24 replies to this topic

[bendyas]

I actually think that Phil Larder's column is far better written and more interesting than most articles on tactics/analysis. Certainly for a more general audience, ie. people without an incredibly deep knowledge of the game ,they are pretty good.

I'm going to go home and quote some of it in here. It's worse than garbage.

[bestgameofall]

i have to agree that phil larder has been a disappointment really. It reads like a two page match report at times. Less of telling us what has happened but why is needed.

I agree entirely. I sat down to read the first one in great anticipation and found what amounted to a match report. More of the how and the why would be welcome.

Great to see such a number of responses on this topic more generally. I hope that those who determine the media presentation of our game might take note. I don't think anyone can argue that it is not interesting to discuss tactics or that it isn't what the fans want to see. After all as another poster has pointed out they go to town on the tactical elements of the various sports on other sky presentations.

As far as our own specialist press is concerned, there was a thread on here about a month ago when someone was criticising League Express, and Martin Sadler said OK, lets see some ideas about what could be improved/ what you would like to see. One respondant came up with a very interesting suggestion of a sort of box on match reports which summise key tactics employed. I don't mean the extra analysis of the TV game given by Martin (why is it always the TV games that recieve the extra attention by the way? they aren't always the big games and they are the ones where we have usually had loads of analysis anyway- sorry I digress).

In an era when we've probably read the match reports to games by the time we get our copies, it might be good for the specialist press to see how they can add
to the match report format at some sort of tactical level, though granted that is difficult with tight deadlines on Sunday games).

[bendyas]

I agree entirely. I sat down to read the first one in great anticipation and found what amounted to a match report. More of the how and the why would be welcome.

Great to see such a number of responses on this topic more generally. I hope that those who determine the media presentation of our game might take note. I don't think anyone can argue that it is not interesting to discuss tactics or that it isn't what the fans want to see. After all as another poster has pointed out they go to town on the tactical elements of the various sports on other sky presentations.

As far as our own specialist press is concerned, there was a thread on here about a month ago when someone was criticising League Express, and Martin Sadler said OK, lets see some ideas about what could be improved/ what you would like to see. One respondant came up with a very interesting suggestion of a sort of box on match reports which summise key tactics employed. I don't mean the extra analysis of the TV game given by Martin (why is it always the TV games that recieve the extra attention by the way? they aren't always the big games and they are the ones where we have usually had loads of analysis anyway- sorry I digress).

In an era when we've probably read the match reports to games by the time we get our copies, it might be good for the specialist press to see how they can add
to the match report format at some sort of tactical level, though granted that is difficult with tight deadlines on Sunday games).

I've yet to find a decently written match report. Any sport.

I'd love RL to be the pioneer in not treating fans like idiots.

[goldcard]

Its not just to target a weak defender,thats a bit insulting to some players,this tactic is used to tire a player(from working hard in defence)which makes their attacking effectivness less than it would otherwise be.

A perfect example is last season's cup semi, when Wigan brought Feka on.
Wires just ran at him 5 plays on the bounce, every set.
He lost most of his impact as an attacking option as a result.

Targetting a guy once he's done 17-18 mins of a usual 20 min stint to tackle all 6 plays usually finds a way through by play 4 or 5."Assasination plays" was how Tony Rea referred to such tactics.

~20 yrs ago, when Granada showed live games on a Saturday afternoon, Phil Larder was the guy analysing tactics, and was certainly the best we had at that time.
Not read RLW so don't know if his spell at the dark side has left him stuck 20 yrs in the past....

[jannerboyuk]

A perfect example is last season's cup semi, when Wigan brought Feka on.
Wires just ran at him 5 plays on the bounce, every set.
He lost most of his impact as an attacking option as a result.

Targetting a guy once he's done 17-18 mins of a usual 20 min stint to tackle all 6 plays usually finds a way through by play 4 or 5."Assasination plays" was how Tony Rea referred to such tactics.

~20 yrs ago, when Granada showed live games on a Saturday afternoon, Phil Larder was the guy analysing tactics, and was certainly the best we had at that time.
Not read RLW so don't know if his spell at the dark side has left him stuck 20 yrs in the past....

what struck me was that larder has been out of the game so long he is maybe worried of exposing his current lack of real inside knowledge of league. a more recent or current coach would be better, with all due respect to larder