Board index ‹ Super League ‹ St. Helens - the-entertainers.tv ‹ Salford Match Thread - St Helens 32 v 10 Salford

bewareshadows wrote:

I think the decision pre-match was strategical.

Perry was injured and Gaskell was the next best player fit to play.
But was used Tactically during the match.

If Perry was fit Gaskell would probably not have got a look in.
Had Gaskell been on the bench and Royce was in charge, he probably would have not got any time as they were only there to cover injury, not to be injected into a match to make a difference.

I was told flangan was due to miss out last night until Perry pulled out and I think past history shows gaskell would be starting if Royce was still in charge with lance on the bench

SaintsFan wrote:

I will turn that back on you, since I don't believe it was tactical. If it WAS tactical, why wasn't he on the bench against Wigan? If ever there was an opposition we needed to confuse, Wigan was it but instead we stuck to the same combinations in spite of repeated beatings.

I think it's a good to see a coach pick his team that he thinks is best against the opposition and not just picking the same 17 every week.

Maybe he's watched the tapes on Salford and thought Gaskell would do them damage in the secound half.

It worked anyway.

St pete wrote:

I think it's a good to see a coach pick his team that he thinks is best against the opposition and not just picking the same 17 every week.

Whereas I think it is good when a coach learns that a given 17 don't work and so adapts accordingly, which clearly hasn't been done in the case of Wigan so I don't see how it would be done against anyone else.

It worked anyway.

IMO it worked because Gaskell needs to be on the pitch but no doubt he will be disappeared again.

bewareshadows wrote:

If Perry was fit Gaskell would probably not have got a look in.

I have absolutely no idea how you come by that conclusion! A back for a prop?! And for the last ten minutes only? Makes no sense IMO. Didn't Gaskell physically replace Jones anyway? I don't remember Jones being on the pitch while Gaskell was on it.

SaintsFan wrote:

I have absolutely no idea how you come by that conclusion! A back for a prop?! And for the last ten minutes only? Makes no sense IMO. Didn't Gaskell physically replace Jones anyway? I don't remember Jones being on the pitch while Gaskell was on it.

Gaskell come on for clough tp went prop Wilkin second row roby loose lance hooker Jones play full game

SaintsFan wrote:

Whereas I think it is good when a coach learns that a given 17 don't work and so adapts accordingly, which clearly hasn't been done in the case of Wigan so I don't see how it would be done against anyone else.

IMO it worked because Gaskell needs to be on the pitch but no doubt he will be disappeared again.

Rush also changed the team for the bulls game at Langtree as he wanted the biggest pack out there to steam roll them and that worked.

Sometimes changes to to team selection are needed depending on who we playing and not just swapping the team around just for the sake of it.

Your correct, we've not yet picked the right team to beat wiigsn but I'm sure every defeat has been a learning curve and with a little luck we will get it right at play off time.

1984saints wrote:

Gaskell come on for clough tp went prop Wilkin second row roby loose lance hooker Jones play full game

Ah right. Me and a few around me were trying to figure out who left the pitch when Gaskell came on and I don't remember seeing Jones. But I wasn't sure. Clough put in a good stint IMO. He was one of the few forwards who consistently ran forward (as opposed to sideways!).

However, I still don't think Perry being available to play would have made any difference to Gaskell. Not that Perry wasn't available to play. We don't get injury updates these days and so I have no idea whether Perry was fit or not.

St pete wrote:

Rush also changed the team for the bulls game at Langtree as he wanted the biggest pack out there to steam roll them and that worked.

Yes, I was aware of that, which kind of backs up my position that Gaskell wasn't a direct replacement for Perry. I don't think Perry's fitness or otherwise bore any impact upon whether Gaskell played. I think Gaskell played because we needed the creativity in attack which frankly Hohaia isn't giving us and yet Rush will not concede that point beyond playing Gasky for 10 minutes at the end of the occasional match.

Sometimes changes to to team selection are needed depending on who we playing and not just swapping the team around just for the sake of it.

Really? I wouldn't have guessed!

SaintsFan wrote:

Really? I wouldn't have guessed!

Yes really, it was tactical unlike early in the year when the wingers and centres was taking it in turns to play

Perry just wasnt picked so I'm told.

St pete wrote:

Perry just wasnt picked so I'm told.

That would be tactical then.

(Perry will be moaning to the press again if he doesn't get picked!)