Post subject: Pacific's weekly poor trolling thread
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 4:40 pm
Pacific
International Star
Joined: Jun 30 2014 Posts: 437
Just watched the England vs. NZ game at Olympic Stadium. Frustrating performce but most disappointing two players for me were Gareth Widdopp and Elliott Whitehead. They werent the only poor ones but I was disappointed with them.
Widdop's kicking was poor. Williams' wasn't great but given his experience Widdop should be doing more. Very little spark in attack and he neds to be more vocal and show more leadership skills. If I was McNamara i'd play Matty Smith and Williams in the halves next week. Drop Widdop. Matty Smith and George Williams will have the experience of playing together at club level and will both be on familiar territory at home in Wigan.
Elliott Whitehead was also incredibly disappointing. He looks exhausted and flat footed whenever he plays at international level. He was similarly poor in the game he played for England in 4 Nations last year. We all have a good impression of Whitehead but im starting to wonder whether it's just because most of us watch him when Catalan home games are on TV. Catlan always play well at home but i get the impression Whitehead is poor for most Catalan away games but perhaps we dont see this as much with less TV coverage. I think Whitehead will struggle in NRL next season.
Anyway, at least they both are willing to pull the shirt on for their country and give up their off season for the internationals, unlike some St Helens players who would seemingly rather be on holiday.
Post subject: Re: Widdop & Whitehead - Rabbits in the headlights!
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 4:44 pm
Wigan Peer
Player Coach
Joined: Aug 28 2006 Posts: 5846 Location: 3 Peers
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Post subject: Re: Widdop & Whitehead - Rabbits in the headlights!
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 4:53 pm
jonh
Club Owner
Joined: May 27 2003 Posts: 20372 Location: educating League Freak on all things rugby league
Bit harsh on Whitehead who I felt went ok. Disappointments for me were Williams, who I thought had a shocker, Widdop who really should be taking control in games like that and Hardaker, offered nothing and didn't put himself in the line as an attacking option.
I however wouldn't change anything for game 3. We need to work on combinations.
Defence was outstanding looking for a positive.
Unofficially the most boring poster on Cherry and White.
Post subject: Re: Widdop & Whitehead - Rabbits in the headlights!
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 4:57 pm
tigerman1231
International Star
Joined: Sep 03 2013 Posts: 278
Pacific wrote:Just watched the England vs. NZ game at Olympic Stadium. Frustrating performce but most disappointing two players for me were Gareth Widdopp and Elliott Whitehead. They werent the only poor ones but I was disappointed with them.
Widdop's kicking was poor. Williams' wasn't great but given his experience Widdop should be doing more. Very little spark in attack and he neds to be more vocal and show more leadership skills. If I was McNamara i'd play Matty Smith and Williams in the halves next week. Drop Widdop. Matty Smith and George Williams will have the experience of playing together at club level and will both be on familiar territory at home in Wigan.
Elliott Whitehead was also incredibly disappointing. He looks exhausted and flat footed whenever he plays at international level. He was similarly poor in the game he played for England in 4 Nations last year. We all have a good impression of Whitehead but im starting to wonder whether it's just because most of us watch him when Catalan home games are on TV. Catlan always play well at home but i get the impression Whitehead is poor for most Catalan away games but perhaps we dont see this as much with less TV coverage. I think Whitehead will struggle in NRL next season.
George Williams was by far the worst performer on the park but as he plays for Wigan will without doubt be selected next week as will Bateman even though he is not a Centre.
Anyway, at least they both are willing to pull the shirt on for their country and give up their off season for the internationals, unlike some St Helens players who would seemingly rather be on holiday.
Post subject: Re: Widdop & Whitehead - Rabbits in the headlights!
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 5:10 pm
Charlie Sheen
Player Coach
Joined: Nov 08 2005 Posts: 10530 Location: Leeds
I don't think any England player had a better than average game, to be fair, but Widdop was the worst of the lot, IMO. He's managed to get to where he is because he's been carried by some of the legends of the game, at all levels. He looked good along side Cronk and Smith at Melbourne, and he's previously been carried by the likes of Tomkins and Sinfield for England, and now that he's being asked to be the main play maker for St George, and England his average skill set is being exposed. If he wasn't in the NRL I doubt anyone would give him the time of day. Williams is in his first season, and will sometimes put in performances like he did today, and that's the gamble you take with picking young players. He'll need to widen his skill set though, he has a good kicking game close to the line, and has a good step, and offload, but the other areas of his game need some serious work. We're desperate for a half who can actually pass a ball, though. McGuire, and Brown are the only ones knocking around SL with world class passing games, but they're both in their 30s now. Tomkins also has this ability and has been badly missed.
King Monkey wrote:Maybe a spell in prison would do Graham good.
Post subject: Re: Widdop & Whitehead - Rabbits in the headlights!
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 5:13 pm
RhinoDav
Player Coach
Joined: Jan 17 2006 Posts: 73 Location: Leeds
Surprise surprise pacific posts exactly the same thread on the Wigan and Leeds board even though it has absolutely nothing to do with any Rhinos players
Williams was the worst player on the pitch. He may one day be international class but that looked a long way off today
Post subject: Re: Widdop & Whitehead - Rabbits in the headlights!
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 5:58 pm
hatty
International Board Member
Joined: Feb 14 2003 Posts: 3738 Location: wigan...where else!!
RhinoDav wrote:Surprise surprise pacific posts exactly the same thread on the Wigan and Leeds board even though it has absolutely nothing to do with any Rhinos players
Williams was the worst player on the pitch. He may one day be international class but that looked a long way off today
I don't think any player came off that pitch with any credit to be fair. I've never seen two test matches as pedestrian as the ones i've seen over the last week, even the atmosphere doesn't feel test standard. Although i do like Roby i did think that England played far better when Hodgson was on the pitch as he seemed to give us a little bit of a spark.
1998,2010,2013,2016,2018 & 2023.....I was there ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Post subject: Re: Pacific's weekly poor trolling thread
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 6:03 pm
Judder Man
Player Coach
Joined: Oct 29 2007 Posts: 6767 Location: Now in Enemy Country
I find it difficult to criticise George Williams too much, first test played well with little help from Widdop against a poor defensive NZ team, second test played poor with no help from Widdop against a better defensive NZ team. Widdop with all his experience in the NRL is very average in an international set up. So what will McBanana do next week drop Williams from playing on his home ground and play Gale knowing Widdop will probably keep on using "pass the parcel" creativity.
The new young dynasty of super saints is coming to a ground near you. Welsby-Dodd-Simms-Eaves-Rizzelli, not Eastmond...the future is coming.
Post subject: Re: Pacific's weekly poor trolling thread
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 6:06 pm
try scorer
International Star
Joined: Oct 26 2012 Posts: 915
Always rated george Williams but today showed he's nowhere near ready for new Zealand or the aussies, he wasn't on his own, but in such an important position we need someone to give us a way forward, I'm afraid the young kids kicking game was poor constantly finding their fullback and as his confidence went his passing game deteriated, as I said early he's a star in the making but not at the moment
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