Re: Scrum half : Tue Apr 17, 2018 11:53 am  

DaveO wrote:

It might restrict his freedom but given he's better at the job than Powell it becomes a debate about do you want him at 7 because he's a better half back or not? I think a lot would say Sam at 7 and Esacre at 1 is better than Powell at 7 and Sam at 1.

Yes, but even better IMO is Escare at #7 and Sam at #1. Forget the switcheroo and have TL and Powell as hookers, whoever starts and substitutes doesn’t really matter.

Re: Scrum half : Tue Apr 17, 2018 2:31 pm  

Last Son of Wigan wrote:

I think at there is honest confusion with how our team plays.

We seem to have the same structure as most but have subtle differences to other teams. At wigan we have:

-FB who's basically an old fashioned 6. They are a ball player and link as a second receiver off the half to feed the edge players SR, centre and winger. they operate on both side of the pitch and are arguably the most important attacker on the pitch
-a left half and right half. often first receivers they control opposite side of the attack and no longer play as a pair.
-a 13 who links the play, can be a first receiver who helps the passing between half backs
-a 9 who's job is quick distribution to the 6, 7, 13, not really to scoot.
-props who's job is to make quick yards, contact, find your feet and PTB as quick as possible not allowing the opposition to reset their line.


-Playing Sam as HB takes away his freedom and ability to use both flanks in attack.
-Lockers is massive, why? cos he links the play, tackles in the middle and can cart the ball in like a prop, basically, he can do it all.

I even think the positional names are mis-leading.

Easier to understand how we play with some name changes:

FB-Second pivot
wingers-wingers
centres-outside backs
-second row-edge players
half back-right half
stand off-left half
prop/13-middles
hooker-dummy half.

Personally, I know what changes I would like to make to our playing style, but currently when I discuss team selections, I go off the structure and tactics we implement.

I'd go along with that summary, but surely the point is it's by no means restricted to Wigan. Could you not argue that many (most?) SL and NRL sides adopt a similar policy, with split halves ands a full-back helping link the play. Of course, what the rest of them don't have is Lockers. On the other hand, many of them offer more variety from dummy-half than we do.

Re: Scrum half : Tue Apr 17, 2018 2:51 pm  

moto748 wrote:

I'd go along with that summary, but surely the point is it's by no means restricted to Wigan. Could you not argue that many (most?) SL and NRL sides adopt a similar policy, with split halves ands a full-back helping link the play. Of course, what the rest of them don't have is Lockers. On the other hand, many of them offer more variety from dummy-half than we do.

I'd say most follow the structure but operate differently.

For example we opt for our props to find their feet, quick play the ball then dummy half out with quick distribution to the halves. Other teams like a 9 who is given the opportunity to run, scoot from dummy half if they chose or even jump from dummy half into a first receiver position, then start the play from there.

Roby, Clark etc are allowed to scoot when they see fit, Rob Burrow was fantastic at quickly scooting, almost sideways into a first receiver position allowing for the whole attacking line to move on one, subtle differences can be the difference in starting the play.

Other teams like their props to 'hit and spin' looking for the offload, others allow their props to push for yardage after contact, there's pros and cons to the subtle differences in how you employ tactics.

Others chose to use the 13 as a straight up 3rd prop, this nulls a ball playing link like Lockers, but does allow for the starting props to remain in the pitch for longer, as the drives, workload is split by 3 not 2 props.

There's so much to it, the structure is merely the foundations.

But playing Sam anywhere other than FB? crazy.