Re: 2016 V's 2017 : Sun Jan 15, 2017 10:42 pm  

I'm sure you would craig hkr, but in the meantime, you're absolutely hilarious in how ridiculous you are.

My favourite quote is "Feck you, go suck your own plums".

Genuinely marvellous stuff.

Re: 2016 V's 2017 : Mon Jan 16, 2017 11:35 am  

Zook Ema's Hose wrote:

Whilst I agree with most of your assessments the fact that our squad at this point has slightly less quality than 2016 is largely irrelevant.

But is the subject of this thread.

Re: 2016 V's 2017 : Mon Jan 16, 2017 12:36 pm  

Top level playing experience in the squad has been reduced but will hopefully be addressed mid season. On average, skill level is about the same or a little less (as well as some skillful players, some lemons have also left). Enthusiasm and hunger level has increased. Quite a few of the squad last season appeared disinterested or coasting - disappointingly some were the same one's who were classed as experienced or skillful.

With Bradford rebuilding, their team is unlikely to be as competitive as last season and they were to be our greatest threat. That said, they'll be out to prove a point this season.

I predicted the bottom 4 of SL before for 2017, and not a lot has changed my mind - Widnes, Salford, Huddersfield and either Wakey or Leigh. Hudds were shakey last season and not done much inbetween.

Re: 2016 V's 2017 : Mon Jan 16, 2017 1:43 pm  

Gallanteer wrote:

Top level playing experience in the squad has been reduced but will hopefully be addressed mid season. On average, skill level is about the same or a little less (as well as some skillful players, some lemons have also left). Enthusiasm and hunger level has increased. Quite a few of the squad last season appeared disinterested or coasting - disappointingly some were the same one's who were classed as experienced or skillful.

With Bradford rebuilding, their team is unlikely to be as competitive as last season and they were to be our greatest threat. That said, they'll be out to prove a point this season.

I predicted the bottom 4 of SL before for 2017, and not a lot has changed my mind - Widnes, Salford, Huddersfield and either Wakey or Leigh. Hudds were shakey last season and not done much inbetween.

Although they have no chance of making it into Super League, never write off London. Their squad seems quite good on paper. However they shouldn't really stand in our way with our squad.

My prediction for bottom of SL and top of Championship is..

Leeds
Widnes
Leigh
Salford

and

Hull KR
London
Fev
Tolouse/Bradford if they didn't have the -12

Re: 2016 V's 2017 : Mon Jan 16, 2017 2:47 pm  

fun time frankie wrote:

Addy is not a scrum half though as most Bradford fans will tell you Abdul is and I've got to say I've never watched Marsh and thought he's been a stand out player quite the opposite I'd be worried if we were going into the season with him as our first choice half

Agree with this Frankie.

I've never been a fan of Marsh other than of his potential. He's simply not creative enough in the halves and he is too quiet vocally. He has never delivered a performance in our first team that's had my bum crease with excitement. That said, more experience and game time in future and things might be different.

Which brings me neatly on to Abdull. Currently he is at the same "bags of potential" career stage as Matty Marsh. More experience and game time required and he will be a diamond, which is exactly the raison d'etre for him joining us on loan. Unlike Marsh, Abdull is vocal and has a more varied kicking game, so I have him ahead on points.

You can only comment on reality to date and Jordan Abdull and Jamie Ellis went well in the halves for us at Hull last time out.

The acid test will be Leeds this week. They are weak in the halves and McGuire and Burrow are getting on a bit.

If I had to make a prediction as to the bottom 4 in SL in 2017 at this preseason stage, I would say Huddersfield, Salford, Widnes and one of either Leigh or Leeds.

Re: 2016 V's 2017 : Mon Jan 16, 2017 3:23 pm  

Did no one watch the Derby at their place last year? Abdull was one of if not the best player on the pitch. I think some people are blinkered because of who his parent club are.

Re: 2016 V's 2017 : Mon Jan 16, 2017 3:56 pm  

GansonTheClown wrote:

IMO:

Ken Sio > Adam Quinlan
Iain Thornley > Jake Butler-Fleming
Kieron Dixon = Kieron Moss
Josh Mantellato > Andrew Heffernan
Terry Campese > Jordan Abdull
Albert Kelly > Jamie Ellis
Adam Walker > Nick Scruton
Dane Tilse < Mitch Clark
John Boubebza v ???
James Green > George Milton
Kevin Larroyer v ???
Mitch Allgood = Danny Addy

James Webster < Tim Sheens

I think the Sio, Thornley, Walker, Tilse, Green and Allgood comparisons are about right and had all the others played full seasons, you would most probably be about right too (although I disagree about Dixon as he had become that much of a liability at times.)

If comparing with the previous season though, I feel you need to think whether a full season of Heffernan, Abdul or Ellis is better than the 10 ish games of Mantellato and Campese or the disruptive influence and 20 games that Kelly played (some of which looked like he was wearing a sumo suit)?

Either way Sheens will be key to the success or failure. If he gets us fired up and playing well, those new signings will hopefully be fit, on the field and greater than the sum of their parts.

Re: 2016 V's 2017 : Mon Jan 16, 2017 6:02 pm  

I remember us playing hull at C.P 2 seasons ago and Ellis and pryce went off injured and I thought to myself at the time 'we will hammer these now',
Abdul come on at stand off and kicked us to death and they beat us

Re: 2016 V's 2017 : Mon Jan 16, 2017 6:52 pm  

There is no question that Abdul is a talent. Given time and space he will kick most teams to death. His problem is he's inconsistent. If he wasn't, Hull would not be so keen to loan him out.
The reason he's at Rovers this season is not because the black and whites are keen to help us get back into Super League. It's to aid his development.
Tim Sheens knows that and now has 2 players (3 when Marsh is fit) he can drop into the halfs if Abdul or Ellis loose form. Unlike last season when we had to play Blair at six.
How he deals with been dropped will be a good indecation of how his attitude and development have progressed.

Re: 2016 V's 2017 : Mon Jan 16, 2017 7:06 pm  

It'll be interesting to see how destructive Blair and Greenwod will be this year. Especially without Blair being played out of position every week like last year.