Joined: Nov 19 2002 Posts: 13625 Location: West Yorkshire
Lprhino wrote:Agree we need to improve, I just don’t like the idea of signing our way to it. Every single time we bring in a name or a player with a reputation it doesn’t work. The list of players we have signed who are going to improve the quality of our 13 and haven’t done it is endless. Seriously who was the last big name or player you felt was going to immediately improve the 13 who has come off? We need to grow and develop our own players, that is what made us successful, that is what will make us successful again. We need to focus on bringing some younger players in and letting them develop for a couple of years. Getting a more balanced squad, we can then think about adding the Sparkle with a big name quality player or two.
Today showed me a few things, I think people have covered many above.
1. Leeming isn’t a captain or shouldn’t be the captain. I thought we looked better with O’Connor at 9 when leeming was injured to be honest. He just doesn’t direct us well enough. It was clear as day we needed to punch in behind the ruck before we went wide and despite being captain and 9 he didn’t seem capable of doing it. 2. Sezer just isn’t it for me. Goes missing, looks disinterested, doesn’t control the game. Great he scored but his overall game management isn’t good enough. 3. Austin has a go but just isn’t a top quality 6. That May he because Sezer goes missing so you want some level of control from him but I just don’t think either are really good enough. 4. Prior shouldn’t be in the 13 and if everybody was fit I’m not sure he will be in my 17 next year if he remains. Doesn’t seem to offer anything and looks completely shot. 5. Martin looks like a leader, he was the guy talking in the huddle post game. He has really improved and seems settled and like he can make something happen. Super impressed with him this year. 6. We miss handley and fusitua when they aren’t playing. I hope fusitua is back next week, didn’t look great for handley. 7. Mik is an absolute beast, god forbid if he gets an injury
Looking at how upset handley was and on crutches if say he’s done for the season which is a real shame along with Martin hes been outstanding all season - on Martin, he should be captain next year.
ArthurClues wrote:Agree with almost all of that. Only slight point of contention would be that Sezer & Austin are powerless in terms of controlling the game when the ball keeps getting dropped before tackle three. If we had more strike in the centres (think Newman & McDonald) our expansive style would bring greater rewards. Rohan has got some stuff on his plate, but I wouldn't bet against him getting through it.
Agree. We hugely miss Newman and Fusitua. Austin was playing on one leg. No where near fully fit. We showed great grit today. Didn’t play well at all but we know how to win. Hopefully a big prop or two to come in and a good centre.
We look like a team running on fumes. The suspensions and injuries throughout the season have meant some players have had to play too many games while others have sat on the sidelines, and we've just played six games in less than a month with no margin for error. The attack has been faltering for a while, and we've only averaged 17 points in the last three games, compared to over 28 in the 13 games before that after Smith arrived.
It looks like its all caught up with us and I'd be surprised if we win next week. Certainly can't afford Catalans to get another big lead.
ArthurClues wrote:Agree with almost all of that. Only slight point of contention would be that Sezer & Austin are powerless in terms of controlling the game when the ball keeps getting dropped before tackle three. If we had more strike in the centres (think Newman & McDonald) our expansive style would bring greater rewards. Rohan has got some stuff on his plate, but I wouldn't bet against him getting through it.
I can see your point. I think for me Sezer waits for the game to come to him, he is passive. I want a big name 7 from the NRL to make the game come to him, to grab it and say this is what we are doing and I am going to make it happen because I am the main man. I do accept the point about ball dropping etc but some of that stems from him and the fact the ball is being passed around despite us being unable to keep hold of it. He goes missing and doesn’t do that enough for me and that isn’t about strike players it is about attitude and personality on the pitch. On the other hand I like the attitude from Austin he gets stuck in, he seems to want it and try hard. I am just not convinced he is actually good enough, however cannot fault his effort.
Leeming was playing some lovely stuff before his injury, since he's came back in, he's been woeful, by far our worst player over those 3 games imo.
Defence has been soft, distribution rubbish, randomly kicks possession away early in sets when no one else seems to know its coming...And yesterday, the dumbest 9/captain performance iv ever seen, we were killing them through the middle the few times we went there but he didnt have the intelligence or patience to focus on exploiting it. Really poor, hope he finds his pre-injury form in time for the weekend.
Trebor1 wrote:Agree. We hugely miss Newman and Fusitua. Austin was playing on one leg. No where near fully fit. We showed great grit today. Didn’t play well at all but we know how to win. Hopefully a big prop or two to come in and a good centre.
Lprhino wrote:Agree we need to improve, I just don’t like the idea of signing our way to it. Every single time we bring in a name or a player with a reputation it doesn’t work. The list of players we have signed who are going to improve the quality of our 13 and haven’t done it is endless. Seriously who was the last big name or player you felt was going to immediately improve the 13 who has come off? We need to grow and develop our own players, that is what made us successful, that is what will make us successful again. We need to focus on bringing some younger players in and letting them develop for a couple of years. Getting a more balanced squad, we can then think about adding the Sparkle with a big name quality player or two.
Today showed me a few things, I think people have covered many above.
1. Leeming isn’t a captain or shouldn’t be the captain. I thought we looked better with O’Connor at 9 when leeming was injured to be honest. He just doesn’t direct us well enough. It was clear as day we needed to punch in behind the ruck before we went wide and despite being captain and 9 he didn’t seem capable of doing it. 2. Sezer just isn’t it for me. Goes missing, looks disinterested, doesn’t control the game. Great he scored but his overall game management isn’t good enough. 3. Austin has a go but just isn’t a top quality 6. That May he because Sezer goes missing so you want some level of control from him but I just don’t think either are really good enough. 4. Prior shouldn’t be in the 13 and if everybody was fit I’m not sure he will be in my 17 next year if he remains. Doesn’t seem to offer anything and looks completely shot. 5. Martin looks like a leader, he was the guy talking in the huddle post game. He has really improved and seems settled and like he can make something happen. Super impressed with him this year. 6. We miss handley and fusitua when they aren’t playing. I hope fusitua is back next week, didn’t look great for handley. 7. Mik is an absolute beast, god forbid if he gets an injury
Spot on with pretty much all of that. I think Martin should be captain. We undoubtedly need a centre next year. And we can't rely on the fitness and form of Prior and Holroyd, so we need another front line prop. I have a feeling that Fusitua is going to go back home, hence why we bring in Olpherts. If so, we would have 2 quota spaces. We need to use them wisely.
Simmo71 wrote:Spot on with pretty much all of that. I think Martin should be captain. We undoubtedly need a centre next year. And we can't rely on the fitness and form of Prior and Holroyd, so we need another front line prop. I have a feeling that Fusitua is going to go back home, hence why we bring in Olpherts. If so, we would have 2 quota spaces. We need to use them wisely.
Defo need another prop regardless, not fussed about Fusitua, think we can do better
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