Time to take stock : Mon Apr 09, 2018 5:10 am  

Having read the stats for yesterday’s it makes for some interesting reading

The bulk of our metres were made by Ikahihifo, Ta’ai, English, Wakeman and Clough all front rowers albeit with Clough spelling O’Brien as hooker reducing his normal total.

Smith matched Hinchcliffe’s usual effort more metres less tackles but a good effort non the less.

Ok they had injuries but the return from the second row was abysmal both metres and tackles so the props had to and did put their hands up big style. Roberts also doesn’t carry the ball enough for me for a man on such a long contract,that needs to change to fulfil his potential.

In truth we didn’t lose the match in the pack over 80 mins I felt our pack came out on top. Whilst I dont rate Walne or Dickinson we are well set in the prop area for me.

With Symonds now gone we are light in the second row and need to replace him at some point with a high quality player.

Hooker we have two good young options, my choice would be to sign a new half back for next year and utilise Brough at hooker/stand off and rotate to keep maximum fitness and freshness.

2-4 is a shoe in when fit, Jerry, Leroy and Turner who is a natural left centre not right.

Full back Mamo or Rankin left wing a shoot out between Senior as after yesterday it’s his to lose, Murphy, McKintosh, Senior and Simpson.

For now Brough and Gaskell in the halves but I guess what I’m saying is we need a second row, quality half back in the Ridyard mould who can manage a game and Hinchcliffe for a further year or a quality replacement.

With most of our start players on the field we would compete with any team I have seen this season on the proviso they continue to show improved attitude and effort, we continue to be more expansive in our style and turn up on a regular basis with the right mindset.

The benefit of the injury crisis has meant we have had a glimpse into the future with the two Seniors and English and with other academy players hopefully pushing on offering us hope for a bright future providing we can turn this season around.

1pt away from 8th, 3pts from 7th with Wakey to play twice it’s not impossible we just need some much needed luck, continued application and get some players back.

Re: Time to take stock : Mon Apr 09, 2018 7:41 am  

For me I feel we need a specialist fullback and a second row player who can pass!
We miss the likes of ferres and his service to wardle!
We appear to have a glut of young wingers! I’d like to see Mackintosh developed as a centre much as Leroy was.

Re: Time to take stock : Mon Apr 09, 2018 1:23 pm  

roberts after his good world cup has this season been disappointing, poss burned out from it all

Re: Time to take stock : Mon Apr 09, 2018 2:26 pm  

brearley84 wrote:

roberts after his good world cup has this season been disappointing, poss burned out from it all

He’s not a passing second row or a line running second row like either. He’s a direct second row but that’s all we have. We haven’t had a decent line running second row since Jamie cording left. Patrick is probably most recent we’ve had but he was played at prop.

Re: Time to take stock : Mon Apr 09, 2018 3:21 pm  

jools wrote:

He’s not a passing second row or a line running second row like either. He’s a direct second row but that’s all we have. We haven’t had a decent line running second row since Jamie cording left. Patrick is probably most recent we’ve had but he was played at prop.

Jamie Cording really!. He wasn't even a super league standard player. The last quality line running second row we had was Lee Gilmour in his first two seasons with us before he lost a yard of pace and Nathan Brown made thge ridiculous decision to play him at prop.

Re: Time to take stock : Mon Apr 09, 2018 4:01 pm  

Cording new how to hit a line. Ukuma used to too, Roberts did last year, he's carrying a bit of weight and is playing lots of minutes patched up. He's a top player he'll come good.

Re: Time to take stock : Mon Apr 09, 2018 4:13 pm  

What I will say is that Thorman has got more out of our players on just under two weeks than stone got from them in just under two years!

Re: Time to take stock : Mon Apr 09, 2018 4:38 pm  

been saying for a long time we dont have a ball passing 2nd rower

we did have one.... tom symonds he even played half back in his early days but we all know whats happened

ferres was the one before

be great to get one roberts and ferguson/lawrence all too much same type of players ball runners

Re: Time to take stock : Mon Apr 09, 2018 7:00 pm  

I think Bruno will take Hinchliffe role as a workhorse loose forward when Hinchy calls it a day.

But yeah a ball handling second rower would be good, I think we just need to cut out the second rows every so often and get some good early ball to Turner and Leroy when he's back, we love a short ball into SR, it came off once or twice to Fergie early in the season and we've flogged that play ever since!

Re: Time to take stock : Tue Apr 10, 2018 12:14 pm  

HuddsRL5 wrote:

I think Bruno will take Hinchliffe role as a workhorse loose forward when Hinchy calls it a day.

But yeah a ball handling second rower would be good, I think we just need to cut out the second rows every so often and get some good early ball to Turner and Leroy when he's back, we love a short ball into SR, it came off once or twice to Fergie early in the season and we've flogged that play ever since!

yes was so easy to defend against

our defence is becoming a worry now , conceded most in the league , think sometimes thats down to working hard for each other too