Smaller forwards catching us out

[cub]

Round 5 - Milne 5
Round 7 - Lappin 5
Round 9 - Mcgrath 5
Round 10 - Yze 5
Round 11 - Matera 5

Really noticed with Matera at rucks/packs he was allowed to run uncontested to get the ball to kick quick one's.
Is this something we need to assign someone a job too and they are not to be more than a step away from these players so they can not get clean runs at the ball. As you can see 5 of the last 7 games they have been doing too much consistent damage.

[mightytiges]

We have really missed Hartigan for these jobs. As you say CUB it's only been since the Saints game that these small forwards have bagged goals. Newman who's really a HB flanker gets caught out on the speedy quick thinking small forwards and Jackson who spent the second half on Matera is still learning the game. We got caught out in two situations on Saturday - firstly at stoppages in the Eagles forward line where we allowed Matera (and Judd) too much space to pickup and snap and secondly Matera would follow the lead of the tall forward then sneak in front with his pace and take a easy mark while our bloke was still caught behind trying to get around the tall Eagle decoy.

[WilliamPowell]

Matera would follow the lead of the tall forward then sneak in front with his pace and take a easy mark while our bloke was still caught behind trying to get around the tall Eagle decoy.

Actually I reckon you've gotta give the Eagles alot of credit for that as you mentioned MT it looked like (legally I must add) that their tall forward would try and block our defenders out which made those marks that the little twirp Matera took look so easy. Watching the replay last evening it was obvious to me it was a set play

[mightytiges]

Actually I reckon you've gotta give the Eagles alot of credit for that as you mentioned MT it looked like (legally I must add) that their tall forward would try and block our defenders out which made those marks that the little twirp Matera took look so easy. Watching the replay last evening it was obvious to me it was a set play

That's true WP. The Eagles did it very well. They left the "fat" side of their forward line open so they had plenty of free space to run into and pull off that set play. It would have been handy in hindsight to have someone plonked in the hole.