Groundhog Day

Strangely, our tackle success rate was pretty good, compared to other teams and Broncos efforts last year (out of 371, we missed 26, so a success rate of around 93%).

Alex Foster did well...made 42 tackles and missed none (Cook made 42 also).

Think our main problems lie elsewhere.

(Probably Gus, before anyone else says it!)

It seems our main problem was defending inside our own 20m then. I'm sure TR can fix that.

No sign of it last season.

Thanks Stato, I stand corrected...........just did not come across that way in the highlights.

I think the thing with the stats is that they will show that we were making the tackle most of the time and especially on the first five plays.

The highlights will make us look terrible rather than just terrible on the sixth tackle that is for sure.

The reality of the game is that we were losing the collision and that we were kind of desperately hanging on to a more powerful player so technically making the tackle but then either allowing a quick play the ball or conceding a penalty.

The stats will show also that we were driving forward with the ball and completing our sets at a relatively high completion rate.

But they will not show that virtually all the plays were a simple one up pass from the ruck which led ultimately to guys running into three or bigger blokes and taking an age to play the ball. When we did get the ball a bit wider from the ruck the excellent Caton-Brown did real damage.

On the video, we did not look sharp, but that is what happens when you build a squad at Xmas!

He was unable to spot and correct defensive errors with international/SOO quality players last season, so i fail to see how he's going to magically remedy it this year with our current squad.

word to the wise....if you're going to keep on about they short time we had to assemble a squad, other posters will (and are perfectly entitled to) go on about the causes of that particular problem.

Has the coach changed ?

No, but he now has two experienced assistants.

UPDATE: He now has one experienced assistant.

Not sure I'd go that far but I agree we definitely need them both. Was impressed by Dollapi last season in particular

And the Stats' prove........?

That Stats' are meaningless when your being mangled by a better prepared, higher quality opponent!

It would be interesting to see the average metres made per set between the teams. Seems to be that Widnes are making way too much ground per play of the ball. That is all down to our size and perhaps us not slowing down widnes momentum on each tackle.

Watched the vid. Then read the stats on: www.superleague.co.uk/report/9908 What do you make of them? GF, you love a stat.

Watched the vid. Then read the stats on: www.superleague.co.uk/report/9908 What do you make of them? GF, you love a stat.