OK - lots of you have ideas about what's wrong with our (Wire) game this year (and all previous years!).

So - tackle technique.
What's the right way / what are the right ways?
I've never really played the game and just picked up things from other people and matches Ive seen.

First man - initial contact and wrap the ball up.
Second man - control the ruck / stop forward progression
Third man - wrap the legs

Hopefully some of you experienced guys / coaches (including Walter) will give us an insight.

We seem to struggle to wrap the ball up and stop the offload

Powell said he was surprised at how we prioritised leg tackles under price, which lead to lots of quick ptbs and teams rolling us down the middle

Well it's good to see how he's improved that aspect of our play.......oh, wait, my mistake, it's got worse!!!

Cronulla have the 3rd best defence in NRL now. Maybe Powell shouldn’t criticise.

But he will criticise, that's what he's good at - criticising and blaming.

His analysis of last night is once again 'we're weak and it just keeps happening' - yes Daryl it does - have you any answers? It's happening because of you and your woeful coaching and nothing else.

The logic behind the lower tackle was introduced by Smith actually, hitting under the ball and driving through the tackle, essentially to arrest the momentum or at worst cling on for a passive tackle. The upwards drive should then allow time for second man to hold the ball then third to ‘chop’, not as low as some clubs, but the legs.

Can’t see any significant style currently, but would be surprised if it was being coached much different

Whatever happened to the one man round the legs bringing a player down? So much better to watch than the all in wrestling we have now.

The pace of that tackle just makes it impossible to retreat the 10 and get back up to generate line speed. Coaches identify legs defenders and try to isolate them to create ruck speed, Joe Westerman is one of them, as was McMeeken until recently.

So ,the trade mark fast pace of the greatest game on earth is being influenced & sacrificed by gang tackles to stifle attacking flair?

No wonder Rugby Union is overtaking our game.

Only what is acceptable within the laws of the game. I remember being coached in the early 90’s to count to 4 on top of a tackled player. Players these days as just better at it, keeping the player in the air for longer before that 4-count begins.

If you want to change it, need to find a way of finding a one on one, look at Salford, they throw lots of shape at teams, lots of people to defend. Really difficult to gang tackle.

Yes this annoys me too. He doesn't own it does he. He talks about the team as if the performance is from an 'act of god' rather than the summation of his selections, training and tactics.

He inherited a team that was, perhaps, limited but could at least tackle.

It will be exactly the same next season.

Thanks BW.
Interesting and informative explanation.

Allan Bateman was probably one of - if not the - best one on one defenders I've seen in a Wire shirt. The game was less structured then. I still think he'd cut it today.

It's not overtaking it's well past. Watch their club game now with the bonus points, their ball handling, attacking intent, scramble defence is miles ahead of league at the minute.

It pains me to accept that, it really does, but I think the losing bonus point and 4 tries bonus point (probably better with 6 in league) would improve our game massively. Losing teams can still get a couple of points so try until the end and as a minimum want to try to score 4 tries a match. I reckon if we had the same points structure the game would improve as a spectacle and the handling skills would sharpen up too.