They are moments that often go unseen by commentators and fans alike, but coaches believe they’re as important as a break or a tackle in the last line of defence. Michael Hagan could pick off countless examples from Wednesday’s Origin series opener
Ask someone to pinpoint Billy Slater’s finest moment in the State of Origin arena and you’ll usually get the same answer: that audacious chip and chase during his second game for Queensland in 2004.
Daley, who steered the Blues to a shock series victory in 2014, pinched the acronym from former Wallabies mentor Michael Cheika, who he brought into camp during his time as NSW coach. Call them NTR plays, call them the one percenters - they are the effort areas, performed with energy. “Billy Slater built his career on helping Queensland in the back five with kick reception, and defensively getting the line organised. When the kick goes in the air, it’s all those other little effort areas of running blokes off the ball, getting behind the ball, letting blokes know what’s going on.“Billy was outstanding in that area in his career, he would have been hammering that all week on their goal-line, on their kick receptions.
“They’re all things know we should do, but it’s very hard to keep doing them when you’re having to defend for three or four sets on your line in a row, isn’t it? A little bit of mental toughness, you’ve got to have it in that situation.”It’s Holmes coming from the wing to snatch a James Tedesco grubber away from Nathan Cleary’s grasp in the 70th minute to deny the Blues a try under the posts.
It’s finding your feet at marker before the play-the-ball. It’s getting off the line and putting pressure on the kicker like Queensland’s pack did to battered Blues halfback Nathan Cleary, who finished the game looking like he’d gone 12 rounds with Devin Haney such was the swelling above his eye. If they have a bit of shape, they pull a bit of width. Obviously it helps because their defence has to spread out rather than compressing and jamming into you and putting you under pressure.
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