard route if we don't have to.
@Toddy yep, he needs to run more to give opposition that extra option to consider.
I mean when he is setting for the kick, it is blindingly obvious, so you know when thats coming, so all other times, he is passing it.
The best part of his passing game is speed and accuracy helping his ability he has to hit a man in traffic with other moving parts...yet we dont have alot of the other moving parts, he is quickly hitting his man, but we dont have all the other bodies in motion or deception, meaning the opposition know if he is passing, and exactly where it is going.
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@Machpants said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
@Kiwiwomble said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
@Machpants i honestly think its just as much we dont have the weapons to back him up if he does run...and he knows it, so he's playing "safer", feed someone for a small hit up and make sure he's there to feed the next one...and the next one. If he runs he risks getting isolated and possibly at the bottom of a ruck
OK that’s a fair point!
just to elaborate, if you go back to when we had guys like osbourne/naholo/fekitoa and smith....nug ran loads...loved the blind side snipe...but he had at least one of those guys on his shoulder....the closest we have now is TUJ or MMT, the former plays much wider so harder for nug to get too...and the latter loves to run from deep up the middle more than on the fringe...we're a different team in both style and just skill level
@Kiwiwomble said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
@Machpants said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
@Kiwiwomble said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
@Machpants i honestly think its just as much we dont have the weapons to back him up if he does run...and he knows it, so he's playing "safer", feed someone for a small hit up and make sure he's there to feed the next one...and the next one. If he runs he risks getting isolated and possibly at the bottom of a ruck
OK that’s a fair point!
just to elaborate, if you go back to when we had guys like osbourne/naholo/fekitoa and smith....nug ran loads...loved the blind side snipe...but he had at least one of those guys on his shoulder....the closest we have now is TUJ or MMT, the former plays much wider so harder for nug to get too...and the latter loves to run from deep up the middle more than on the fringe...we're a different team in both style and just skill level
Fakatva is running though, and doing it effectively.
I was going to make the case that he could do this because he's a bigger and faster unit, but all the preliminary data that google throws up suggests that while Fakatava is 3 inches taller than Smith, he's 3kgs lighter at 80kgs!!!
FFS.
Skinny little Fakatava!!!
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If the Highlanders had more talent and leadership we would be in a position to have Aaron off the bench, closing out games. It is just at the moment he simply has to be there running the cutter.
The club is in a pretty sad state at the moment.
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@Kiwiwomble said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
@Machpants said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
@Kiwiwomble said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
@Machpants i honestly think its just as much we dont have the weapons to back him up if he does run...and he knows it, so he's playing "safer", feed someone for a small hit up and make sure he's there to feed the next one...and the next one. If he runs he risks getting isolated and possibly at the bottom of a ruck
OK that’s a fair point!
just to elaborate, if you go back to when we had guys like osbourne/naholo/fekitoa and smith....nug ran loads...loved the blind side snipe...but he had at least one of those guys on his shoulder....the closest we have now is TUJ or MMT, the former plays much wider so harder for nug to get too...and the latter loves to run from deep up the middle more than on the fringe...we're a different team in both style and just skill level
Fakatva is running though, and doing it effectively.
I was going to make the case that he could do this because he's a bigger and faster unit, but all the preliminary data that google throws up suggests that while Fakatava is 3 inches taller than Smith, he's 3kgs lighter at 80kgs!!!
FFS.
Skinny little Fakatava!!!
@Chris-B no argument the younger guy probably has a couple of extra yards of pace...but he also came on against a tiring and team almost certainly with a order to score tries because we were chasing the game
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@Chris-B no argument the younger guy probably has a couple of extra yards of pace...but he also came on against a tiring and team almost certainly with a order to score tries because we were chasing the game
@Kiwiwomble I guess my point is that (without having watched the Highlanders avidly) Fakatava is a guy who runs frequently and the team seems able to accommodate that. I'm guessing that's the case even when he's started.
