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Grimmy wrote:

Benefits of Davies taking up kick returns:
- Makes more metres after contact
- More likely to win the floor and get a quick ptb
- More likely to break a tackle
- Doesn't offer the opposition forwards a free hit on a key player

Benefits of S.Tomkins taking up kick returns:
- We wouldn't lose time taken up by the pass (possibly negated by Davies running in faster than S.Tomkins anyway)
- Spectators will momentarily stop moaning
- Anything else?

OK, I seem to be in a minority of one here, but I'll just make a couple of points, and leave it at that:

* Often, particularly last season, it wasn't Davies, but the unfortunate Liam Marshall, who is smaller than Tomkins. Not likely to make more metres...

* Nobody is suggesting to do it all the time. Just sometimes, to keep the opposition honest.

* Billy Slater and James Tedesco (to name but 2) are 'ball-playing full-backs'. It's good enough for them, in a tougher competition, to do it sometimes.

Moto we might as well draw a big target on Sam’s head whilst we’re at it! As others have said, there are very few positives in him simply driving it back after a kick. It reminds me very much of Martin Offiah who said the only time he was allowed to take the ball straight in was if we needed a penalty! The players and coaches knew it was open season on him and it would be just the same with Sam.

Bigredwarrior wrote:

Moto we might as well draw a big target on Sam’s head whilst we’re at it! As others have said, there are very few positives in him simply driving it back after a kick. It reminds me very much of Martin Offiah who said the only time he was allowed to take the ball straight in was if we needed a penalty! The players and coaches knew it was open season on him and it would be just the same with Sam.

Exactly.
Some comments from our "our friends" on red Vee.
"He's started the season well but is a coward when there's work to be done, and yes, I do mean coward.

I also still can't help wanting to see him decapitated every time he touches the ball."

"One day someone will plant him square on the jaw, and he’ll deserve it."

"t will be a moment to treasure."

Unfortunately in this sanitised age I fear he will go his entire career doing this and getting away with it.

Mick Ennis was absolutely HATED in the NRL for being even worse than the rodent child and yet never got what everyone wanted to give him due to the banning of the biff.

"If you ask me the banning of the biff has caused Rugby League to lose its edge in terms of the neutral tuning in never knowing exactly what would happen next. NRL can cope without that element as it is so skillful but if you ask me we need the biff, it sells the product.

"It would also put ratty back in his box very, very quickly."

"I agree 100%. No one wants to see players needlessly hurt but when you have players like the rat, constantly with sly (and often blatant) knees, late tackles, tackles at standing legs and then his constant mouthing off it can't be right. As you say though, everything is sanitised now and it will probably never change."

"Yep Victor. It used to be that if the ref couldn't or wouldn't police it then the players would. These days cowards like ratty just get away with murder as they know there is no retribution.
That said let's hope someone loses the plot with him one day. I am sure there would be plenty of fans willing to chip in to cover any violent conduct fine."

http://forums.redvee.net/showthread.php ... or-rat-boy

I stand by my comments. Don't opponents want to smash Slater and Tedesco too?

And if ST is really such a hate figure to opponents (more so than anyone else?), well, to some extent, he has himself partly to blame.

I heard on some radio news round up the other day that Barba didn't make a single tackle in 80mins in last weeks saints game.
So it isn't just taking it in that certain FB's are protected from doing unless absolutely necessary.

Worked ok today with Escare at #7 and Sam staying at #1. I think Sam had 3 or 4 try assists today, it could have been two more if our wingers has held the ball.

Rogues Gallery wrote:

Exactly.
Some comments from our "our friends" on red Vee.
"He's started the season well but is a coward when there's work to be done, and yes, I do mean coward.

I also still can't help wanting to see him decapitated every time he touches the ball."

"One day someone will plant him square on the jaw, and he’ll deserve it."

"t will be a moment to treasure."

Unfortunately in this sanitised age I fear he will go his entire career doing this and getting away with it.

Mick Ennis was absolutely HATED in the NRL for being even worse than the rodent child and yet never got what everyone wanted to give him due to the banning of the biff.

"If you ask me the banning of the biff has caused Rugby League to lose its edge in terms of the neutral tuning in never knowing exactly what would happen next. NRL can cope without that element as it is so skillful but if you ask me we need the biff, it sells the product.

"It would also put ratty back in his box very, very quickly."

"I agree 100%. No one wants to see players needlessly hurt but when you have players like the rat, constantly with sly (and often blatant) knees, late tackles, tackles at standing legs and then his constant mouthing off it can't be right. As you say though, everything is sanitised now and it will probably never change."

"Yep Victor. It used to be that if the ref couldn't or wouldn't police it then the players would. These days cowards like ratty just get away with murder as they know there is no retribution.
That said let's hope someone loses the plot with him one day. I am sure there would be plenty of fans willing to chip in to cover any violent conduct fine."

http://forums.redvee.net/showthread.php ... or-rat-boy

Wow. Even though they have started the season well, they are still riddled with fear and insecurity.

FIOS.

Rogues Gallery wrote:

Worked ok today with Escare at #7 and Sam staying at #1. I think Sam had 3 or 4 try assists today, it could have been two more if our wingers has held the ball.

There wasn’t a single thing wrong with Sam Tomkins passes to the wingers was there? My first instinct was to think ‘why throw those long cut out passes in your own half’ but then I realised I was being ridiculous. There wasn’t anything wrong with Tomkins skills there and the wingers should’ve been taking those passes.