Will we see a re-think during the off-season with regards to how we defend? Our sliding defence is awful and any team with the ability to get it wide quickly score tries for fun against us. Pre-season is the perfect time to address any major flaws in the structure of the team. Hopefully Webster can have some input at the right stage in our preperation and we will see some improvement. If Agar wants to remain as coach then he has to be able to learn from his mistakes and fix the structure issues. He certainly won't get as much leway next season as it was easy to improve on 12th. After a season of being one game away from finishing 4th with "our halfbacks missing most of the season" we should be expecting a top 4 challenge again and even better if we get our half backs on the field more often.

Depends whether he decides to go with a prop at 13 for me. 2 options re defensive structure. Condense in the middle and slide out wide like we play or condense less and not have to slide as much. We 3 props on the field down the middle we are less mobile so need to condense more to cover the ground and muscle up.

I guess it's about compromise. Do we want the gaps down the middle or out wide?

He's had 3 seasons to implement' Defensive structures' and failed miserably.

Defensive line speed is the key for me. A faster line speed helps nullify wide attacking threat at source. A number of teams we have played this year have been faster than us (including as recently as last Saturday) and shown what can be achieved with good fitness and attitude in defence. We have done it in some games and not others. We have done it in part games but rarely for the requisite 80 minutes. More often than not some players (Fitz/O Meley for example) reach the necessary standard week in week out whereas others don't and effectively let the side down as all players must be doing it in order for it to be effective.

This fitness and attitude deficiency can also be seen in our attacking play as it's a requirement for dummy running/pushing through the line and supporting ball carriers. IMO Agar should be able to improve the fitness and attitude of the whole team and if he doesn't next year we wont progress further and someone else should be brought in who can.

I think our whole defensive thought process needs to change, Our technique needs to improve in terms of being more agressive and winning the collisions more, slowing up the tackle. Plus we need greater line speed aswell as a different mentality in terms of how we defend.

I believe we will go with a ballplaying 13 next season which will be either Whiting or Washy. I would go with Whiting as Washy will probably cover the hooking role with Berro in the centres. That would see Fitz lay in the backrow and Manu off the bench with Lauaki maybe moving up to prop. The good thing is we have a number of options in the pack.

It seemed to improve in the last few games IMO when Berro went out to the centres. Might just be poor defensive players failing to execute the game plan?

Attitude , fitness , aggression and technique have all been lacking for part or whole games. During those times we get onto the backfoot and lose every collision , last week was an example , and consequently never look like posing a threat ourselves. Poor rotation has also seen us have tired players on the pitch at vital times , reacting to the tiredness after a mistake rather than pre empting it.

The major problem with our structure on the edges is that nobody seems to trust anybody to make their tackle as our centres always seem to push in on a player who should be the halves responsibility and leaves the opposition with a simple 2 on 1 with our winger.

Couldn't agree more!

No it won't

Sorry Robbo but pre-season is not the time to sort out major flaws, when major flaws are noticed they should be sorted out straight away. Well that is what i would expect at least.