OTY

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Soggypitch
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OTY

Post by Soggypitch »

Was my favourite player for a couple of seasons, I was not happy when he was ignored by EJ last season, would have always had Tom over Dylan and LCD.

But this season he has completely lost his mojo.

Poor captaincy, relatively inconspicuous around the park, inaccurate throwing and a scrum under pressure more often than not (I know that's not all OTY's fault!).

Now nobody I know would put him in the reckoning for England, in fact there's a strong argument to say he should be third choice hooker for Tigers.

What's happened? Did the rot set into his confidence when initially rejected by EJ? I don't know but I'm sad to see him in such poor form, because he's a good man and a true Tiger. Four years ago he was a Lion in Australia.....says it all really.

I just hope he can get through this really bad patch and find his form/confidence again!
Soggypitch
Mark62
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Re: OTY

Post by Mark62 »

Apparently he has had a lot of personal issues, which are nobody's concern other than his.

I think he has felt the departure of Cockers keener than most, although his form dipped before this.
He struggles with the off load game, still runs head down into contact, and you have to question if this back problem is causing issues with his scrummaging.

Wouldn't surprise me at all if he retired to the farm at the end of the season
RagingBull
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Re: OTY

Post by RagingBull »

Not wanting to say too much about this but from what I have heard he has been through a really really tough time off the pitch recently.

Yeh I do wonder if he might do a julien soon.
fentiger
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Re: OTY

Post by fentiger »

Personal issues aside, I think the back problem has affected him quite badly physically. He now runs in an even more pronounced semi-crouch than he used to.
Spicer
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Re: OTY

Post by Spicer »

I feel bad for whatever personal baggage he's carrying, but if it wasn't for the captaincy around his arm he would already be third choice.
TigerCam
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Re: OTY

Post by TigerCam »

The lad is a 'shadow' of his former self. He was poor last night in all aspects but not alone. Too many schoolboy errors from the forwards, running into defenders instead of between them, slow to provide support on the break etc etc............................ :smt010
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Noddy555
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Re: OTY

Post by Noddy555 »

I've said since October That OTY has lost it and needs a break, most certainly from the captaincy and probably from Rugby altogether.
WiggoTiger
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Re: OTY

Post by WiggoTiger »

Sadly agree with the posts, but his personal issues would affect everyone in society and possibly the Tigers should have supported him more by taking the captaincy off him and give it to Barrow who was always 'talking' the ref at Quins last week.
Agree with throwing in, been poor all season...... Too much confusion, stick to 2 or 4 jump much easier.
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Mark62
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Re: OTY

Post by Mark62 »

WiggoTiger wrote:Sadly agree with the posts, but his personal issues would affect everyone in society and possibly the Tigers should have supported him more by taking the captaincy off him and give it to Barrow who was always 'talking' the ref at Quins last week.
Agree with throwing in, been poor all season...... Too much confusion, stick to 2 or 4 jump much easier.
As I say I have no wish to learn of his personal issues, but it maybe that looking at the bigger picture the club have been advised it would be detrimental to take the captaincy from him
ABClub
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Re: OTY

Post by ABClub »

WiggoTiger wrote:Sadly agree with the posts, but his personal issues would affect everyone in society and possibly the Tigers should have supported him more by taking the captaincy off him and give it to Barrow who was always 'talking' the ref at Quins last week.
Agree with throwing in, been poor all season...... Too much confusion, stick to 2 or 4 jump much easier.
Talking purely about the line-out, the game has moved beyond a front and middle jumper.

Counter jumping has improved out of sight since 2003 beginning with the Matfield led Springboks model of man marking opposition jumpers. No longer do defending sides just 'throw someone up at 2' to put pressure on jumpers and throwers. Line-outs are now studied, players marked and teams will match their best jumpers with their strongest lifters to disrupt attacking ball - Tigers are very good at this when Kitch and Slater can pair up in that manner.

Throwing to 2 is often a death wish for an attacking maul these days as well. Defending packs are now much better at forcing mauls formed at the front of the line-out towards touch. A maul that close to the touchline also only has room to 'roll' in one direction rather than 2 if it needs to do so. Again that makes it easier to defend.

If you throw to the back half of the line-out a maul is easier to set-up and harder to defend. Going off the top to your 9 from further back also gives more options for the backline as the 10 can stand wider and the ball can be moved faster.

Even if a maul is just being set to allow a clearing kick then throwing to the back end of the line gives your 9 or 10 a better angle to clear from.

OTY is a fantastic player on form and I hope he remains at the club and rediscovers that form. Even so, if our starting hooker is struggling with throwing in to the extent that we can only use a 2 or 4 jump then changes are needed for the time being.
grobyman
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Re: OTY

Post by grobyman »

Mark62 wrote:
WiggoTiger wrote:Sadly agree with the posts, but his personal issues would affect everyone in society and possibly the Tigers should have supported him more by taking the captaincy off him and give it to Barrow who was always 'talking' the ref at Quins last week.
Agree with throwing in, been poor all season...... Too much confusion, stick to 2 or 4 jump much easier.
As I say I have no wish to learn of his personal issues, but it maybe that looking at the bigger picture the club have been advised it would be detrimental to take the captaincy from him

Ditto re personal issues, but no one person is bigger than the team, he should have time away from the game.

He looks like he is trying too hard, getting frustrated and skills are suffering. Leadership on the pitch is significantly lacking, he tests the patience of referees. He should have a break from the game (possibly enforced), rediscover his mojo, three years ago he was phenomenal, clear England number one, Lions tour, father for the first time, it was all good. Now he appears a shadow of that man. Also he has started to become more injury prone, recently with his back, that is really not good in the front row.
Iain
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Re: OTY

Post by Iain »

He looks like he needs to give the captaincy up at the minute - he doesn't seem himself. Thing is though - who to?
TigerCam
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Re: OTY

Post by TigerCam »

Iain wrote:He looks like he needs to give the captaincy up at the minute - he doesn't seem himself. Thing is though - who to?
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MurphysLaw
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Re: OTY

Post by MurphysLaw »

[quote="TigerCam"][quote="Iain"]He looks like he needs to give the captaincy up at the minute - he doesn't seem himself. Thing is though - who to?[/quote]

Genge[/quote]

Barrow.

Back to the lineout point - Tom Young's throw to the front of the lineout just after Exe had lost their lineout captain to the bin was almost criminal.
Just another example of a bad decision being made on the hoof.
Mind you, the lineout has not been great all season, and given the coach is a former lock, don't you have to question why it is so?
KevinR
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Re: OTY

Post by KevinR »

Some perceptive line-out comments above: in the same vein, I have no idea why we didn't, at any time, man-mark Parling, despite almost every ball going to him and Chiefs having few other good options. Surely, we could have tried the tactic of Croft following him everywhere? On most occasions, he seemed to take the ball more or less unopposed.
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