Re: Wellens, Hohaia, Lomax and Rush : Sat Sep 29, 2012 8:38 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Not good enough. Lomax had probably the worst performance I've ever seen him have. His decision making is really poor and he has no composure at all. He is a useful utility player, can beat a man and back up to score some great tries, but he has no organisational attributes at all. His kick that led to their second try was pathetic, so lazy and so costly. His defense wasn't good enough tonight either, Atkins and Waterhouse stepped him all the time.

Lance Hohaia. What a mistake he's been by Mr McManus. Never a half back in a million years and it's an absolute joke that he's still there after such a horrendous season. His kicking game is horrendous, he can't pass and he has no creativity. I feel so sorry for our pack, they again at least matched another big side in another big game and were let down totally by the backs. When we're in the opposition 20, they are under no threat at all and it's primarily down to the half backs and the lack of quality coaching. We just go through the motions, no planned moves, no game plans in terms of what to do on each tackle to work the space, just one out barge attempts and lazy, poorly executed passing along the line.

Wello. What more can I say about him? He did nothing wrong tonight, but again did nothing good either. When we have the ball having him on the field is as good as having 12 men, he's such a dead weight. The one thing Lance Hohaia has done well all season, really well, is chase back and tackle. With his turn of speed and size he'd be perfect at all fullback. Another example tonight of him chasing back to save (Or ultimately delay) a try with a wonderful tackle, while Wello sprints to keep up with the forwards and those tying their laces.

In the modern game 1,6,7 and 9 are the most vital creative positions. We have 9 sorted but the rest are pretty pathetic.

As for Rush. We have to thank him for stepping in and putting his head above the trenches at a difficult time I suppose. We've finished 4th and I suppose that's an achievement, given the glaring weaknesses in the squad available to him. Keeping him in charge for so long and not bringing Brown in was a mistake I feel as we're clearly lacking in terms of structures and set moves. If the rumours about Brown do end up having substance and he doesn't actually take up his job, or if he walks from it soon after taking it, Rush isn't a valid option if we ever want to win trophies again. His stubbornness over certain players in certain positions has let him down and his treatment of Gaskell has been wrong.

The only thing I can agree with is Lance Hohaia he has no understanding with Lomax, so obviously Johnny's game suffers.
Can't criticise Rush at all, he's done a really good job to get us in the top 4 and to get us so far in the play offs. Our season has been lack lustre in skill and entertainment, not because Wello, Perry, Shento etc but because of our half backs are not playmakers and tacticians.................that wants fixing before anything else.

Re: Wellens, Hohaia, Lomax and Rush : Sat Sep 29, 2012 8:54 pm  

Mugwump wrote:

I'm as dissatisfied as the next guy with Wellens lack of pace and our ability to launch attacks further up the field after kick returns - but seriously: where do the "drop Wellens" brigade think those 20 odd tries as well as countless breaks and half-breaks are going to come from? Hohaia? Makinson? Lomax?

Wello rarely does anything to score bar putting the ball down and we would be a far more potent attacking force with someone with pace and guile chiming into the line. The fullback might not score many tries himself but the wingers and centres would score more.

Re: Wellens, Hohaia, Lomax and Rush : Sat Sep 29, 2012 8:57 pm  

-VIKINGMAN- wrote:

Amazed at the criticism Wello gets on here, and Lomax is only a kid and still developing, he will be an England international for years to come.

Lance has been an awful signing for saints, runs around like a headless chicken. Not much wrong with Saints, lacking a strike centre and another half back but apart from that you'll be fine.

Agree Wellens still one of the consistent performers still. When you came to Wakefield this year if it hadn't been for him and Meli you would have been easily rolled. I doubt that many teams will get a full back like him for years to come.

Re: Wellens, Hohaia, Lomax and Rush : Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:04 pm  

Judder Man wrote:

The only thing I can agree with is Lance Hohaia he has no understanding with Lomax, so obviously Johnny's game suffers.

I agree with that. But Lance isn't a halfback either. He would be a very good fullback, and indeed was when he played there for NZ.

Can't criticise Rush at all, he's done a really good job to get us in the top 4 and to get us so far in the play offs.

How so exactly? We have done worse all round than we did last season, and last season we were crippled with injuries, relying heavily on young players and bedding in two young inexperienced halfbacks. Rush has consistenly done the wrong thing in sticking with senior players even when they are hopeless in the position they are being played in and other than bringing in Josh Jones, all our young players have gone backwards under him.

Re: Wellens, Hohaia, Lomax and Rush : Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:15 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Wello rarely does anything to score bar putting the ball down

4 points are 4 points - regardless of whether they are the result of a 90 metre break or a flop over the line.

It's easy to detract from Wellens' value - but the fact remains if it were so easy every fullback in the league would have Wellens', what, 200+(?) tries.

Re: Wellens, Hohaia, Lomax and Rush : Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:24 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

How so exactly? We have done worse all round than we did last season, and last season we were crippled with injuries, relying heavily on young players and bedding in two young inexperienced halfbacks. Rush has consistenly done the wrong thing in sticking with senior players even when they are hopeless in the position they are being played in and other than bringing in Josh Jones, all our young players have gone backwards under him.

I think you have forgotten that we were near the bottom of the league and playing the worst rugby since the 1980's before Rush + Cunningham took over.
Rush has put us back on the horse, its the experienced players that had to turn things around, if we dropped the experienced players for more young players, I very much doubt we would have made the top eight.
Which senior players would you drop by the way.

Re: Wellens, Hohaia, Lomax and Rush : Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:25 pm  

Just a point of order.


We did not finish fourth!!!

Re: Wellens, Hohaia, Lomax and Rush : Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:28 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Wello rarely does anything to score bar putting the ball down and we would be a far more potent attacking force with someone with pace and guile chiming into the line. The fullback might not score many tries himself but the wingers and centres would score more.

I wish you would read what you write before you post, that is utter garbage. Your convincing me that you have very little knowledge of rugby and are just a troll with stealth.

Re: Wellens, Hohaia, Lomax and Rush : Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:32 pm  

I'd like to add Ned Flanders to the equation.

When I was driving to St H I heard the team anounced over the radio and could not believe that ned was named at centre and not GW (was he injured again?) or indeed just about anyone else.

No malice intended, but I can't wait to see him go home; he has been poo more or less since we got him and has been a weak link for as long as I can remember him. I just can't see how he could ever have been a SO player.

As for Wheeler he had two really good games against the goons and wire so I hope Brown gives him a try out at SH next year.

Re: Wellens, Hohaia, Lomax and Rush : Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:35 pm  

Judder Man wrote:

I think you have forgotten that we were near the bottom of the league and playing the worst rugby since the 1980's before Rush + Cunningham took over.

If that was the worst rugby since the 1980s God knows what the rugby we have been playing since has been like because it's made Simmons' variety look like the entertainers are back.

It's not how we start but how we finish that counts, and this year we have finished worse than last. We didn't perform as well in the CC either. Leeds lost more games than us and look! They have been to two finals. Sometimes, you know, losing a few is ok. Robes would have been back the following week and we would have started to win again. As indeed we did.

Rush has put us back on the horse, its the experienced players that had to turn things around, if we dropped the experienced players for more young players, I very much doubt we would have made the top eight.

Really? We got to the GF and CC semi with a team full of young players last season - and most of them were total noobies in the first team. It is the senior players who have been the problem; specific senior players in particular. Simmons had the audacity to drop a couple of them and clearly that got him sacked. But Hohaia at halfback and Perry continually being played has done us naff all good, boring us all rigid in the process.