Joined: Oct 13 2004 Posts: 36099 Location: Poodle Power!
I'm no fan of Halls and am yet to see him play in anger this season but from what I'm led to believe he's looked good in the reserves and looked good last night.
If he managed to hold his own against Warrington then he must be fit again and be willing to play and defend.
If and I say if this is the case he and young Johnstone have all the makings of a devastating attacking force. Johnstone is full of pace and can catch a ball whist his game sense seems to be improving. Nobody in our suqad or most other squads can run the lines bettter than Hall nor can they release the ball as sweatly. He's a real throwback to the days when centres and wingers were not muscle bound battering rams but were more artists all fleet of foot and quick of mind.
If Smith persists that particular combo might just work.
Joined: Oct 10 2006 Posts: 1403 Location: ...cross time, space and genres
I may be reading too much into it but... BS made an effort to mention Halls attack a couple of times in his post match interview. Enterprising game AT TIMES, did some great ATTACKING things for us. No mention of defence, critical by omission?
Johnstone was prob my pick from last night, he was very strong in the contact and is rapid when given a clear run, he just needs belief to get over that line, as for hall he was a bit sloppy in his returning metres but his attacking play was very good and always on shoulders for support play and a starter for me every day of the week.
Joined: Jan 24 2007 Posts: 6297 Location: Over there
Hall was good as an attacker but was probably to blame for the try that killed the game, the one by Sandow just before half-time.
Sandow was heading right to left and shaping to kick, and unless he was going to do some clever reverse pass or kick, the odds were clearly that he was going to kick to Wire's left edge. He dummied, went through the gap, and had a clear short run to line. Hall was nowhere to be seen and was still somewhere nearer Wire's right edge, and Sandow must have seen that.
What I don't know is whether Hall had been caught up in the tackle before and had been unable to get to where the attack was going, but it's more likely that he lost concentration for a while. Without that try, and with the early try in the second half, we could have been competing the last thirty minutes just six points behind.
Like with the error from Johnston in the first game, we seem to be capable of staying in the game before we gift the opposition an unassailable lead on the stroke of half-time.
If Brian Smith was bigging up Hall, it does suggest that confidence is the issue, and I hope he gets it back.
As for Johnston, I don't think anyone would have begrudged him if he'd backed himself on that last run of the game, although he did well in almost setting up the try.
EVENTUALLY, WE'LL WIN SOMETHING, ,MAYBE, IF I'M STILL ALIVE THEN
Joined: Oct 04 2008 Posts: 21007 Location: wakefield
1873 wrote:I may be reading too much into it but... BS made an effort to mention Halls attack a couple of times in his post match interview. Enterprising game AT TIMES, did some great ATTACKING things for us. No mention of defence, critical by omission?
He didn't miss a tackle Though that doesn't cover being out of position, he was thrown in at full back last minute.
I've been critical of him but he looks like coming good. I hope so.
A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker - Buddha
hall could have been partly to blame for Sandow try but Annakin as much. Left a massive gap and was sprinting to make it up which gave Sandow all the time he needed to put in a lovely kick.
Anyway think we need to focus on the positives in that one. Some good play went on and we weren't miles off Warrington for the most part of that game.
4 try's where we were stopped on the line or over it at the death. That was the difference and it was literally inches.
Joined: Oct 13 2004 Posts: 36099 Location: Poodle Power!
Slugger McBatt wrote:Hall was good as an attacker but was probably to blame for the try that killed the game, the one by Sandow just before half-time.
Sandow was heading right to left and shaping to kick, and unless he was going to do some clever reverse pass or kick, the odds were clearly that he was going to kick to Wire's left edge. He dummied, went through the gap, and had a clear short run to line. Hall was nowhere to be seen and was still somewhere nearer Wire's right edge, and Sandow must have seen that.
What I don't know is whether Hall had been caught up in the tackle before and had been unable to get to where the attack was going, but it's more likely that he lost concentration for a while. Without that try, and with the early try in the second half, we could have been competing the last thirty minutes just six points behind.
Like with the error from Johnston in the first game, we seem to be capable of staying in the game before we gift the opposition an unassailable lead on the stroke of half-time.
If Brian Smith was bigging up Hall, it does suggest that confidence is the issue, and I hope he gets it back.
As for Johnston, I don't think anyone would have begrudged him if he'd backed himself on that last run of the game, although he did well in almost setting up the try.
Personally thought BJB was at fault with that one - the pass was on for me and BJB should have been more aware.
As for Hall it will probably take him a game or two to find his feet.
I would like to see both in the team on a regular basis, we need to be scoring more points than we currently are and these two are both point scorers and line breakers. I still think Hall should be in the centres or wing though and not FB/SO
Joined: Oct 13 2004 Posts: 36099 Location: Poodle Power!
captaincaveman wrote:I would like to see both in the team on a regular basis, we need to be scoring more points than we currently are and these two are both point scorers and line breakers. I still think Hall should be in the centres or wing though and not FB/SO
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum