I'm really pleased with our improved more adventurous play but I would like to see something different happen at our scrums. Our scrum half always passes it to Pat or Gleeson who are in the stand-off position. They drive in and fall to the first tackle. We need some scrum moves.

We had one earlier in the season, Smith organised it, Roberts scored, Carmont was the dummy runner, was a cracking score.

Quite agree. Our best impact from a Scrum on Saturday was when Lockers went from the scrum base. Probably because it's the only thing we do different!

I've heard it mentioned a number of times on this board about using a similar kick from the scrum that O'Loughlin did (I think in the tri-nations) a couple of years back for GB. Still waiting though!

Feka took it from the scrum

that was different

It certainly was, bet they wernt expecting that



We should pick the ball up run on the open side and pass it back down the short side behind the scrum to get an overlap, the man from the other side occasionally gets sucked in, in defence.

It was funny seeing the Pia backs faces when he was stood out the scrum against them

id like to see us utilising the blind side more off scrums .

That won't work because scrums now break very quickly. When I'm playing I tend to hold my opposite number in the scrum to give our 13 some time, and more often that not he does the same to me. You often hear the 7 calling "OUT" as soon as the ball is out of the scrum, an indication for the pack to break up.

You need to be out of the way of the scrum as fast as you can, so going back along behind it will not work mate.

A better idea would be to take find Gleeson out wide, see if he can break and find a winger. Alternatively take Coley out of the pack, stick a second row at prop forward and a centre at second row. Then either find him off the six, or once we have done that a few times and they are used to it, line Coley up as normal and find Gleeson on the other side of the Scrum

I say Coley simply because he is better running at wide players.

There is no way a scrum can break quick enough if someone drops someone off round the back, they may not even see it.

Should do what a NRL team did this year, split the scrum and have a winger go start through the middle. Worth a try

Scrums are pretty pointless as it is anyway, I really do wish team would be abit more creative. I remember a brilliant try be Harris for Leeds straight from the scrum, it was awesome to watch.

Course there is. They will pick up on the runner for a start, and the props have no idea which way the ball is going, so blind side splits to the blind side, and open side splits the other, so your runner is going to get collared either way, in super league the second rows split quickly as well.

So either way your talking about two players splitting from the base of the scrum and going straight towards your runner.

Your runner would have to be quick, and perfectly timed, within milli seconds of the ball coming out, and even then would require a healthy dose of luck.

What happens if the move doesnt come off? Your runner gets tackles by the scrum and we waste a tackle making no metres, then you as head coach get ripped to pieces on a certain forum for having boring and pointless scrum moves

If Sam Tomkins came round the back and someone either dummied to him or gave it to him to create an overlap, more space would be created than just letting the loose taking it in, what I am saying is scrums are a perfect oppertunity to make yards or score a try with less men to beat, why not put all efforts into tryin to do that.

This is not the plan they should use for sure, maybe use it once or twice, but with so much space to work with from a scrum why just drive it in, let someone with good hands get it at pace and try and make something of it, if he gets tackled, whats the big deal, its only what would of happened anyway.

I am still pretty convinced that, having someone run round the back would create more space, as long as the runner runs wide enough and does not get flattened, the forwards from the scrum would be no where near him.

Why not try, something like this, whats the worst that could happen? No worse than normally happens is the answer. Just the fact that we normally just run it in could confuse the defence, I am sure they do their research to see what we do from scrums.

I remember watching that - I think it was Canberra - didn't it get disallowed for obstruction - good effort though

A play I think we should implement seeing as we have two speedy wingers in Ainscough and Roberts is off the kick off and the half-back switches it to the winger - 9 times out of 10 the winger is in clear open space and scores. IIRC Warrington did it against Bradford last season?

yeah it was the raiders and the ref sent it to the video ref who did not give the try due to obstruction i personally think that play should have been rewarded for creativity

Totally agree. Also when we are close to the line we should do more set moves instead of a drop behind pass to a prop forward on the 3rd tackle, complete waste.

I have mentioned that a few times and yes we are still waiting to see it at Wigan. It was when McGuire scored off the end of it for GB v NZ at the JJB. I think we have the players to do it now as well (if we didn't before).

Great tactic that while it won't always come off would if we used it, it would keep the opposition guessing.

Dave

i spotted saints playing a few moves on telly other week, and when you think about it, it makes perfect sense, but with a twist.

they had cunningham packing at loose forward and distributing the ball.
we dont need the hooker/dummy half in the front row, so why not use him as distributor.
the added twist i would use would be to let one of the centres put the ball in and have 7 and 6 at first and 2nd reciever to set up a move.

makes sense to me.......why have your playmaker putting the ball in, and the loose forward passing it ???
that orthodox play nullifies 2 of your main attacking players and leaves the only option of a pass to whoevers at first reciever to get the ball and just make yards.
my way might open up the opposition defence

Saints scored from a scrum on Sunday.

Yeah, I remember you bringing this up some time ago. Not sure why we don't play it, especially given O'Loughlin's kicking game appears to be on the money this season and we have the pace in the backs to exploit it. As you say, not one for every game, but once in a while could be really effective!