DGM wrote:Sometimes what you look for in a game and an opinion you form isn't quite the reality.
Last year his average meter gain was second in the forwards behind only Scott Taylor, his number of carries were the 5th highest forward (more than Mini & Ellis), total meters 4th highest forward.
Do you know how long some og his stints were? SEVEN minutes was his shortest, the first half of the season he was blowing out his arris and was unfit to do barely 20 minutes a game. Sure his metres gained were v.good, but bringing him on for a few minutes at the back end of a half will allow you to do that. Also he wasn't up to much in the tackling stakes. As I'll point out again, Thompson made 50% more tackles and only 2 fewer tackle busts. Given the amount of stick Thompson gets that's hardly a glowing comparison for the highest paid player in the whole of SL is it?
Bowden for instance was just behind in average metres gained (7.31 v 8.01) but made almost twice as many tackles (601 v 335), if Bowden had made the stats FP had and only did a few minutes in some games at opportune moments (which is what some interchanges are about) we'd be saying he was bang average. That FP was easily on 3 times what Bowden was on, if not a lot more Pritchard was very poor value and didn't have a particularly good season, nowhere near the hype and much less than expected. I'm glad we were only going to have him for the one season (we couldn't afford him and the plan wasn't to keep him anyways despite what people might think).
The dilemma for next season is Hadley v Washbrook. For me we need to be playing Hadley every week (as per the side Mrs B put up earlier) I think he's a better all round player than Washbrook, covers the DH role, can pass, is a great tackler and a very smart player. it's no wonder wakey fans and coaches have been giving him so much praise. So, do we have two utility forwards in the 17 incl one on the bench or have Hadley/Washbrook on the bench with the options of the other forwards.
Whilst Griffin has done okay he's nowhere near what he was doing for Salford, I'd have Connor in front of him every time.
As other have said, having Connor on the bench is a waste, if you're putting him there because you want to cover a half who might be a bit dicky, then that's the wrong decision. Put him in to start and drop the half that isn't quite right, surely that's what we have back ups for? You put him on the bench as cover for a back, well we already know that the likes of Thompson, Turgut and even Hadley can do that role but a bench spot on the off chance a back goes down is just silly, it happens so rarely that having a back on the bench to cover for a back isn't a logical choice.
I see that Radford has had to play Connor and Griffin, he wants them both to have game time and when we've had injuries that's fine but having Connor on the bench or Griffin on the bench as a forward (has he even stepped into doing that yet at all?) when we are full strength to my mind is not good for the overall balance and not putting our strongest team out.
As for Brad Fash, I really like this kid, got great attitude, great work rate and for those saying he's too small, rubbish, of the young forwards he's the stand out by a mile, he's only 21 in any case.
I'd like to see us go;
Shaul
Talanoa
Tuimavave
Connor/Griffin
Faraimo
Kelly
Sneyd
Taylor
Houghton
Bowden
Manu
Hadley
Watts
Paea/Matongo
Minichiello/Thompson
Green/Fash/Turget
Washbrook
