Caboosegg wrote:Exiled Wiganer wrote:As we are discussing front row forwards I read that McIllorum missed 7 tackles. And that was in the limited minutes he was in the field. Plus virtually no running from dummy half. If people are looking for reasons why we struggle I would start with the position we find ourselves in at 9.
what it doesn't tell you is alteast 4 of those missed tackles made the person target panic pass and kill that play. MM hit hard and fast in the game. and he does more dummy running than powell.
Yes, McIlorum runs more. Roughly 3.5 times a game compared to roughly 2 a game from Powell. Although Powell has marginally more tackle busts and breaks per game, so maybe he runs at better times. He also has 6 assists to McIlorum's 0 (SL only stats). Both run less than your average hooker, so I think you have to say it's style of play rather than ability/inability of the players.
McIlorum makes fewer and misses more tackles than Powell on average. But McIlorum has like you say an intimidating style of defence where he goes for big hits that don't always land right, whereas Powell has a more controlled wrap the ball technique. I just wish McIlorum could do the wrap the ball thing when it's appropriate as well as the hard man thing. I keep thinking back to the last game at Saints, if he just tried to tackle Amor rather than try to hurt him in build up to Percival's first try, they never would've got back into that game.
Across the whole front row positions, I don't think the issue is the personnel. I don't even have too big an issue with a fairly systematic rotation. I just think the tactics have to adapt to what the game needs, but we only take whats given in terms of ground made by the front row, rather than force the issue like teams such as Hull, Saints and Leeds do with their front row.