[Bullseye]

Re: Liam Finn : Wed Jul 25, 2018 10:43 am  

My issue with Chisholm is that before his injury at least he showed he had the ability to be one of the best halfbacks in the championship, let alone League 1. However despite that ability here he is with us still. Makes you wonder if he was that good why other teams weren't interested in him.

My theory is that his ability to occasionally do things that are special has carried him as a player so much that he's got away with not doing the dull stuff as well.

I'd not be surprised if the injury has taken away some of his edge.

In the championship we're going to need halves that are tough and can build pressure. Someone that can occasionally do something special but is average for the most part may not be in Kear's plans.

Re: Liam Finn : Wed Jul 25, 2018 11:39 am  

I agree. The first half against York showed all that is wrong with our team (which is by the way no big shock to me, this is a new team, still being moulded and assembled by Kear - I have always thought and said that a rebuilding job takes 3 or 4 years from the point you have your favoured and settled squad)

We didn't turn up. And we didn't have the necessary heads on the field to stop the rot, and turn round attitudes and tactics. We were, frankly, overrun, and nobody seemed to be able to give a lead and do anything about it. It is at times like that, that you need your Liam Finns. I like Keyes and he has come on a great deal, but he isn't able yet to do what was required, nor at his age and size should we expect him to - though he took a bad knock which ended his game. I like the mercurial aspects that Chisholm can bring, and thought we'd pulled off a masterstroke re-signing him, but he has been so up and down this year, the breaks are great but vanishingly rare, the errors, bad passes and fumbles are too frequent, and he is also not the man to get you playing when you're in a big hole.

We needed a team that was able to come out to face up to the challenge and not back down. Instead we were chasing shadows.

We are a half decent team at our level, but the tactics, drilling, belief and speed of York caught us with our pants down and frankly 24-0 was as deserved as it was embarrassing. But it was Kear who turned it round. Lack of on-field experience, leadership and nous in that first half basically lost us the game before Kear could apply the plasters.

Re: Liam Finn : Wed Jul 25, 2018 1:03 pm  

It was interesting to hear that the York coach said "if the Bulls that played at Hunslet turn up on Sunday we will beat them".
That shows the other coaches are seeing our vulnerability now. They can see it and now it looks like many of our own fans are seeing that we are struggling at times when the bulldozer approach down the middle fails. We will probably win the next eight and walk into the Championship but I expect Kear and Chalmers are having quite a few chats in private about where we need to improve.
On the superleague show Wilkin pointed out that Wakefield are full of players who other teams released as they thought they weren't good enough but every player has a great pair of hands and backed up and ran hard. Kear was there and I thought I hope he can rebuild that at the Bulls. We don't need stars just good rugby not one man charge. Hopefully, Kear has put a team together purely to get us out of Div 1 but will now change the team ready for next season with more skill and movement across the line.

Re: Liam Finn : Wed Jul 25, 2018 2:11 pm  

woolly07 wrote:

On the superleague show Wilkin pointed out that Wakefield are full of players who other teams released as they thought they weren't good enough but every player has a great pair of hands and backed up and ran hard. .

Like a certain, rejects team in 97!

Re: Liam Finn : Wed Jul 25, 2018 2:18 pm  

The comments about leadership are bang on the money for me. The only two players I saw capable of trying to bring the side back in the game were Crossley and Flanagan. We needed someone there who would get them all together under the sticks and rollock them big time into a reaction. I genuinely think we have gone for 'too young' a squad. At this level you need more than mere talent you need bottle and a bit of nous upstairs. Sunday maybe showed despite their perceived shortcomings how important Smith and Gibson are to the side

Re: Liam Finn : Wed Jul 25, 2018 2:29 pm  

Finn has joined Widnes until the end of the season apparently.

Re: Liam Finn : Wed Jul 25, 2018 3:50 pm  

Wakefield now confirmed that Finn has gone on loan to Widnes for the rest of the season, adding that he'll join the Wakefield coaching staff for 2019. So looks like this one's just died a death.

Re: Liam Finn : Wed Jul 25, 2018 4:29 pm  

I think the criticism of Chisholm is harsh. I'd like to see the stats but i think he's scored a decent haul of tries and had a hand in a few too this year. Sunday he wasn't at his best (however he was far from the worst player on the field) he did seem a little ragged, chipping to Ethan far too often, think he did it on the second tackle at one point. I'd like to see him take the line on more. We all know he can do it, he's either been told not to, or he doesn't have the confidence in his knee yet. Despite this i believe he was the only player to make a break on Sunday (by the way, i'd love to know why the referee didnt brandish a yellow, he could have picked either for the pull back on Grant or holding down of Chissy)

Someone mentioned distribution from dummy half, i agree it is having an effect and is a real problem for us at the moment for us. We lost on Sunday as we were 24-0 down in the first half and barely got out of our half that first 40.

If we can get some consistency in our spine in the next 8 week, Chisholm will be better for it.

Re: Liam Finn : Wed Jul 25, 2018 4:34 pm  

Bull Mania wrote:

I'd like to see the stats but i think he's scored a decent haul of tries and had a hand in a few too this year.

9 in the league, 1 in the cup scored. 10 tries in 19 games total. Couldn't tell you assists, but try scoring stats are always easy to find.

Re: Liam Finn : Wed Jul 25, 2018 4:49 pm  

HamsterChops wrote:

Wakefield now confirmed that Finn has gone on loan to Widnes for the rest of the season, adding that he'll join the Wakefield coaching staff for 2019. So looks like this one's just died a death.

Well that's put the lid on that one then.