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tad rhino wrote:

handleys not a strike centre for me. average at best

While no world beater he’s doing a lot better than sutcliffe. Read his own hype too young and he is average at best

Sal Paradise wrote:

Anyone who thinks Handley compares in any way favourably with Watkins needs medical help

Read my posts Sal.

I was not comparing Handley and Watkins as rugby players period and I pointed out Handley's shortcomings in defense.

However what you cannot argue with is the Handley this season has been one of our best attacking players and not below average as Tad claimed. He is our top try scorer and has outperformed Watkins in many of the attacking aspects of the game such as try assists, clean breaks, tackle busts and of course tries.

son of headingley wrote:

…and this all goes to prove that it is ALWAYS better to base your opinion on what your eyes tell you than from a piece of paper/web page.

The only thing that has been proven is that the facts recorded for the number of tries scored, clean breaks made, tackles bust and try assists which provide the KPIs for each player. I have seen most of these on TV which are often show from different angles from which I too form my own opinion with what my eyes tell me. But in my case the KPIs back up my eyes and my opinion.

I am only commenting on Handley's attacking performances this season and not his defensive liabilities.

I wouldn't of given that try of Woods, but it makes up for the crap that Child served up v sts

Handley is poor defensively, but he's getting tries whilst also not completely blocking Hall out of the game. That's important because we're scoring less than 20 points per game across all games this year. At least that edge is a threat.

Walker just looked a really average full back. He has zero presence running the ball back, is pretty ineffectual in the tackle and creates little in attack when we have the ball. His biggest issue by far is his lack of size and strength. He'll never be a man mountain, but in the off-season he needs to put on some serious bulk. I'm completely serious in saying he wouldn't be playing anything other than U19s in Australia. He wouldn't be up to the physicality of the Queensland Cup, never mind NRL (where Hardaker was considered 10 kg too light).

My main fear is that if he continues playing full back the way he does, he'll end up being another kid with promise who gets his confidence blown away and ends up in the Championship or worse. Walker has got talent, but right now for full back is a weakness in our first 17, and he's only marginally better than Golding.

don't care what the stats say about clean breaks or trys scored he's nowhere near good enough to be a regular. not if we want to be a top side again

Assuming you're talking about Handley, he definitely needs to get better, but compared to other positions its simply less important. To me we look weak as the proverbial at fullback and stand off in the backs, and backrow in the forwards. Prop we just need more of a group. Average is the best that far too many of our squad could aspire to. I can't think of more than a couple of our forwards who'd be automatic in a top 4 first 17 - Ward and Garbutt. Both of them miss a lot of games. The rest, and I include Cuthbertson in the core role of prop - taking the ball in hard and tackling - are average plodders.

BrisbaneRhino wrote:

Assuming you're talking about Handley, he definitely needs to get better, but compared to other positions its simply less important. To me we look weak as the proverbial at fullback and stand off in the backs, and backrow in the forwards. Prop we just need more of a group. Average is the best that far too many of our squad could aspire to. I can't think of more than a couple of our forwards who'd be automatic in a top 4 first 17 - Ward and Garbutt. Both of them miss a lot of games. The rest, and I include Cuthbertson in the core role of prop - taking the ball in hard and tackling - are average plodders.

Agreed, Handley is awful.

One trick pony.