Trial Game 1 v Knights

[TheRev]

It seems to be a (n understandable) failing in Sloan and has held him back.

100%, I dont blame sloan or dufty at all, every sane human would do everything in their power to avoid that incoming car crash, we evolved with self-preservation for a reason.

But that's the game at this level.. The most elite of the elite and they're all mad... Even the lightweights don't mind a bit of contact or putting a hit on.. Even if their primary role in the team is to not get tackled when they run.. The key for me is a footballer can have hands on him but he will keep pumping the legs.. Sloan and dufty go down like a sack of spuds, it's not something you can retrain.. Its instinct and we *really* tried with both of them.

 

[jodragon40]

100%, I dont blame sloan or dufty at all, every sane human would do everything in their power to avoid that incoming car crash, we evolved with self-preservation for a reason.

But that's the game at this level.. The most elite of the elite and they're all mad... Even the lightweights don't mind a bit of contact or putting a hit on.. Even if their primary role in the team is to not get tackled when they run.. The key for me is a footballer can have hands on him but he will keep pumping the legs.. Sloan and dufty go down like a sack of spuds, it's not something you can retrain.. Its instinct and we *really* tried with both of them.

In 1sts you just have to put your body on the line. You can hide for short periods but you will get found out.

Speed, agility and evasiveness will also get you so far but eventually you are going to be in a 1 on 1 position and you just have to hold your own.

Sloan is slightly built , tall and has undoubtedly got talent but he has failed to learn how to lower his centre of gravity especially with ball in hand and just gets picked up and thrown/forced back.

You can try to physically fix these issues but unless you fix the mindset of a player it really won't matter. They will continue to play the same way.

What a wasted talent but kudos to him for pulling on a 1st grade jersey for the big red v, nobody can take that away from him.

 

[Justadragon]

100%, I dont blame sloan or dufty at all, every sane human would do everything in their power to avoid that incoming car crash, we evolved with self-preservation for a reason.

But that's the game at this level.. The most elite of the elite and they're all mad... Even the lightweights don't mind a bit of contact or putting a hit on.. Even if their primary role in the team is to not get tackled when they run.. The key for me is a footballer can have hands on him but he will keep pumping the legs.. Sloan and dufty go down like a sack of spuds, it's not something you can retrain.. Its instinct and we *really* tried with both of them.

Agree Rev, but the most disappointing thing for me was seeing the both of them get out of the way of an opposing player. Dufty used to mask it by going for the intercept all the time, Sloan just doesn't make the tackle.

 

[Dragon David]

I agree, Dave. With Sloan, every year I’m hoping he comes back stronger physically and mentally. I read somewhere that he’d been doing some boxing work, which might help him. Either way, he’ll need to make a significant step forward this season, or it will likely be his last in Dragons colours.

Sloan appears to have muscled up a fair bit during this pre-season, like several others have and so I hope that this will give him more confidence in making effective tackles and runs harder in attack to make it more difficult for the opposition to bring him down. He also needs to take the high kicks better and with more confidence. It is good that Flanno has made him the fullback in the first trial and I hope he does well.

 

[Kim]

100%, I dont blame sloan or dufty at all, every sane human would do everything in their power to avoid that incoming car crash, we evolved with self-preservation for a reason.

But that's the game at this level.. The most elite of the elite and they're all mad... Even the lightweights don't mind a bit of contact or putting a hit on.. Even if their primary role in the team is to not get tackled when they run.. The key for me is a footballer can have hands on him but he will keep pumping the legs.. Sloan and dufty go down like a sack of spuds, it's not something you can retrain.. Its instinct and we *really* tried with both of them.

Luke Keary is the guy in recent years who has amazed me. If you see him with his shirt off, he looks like a schoolkid waiting to be bullied. Plenty of guts there.

 

[Kim]

Sloan appears to have muscled up a fair bit during this pre-season, like several others have and so I hope that this will give him more confidence in making effective tackles and runs harder in attack to make it more difficult for the opposition to bring him down. He also needs to take the high kicks better and with more confidence. It is good that Flanno has made him the fullback in the first trial and I hope he does well.

I think that Sloan was never taught how to tackle. In cover defense or any kind of lateral moving defense, his speed should allow him to get close to the target, get hands, chest or shoulder contact and bring him down. He doesn't have to leave the ground or do anything dangerous. Oh well.

 

[Justadragon]

I think that Sloan was never taught how to tackle. In cover defense or any kind of lateral moving defense, his speed should allow him to get close to the target, get hands, chest or shoulder contact and bring him down. He doesn't have to leave the ground or do anything dangerous. Oh well.

He had one of the best tacklers in the NRL there at the club for years, he could have asked for help or had extra training.

 

[TheRev]

Sloan looks huge in the training videos/images... not huge legs but really size is not the reason for his issues.

