[PopTart]

O'Connor comments on TJ wing technique : Tue Feb 27, 2018 12:55 pm  

Anyone hear Terry O’Connor commenting on TJ’s try scoring technique in France?

Once you get past the obvious issue of a former prop commenting on the intricacies of modern wing play it made me think that he would have been right a few years ago but wing play has changed in the modern game.
TJ ran down the left wing holding the ball in in his right hand. This stops him handing a player off and also reduces his ability to pass inside…..which is the point O’Connor was trying to make, though explained in a pretty poor way.

Now, a winger like Tom, who is confident of making yards, is more bothered about scoring than passing. If he is to do the acrobatic dive for the line when he is being pushed out of play he needs the ball in the “field side” hand, so that he can put the ball down even when the rest of his body is all the way over the line, and crashing through the corner flag.

You could argue that Tom should have switched the ball nearer the line, but I reckon that makes for a weaker carry, and he was confident in his own speed so went for it.

Just shows how the modern game has changed…….and how some ‘tv experts’ need to catch up.

Re: O'Connor comments on TJ wing technique : Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:00 pm  

One of the things that made me laugh about this was how unsure O'Connor sounded when making this comment, it was so random

He really is the weakest member of the commentary team, I think just looking to fill some air time

Johnson knew what he was doing, I'd he'd have needed to swap hands I'm sure he would
Another class try

TJ for England!

Re: O'Connor comments on TJ wing technique : Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:20 pm  

Who would he have passed to! After 70 yards everyone would be way behind him - if he'd switched hands it would have slowed him marginally and (credit to him) Mead got pretty close to him as it was.

Like you say, he knew exactly what he was doing and did it perfectly.

Re: O'Connor comments on TJ wing technique : Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:24 pm  

Once TJ has an open field in front of him he isn't passing. Not many about who are going to catch him.

Re: O'Connor comments on TJ wing technique : Tue Feb 27, 2018 9:28 pm  

musson wrote:

One of the things that made me laugh about this was how unsure O'Connor sounded when making this comment, it was so random

He really is the weakest member of the commentary team, I think just looking to fill some air time

Johnson knew what he was doing, I'd he'd have needed to swap hands I'm sure he would
Another class try

TJ for England!

I think it was Wells who shot him down when he questioned whether the try would have been worth more had he done so - made me chuckle.

Have to say Wells is the best pundit by a mile, bright and articulate and fair if occasionally a little harsh.

Sadly he won't last because he doesn't fit the TV's ideas of the bumbling but amiable northerner.

Re: O'Connor comments on TJ wing technique : Wed Feb 28, 2018 10:56 am  

I don’t see the need for O’Connor to make the comment as it seemed he was just picking fault in what was a brilliant run from TJ. Would they have done the same had it been Ryan Hall, I doubt it.
However I do hope Chris Chester is looking at the footage and taking up these points with TJ as there is some merit in them. I just hope TJ makes a break at Wigan, puts the ball in the correct hand and fends Tomkins into next year... that will shut up the pundits.

Re: O'Connor comments on TJ wing technique : Wed Feb 28, 2018 2:06 pm  

I love watching TJ with ball in hand - he seems to have an instinctive ability to use his size, speed and agility to their best advantage, and I'm almost certain that a lot of that is neither trained or thought about - he's a natural athlete.

There is however no doubt that over time, with experience, he'll add things to his armoury that improve him as a player overall; they described him as SL's hottest property, and I tend to agree - he's already outstanding, whilst still being raw. The sky is very definitely the limit for TJ - so we enjoy him while we can.

Re: O'Connor comments on TJ wing technique : Wed Feb 28, 2018 2:12 pm  

4foxsake wrote:

I don’t see the need for O’Connor to make the comment as it seemed he was just picking fault in what was a brilliant run from TJ. Would they have done the same had it been Ryan Hall, I doubt it.
However I do hope Chris Chester is looking at the footage and taking up these points with TJ as there is some merit in them. I just hope TJ makes a break at Wigan, puts the ball in the correct hand and fends Tomkins into next year... that will shut up the pundits.

Would be great to see TJ do that to Tompkins.

Re: O'Connor comments on TJ wing technique : Wed Feb 28, 2018 2:15 pm  

Fair comment to be honest, however I didn't hear it so I don't know how it was put across. TJ is still developing, and maybe that's why it warranted a comment. However if that's all people have to moan about, I'm sure he'll have nothing to worry about

Re: O'Connor comments on TJ wing technique : Wed Feb 28, 2018 2:18 pm  

wakeytrin wrote:

Would be great to see TJ do that to Tompkins.

Your not allowed to touch referees.