Re: Paul Wellens : Thu Aug 16, 2012 6:50 am  

I've started to doubt if makinson is good enough to play fullback to be honest. I don't see what he offers which is better than wello.

Wello is safe as houses with any kick, he's great in defence, he postional play is top class in defence and attack, he's got that knack of getting in the right place to pick up tries but his lack of kick return is a massive in us getting on the front foot and it's very rare he makes a break from a kick return.

Makinson isn't as great in attack as people suggest. Has anyone seen him make a break or beat a man? His defence is very very good, he's pulled off some great tackles over the last two seasons. He's now become a liability on the high kicks, he's dropping kick after kick. His try scoring record is poor. I also don't think he's as fast as people think. He's only young as still has a lot to learn and that's why IMO I wouldn't play him fullback yet.

I'm not bagging tommy or bigging wello up but that's how I see it at this moment in time.

This might shock a few but I'd bring back my old mate Jamie foster for the rest of the year now, we are heading into the play offs and kid kicking could prove vital. If Jamie played last week we would have won the game.

With the form of Tommy at the moment and the fact he's dropping kicks just as Jamie does I just think Jamie's kicking and finishing could be massive for us.

Re: Paul Wellens : Thu Aug 16, 2012 7:36 am  

St pete wrote:

With the form of Tommy at the moment and the fact he's dropping kicks just as Jamie does I just think Jamie's kicking and finishing could be massive for us.

Makinson is a better finisher than Foster, imo. Some of the tries he's scored (against leeds and cats spring to mind) have shown a better finishing ability.

Re: Paul Wellens : Thu Aug 16, 2012 7:50 am  

Offside Monkey wrote:

Makinson is a better finisher than Foster, imo. Some of the tries he's scored (against leeds and cats spring to mind) have shown a better finishing ability.

I'm not trying to turn this into Tommy v Jamie or say who's the better player, I'm trying to see who'd be better for the team come the big games.

As per usual you'll get the rubbish replies on here turning it into a heated debate.

Re: Paul Wellens : Thu Aug 16, 2012 11:13 am  

I think the drop in Makinson's form has shown an issue that happens to most young players. After an initial bright start their form dips as they learn the game and more importantly, the opposition learn their game. I think some of the blind backing of him is down to some people bagging Foster as being woeful when it happened to him, rather than giving him time to try and work through it (which he may or may not do), and them being shown to be wrong about Foster. Given his dip in form, I would not move him to full back at this moment in time, I'd take him out of the front line for a bit to recuperate mentally and physically.

I still think Lomax should move to full back, he is solid defensively, can take a high ball and it also means he can still involve himself as an attacking threat, both in structured and open play. He'll still be involved creatively in an attacking sense, but would also get the space he needs to decide when to get involved, because for me he's floundering at 7 at the moment.

Re: Paul Wellens : Thu Aug 16, 2012 10:19 pm  

For me Wello,s replacement should still be Ashe, whether Brown can give him the opportunity next season I don,t know.
Our whole backline look like a team of misfits, headless chickens etc. Again Brown needs to work on Jones and Turner fairly quickly.
I don,t know where Makinson will fit in once Gardener gets re selected.
Wello and Wilkin come in for critism as senior players, but if these two are not playing then we lose all communication and leadership in the team.
I think we are where we are because of club policy of trying to bring youth through but its not worked because of lack of experienced guile in the pivotal postions

Re: Paul Wellens : Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:05 am  

St pete wrote:

Makinson isn't as great in attack as people suggest. Has anyone seen him make a break or beat a man? His defence is very very good, he's pulled off some great tackles over the last two seasons. He's now become a liability on the high kicks, he's dropping kick after kick. His try scoring record is poor. I also don't think he's as fast as people think. He's only young as still has a lot to learn and that's why IMO I wouldn't play him fullback yet.

Been saying the same myself ever since he first came into the team, usually to howls of derision from those dazzled by his innate beauty (or whatever). He hardly ever frightens the horses with ball in hand despite his occasionally apparent pace. He looks to have the making of a good nuts and bolts player maybe that will do all the little things but little else sadly. And I'll say it again: Foster had a far better first season (admittedly with much better service) than Makinson has had...

Re: Paul Wellens : Fri Aug 24, 2012 8:18 am  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

Been saying the same myself ever since he first came into the team, usually to howls of derision from those dazzled by his innate beauty (or whatever). He hardly ever frightens the horses with ball in hand despite his occasionally apparent pace. He looks to have the making of a good nuts and bolts player maybe that will do all the little things but little else sadly. And I'll say it again: Foster had a far better first season (admittedly with much better service) than Makinson has had...

true stuff. Even with his apparent pace he almost got chased down by Danny Orr last week - granted, he did go 80m to score but he looked like he was running through a treacle sponge at one point in that run.

Re: Paul Wellens : Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:47 am  

EHW wrote:

true stuff. Even with his apparent pace he almost got chased down by Danny Orr last week - granted, he did go 80m to score but he looked like he was running through a treacle sponge at one point in that run.

I had a look at that to see if it was true. He ran 90m in under 11 seconds wearing ful kit and carrying a ball. The conditions were also a little sloppy at this point, that certainly isn't slow by any stretch of the imagination. Orr had a good angle on him to cut him down so Tommy did well.

Re: Paul Wellens : Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:50 am  

EHW wrote:

true stuff. Even with his apparent pace he almost got chased down by Danny Orr last week - granted, he did go 80m to score but he looked like he was running through a treacle sponge at one point in that run.

He probably was running through a sponge. It's been raining a lot.

It is much harder to run fast with a ball tucked under one arm than when both arms are free.

And the chasers came from further infield and so had an advantage on Makinson, who first had to collect the ball and then leg it from a standing start.

Re: Paul Wellens : Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:58 am  

EHW wrote:

true stuff. Even with his apparent pace he almost got chased down by Danny Orr last week - granted, he did go 80m to score but he looked like he was running through a treacle sponge at one point in that run.

I think the angle of Orr coming in from the side may have mislead you. I don't think there was ever any danger of Orr getting near to him.

**Just watched it on SLTV. Orr gets no where near him. If he was even close, he wouldn't have given up on the half way line.**