I think this is the first pre-season he has stayed fit in also, he bulked up the last 2 years and then did lower leg injuries immediately after (think it was his foot last year).. but maybe they got it right this year.. in any case he will get plenty of opportunity this weekend, he might get 80mins.. these are his chances to prove himself... maybe TPH is the replacement fullback if he goes off.

 

[George Sancti]

Sloan appears to have muscled up a fair bit during this pre-season, like several others have and so I hope that this will give him more confidence in making effective tackles and runs harder in attack to make it more difficult for the opposition to bring him down. He also needs to take the high kicks better and with more confidence. It is good that Flanno has made him the fullback in the first trial and I hope he does well.

I can’t remember a trial generating this much interest. Looking over the team list again, there’s something to watch in almost every player. I’m hoping the guys who’ve been around a while, like Sloan and Lawrie, surprise with big performances, and that the next wave of potential stars in Halangahu and Reed go even better than expected. And then there are the juniors I only know from the pathways threads on this forum. Bring on Saturday night

 

[Dragon David]

I can’t remember a trial generating this much interest. Looking over the team list again, there’s something to watch in almost every player. I’m hoping the guys who’ve been around a while, like Sloan and Lawrie, surprise with big performances, and that the next wave of potential stars in Halangahu and Reed go even better than expected. And then there are the juniors I only know from the pathways threads on this forum. Bring on Saturday night

Win, lose or draw - preferably win of course - if they can show great commitment together with strong determination for the full 80 minutes then I will be happy. They will be up against a more formidable team in that the Knights will field more "first grade" players so if our guys can score a couple of tries and defend well that will be good.

 

[Xuiz]

 

[RufusRex]

putting your hands on an opposition players shoulders and pushing down like you want a blow job is not an effective tackling technique for a 1st grade football player.

 

[Mailroomsgi]

This upcoming trial is the perfect mix of established first graders and young guns

Will be a good gauge of where the likes of Reed/Halangahu/LKT are at who are set to start the match

2nd half will more than likely be just u21’s

Particularly keen to see Heidke/Loko/Cyrus/Buchanan with another preseason under the belt and developing some ‘man strength’

Have watched enough of Heidke to think he’s seriously underrated. If he can overcome the nagging injuries he gives me the same vibes as Euan Aitken when he burst onto the scene for us

Powerful and a mean fend + surprisingly good in the air

 

[RufusRex]

come on mailroom - Heidke has a small clue when it comes to setting up a winger and passing so that immediately puts him above Aitken

 

[Ryan]

View attachment 912

At first thought it might have been that new halfback O'Neill.

 

[Kim]

putting your hands on an opposition players shoulders and pushing down like you want a blow job is not an effective tackling technique for a 1st grade football player.

More importantly, is it even the best way to get a bj?

 

[TheRev]

Have watched enough of Heidke to think he’s seriously underrated. If he can overcome the nagging injuries he gives me the same vibes as Euan Aitken when he burst onto the scene for us

come on mailroom - Heidke has a small clue when it comes to setting up a winger and passing so that immediately puts him above Aitken

I've been asked a few times to describe Heidke to fans on the other forum, and have used Aitken as a reference also.. not the Aitken we remember in his later years (or today), but the one as Mailroom mentions in his first 12 months.. where he was still agile and dangerous.. iirc he was also ~19yrs old and instantly handled the NRL level, been a while but maybe he ran 200m on debut or soon after... it was in the years that followed that we beefcaked his training.. and slowed him right up (wasnt the only player to cop that treatment.. Dugan another that lost all his speed through training).,.. the lack of passing well I dunno what happened there.

But Charlie reminds me a lot of Euan at the same early age, only his skill level is far beyond what Aitken could do.. he is a NSW centre every day of the week if his trajectory continues.. absolute right side specialist.. runs straight lines and cuts holes through defensive lines like noone ive seen tbh... which is just his footy IQ.. he obviously reads the game very very well.. has enough pace/acceleration, just enough size... and can mark a ball in the air in attack and defence.. meaning he can cover wing also (but would be wasted there).

However.. Euan's superpower was his durability/toughness.. you can have all the skill in the world (think kyle stanley) but if your body keeps letting you down you will never make it in the NRL, and Charlie has had 2 serious injuries in 2 years.. think he got half of this pre-season.. take away those injuries and 100% he is in 1st grade or opposition clubs would be beating down the door.. already stepped up into NSW Cup and instantly handled it no dramas.. will be dissapointed if he has to drop back to Flegg to accomodate a Feagai or a Fale.. even Buchanan.. but understand Buchanan is a dev player... Buchanan stayed healthy while Heidke didnt.. they are in the same age bracket..

Anyway have my fingers crossed.. only injuries will hold him out.

 

[TheRev]

View attachment 912

look... im not a massive lawrie man, but that is pretty bluddy haWt.

