Goal kicker : Sat Jun 10, 2017 4:39 am
I have seen plenty of comments on various threads stating that we need to sign a goal kick as a real priority. We have the lowest percentage of kick success in Superleague and we really do have an issue with it. Teams generally go up in 6s whilst we only go up in 4s.However, I believe it's no good bringing in a goal kicker unless they are better than the player currently occupying their position.
FB - Tomkins / Escare - there are not many goal kicking full backs that could rival either of those two (assuming Sam can get fit and get some form). Hardacre maybe but looks committed to Cas.
Wing - Burgess / Manfredi / Marshall / Davies. If we were to bring in a winger we'd have to sacrifice one or two of them and barring Tommy Makinson, I'm not sure I'd want to lose any of our wingers for anybody else in SL.
Centres - Gelling / Gildart - Gelling on his day can be unplayable and Gildart has shown his worth and huge potential already this season. Again, Hardacre could fit the bill but committed to Cas.
Stand off - I would not swap George Williams for anybody in SL.
Scrum half - Leuluai has the rest of this year and next on his playing contract and we have Powell and Shorrocks. As well as Powell played covering for MM, I don't see him as our full time scrum half whereas Shorrocks could well be. Luke Gale could be a good fit for us but again it would mean sacrificing Powell who is a very good utility player or Shorrocks. Again, wouldn't be easy to get Gale away from Cas. Myler is off contract at the end of the year but I'm not sure he's what we need in a scrum half? The best option could be Jordan Lilly but can't see Leeds letting us get him.
Props - I'm not aware of any good props who kick goals?
Hooker - I'm a fan of MM and Powell provides more than adequate cover. If we went for a goal kicking hooker (can't think of any) we'd have to sacrifice one of these.
Second row - wouldn't swap Bateman or Faz for anybody in SL and Tomkins, Wells etc are good cover players.
Loose Forward - Lockers is in a league of his own when he plays and we have his natural successor in Bateman. Perhaps Stevie Ward at Leeds but again it would be difficult to get him.
This leaves us with the only other option of bringing in a really top class kicking coach to work with Escare, Tomkins, Williams, Marshall, Shorrocks etc. In the hope that one or two of them can really improve. I simply can't see how we can sign a goal kicker and improve the team without significant sacrifices!
