2019 Rabbitohs - Cyber View from the Hill

2019 - The Cyber View from the Hill

21st August 2019

Crash Out of the Top 4

Three straight loses have seen us drop out of the Top 4 for the first time since Round 1. In a worrying trend we are seeing players playing injured and struggling once again at the back end of the season. Last week was the first time since last years preliminary final that we have failed to score a try, with our forwards once again struggling to lay the platform. Not looking good as we head into the finals, with a Top 4 finish now looming unlikely unless we can reverse the trend.

Double Burgess blow

Another week and at the end of the game we have lost both Sam and Tom. Sam hurting his hamstring late in the game, while Tom went off with concussion and is being rested this week.

Higgins another try

A quiet achiver is our winger / fullback who continues to score tries, notching up 12th for the season. He is a goer who never stops.

Paulo bags a treble

In a disappointing U20s game, one shining light was Jaxon Paulo who used his size and power to dominate out wide. He was virtually unstoppable as he notched up 3 tries for the day.

What happened to the tackle rulebook

One thing that has become very evident is that since Annesley has taken over, we are no longer refereeing to the rulebook Here is a extract from the NRL intepretations of illegal wrestling activities in a tackle that should result in a penalty

Methods that impede the immediate release of the player in possession

a. Flop onto the player in possession who is grounded

b. Working the player in possession

c. Leg pulls

d. Leaving or placing the hands or arms on the ball or the arms of the player in possession once the tackle is complete

e. Spinning on the player in possession once the tackle is complete

f. Defenders ‘peeling off’ the player in possession^

g. Climbing over the player in possession once the tackle is complete

h. Crowding the player in possession once the tackle is complete using their knees, arms or body

i. Pulls the player in possession to the ground once the tackle is complete.

^In a tackle involving two or more defenders, after the tackle is complete, all defenders must release simultaneously.

As we head into the final coaches have now realised the NRL won't referee to the rulebook and are now doing ALL of the above to gain the advantage. While the 2018 crackdown had its desired effect, coaches then decided instruct players to milk penalties. Its clear we cannot allow the game to continue in its current direction and referees are going to be forced to act to takeback control.

Round 22 - Stat Attack

Statistically it was a poor game. Completion dropped to 72% from 87% last week. Errors dropped to 12 from 6 last week. We gave away 7 penalties from 5 last week. Souths Effective 1st tackle dropped to a poor level of 36.4m from 32.8m last week. Our missed tackles improved but still to a average level of 26 from 30 missed tackles last week. Opposition offloads were steady at 11 again this week.

Looking at our left side defence - Graham-Burns/Lowe-Walker-Lowe/Sutton (1-5-0-1) dropped to 7 from 5 missed tackles last week. On the right side Gagai-Roberts-Reynolds-Su'A/Britt (1-0-2-4) was improved to 7 from 12 missed tackles last week. Ruck defence SBurgess/Knight-Cook-TBurgess/Tatola-Murray/Britt (5-1-2-3) was dropped to 11 from 10 missed tackles last week.

Our go forward was steady at 1575m from 1599m last week. Tatola and Roberts made 10+m per run. Sam Burgess, Murray, Knight, Doueihi, Gagai and Roberts making 100+m in the match. Defensively Cook was our best in the tackling raking up 54 tackles. Sutton, Tatola, Walker and Roberts didn't miss a tackle.

Signing off for another week - the midweek Cyber View from the Hill