Drastic changes needed ASAP! : Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:05 pm  

To say it was disapointing is putting very mildly. I thought the Warrington pack led by Adrian Morley were quite frankly magnificent. Ben Westwood without doubt should have been named Man Of The Match. Lee Briers kicked us too death and has us pinned on our own line.

People have been saying on other threads that we are missing a big prop who gains metres. We have on in our squad who hasnt played in the front row for a good while (Tony Puletua). Anthony Laffranchi holds his own against the average sides in Super League but put him up against the big physical packs like Wigan, Warrington and Catalan and he struggles as he isnt a front rower by trade. I personally have nothing against Laffranchi but surely its now the time Mike Rush and Keiron Cunningham moved Puletua up to the front row with Perry in the starting line up. I cant for the life of me understand why they havent at least thought of this allready. I am convinced with a starting front row of Perry, Roby, Puletua it would give us more grunt upfront and more metres made plus his offloading game.

However the problem at Stand Off is even worse. Lance Hohaia is never a Stand Off in the memory of man. He was utterly clueless last night. All he did was a little show and go and then got hammered by the Warrington defenders. Hohaia would be better served being dropped to the bench and Lee Gaskell being installed back at 6 where he had a very good season last year. As far as I am concerned unless we bring Gaskell back into the side we have zero chance of making the GF as Hohaia is a second rate Stand Off and our moves stop when he's got his hands on the ball.

My side until the end of the season (GF appearance or not)

Wellens
Makinson
Shenton
Jones
Meli
Gaskell
Lomax
Perry
Roby
Puletua
Wilkin
Flannery
Laffranchi

Bench

Hohaia
Soliola
Clough
McCarthy-Scarsbrook

Re: Drastic changes needed ASAP! : Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:13 pm  

on_the_charge wrote:

Hohaia
Makinson
Shenton
Jones
Meli/Gardener
Gaskell
Lomax
Perry
Roby
Puletua
Wilkin
Soliola
Laffranchi

Bench

McCarthy-Scarsbrook
Dixon
Clough
Flash/Forster/Magennis

Lance need to move to 1 - I honestly don't see what Wello is offering us other than teaching the young lads how to wave your arms around and moan alot.

Re: Drastic changes needed ASAP! : Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:14 pm  

1. Wellens
2. Makinson
3. Shenton
4. Jones
5. Meli/Gardner
6. Gaskell
7. Lomax
8. Perry
9. Hohaia
10. Puletua
11. Soliola
12. Wilkin
13. Roby

LMS
Laffranchi
Clough
Flannery

Re: Drastic changes needed ASAP! : Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:21 pm  

Dropping Hohaia for Gaskell would be an improvement, but it's hardly a drastic change.

Anyone who has half a brain can see our 1,6,7 pivot is horrendous. Gaskell being brought back for his kicking game is an essential. Gaskell and Lomax worked last season, why could it not be given a chance this season? Drop Wellens, he's useless now, and put Makinson at fullback. If he continues to be terrible, which he is currently on the wing, put Hohaia there. There is an argument for putting Lance at fullback himself, his chase back and tackle on Myler was sensational. It was a race he won easily, Usain Bolt esque running whilst looking sidewards. Wello unfortunately got lapped, which is an achievement over 90 metres.

Re: Drastic changes needed ASAP! : Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:24 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Dropping Hohaia for Gaskell would be an improvement, but it's hardly a drastic change.

Anyone who has half a brain can see our 1,6,7 pivot is horrendous. Gaskell being brought back for his kicking game is an essential. Gaskell and Lomax worked last season, why could it not be given a chance this season? Drop Wellens, he's useless now, and put Makinson at fullback. If he continues to be terrible, which he is currently on the wing, put Hohaia there. There is an argument for putting Lance at fullback himself, his chase back and tackle on Myler was sensational. It was a race he won easily, Usain Bolt esque running whilst looking sidewards. Wello unfortunately got lapped, which is an achievement over 90 metres.

Got to be Lance at 1 - he's shown given time and space he can be dangerous in attack , sadly in our current team he gets neither of those things playing at 6 (unless we are smashing the opposition in the forwards then even I could play in the halves and look good)

I'd love for someone to please explain to me what Wello offers the team at the moment?

Re: Drastic changes needed ASAP! : Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:27 pm  

No point in drastic changes - we pinned our colours to the one-dimensional grind mast for the rest of the season when we let the players force Royce out just 2 months in. Nothing we can do now but just get the season out of the way as painlessly as possible and start again afresh for next year. At the end of the day we still only need to win 3 games to be "champions" and we have the basic quality upfront to allow anything to happen in those games on the day. Changes at this point would just lessen further the chances of those happenings. And it's never going to happen under Rush anyway so no point in depressing ourselves further discussing it.

