The Z factor : Thu Sep 07, 2017 7:51 pm  

Jesus how unfit and slow is barba. How can Holbrook pick him as he must know how unfit he is. I bet lomax is well pi$$sd off losing his spot to a totally unfit player.

I know it's only his 2nd game in 10 month but he looks like a player that's not played in 10yrs.

Get him off the pitch and get lomax back to fullback and let him come back next year with some kind of fitness

Re: The Z factor : Thu Sep 07, 2017 9:33 pm  

People have hounded Lomax for the exact same reasons. I'm a massive Barba fan who knows his game inside out because of his NRL career but if you honestly thought he was going to hit the ground running after 11months out then youre deluded.

He is the best option we have at full back. Just like people throw their dummies out the pram when Fages misses out yet starts and absolutely stinks the place out.

The only decison Holbrook has got wrong is Wilkin but you can slowly see Justin is losing faith with Jon, subbed twice tonight.

Giving Matty Lees his debut was brilliant, he was fantastic.

Re: The Z factor : Thu Sep 07, 2017 9:40 pm  

Have been banging on for a couple of weeks to start Barba from the bench, too much of a liability under the high ball. looks good though taking on the defence from 20 metres out with options either side of him.

Re: The Z factor : Thu Sep 07, 2017 9:43 pm  

As i said elsewhere, for me this season is the coach working out what works and what doesnt players and positions wise.

Barba is therefore playing there to get familiar with the players and them with him with a view to next season.

So far he is massively off the pace, and being exposed against bombs. Teams will pepper him.

Re: The Z factor : Thu Sep 07, 2017 10:06 pm  

I was expecting him to be rusty and lacking match fitness,but not so slow.

Re: The Z factor : Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:14 am  

LFC Saint wrote:

People have hounded Lomax for the exact same reasons. I'm a massive Barba fan who knows his game inside out because of his NRL career but if you honestly thought he was going to hit the ground running after 11months out then youre deluded.

He is the best option we have at full back. Just like people throw their dummies out the pram when Fages misses out yet starts and absolutely stinks the place out.

The only decison Holbrook has got wrong is Wilkin but you can slowly see Justin is losing faith with Jon, subbed twice tonight.

Giving Matty Lees his debut was brilliant, he was fantastic.

I'm not bagging barba as I'm big fan, I'm saying he shouldn't be starting at the moment. He's so far off the pace it's unreal. He's lost a good yard of pace, he's nowhere near match fitness and what has it done for the atmosphere in the camp? Lomax can't be happy. Fages must feel very angry . Richardson doesn't know if he's coming or going and I bet Smith aint best pleased.

Without a doubt he should be on the bench. He can't just walk into the team like he has and especially in the condition he's in.

I'm pretty sure barba will come Next season, not this!

Re: The Z factor : Fri Sep 08, 2017 10:10 am  

Barba is potentially the best signing in SL in years. However, Watching your last couple of games since his inclusion all your hard work and structures have gone down the toilet. Could be a coincidence... but I doubt it. I'm a firm believer that players shouldn't be moved around to accommodate one player and Barba said himself that he's looking forward to competing for his place.
Sadly that spot is his no matter how fit he is, how well he performs or how much it could be upsetting the camp.
That is until he decides that English SL is beneath him.

I hope he is dedicated to your team and to SL and I do hope he becomes good in the end. He will be very good to watch.

Re: The Z factor : Fri Sep 08, 2017 11:34 am  

The one positive from Barba's physical condition is that he probably knows he is light years away from being a force in the NRL, which could mean he is going to knuckle down and stay in Superleague 2018 as a minimum.

Re: The Z factor : Fri Sep 08, 2017 1:00 pm  

Sam Tomkins is only now coming back to any sort of decent performance and is still a mile off what he used to be. It takes time to get the right conditioning back and he's been out longer than Tomkins. If you don't play, no amount of gym work can recreate that. He had 9 months of barely playing in Union, being told to stay away from training, then a few months where he was between clubs, then the ban.

He just needs time and a good pre-season. Dropping him now for Lomax, who is permanently in exactly the same condition as Barba, would be madness.

[Sadfish]

Re: The Z factor : Fri Sep 08, 2017 1:59 pm  

He has pretty much had a whole year off, give the lad a chance.