Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Sep 04, 2023 2:15 pm  

Sir Gregory ParsloeP wrote: Whino and Arthur , has Frawley got any kicking game? He backed up on the weekend which is always useful and obvious for a stand off. Watching Leeds is bringing me out in hives, god knows what watching NSW would do to me. His stats are here, not sure whether the kicking metres stats are good or not or what they mean in reality https://www.raiders.com.au/teams/nrl-pr ... t-frawley/

Sir Gregory ParsloeP wrote: Whino and Arthur , has Frawley got any kicking game? He backed up on the weekend which is always useful and obvious for a stand off. Watching Leeds is bringing me out in hives, god knows what watching NSW would do to me. His stats are here, not sure whether the kicking metres stats are good or not or what they mean in reality https://www.raiders.com.au/teams/nrl-pr ... t-frawley/

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Sep 04, 2023 2:18 pm  

Frawley's only starting because they moved Wighton to the centres. He'd only played four games before August, and they've lost two of the three he's played in since then.

Arthur - I just disagree with you. Its not that Frawley's not a world beater. He's far worse than that. I've watched him numerous times since he first started with the Dogs, where his lack of running game/incisive passing led to him being found out and dumped. He then joined Hudds, which nobody seems to even remember. His try figures are misleading IMO - the one he scored two games ago was from about two yards out getting a pass. Hastings lacks a serious running game but he's a big voice in the team and leads them around the park, just as he did at Salford. Hastings works very well with Ponga at fullback.

Look, I'm sure Frawley would 'do a job' or whatever the phrase is if we sign him. He can kick a ball. And I'll still support the club and him. I just think he would be a really poor signing if we want to get back to the top. Hand on heart he's the sort of halfback I'd expect a newly promoted club to get, not one hoping to win the comp.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Sep 04, 2023 2:28 pm  

Crawley is worse than the 2 we have had this season.
I could accept him as a back up,but why would he do that when he can do that in the NRL and not move half way round the world.
So if he signs then it will be as first choice which would mean no better and worse than this season.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Sep 04, 2023 2:33 pm  

Sir Gregory ParsloeP wrote:

One was so unhappy he would rather be in Cas and said he didn’t like Cas , we are heading into Groucho Marx and W C Fields territory here.

Did he choose to go to Cas, or was he sent to Cas? He seemed pretty desperate to stay at Leeds up until GH fell out with him.

The players either seem to fit in at Leeds, or get pushed out. I think it appears to be a very cold camp if your face doesn't fit. I'm hearing that this is started to affect recruitment now, with more players being cautious of entering negotiations with us. It wasn't long ago that we were the choice team in the country for incoming players.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Sep 04, 2023 2:34 pm  

christopher wrote:

There’s really no need for the childish name calling tad.

This forum is full of people criticising the club, Smith and Hetherington, so where you get the idea you ‘can’t’ criticise them I don’t know.

I don't mind people criticising Smith and Hetherington if the criticism is fair and grounded. A lot of fans come on here after a loss and throw their toys out of the pram demanding immediate sackings, often ignoring factual circumstances that got Leeds into this position (e.g. the amount of cap taken up by pre-Smith signings) and without much appreciation that removing RS and/or GH is likely to leave the first team even more adrift than it is now.

At this point in the recruitment cycle things look worrying, and GH in particular has to take responsibility for not securing replacements in key positions before now. Perhaps Smith told GH we were fine not to replace Leeming at the time (who knows?!), which with the benefit of hindsight looks like the wrong decision. Fans can only really judge based on what we see on the field; the behind the scenes stuff we are completely in the dark apart from one or two who hear leaks from time to time. With recruitment we probably need to keep our powder dry until a) the squad is finalised for 2024, and b) we've seen it take to the field a handful of times.

I'm disappointed with how this season has gone. The player losses, including Leeming, Austin, Tetevano and Newman (for different reasons) have had a massive negative impact. But there's also the inability to maintain the excellent form from the previous season, and the inconsistency of some of our performances when players have been fit, that are concerns to be laid at Smith's door.

Given that we've rarely capitulated despite losing too many games, the main thing lacking IMO is not coaching, but rather a handful of x-factor players (Field, French, Walmsley, Welsby etc) that have the individual brilliance to win us games. We also need a couple of leaders who know how to grind out close games that we are winning. If Smith can't deliver with a superstar squad, that's a different issue.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Sep 04, 2023 2:39 pm  

Leeds_Luke wrote:

Did he choose to go to Cas, or was he sent to Cas? He seemed pretty desperate to stay at Leeds up until GH fell out with him.

