It is a Wayne Bennett tactic and we have used it since he was here. The idea isn't to contest. If you try and contest, knock it forward and the opposition comes up with it, that is the zero tackle. The idea is to arrive and put the catcher down as he is catching it. Close pressure can still produce errors, but if you tackle the bloke as he catches it, you are basically taking a tackle out of their set. Bennett loves that kind of stuff. We aren't really arriving at the same time as the ball at the moment. I'm not saying I agree with it either, just giving the background.
And it negates the kick return, broken field play.
Plus it brings the fullback up at speed to catch it, increasing the chance of an error if we have a defender also closing in on them at speed to tackle them.
We just execute it very poorly.
Most of the time, when we kick it long, the kick return runs it back to the 20-30 anyway as out kick chase is lazy.
NRL is about building pressure until they crack. We don't build any pressure.
Edited to add, the era of the twins an players of their size is over. Unless they have the size combined with the mobility, combined with the motor. But big lumbering forwards that take time to wind up and hit the line and drop is over.
We need to transition them out and stick to medium sized forward that get the ball at pace, hit the line at pace to bend the line back. Then repeat play after play for the 6. Combined with ball movement and block plays. Turning the ball two passes back to the ruck and trying to catch lazy markers returning to the D line for the next tackle.
I lost count of the number of times Penrith's forwards were getting the ball already at speed powering in to our line easily making their way up field. Vs ours getting the ball flat footed, then winding up and hitting the line.
The Knights game is too slow and predictable.
