SMPerformance

06/03/2026

Chop Tackles 🪓

Chop tackling is an effective way of getting the ball carrier to ground quickly which open up opportunities to poach the ball.

To make the most defective chop tackle it’s important to not just wrap the legs up but to punch through the near thigh hard and take their lower body out of the equation.

Right in the meat of the thigh is a good aiming point and just remember to keep your studs in the ground and wrap hard.

This drill here I highly recommend not doing in boots/cleats or anything that’s going to keep your feet I. The ground as a bag holder. Let the feet stay loose and don’t try and meet the tackle with any force, no need to risk ligaments if the tackler goes too low by accident.

Happy chopping 🪓

06/03/2026

Breakdown Dark Arts 🏉🔮

Sneaky one here.

When cleaning someone out of the ruck, if you can clear them into the folding defenders and make them run around you, you’ll add time and space for you ball carriers to attack.

Clean deep and into the fold!

06/02/2026

Sniper hands in the Jackal 🔫🏉

Precision is the name of the game when jackling, you want to aim directly for the ball and get it out of the ball carriers hands as fast as possible.

As well, if you show a direct effort to pull the ball out and get it to your side the referees will look upon it much more favourably than just sitting there waiting for the whistle.

06/01/2026

Ho**er Throw Tips 🏉

I used to throw my line-outs like an American football player with his mother hand just along for the ride.

As soon as I started to see the ho**er throw as a two handed throw with an active off hand, my consistency went way up.

“Push” through the ball and don’t follow through too hard to the point you drop your hands.

05/30/2026

Core Challenge 🏉

Give this a try as a scrum primer, good work for both partners.

05/28/2026

05/28/2026

Last ditch clean out 🧹🏉

If you are late arriving to a breakdown and the defence has hands on the ball, you have to get them off the ball ASAP.

You probably m have less than half a second before the referee is blowing their whistle so if you can get your body between the ball and the defender you need to do that fast.

By swimming inside that small window and using your body as a shield and separator you might have an opportunity to retain possession.

Depending on how low the jackler is you may have to “dive” underneath the defender and temporarily lose your feet. If this is the case you must immediately try to regain your feet and show the ref you are supporting your weight as best as possible.

You might get pinged but then again you might not, that’s the game you have to play.

05/27/2026

The process 🧠🏉

As a ho**er, it's incredibly important to stick to your process. You want to ingrain your process as deeply as you can by ensuring that every rep you ever do throwing the ball happens after you do your process.

This helps you eliminate any extra external factors that could be playing a part and allows you to ground yourself in the moment and bring yourself to a confident place that feels comfortable and not foreign.

Your process is going to be specific to you and will take some time to figure out.

Make sure it's short, repeatable, and you can even match it with a verbal or visual cue.

For example "left foot, right foot, big chest. Stay relaxed" Something simple like that could be perfect.

After 1000’s of reps doing your process and setup each time I can guarantee, you will throw more consistently and with more confidence and conviction.

05/26/2026

Be a try hard!