TBH it wouldn't be the stupidest move for Tony Brown to roll the dice and start Fakatava against the Blues. Give them something different to contend with than what they expect.
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@Kiwiwomble I guess my point is that (without having watched the Highlanders avidly) Fakatava is a guy who runs frequently and the team seems able to accommodate that. I'm guessing that's the case even when he's started.
TBH it wouldn't be the stupidest move for Tony Brown to roll the dice and start Fakatava against the Blues. Give them something different to contend with than what they expect.
@Chris-B ive love to find out the fakatava and koroi had been training together all season and strated next week like world beaters...we can dream
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@Chris-B ive love to find out the fakatava and koroi had been training together all season and strated next week like world beaters...we can dream
@Kiwiwomble You guys are clearly not going to win if you play the same way you have for the last several weeks, so I'd be pretty inclined to start with that pairing - rather than Smith/Banks.
If Frizell is fit, he has to start. There's no point bringing him on when the Blues are 30 points ahead. Not sure who or what else you guys have in the cupboard?
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@Kiwiwomble You guys are clearly not going to win if you play the same way you have for the last several weeks, so I'd be pretty inclined to start with that pairing - rather than Smith/Banks.
If Frizell is fit, he has to start. There's no point bringing him on when the Blues are 30 points ahead. Not sure who or what else you guys have in the cupboard?
@Chris-B little argument from me....but wont happen...fakatava....MAYBE...but banks is nailed on baring injury
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
Jeez, Smith looks a pale shadow of his former self.
Couldn't disagree more.
His ability to hit a runner with a flick of the wrists and a bullet pass is unmatched. He plays the refs well, he's a lock for the RWC next year (gulp).
Fakatava looked good, but brought something different against a tiring side. Don't be sucked in, it's the 2007 Byron Kelleher argument all over again
@nzzp Agreed about the ability to find the player and he is still NZ's No.1 (no argument there) but I don't think he tests defenses around the fringe anymore and teams can fan out on defense with this knowledge. At least he is getting a lot of practice behind a pack that isn't dominant. He might need that if the ABs don't change things up.
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That fullback for the Rebels, Nick Jooste, played a very good game. Runs hard, has size, covers the ground well and has good timing coming into the line.
@ACT-Crusader said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
That fullback for the Rebels, Nick Jooste, played a very good game. Runs hard, has size, covers the ground well and has good timing coming into the line.
Everything Hodge isn't.
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@nzzp dont forget that runner if often 15-20m away and not the obvious target
@Bones said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
Yuuuuck. Kept in it by shining moments from Harmon, MMT, Fakatava, TUJ.
Paea with his best game though eh, he did one slightly positive thing. Smith with his worst.
yeah, those guys really do stand out above the rest
I have to say I kind of like the mongrel Dickson has developed this year...taken it too far a few times but also put in load of really dominant tackles as well as a safe lineout option
im not going to bag our makeshift outside backs or even someone like koroi for missing that conversion, theyve all either just recently joined the team of been right on the outer...and then we expect them to come in and win it? if browny called me today and asked me to play im 100% turning up....not going to say "nah mate...not sure im good enough"
I do wonder what the deal is with Vahaakolo though, plays with lots of these guys for otago and obviously played earlier in the season..but now we bring in van Vugt, i think its weird we can bring in replacements when we have unused outside backs in our original squad, we should not be able to have someone like Tikoisolomone in the original squad and then just say...hes not ready we'll have someone else thanks
@Kiwiwomble said in Rebels vs Highlanders:
if browny called me today and asked me to play im 10% turning up
You don't do things by halves eh
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Fakatava is a better runner than Smith and doesn't have the same distribution skills. I imagine that's why he runs more.
If Smith is going to change his style at the moment to accommodate the odd snipe then the ability to pick out a runner anywhere in traffic will take a hit. Can't be looking both ways eh.
