Wingers taking the first 2 drives : Sun Sep 05, 2021 8:15 pm  

This has really been annoying me for a while. I don't want to see Tom Halliday or Ollie Greensmith trying to make early yards when there are players far more capable of doing so. We have forwards for a reason. I've always been bemused by this. I realize the rationale is to spread the workload but wouldn't we rather have fully fresh backs more capable of scoring?

Re: Wingers taking the first 2 drives : Sun Sep 05, 2021 8:21 pm  

Think Oliver Greensmith's dad agrees with you Rob.

Re: Wingers taking the first 2 drives : Sun Sep 05, 2021 8:27 pm  

He's right Paul. Why not forwards taking early drives? I think we've followed superleague without having the same type of player

Re: Wingers taking the first 2 drives : Sun Sep 05, 2021 8:29 pm  

If Sam Doherty was available like to see Ollie in the forwards.

Re: Wingers taking the first 2 drives : Sun Sep 05, 2021 9:46 pm  

weighman wrote:

If Sam Doherty was available like to see Ollie in the forwards.

Yes I agree with that and so does his Dad Who maybe knows best

Re: Wingers taking the first 2 drives : Sun Sep 05, 2021 9:52 pm  

This has been a trend for years now. I remember Dean Colton being one of the first Dons' wingers used in this way.

I believe using wingers in this role does spread the workload better. I've never seen a winger look too knackered to do a forward run when getting the ball on the wing in an attacking position so I don't think it compromises their effectiveness. I'm sure this tactic helps save the energy of the middles for doing the hard tackling, which must be the most draining part of the game.

We played down the middle a lot today. I think we overdid it. We didn't move the ball wide enough, quickly enough which is why Olly and Bag of Bones Halliday didn't get the ball enough as attacking threats. I think it's our present style of attacking play that isn't utilising our wingers' strengths, not the fact they're driving the ball out of defence.

I must say that the tactic of running the ball towards the corner on the sixth tackle, rather than kicking into touch, when near the opponent's line is a really good move. Making teams drive it out from there is tough. It's much better than giving them a tap restart in the middle of the field. Coventry were lucky to get near the halfway line by the sixth tackle on many occasions and their sixth tackle kicks were mainly collected by us in open play 20 metres from our line, giving us an easy way out.

Re: Wingers taking the first 2 drives : Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:06 pm  

Rob Nash wrote:

He's right Paul. Why not forwards taking early drives? I think we've followed superleague without having the same type of player

Interesting comment that Rob, I recall an opposition coach from this year (who it was escapes me) saying that Doncaster play a SL style game rather the League 1 forward dominated game. I will leave it at that as to who is correct.

Re: Wingers taking the first 2 drives : Mon Sep 06, 2021 6:47 am  

I totally get why wingers/centres take early drives and the strategy behind it, it is to allow the forwards to be more effective closer to the oppositions line rather than in your own 20-30m area. My gripe is to also give the backs the ball in the oppositions half as well, when Ollie is the biggest meter maker, surely it would make sense to utilise that closer to the try line. Look at those first couple of matches, he was devastating out wide, totally ripping through the oppositions outside backs, the other side of the park (smeaton/halliday) seem to get regular ball when attacking in the oppositions half, only Tali gets ball on the left, which is missing a trick, not often a centre will outscore their sides winger.
Didn't see yesterdays game, but Ollie tells me it was one of the lowest standards of games he's played in since being out of the academy (including reserve games).
Things need to improve if Donny are to progress in the play-offs