Re: Our 2015 Squad : Mon Nov 24, 2014 9:27 pm  

moving on... wrote:

Does no one ever give any thought that maybe all these young talented lads from saints always drop off due to the fact they get fed up of the club? Saints get so much youth talent but prefer to opt for quick fixes. Gaskell, Foster and Smith being the main stand outs. Wheeler with a fresh start with a point to prove will come leaps and bounds.

I really want to believe your joking ... I never can tell on this board...

13 out of our top 25 are homegrown players, including a player whose managed 20 years at the club without getting bored. Who precisely is our "quick fix" and for what precisely?

Assuming it's with regards to wheeler, dress it up however you like, 56 games in 8 years is no where near good enough. Nor is having 5 seconds of play in the first game of the season a good enough highlights reel

Re: Our 2015 Squad : Tue Nov 25, 2014 8:08 am  

I just dont see it with Wheeler and never have, he has never got me sat on the edge of my seat thinking he was a great player and I just find it a puzzling signing!

Re: Our 2015 Squad : Tue Nov 25, 2014 11:29 am  

He has excellent vision, great hands, kicks well and steps off both feet.

Agreed Irishwire my pal, he doesn't run about like a support back Myler/McGuire type and not a whippet either like a Burrow/Chase. So he isn't likely to get bigged up by match-in-play commentators. He has the type of play Jon Wells looks for in analysis.

A throw back to a more older type of back. I think he will add some balance to a left side that at times is wanting with us.
All those players who play down the left channel have had stick at some period in 2014 over form. Its an area where Wheeler could inject some creative play and turn those left side players into the best in SL.

Re: Our 2015 Squad : Tue Nov 25, 2014 1:13 pm  

Still underwhelmed with Wheeler, just cos he has a Wire shirt doesn't mean his bones will mend.

He'll still live where he lives, eat what he always eats, probably train how he trains and still be a burden on the cap for a year like he was at Saints.

Re: Our 2015 Squad : Tue Nov 25, 2014 1:28 pm  

Agreed rubber duckie. Matty Smith was let go in favour of Eastmond because Eastmond would do a few things a game that would catch the eye Whilst Smith just goes about his business. Now look what's happened, Smith has become Wigans most important player alongside O'Laughlin and Blake Green and England's starting scrum half.

My point is, I'd prefer to have a standard reliable Smith or Wheeler who play quite similar to each other (When Wheeler is in the half back roll. They both have; good hands, organization, a kicking game, in play vision and an ability to back themselves when he feels the time is right. Rather than an inconsistent McGuire, Chase, Burns etc.

Re: Our 2015 Squad : Tue Nov 25, 2014 1:39 pm  

When has Wheeler been consistent?

Re: Our 2015 Squad : Tue Nov 25, 2014 4:26 pm  

From what I've seen of him every time he's played, quite. Just been unfortunate with injury. O'Brien could have been viewed in the same light as wheeler. Good lad, plenty of skill but can't seem to cement a place in the team and always seems to be picking up an injury. He gets a good stint under his belt and presto. A shining light for us at the end of last season.

Re: Our 2015 Squad : Tue Nov 25, 2014 6:07 pm  

morleys_deckchair wrote:

Does wheeler have a great kicking game?... can he lead a team around the park? Will he ever play enough games for us to be able to find out?

if he doesn't, then we still have the same problems as last season... infact the problem is bigger as we have lost Monaghan who did alot of good kicking from AHB

Ratchford - Some brilliant displays, poor kicking game... probably better at full back
Bridge - Fairly solid at 6, but no kicking game and not a leading HB
Myler - Support player.. we have seen he cant lead a team around the pitch.. bang average kicking game.
Obrien - probably the closest thing we have.. lets hope he kicks on.
Patton - One for the future, but probably not for this season.

Some of these players have provided some decent kicks when close to the line (they have also provided some extremely bad ones as well).. I think the issue is field position.. Last season we really suffered for not having a kicker that could get us field position... i dont see that changing next season unless Patton cements a place at 7 (who by all accounts has an excellent kicking game)...

We also lacked organisation as well i thought.. No one stood up and tried to get us going like briers used to.. there was no one directing the forwards around, shouting the odds out and calling the shots... Only M.Monaghan ever really did this.. and now he has left as well.... So again, either someone from that list is going to have to do something they haven't done before or its going to be a struggle in the big games again.

That's exactly my worry.

Re: Our 2015 Squad : Tue Nov 25, 2014 6:43 pm  

Warrington fans....don't you just love them.

Gary Wheeler was the 'most talented player' at St Helens and is another example of Saints searching for a 'quick fix'.



You've got to laugh.

Brilliant stuff. Wheeler was full of potential before it became apparent that he lacks professionalism and can't play more than two games in a row. Needless to say, his first team appearances reflect his ethic. Further than that, this is just another example of the food chain: player not good enough for big club being allowed to leave to sign at lesser club that hopes they can pull off a miracle. No different to Carl Forster winding up at Salford.

Good luck convincing yourselves that you've pulled off a wowser. You haven't and in time you'll crack on without him in your desperate search for relevancy. Mid fifties was your last one wasn't it ?

Crackpots.

Re: Our 2015 Squad : Tue Nov 25, 2014 7:22 pm  

Troll alert