This can be merged with the game plan thread - can’t find it - but I wanted to talk about the engine of this ‘speed’ on the ball and why it’s different to previous years.

So I was closely watching the forwards when we didn’t have the ball or when it was in contest to see what we were trying to set up when we want to defend and the when we get it.

The SnapBack

Essentially it’s a counter attack pose but with a team licence to push up and gegenpress when it’s something that works with defences or if we have the tickets to do it, so when the team does need a ‘breather’ the forwards neutral position is corridor and across centre/centre wing and even defensive side of wing. While that is a ‘flood’ if we can keep Mihocek and/or JVR in the forward half we will. Makes any turnover have a chest to hit running into space with players to hand to.

So when we get the ball into our ‘forwards’ hands from an intercept - and this is why Sharp got a lot of footy on the wing chest facing goal - we don’t blaze away but try to maximise hands out of a contest and then kick over the ball watching defenders and run past them.

Then we just free jazz from there. If you can kick a floating chip to your cousin you do that. If you want to go across goal for Culley to ‘do something with’ you do that.

We can be opened up when we overcommit and make a mistake but that is something to just expect and put up with.

It must be so much fun to play with

If you can run…

39 minutes ago, rpfc said:

This can be merged with the game plan thread - can’t find it - but I wanted to talk about the engine of this ‘speed’ on the ball and why it’s different to previous years.

So I was closely watching the forwards when we didn’t have the ball or when it was in contest to see what we were trying to set up when we want to defend and the when we get it.

The SnapBack

Essentially it’s a counter attack pose but with a team licence to push up and gegenpress when it’s something that works with defences or if we have the tickets to do it, so when the team does need a ‘breather’ the forwards neutral position is corridor and across centre/centre wing and even defensive side of wing. While that is a ‘flood’ if we can keep Mihocek and/or JVR in the forward half we will. Makes any turnover have a chest to hit running into space with players to hand to.

So when we get the ball into our ‘forwards’ hands from an intercept - and this is why Sharp got a lot of footy on the wing chest facing goal - we don’t blaze away but try to maximise hands out of a contest and then kick over the ball watching defenders and run past them.

Then we just free jazz from there. If you can kick a floating chip to your cousin you do that. If you want to go across goal for Culley to ‘do something with’ you do that.

We can be opened up when we overcommit and make a mistake but that is something to just expect and put up with.

It must be so much fun to play with

If you can run…

oooohh, so close with the thread title search here @rpfc - you've had a key word in the body of your text...so I reckon it was sitting in your subconscious!

'Then we just free jazz from there. If you can kick a floating chip to your cousin you do that. If you want to go across goal for Culley to ‘do something with’ you do that."

Anyway, great post - I think there is a broader conversation around system versus flexibility (which is rather binary) , if we are to contrast a Goodwin coached team versus what we are seeing early on with King. But also, with the personnel that we have/had through the years with Goodwin (midfield bull's/extractors versus outside silky skills)... we are now moving in that direction for a number of reasons.

It is probably unfair... but every methodology crumbles and the exponents of those methodolgies (Cripps/Oliver) also go by the wayside...

Viva la velocidad, la destreza y el arte de dar en el blanco!

Systems win flags that’s for sure. Predictability is the genesis of that axiom.

You can build In creativity into your predictable plan I think - I look Gryan Miers and the way he kicks into the 50.

But the dump game plan of the last 4 years turns our offensive phase (when we have the ball) into the contested phase immediately.

The beauty of our current game plan is that if you have total commitment you can have a level of predictability and success WITH the space for creativity.

Just be comfortable when it all goes to hell and we turn it over on the back flank and we get punished.

We took until Round 11 to achieve our third 100-point game for the season in 2025. We averaged 81 points at the end of Round 11. So that gives you insight into how little we were scoring in the other games.

We are averaging bang on 100 points this season and have hit 100 in three of four games. We kick on average 3.1 more per game and 1.1 against more per game.

We average 62 points for and 101 against at the end of round 4 last year.