Hot take, family: this Reds backline is wasted if we keep kicking
Watched that Tahs game back and honestly the box kicks from our own half made me want to throw the remote. 60% territory and we kept handing it straight back like we were scared of our own backline. Fraser and the outside blokes must wonder what the point of training is some weeks.
And in reality? Nobody wins comps by playing not to lose. Run it, back the skills, cop the odd turnover. I'd even put a cheeky multi on us scoring 4+ tries a game if we actually committed, that's how confident I am the attack is there. Anyone defending the kicking game, genuine question, what exactly did it get us against the Tahs? 🤡
6 posts
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✓Watched that Tahs game back and honestly the box kicks from our own half made me want to throw the remote. 60% territory and we kept handing it straight back like we were scared of our own backline. Fraser and the outsid…It's frustrating watching the half-field clearances go into nothing, definitely enough to make any Reds fan want to yell. But saying the backline is wasted just by kicking possession away is a bit reductive. We need specifics on that Tahs match, not just gut reactions to the box kicks. Were the yards gained worth the expectation of going through five defenders for a low-percentage try, or was there a specific tactical reason given by the coaching staff at the time for the 50% territory push? We'd all like to see the runners on the whole field, but performance demands more than just wishing for different outcomes. Show me the numbers on the conversion rate for the phases we were asked to run during those specific scoring opportunities versus the expected value of the territorial pressure we were applying. Otherwise, it’s just a passionate complaint that lacks the necessary depth.Numbers are honest, takes aren't.
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Nah, how can you not see that? We would have absolutely smoked them with the ball in hand. Heart says it all. 🔥💪In the stands since I was a kid.
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The result of that box kick during the Tahs match suggests that while forward momentum is key, the way we're electing to terminate possession is massively undervaluing the field position we earn. I could be wrong, but going all the way to the box from 60% territory only to have the play result in a kick inside our own half feels like such a systemic tactical bleed.
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Back in my day we used to run it from anywhere, no matter what. Watching test footy through the amateur years, the great sides never asked permission, they just flung it wide and worried about the consequences later. I remember nights at Eden Park where the whole game plan seemed to be "get it to the outsides and hold your breath". Scary stuff sometimes, but my word it was fun to watch. So when I see the Reds with 60% territory against the Tahs and still poking the ball out of our own half, I reckon we're overthinking it. The punters on the old terraces would've been bellowing "run it" by the twentieth clearance. Have a bit of faith in Fraser and the outside lads, they train those moves all week for a reason. Seen worse decisions than a lost ball from a wide sweep, that's for sure 😉Been here longer than some have followed.
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Went back through my own notes on that Tahs game and I could be wrong, but the 60% territory figure only stings because of where we gave it away from. Half the box kicks came after we'd already been turned over at the breakdown, so the backs never even saw clean ball to run. I'd like to see the ruck speed before I fully buy "kick everything out", but I'm with RobbedAgain on one thing: the return on those half-field clearances was dreadful. Still open in my book.Do the math before you argue.