RugbyRebels

FKAS wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 1:17 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 12:27 pm

FKAS wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 11:23 am

Porter is playing for Tigers this weekend so maybe next week.

Has Porter done much at 12?

Last season when covering for the injured Kelly. He's better at 13 but I suspect the same issues would come to light. He's only got a small amount of top level experience full stop let alone at centre. He's got to work on his defensive positioning. Give him the ball and he'll go forward with purpose but he does tend to look more dangerous when one on one as he's pretty tough to put down and as surprisingly good footwork (see his try Vs Newcastle last season).

Banquo wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 1:43 pm

FKAS wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 1:17 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 12:27 pm

Has Porter done much at 12?

Last season when covering for the injured Kelly. He's better at 13 but I suspect the same issues would come to light. He's only got a small amount of top level experience full stop let alone at centre. He's got to work on his defensive positioning. Give him the ball and he'll go forward with purpose but he does tend to look more dangerous when one on one as he's pretty tough to put down and as surprisingly good footwork (see his try Vs Newcastle last season).

Was just thinking Tomkins really struggled in defence at 13 internationally, but has been a revelation all round at 12. You need different defensive skills, and maybe Porter just isn't suited to 13 defence; as you say, little experience (and its pretty brutal to learn 13 on the job intly, as demonstrated!)

FKAS wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 1:56 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 1:43 pm

FKAS wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 1:17 pm

Last season when covering for the injured Kelly. He's better at 13 but I suspect the same issues would come to light. He's only got a small amount of top level experience full stop let alone at centre. He's got to work on his defensive positioning. Give him the ball and he'll go forward with purpose but he does tend to look more dangerous when one on one as he's pretty tough to put down and as surprisingly good footwork (see his try Vs Newcastle last season).

Was just thinking Tomkins really struggled in defence at 13 internationally, but has been a revelation all round at 12. You need different defensive skills, and maybe Porter just isn't suited to 13 defence; as you say, little experience (and its pretty brutal to learn 13 on the job intly, as demonstrated!)

Yeah not an easy job. It's just over a dozen starts at 13 for Tigers as well and before that he was playing rugby for Sydney University. He's got the raw attributes just needs to refine them a bit. With any luck he'll get a good string of games together for Tigers between now and the 6N at 13 to stand a better chance.

Tompkins was Barrett's understudy at Sarries so I thought he was always better suited to 12 than 13 and it was more a case of the Dragons and Wales needing someone to play 13 that forced him into that role.

Hopefully Kelly will return soon for Tigers. He was sensational last season and a key part to Tigers long unbeaten run.

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 2:21 pm Porter’s main issue to me, and one that isn’t particularly solvable, was slow/heavy feet when needing to react quickly to or affect a change in direction. Positioning and decision making were also poor but that is more easily solved, albeit some players just can’t defend to high standard at 13. Someone once said it’s the hardest position in which to defend but I forget who.

Banquo wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 2:26 pm

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 2:21 pm Porter’s main issue to me, and one that isn’t particularly solvable, was slow/heavy feet when needing to react quickly to or affect a change in direction. Positioning and decision making were also poor but that is more easily solved, albeit some players just can’t defend to high standard at 13. Someone once said it’s the hardest position in which to defend but I forget who.

That’s kinda why I was thinking a switch to 12 might work- heavy feet at 13 is problematic.

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 2:32 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 2:26 pm

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 2:21 pm Porter’s main issue to me, and one that isn’t particularly solvable, was slow/heavy feet when needing to react quickly to or affect a change in direction. Positioning and decision making were also poor but that is more easily solved, albeit some players just can’t defend to high standard at 13. Someone once said it’s the hardest position in which to defend but I forget who.

That’s kinda why I was thinking a switch to 12 might work- heavy feet at 13 is problematic.

As an IC, it was Atkinson’s big weakness, and that’s before he was capped at least two (still autocorrecting to Te’o) years too late, so not a given. I suppose it’s a sliding scale of how slow dependent on how far out you are.

Banquo wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 2:26 pm

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 2:21 pm Porter’s main issue to me, and one that isn’t particularly solvable, was slow/heavy feet when needing to react quickly to or affect a change in direction. Positioning and decision making were also poor but that is more easily solved, albeit some players just can’t defend to high standard at 13. Someone once said it’s the hardest position in which to defend but I forget who.

That’s kinda why I was thinking a switch to 12 might work- heavy feet at 13 is problematic.

FKAS wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 5:04 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 2:26 pm

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 2:21 pm Porter’s main issue to me, and one that isn’t particularly solvable, was slow/heavy feet when needing to react quickly to or affect a change in direction. Positioning and decision making were also poor but that is more easily solved, albeit some players just can’t defend to high standard at 13. Someone once said it’s the hardest position in which to defend but I forget who.

That’s kinda why I was thinking a switch to 12 might work- heavy feet at 13 is problematic.

He's surprisingly light on his feet given he's 15 odd stone. The issues in the summer looked like he often over committed trying to cut off the outside pass. Coming up very quickly always leaves you open to being stepped. Greater experience would allow him to pick a better line/angle and arrive at less than top speed so he can manoeuvre more easily. Didn't help that by the second half of his debut that the Aussies had worked out that his favoured tactic for England was to come up hard and quick so set up plays where the option in behind had options on either side so could easily pull him out of the line and then expose his lack of support.

I think it's fixable, whether it's fixable by the world cup I'm not sure. Well at international level, I suspect that at club level he'll be sorted by then. Lawrence's form is going to be hard to ignore for long if it continues as is as well.

Danno wrote: ↑Sun Nov 06, 2022 2:24 am It's late, I'm drunk, and in the nightbus. defending Porter as anything like an international player is fucking mental. He may or may not get there but hes miles away right now. When he's keeping, say, Marchant out forb *some galaxy brain* reason, it's just insulting.

FKAS wrote: ↑Sun Nov 06, 2022 8:03 am

Danno wrote: ↑Sun Nov 06, 2022 2:24 am It's late, I'm drunk, and in the nightbus. defending Porter as anything like an international player is fucking mental. He may or may not get there but hes miles away right now. When he's keeping, say, Marchant out forb *some galaxy brain* reason, it's just insulting.

Perhaps re-read it when sober. No one's advocating him above Marchant or Lawrence who we'd all have in the squad currently.

Porter looked good ball in hand over the summer but he got three carries over two games which makes hard to make an impression. Marchant suffered similarly in the first test with barely getting to touch the ball.

Puja wrote: ↑Sun Nov 06, 2022 2:35 pm I like these shirts. Dreading when we have to play in our home kit.

Yes, the game is that interesting.

Puja