bondiblue wrote:
Teddy Hopkins wrote:
All these different teams being thrown around look good on paper.
But they all have a problem. PACE.
If a kick does not hit its target and we are not the greatest kicking side ..,. oh, oh.
The quickest teams suffer from bad kicking. The trick is to minimise the turnovers.
We have improved our field kicking, but agree we can improve that even more.
I think we have a bit of pace teddy. Pittonet is our only statue imo, and Weitering is too heavy to sprint. Otherwise I think our talls are quick for their size.
There's only a few with express speed in the whole competition.
Its quick ball movement that's key, and the thing that made us look great in the midfield last year was our ability to take the tackle, free the arms and give it off. Running to the right spots was key.
Saad Williams and Docherty are quick. Docherty in the middle in the last 2 rounds was a revelation with his take off speed. Boyd is quick. Durdin is quick.
Ball movement and spread improved till injury hit us and we started bombing it instead of linking. That's where the improvement can come from in 2023.
We are not slow, and that's why we were so entertaining to watch in the first half, and in the last 2 rounds our one quarters bursts. Just have to do it for longer.
Usually agree with you bondi but not this post.
If our kicking was elite which it isn't it may be another matter. If it goes up a notch next season, another matter.
Of the players you mention, Williams, Saad and Boyd have express speed. Williams and Boyd were injured most of the year leaving Saad.
Durdin is quick but at this stage of his development cannot get the ball enough.
Docherty can run but real speed? Don't think so.
Another mid in the draft and apart from the ability to go when its his turn, the non negotiable is speed. I may as well throw in the ability to kick.