It was a very early start on the field today but that didn’t stop the heat or the flies from making conditions uncomfortable. With the forwards enjoying some recovery time in the pool, the backs were given a specialised coaching session led by a former international and Premiership winner. No stone is being left unturned this year!
Welcome Brett (Noddy) Kimmorley
In preparing his assault on the 2017 Premiership, Brad Arthur has added Noddy Kimmorley to his coaching staff. BA is looking to provide a different voice and a different perspective from a man who has played the game at the highest level. Judging from today’s session, Kimmorley employs all of the principles of a good educator. He explains what they are about to do, why they are doing it, models the skill, then gets the players to execute with immediate feedback as they do so.
Drill One – The Step
After practising a left or right foot step, the players ran at Noddy and he called the side to step from. It was interesting to observe those who preferred a particular foot having to step with the other. The players were then paired up with the player receiving the ball deciding whether to cut back or go to the outside to beat his opponent.
Drill Two – Out The Back
The players worked on body, shoulder and head position for delivering a ball out the back that would not be telegraphed to the defence. Working at first in a static position, the players then transitioned into running through their plays. Noddy mixed up whether they delivered short or deep balls out the back. At this point reminders were made about the position of the wrists and the position of the head. Kimmorley demonstrated how you could still watch where you were delivering the ball without showing the defence your intentions. The attack lines were then run at defenders. The halves would decide whether to go out the back or deliver a face ball, depending on the decision of the b and c defenders.
Drill Three – The Game
This was a six on six touch game in a marked area with the teams having 5 plays to score. After every play, the player making the touch dropped off the field. The final play would mean a six on two scenario. By play 4 or 5, the ball movement would become more adventurous.
Extras
Joey Grima worked with the outside backs on a passing drill, mostly long delivery passes. At the same time, BA was working with Cameron King and Kaysa Pritchard on their kicking skills.
Analysis
The emphasis today was on providing the skills that would enable the players to take advantage of opportunities that might present themselves in a game. You cannot be so structured in your play that you continue to work one side of the field when opportunities exist on the other side. Under Brad Arthur, the club is continuing to develop footballers who both know their role and have the skills set and awareness to play what’s in front of them. It was spoken about many times today.
Eels Forever
Sixties
excellent stuff. Would seem to me that attack is going to be more in the game then so far seen by the eels, making very much hopefully for more entertaining football.
Almost every RL sports pages and on the web has very good articles from ex dragons player Mitch Rein about the boring football played for the last few seasons especially this year, he is looking forward to being allowed to use his own running game under Hook.
Now that we have a strong defensive line to prevent teams from scoring the natural progression is to now bring in more attack. We laid the foundations last year to beat teams, now it seems we’re incorporating skills that will win those games by more.
Better attitude than thinking that the foundation of a win should be on attack.
Ham, very true. I have no problems with the defensive ability and very much the attitude of the team, even if they went 26 games and never let a try or goal in, still need to score points to win.
I think with Noddy being added to the coaching staff is perhaps the game changer we needed in that area, someone full time who was a quality half himself, by working with all of the halves at the club, he can put the finishing touches to their natural game plays.
Colin, I don’t know if he will be full time. I believe that details are still being worked out.
Thanks mate.
I actually like the idea of his appoitment and maybe if it ends up only part time would still work out anyway. Perhaps his main value though will be in the main season as he can lend help in real time.
Colin a few years ago he used to do a segment on Fox Sports where he discussed tactics and how the game was played. He surprised me with his technical skill on that show but more importantly he showed me that he is a very good communicator.
John, good news indeed, we can only benefit from his wisdom
A very good communicator.
Thanks for the training reports mate they are fantastic and I really look forward to reading them. How is Bevan French looking mate? Has he added a little bulk and if so is he still looking as fast and sharp as last year?
Bevan still looks as sharp as ever!
That is more important than bulk
Arthur is building a very Hasler-esque team. And people wonder why we keep signing Manly players.
Pou I just hope BA hasn’t adopted Hasler’s play book as well. Dogs play a very boring style of play, even their supporters want him gone and they have been going backwards since 2014 gf.
Hasler has proven he has an astute tactical mind. If his team is suddenly playing boring it’s for a reason other than Hasler’s inability with tactics. And I would hope a team goes backwards after two grand finals in three years. That’s how the salary cap works.
A really good report guys. Looks like BA is also pushing the envelope as a coach. Change helps to prevent complacency & lethargy, & keeps everyone focused & interested whilst improving their individual skills. Impressed with the role & involvement of Noddy. Many thanks, again a great read.
Hit the nail on the head there!
Considering it’s only November, I’m trying to not get too excited too early for 2017… But this is a great development considering the young age of our halves & hookers (bar IDG & Robson). Go Eels!
Next week Noddy will show the halves how to lay down and play dead after receiving the slightest tap after putting a kick in.
lol
Let’s hope he can show the boys more than Joey Johns did!
Very interesting observations and points made Sixties. Kimmorley was working with halves this season ? I am sure he was. Great work and I like the way the drills have been explained. Very simple work but important as they need to become second nature to the players when playing to execute.
Cheers
Becoming second nature to OK at what’s in front of them is key. There is the importance of knowing your role but you can’t have automatons who don’t know how to seize opportunities.
Thanks sixties, well explained drills gives me a feeling of seeing the plays. In ones minds eye I envisaged the hypothetical step, prop or shift from players I’ve come to know in a game scenario. Really encouraging stuff mate.
I was wondering though, if we could have a report on Ronny Palmer. We see quite a bit of him in the official club videos and he does appear to have the boys running relatively different fitness drills to what we’ve become accustom to over the previous couple of years. I think the change there is a refreshing one and Ronny certainly brings a wealth of experience to that role.
It may well be a case of Penrith’s loss being our gain?
The observations thus far are that Ronnie has brought very rugby league type conditioning this year, including more up and down work. There seems to be additional specificity this pre-season.
All this coverage of Parramatta training is truly splendid. Thanks Sixties! Although I’ve become somewhat cynical with the passing of time, I cannot help but remain optimistic about the future in light of your positive outlook for the club.
AE, the aspects that relate to being cynical is very much part of life with sports and other areas of life, for me I have tried to replace cynicism with another ism called optimism, the latter mostly works much better but sometime the former is often a real driver. Although I have to say with all the signings of players, coaches and the like, the way the whole club is going the optimism is more healthy.
These reports on TCT add fuel to optimism and water on the other.
Cheers, Colin. Mine is a measured optimism and not its outright blind sibling – though I don’t mind the latter when I’m feeling tipsy!
AE, I always ensure that optimism is one that is bracketed with the word cautious.
As for the eels and next year, I have to say that my optimism not too cautious, rather one that has a lot of positivity associated with it.