That's true, but defense is also about communication and if you're not use to how those around you will react, and communication isn't as clear then it will most likely lessen the ability of the defensive unit.
Well the standard of defence in open age State of Origin is infinitely better on the whole than the standard of defence in your average NRL game. The standard of defence in this game has barely been above that of your average Toyota Cup and I actually think the attack has been worse - it's often pretty disjointed, individualistic and reliant on poor defence in the Toyota Cup but there's usually a bit of individual brilliance and flair and the errors are usually a byproduct of over-ambition. In this game the attack has been pedestrian even on an individual level and the errors have just been elementarily poor rather than rushes of blood.
But you would have to take into account the experience as a factor surely? Perhaps the reason for the difference in opens Origin and NRL compared to 20's Origin and Toyota Cup is that the players aren't as experience and therefore just can't adapt as well. I agree on the attack though, it has been less than what I had hoped for in terms of flair, handling etc.
Nah don't buy that. I expected the difference in standard to be similar to the gap between NRL and State of Origin, especially when taken into account the handful of non-TC players raising the standard a bit. But it's just played out like a Toyota Cup game if not slightly worse in some areas; disappointing.
I agree at no point is there a hint the ball really touched the ground, you can see the hand under there the whole way.
I hate tries like that being given, you never see the ball touch the ground, at least give it to the ref who might have.
That's a disgraceful call. How can anyone say that he got that down? Certain Tru Ikin says. Fuck off.
It's the lack of combination and familiarity IMO. FGer's play together regularly and are used to rep footy, for the most part. This comp is limited to 20-year-olds who are probably playing together for the first time.