.

He went a strange way about staying with us if he really wanted to.

I guess we'll never know but both Austin and GH have both said it was Austin who initiated the move, Austin apparently after taking a call from his mate Widdop asking him to help them out - that's going well!

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Sep 04, 2023 2:44 pm  

Exeter Rhino wrote:

I don't mind people criticising Smith and Hetherington if the criticism is fair and grounded. A lot of fans come on here after a loss and throw their toys out of the pram demanding immediate sackings, often ignoring factual circumstances that got Leeds into this position (e.g. the amount of cap taken up by pre-Smith signings) and without much appreciation that removing RS and/or GH is likely to leave the first team even more adrift than it is now.

At this point in the recruitment cycle things look worrying, and GH in particular has to take responsibility for not securing replacements in key positions before now. Perhaps Smith told GH we were fine not to replace Leeming at the time (who knows?!), which with the benefit of hindsight looks like the wrong decision. Fans can only really judge based on what we see on the field; the behind the scenes stuff we are completely in the dark apart from one or two who hear leaks from time to time. With recruitment we probably need to keep our powder dry until a) the squad is finalised for 2024, and b) we've seen it take to the field a handful of times.

I'm disappointed with how this season has gone. The player losses, including Leeming, Austin, Tetevano and Newman (for different reasons) have had a massive negative impact. But there's also the inability to maintain the excellent form from the previous season, and the inconsistency of some of our performances when players have been fit, that are concerns to be laid at Smith's door.

Given that we've rarely capitulated despite losing too many games, the main thing lacking IMO is not coaching, but rather a handful of x-factor players (Field, French, Walmsley, Welsby etc) that have the individual brilliance to win us games. We also need a couple of leaders who know how to grind out close games that we are winning. If Smith can't deliver with a superstar squad, that's a different issue.

Just on replacing Leeming , at the time OConner was playing really well and we have Johnson as back up, people want us to bring youth through but complain when we put faith in them.

Also it's not comparable with Lussick at Saints, Lussick leaving freed up a quota spot, Leeming leaving didn't so that meant signing a British hooker, who was available? and would people have wanted us to make a rash signing of a British hooker displacing OConner and Johnson?

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Sep 04, 2023 2:54 pm  

the club is a joke, a shambles from the top down.
the loyal fans and handful of players apart that is.
it needs a complete revamp.
sadly until hetherington decides to retire, and God forbid JJB gets the job, or he shuffles off this mortal coil then nothing will change. we better get used to it.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Sep 04, 2023 2:56 pm  

Sir Gregory ParsloeP wrote:

Whino and Arthur , has Frawley got any kicking game?

He backed up on the weekend which is always useful and obvious for a stand off.
Watching Leeds is bringing me out in hives, god knows what watching NSW would do to me.

From what I have seen, yes he does, but he is more of a 6 than a 7 so we still need a 7 and myler is not the answer. Stats worth looking at are on the rugby league project website for frawley though.
People stating Saints replaced Lussick for Mbye was amazing. Mbye is a far worse signing in any position compared to frawley at 6.
People saying club needs a revamp etc etc, maybe that's what Smith is working towards.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Sep 04, 2023 2:58 pm  

Once were Loiners wrote:

He played a bit at hooker on the weekend, and was as anonymous there as at halfback. By the way, does anyone at all remember him at Huddersfield? I remember him being rubbish for the Dogs, and now Raiders, but have zero memory of him at Hudds. The only possible value of signing him would be as cover, or if the plan was to use next season to get Sinfield up to scratch. Utter waste of a quota spot. I'd really not bother, and just look to the Championship (or someone like Milnes), and put a quota spot elsewhere.

If he does sign its indicative of a club that has no idea at all. We've had a whole year knowing at least one of our halfbacks was going, and quite likely two. We've seen for multiple years that you cannot perform as a team with rubbish halfbacks. With cap and quota space available, next season was our chance to take a leap from lower half of SL to challenging for the top. Signing someone like Frawley really would make me feel that the club has no desire to get back there.

He was rubbish at Huddersfield…..they replaced him after a season….with Sezer