Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 07, 2021 7:56 am  

Up until around August, Wane's rugby was a tough watch but from August onwards we could, and usually did, beat anyone. He brought trophies.

I wouldn't say under Lam I have been any more 'entertained' but maybe that's because we're watching on tv. Then again, no games really stand out from 2019. We improved slightly once the Edwards news was resolved but I wouldn't say we were any better to watch.

The big difference between the two of course being trophies.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 07, 2021 8:15 am  

Egg Chasing wrote:

Up until around August, Wane's rugby was a tough watch but from August onwards we could, and usually did, beat anyone. He brought trophies.

I wouldn't say under Lam I have been any more 'entertained' but maybe that's because we're watching on tv. Then again, no games really stand out from 2019. We improved slightly once the Edwards news was resolved but I wouldn't say we were any better to watch.

The big difference between the two of course being trophies.

That pretty much summed up my thoughts on Wane.

I'd also add in that he doesn't half talk some sh!te at times too. Even the comments yesterday about how he's "not like any other coach", or how he "needs to be in control" reminded me how much cr@p he chats.

I've said it a million times as well, but being entertained is massively subjective. What one person finds entraining, isn't the same as what someone else does.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 07, 2021 8:24 am  

sergeant pepper wrote:

I've said it a million times as well, but being entertained is massively subjective. What one person finds entraining, isn't the same as what someone else does.

True. And the end result is ultimately more important. I would take a dull season and a title win above a Cas 2017 or Saints 2018 each and every time.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 07, 2021 8:54 am  

Egg Chasing wrote:

True. And the end result is ultimately more important. I would take a dull season and a title win above a Cas 2017 or Saints 2018 each and every time.

The ideal scenario is entertainment and the steel to win finals matches.

I don’t think we are too far off that now.

That’s my opinion obviously as I agree entertainment is subjective, but personally I find our style of rugby under Lam much easier in the eye.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 07, 2021 9:03 am  

NSW wrote:

2016 - dream team winger despite missing the final games due to his knee injury. He was also on fire in 2015.

5 years ago then.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 07, 2021 9:16 am  

jonh wrote:

The ideal scenario is entertainment and the steel to win finals matches.

I don’t think we are too far off that now.

That’s my opinion obviously as I agree entertainment is subjective, but personally I find our style of rugby under Lam much easier in the eye.

Yeah I agree with that. I do worry that the most effective way to win rugby games might be a bit boring. We had both entertainment and won trophies under Maguire. I'd say every other coach we have had since I started watching in 2001 has only ticked one (or none) of those two boxes.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 07, 2021 9:22 am  

jonh wrote:

The ideal scenario is entertainment and the steel to win finals matches.

I don’t think we are too far off that now.

That’s my opinion obviously as I agree entertainment is subjective, but personally I find our style of rugby under Lam much easier in the eye.

I know we have a difference of opinion on Lam, but my main worry about the side is our ability to win finals.

I'll give him credit tho, our defence is better than it was under Wane & that's huge for getting us into finals.

I just don't think we're disciplined enough in attack. With that I mean, Lam seems to encourage guys like French and Hastings to play what's in front of them, or push it a little. I realise that produces entraining rugby, but I'd probably prefer us to be a little bit more conservative and traditional i.e build pressure, hunt mistakes in defence or force repeat sets. If you base your game off that and then scale up, you know that in close finals you can revert back to simple rugby and grind out a win.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 07, 2021 9:59 am  

sergeant pepper wrote:

I know we have a difference of opinion on Lam, but my main worry about the side is our ability to win finals.

I'll give him credit tho, our defence is better than it was under Wane & that's huge for getting us into finals.

I just don't think we're disciplined enough in attack. With that I mean, Lam seems to encourage guys like French and Hastings to play what's in front of them, or push it a little. I realise that produces entraining rugby, but I'd probably prefer us to be a little bit more conservative and traditional i.e build pressure, hunt mistakes in defence or force repeat sets. If you base your game off that and then scale up, you know that in close finals you can revert back to simple rugby and grind out a win.

Does that work when you have the weaker pack though, as we generally seem to? I think Lam is playing to our strengths, which are that we generally have a faster, fitter and more skilful side.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:04 am  

I don't think we currently play that much different to 'Shaun Wane' rugby. Our backs still bring us out of our own territory rather than the forwards. We still have meaningless Tommy kicks on the last that generally come to nothing. We still sub our forwards on the 20 minute, 60 minute marks, same as Wane did.

The only difference is we have an exciting Bevan French who can play off the cuff and Sam Powells game has improved under Lam.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:07 am  

jonh wrote:

I think falling crowds and a discontent about the style of rugby we played were significant contributors to his departure.

I’m sure there was more to it too though.

I seem to remember the press conference when Lam and Edwards were announced there were a few references to the new coaching set up and a more entertaining rugby philosophy.

Commercial reasons had to have come into it slightly.

Obviously it's not all on Wane as our marketing during Wane's era was mickey poor (imo) but in 2018 a meagre 11.5k (average) fans wanted to watch a title winning team. So a large portion of our fans obviously aren't entertained just by winning trophies.

Contrast that to 2012 when we had 16k average.

Tries scored in 2012 - 193 (6.9 per game)
Tries scored in 2018 - 119 (3.6 per game)