ChrisH wrote:Here's some imponderables Will Ellis be the player he was at his best last season or will injuries and another year on the clock take their toll? Will Manu be better than Westerman was last year let alone the year before? Can he find some form , he's not shown anything for some time? Will big Frank be as good as he was last year? Similar to Ellis , will he have another big year in him? Will Taylor be an upgrade on Paea? Will Mini be able to do it all again? Another player that is getting on and at times looked knackered last year. Will Sneyd become the player we thought he was? Is Pryce past it? He started last year really well but faded badly. Can Abdull and Logan kick on? Can Tuimavave play centre? Will Houghton improve his game management? Will one of the new or last year's stars be able to galvanise and lead the team and find something from somewhere at that point in the game when you look at the team in a difficult spell and think where is it going to come from? So many times last year that happened and you knew nothing was coming. If enough of those get positive answers then things could be really good but it wouldn't take many where the outcome is negative to put us in trouble. Luck will play a huge part in respect of how bodies hold up and who gets injured because for all the talk of depth we like everyone else can't afford the sort of depth that can be needed when injuries hit. As usual at this time of year I think we have something to look forward to but at the same time am really worried that it could all go horribly wrong , just like that. Not because that's just sport but because it's what seems to happen to us and then people say , well what did you expect with aging forwards , an inexperienced half , no cover at hooker and no strike centre?
will I win the lottery ? will leeds win the sl ? will we beat rovers ? will I meet carole Kirkwood ? will it rain tomorrow ? will I have fishnchips for supper ? will ELO tour again ? is elvis living on bransholme ?
once a black and white always a black and white COYH
rodney_trotter wrote:I agree our attack may still be a concern for next season.
For me, the only areas for optimism are...
1. Hopefully Sneyd improves and plays more consistently 2. Radford with more experience?! 3. Abdul may impress at 6 or 13 4. Better pack laying down a platform?
Sneyd has already proved in the past he has the tools in his locker (when he was at Cas) but as highlighted previously, on the face of it we don't look like we have made massive strides regarding attacking strategy
It was probably the structures the coaching staff had in place at Cas and the players he had around him playing as as a unit that made Sneyd look good. His goal kicking average was also a lot better but maybe more to do with more tries being scored nearer to the posts. His goal kicking from wide out for us was poor,that said i like him as a player,tries hard and never afraid to try something a bit different.
Joined: Feb 09 2004 Posts: 7735 Location: Here there and everywhere
Jake the Peg wrote:You can't carry an off the cuff player if he doesn't pull his weight (no pun intended) elsewhere. The way a 35 year old kevin sinfield ghosted around him then left him for dead next season isn't good enough at this level
Agree, hence my point about a big pre season.
In comparison, it could be argued that an ageing Leon Pryce ghosting past Terry Campese leaving hi for dead etc, but I doubt rovers would even consider dropping a fit TC.
Mild mannered Janitor wrote:Agree, hence my point about a big pre season.
In comparison, it could be argued that an ageing Leon Pryce ghosting past Terry Campese leaving hi for dead etc, but I doubt rovers would even consider dropping a fit TC.
I think maybe abdul ate campese at some point late last season
Joined: May 08 2002 Posts: 9565 Location: 10 mins walk from Suncorp Stadium
If Pritchard is fit he'll tear holes all over the field. He really is an outstanding forward with great hands. Of all the NRL signings in SL next year he's the absolute standout, followed by Tupou at Wakefield. I hope you get to see him at his best.
Joined: Feb 11 2014 Posts: 1073 Location: Hill Valley
ChrisH wrote:As usual at this time of year I think we have something to look forward to but at the same time am really worried that it could all go horribly wrong , just like that. Not because that's just sport but because it's what seems to happen to us and then people say , well what did you expect with aging forwards , an inexperienced half , no cover at hooker and no strike centre?
Regarding potential age and fitness concerns of the older players I'm hopeful that our depth will allow us to manage their game time quite well. With Ellis and Mini I think we have been guilty in the past of playing them when they've been carrying a knock or looked in need of a rest because they're big players and we've needed their experience, talent and guidance on the field. Hopefully the arrival of players like Frank the Tank and Manu, plus our younger players being a year older and having more experience under their belts, will allow us to do a fair bit of rotation as and when needed which should hopefully keep players fitness's up for the full season. Obviously you can't predict when and if a player will come a cropper with a serious injury (as you say, that's sport and you need a bit of luck on this front) but with the depth on offer I think we should be able to limit the usual "injury crisis" providing that we make use of that depth throughout the season and don't just rely on it when someone picks up an injury.
Regarding the halves comment, I'm hopeful that with what looks like a dominating pack that our halves will have more space and freedom to express themselves. Can't disagree with the comments on hooker and centre. Is Washy our cover at hooker now? Hopefully Tuimavave and Fonua will provide the strike we need or we'll add that strike with an additional signing.
Joined: Aug 31 2005 Posts: 8546 Location: Location Location
BrisbaneRhino wrote:If Pritchard is fit he'll tear holes all over the field. He really is an outstanding forward with great hands. Of all the NRL signings in SL next year he's the absolute standout, followed by Tupou at Wakefield. I hope you get to see him at his best.
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