Re: Drastic changes needed ASAP! : Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:37 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

No point in drastic changes - we pinned our colours to the one-dimensional grind mast for the rest of the season when we let the players force Royce out just 2 months in. Nothing we can do now but just get the season out of the way as painlessly as possible and start again afresh for next year. At the end of the day we still only need to win 3 games to be "champions" and we have the basic quality upfront to allow anything to happen in those games on the day. Changes at this point would just lessen further the chances of those happenings. And it's never going to happen under Rush anyway so no point in depressing ourselves further discussing it.

The lack of structure we have in attack can be blamed on coaching, whether thats Royce or the guys we have now. Gaskell back in at 6 is essential, he is halfback and he can kick which gives him 2 advantages over Hohaia straight away. He also seem to work better with Lomax as proved last year. Lance is a very good player and has played most of his top flight Rugby at 1 so why no play him there instead of the dead wood we have ??? At the end of the day what harm could it do ?

Re: Drastic changes needed ASAP! : Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:46 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

No point in drastic changes - we pinned our colours to the one-dimensional grind mast for the rest of the season when we let the players force Royce out just 2 months in. Nothing we can do now but just get the season out of the way as painlessly as possible and start again afresh for next year. At the end of the day we still only need to win 3 games to be "champions" and we have the basic quality upfront to allow anything to happen in those games on the day. Changes at this point would just lessen further the chances of those happenings. And it's never going to happen under Rush anyway so no point in depressing ourselves further discussing it.

No point in drastic changes??? I totally disagree with that! Out of five games we have played Wigan and Warrington we have won just once which proves our tactics and team selection is beyond questionable. We have 3 games now until we are at the DW on the 7th of September to try different combinations and change our tactics. We will never ever beat Warrington or Wigan with the tactics we are employing now or the personnel in certain positions. Change is needed and bloody quick.

Re: Drastic changes needed ASAP! : Tue Aug 07, 2012 6:05 pm  

on_the_charge wrote:

No point in drastic changes??? I totally disagree with that! Out of five games we have played Wigan and Warrington we have won just once which proves our tactics and team selection is beyond questionable. We have 3 games now until we are at the DW on the 7th of September to try different combinations and change our tactics. We will never ever beat Warrington or Wigan with the tactics we are employing now or the personnel in certain positions. Change is needed and bloody quick.

Re: Drastic changes needed ASAP! : Tue Aug 07, 2012 6:16 pm  

on_the_charge wrote:

To say it was disapointing is putting very mildly. I thought the Warrington pack led by Adrian Morley were quite frankly magnificent. Ben Westwood without doubt should have been named Man Of The Match. Lee Briers kicked us too death and has us pinned on our own line.

People have been saying on other threads that we are missing a big prop who gains metres. We have on in our squad who hasnt played in the front row for a good while (Tony Puletua). Anthony Laffranchi holds his own against the average sides in Super League but put him up against the big physical packs like Wigan, Warrington and Catalan and he struggles as he isnt a front rower by trade. I personally have nothing against Laffranchi but surely its now the time Mike Rush and Keiron Cunningham moved Puletua up to the front row with Perry in the starting line up. I cant for the life of me understand why they havent at least thought of this allready. I am convinced with a starting front row of Perry, Roby, Puletua it would give us more grunt upfront and more metres made plus his offloading game.

However the problem at Stand Off is even worse. Lance Hohaia is never a Stand Off in the memory of man. He was utterly clueless last night. All he did was a little show and go and then got hammered by the Warrington defenders. Hohaia would be better served being dropped to the bench and Lee Gaskell being installed back at 6 where he had a very good season last year. As far as I am concerned unless we bring Gaskell back into the side we have zero chance of making the GF as Hohaia is a second rate Stand Off and our moves stop when he's got his hands on the ball.

My side until the end of the season (GF appearance or not)

Wellens
Makinson
Shenton
Jones
Meli
Gaskell
Lomax
Perry
Roby
Puletua
Wilkin
Flannery
Laffranchi

Bench

Hohaia
Soliola
Clough
McCarthy-Scarsbrook

You've bacically said everything I've been saying all year. I've been banging on and on that we made massive mistake in signing Laffranchi to play prop, he does a ok Job against the lesser teams but it becomes clear he's not a prop against the top sides. I'm not having a dig at him as he always put in the effort but he's not a top rate prop.

I've also banged on about lance, he's not a stand off and won't be for as long as he lives, hes a fullback and thats that!

I've also been going on and on about TP playing 2nd row, he gee to lazy outwide and we miss his big runs down the middle, he's big strong, makes big yards and also had great off load game. Why have we moved him?