Quote ="JWP"They don't. (didn't)
Our left hand side was targetted, traffic through Monaghan, runners run through King, Anderson sucked in etc. Teams would play a couple of plays around the posts, knowing that our left edge would pull in, then would go back to that edge and find Penny iscolated and would prey on him making the wrong decision, or not the right decision say.
Teams don't target Penny, nobody runs through him, consistently anyhow, they may have bumped him off 5m out etc, the point i'm making is, the left hand side defence is the target, not Penny. Teams targetted the sapce around Penny, inside & out, not the individual, he was one of three or four blokes that were targetted, it was their 'zone'. When he was new, teams kicked to him, he used to get driven back in the tackle, he doesn't anymore, he's stronger, knows how to use his body. He's good in the air, both attacking & defensively.
You get Penny confident, and a structure that helps him, and he helps himself by working hard, listening, getting himself in the right positions etc, you'll soon see teams stay away from that left hand side, as it'll be a dangerous play.'"
Another question JWP, ive taken on board what you said and it seems that your blaming 3 others players aswell as Penny, i would like your opinion as to why teams are getting no succsess down the left channel in the last 2 games, If what you say is indeed true and im not saying it isn't surely teams would still target the left, seen as King, Louis and Monaghan still play there, yet no tries have been scored, why do you think that is, has Smith already had a major impact or has something else changed