 

[Frank Facer]

100%, I dont blame sloan or dufty at all, every sane human would do everything in their power to avoid that incoming car crash, we evolved with self-preservation for a reason.

But that's the game at this level.. The most elite of the elite and they're all mad... Even the lightweights don't mind a bit of contact or putting a hit on.. Even if their primary role in the team is to not get tackled when they run.. The key for me is a footballer can have hands on him but he will keep pumping the legs.. Sloan and dufty go down like a sack of spuds, it's not something you can retrain.. Its instinct and we *really* tried with both of them.

I do blame Slone and Dufty for not being able to tackle. When I was playing under 12's, we did tackling drills, with our best and biggest and fastest player running at us. The one who most other teams had trouble tackling. I was playing twice a week, once for my club and once for the school. By the end of the year, I could tackle pretty much anyone, because I had learnt the correct technique. Then I didn't play for 2 years and my first game back, I went to tackle a rep player and my timing and technique was all out and I was made to look stupid, but again, that year playing for the school and a third of a year for my club team, who folded, I got my tackling technique back in order.

In year 11 or 12 I was playing fullback, the same position as Slone and Dufty. I was only skinny. A player from the team who beat us in the grand final, who was probably their best player, big and fast made a break and decided he was going to run straight over the top of me. I lined him up and tried to hit him as hard as I could with my shoulder. The collision was that big that I literally saw stars. I thought it was only something in the cartoons. But I think I did stop him. lol My technique probably wasn't right for my slim build, I probably should have tried to have taken him down with his momentum. But I never considered trying to avoid tackling him.

In year 9 I played against Colin Saukuru, who was in year 8 at the time. The one who played for us in the 90's. I remember attempting to tackle him and literally bouncing off his thigh, like a ten pin.

Tackling is half the game. Good players should have learnt to tackle very early. There is no place for players who are scared to tackle, especially playing first grade.

ps, I didn't even rate myself. In year 12 I made the district team, but didn't even bother going to try out for the region team, as I didn't think I was good enough.

 

[Frank Facer]

I've been asked a few times to describe Heidke to fans on the other forum, and have used Aitken as a reference also.. not the Aitken we remember in his later years (or today), but the one as Mailroom mentions in his first 12 months.. where he was still agile and dangerous.. iirc he was also ~19yrs old and instantly handled the NRL level, been a while but maybe he ran 200m on debut or soon after... it was in the years that followed that we beefcaked his training.. and slowed him right up (wasnt the only player to cop that treatment.. Dugan another that lost all his speed through training).,.. the lack of passing well I dunno what happened there.

But Charlie reminds me a lot of Euan at the same early age, only his skill level is far beyond what Aitken could do.. he is a NSW centre every day of the week if his trajectory continues.. absolute right side specialist.. runs straight lines and cuts holes through defensive lines like noone ive seen tbh... which is just his footy IQ.. he obviously reads the game very very well.. has enough pace/acceleration, just enough size... and can mark a ball in the air in attack and defence.. meaning he can cover wing also (but would be wasted there).

However.. Euan's superpower was his durability/toughness.. you can have all the skill in the world (think kyle stanley) but if your body keeps letting you down you will never make it in the NRL, and Charlie has had 2 serious injuries in 2 years.. think he got half of this pre-season.. take away those injuries and 100% he is in 1st grade or opposition clubs would be beating down the door.. already stepped up into NSW Cup and instantly handled it no dramas.. will be dissapointed if he has to drop back to Flegg to accomodate a Feagai or a Fale.. even Buchanan.. but understand Buchanan is a dev player... Buchanan stayed healthy while Heidke didnt.. they are in the same age bracket..

Anyway have my fingers crossed.. only injuries will hold him out.

To my knowledge, Aitken was a lock, who McGregor turned into a centre. He didn't want to pass the ball. He was probably used to hogging it and scoring in the juniors and being a star in those teams. When he made first grade, his flaw was that he didn't pass the ball. Nightingale was playing outside him and was completely starved of any good ball and hardly scored any tries playing outside Aitken. If he did, it was probably when Aitken was cut out and the ball went to Nightingale. I remember saying Nightingale couldn't buy a meat pie playing outside of Aitken. He was however a good defender and had the toughness to play NRL. He is now pretty much a secondrower, the position, I said he was probably best suited to in his first or second season. In 2018, I made a thread on a rugby league forum, while we were leading the comp and said I would have dropped Aitken to the bench to be a utility who could cover centre or secondrow. Here is a copy and paste from that thread

I can only recall Aitken passing the ball to Nightingale once this whole year, including trials. Frizell very rarely passes the ball out either, so our right side has no flow in attack. I did say that Aitken has been playing very good football this year and it probably wouldn't be fair to drop him to the bench. But I also believe that it is unfair for a winger to play outside of Aitken, because he won't get any ball.

For anyone who doesn't know. Meat Pie is another term for try in rugby league.