Re: Tommy Makinson : Sat Mar 15, 2014 3:43 pm  

He's stronger than he was last season. You can see it in his kick returns whre he is using his hand off and strength to better effect now. The tackles he wasn't busting or breaking last year he's starting to break now.

He's improved alot over the last few years and is now without doubt a 1st choice winger for us.

Re: Tommy Makinson : Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:59 am  

I was thinking he has a very good hand off. It's something fairly new to his game from what I recall he never had a hand off to speak of.

Re: Tommy Makinson : Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:14 am  

bewareshadows wrote:

I was thinking he has a very good hand off. It's something fairly new to his game from what I recall he never had a hand off to speak of.

Noticed this as well, early last season he would find a cul de sac to run into and get mauled resulting in a slow play the ball.
He looks more aware now where the possibly gaps could be and his well executioned hand off is giving this option, I assume Browny has got him to develop his technique alongside his increase in strength and awareness, also maybe some of Swifty's style has rubbed off on him.

Re: Tommy Makinson : Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:19 am  

St pete wrote:

He was average at best last year and struggled to make the 17. He's performed very well this year. Maybe his disciplinary was a kick up the bum but he's been top class every week this year as swift has been.

Everybody was average at best last year and since making his debut until this season he has only got into the 17 when Gardner has been injured, which he has been quite often, fortunately. I know it's hard for you to admit it Pete, but I was spot on about him and he's now got to the stage where nobody can deny he's a good winger. Gwon, you can admit it. I was right about him and you were wrong!

Re: Tommy Makinson : Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:54 am  

SaintsFan wrote:

Everybody was average at best last year and since making his debut until this season he has only got into the 17 when Gardner has been injured, which he has been quite often, fortunately. I know it's hard for you to admit it Pete, but I was spot on about him and he's now got to the stage where nobody can deny he's a good winger. Gwon, you can admit it. I was right about him and you were wrong!

Makinson had stagnated under the 2 previous coaches and didn,t get the correct service due to our half back fiasco. His attacking the try line is more or less the same, its his running the ball back from space that has vastly improved.
Personal form, breeds confidence and this how Makinson is showing up in games at the moment.

If you remember last season, I reckoned Makinson was struggling to be in the top 20 wingers in superleague. Would you say he has broken into the top 10.

Re: Tommy Makinson : Sun Mar 16, 2014 12:19 pm  

Tommy Mak is a good young winger.

I wouldn't go as far as Judder man who by not regarding him as being in the top 20 wingers in SL, was in effect saying he was one of the worst 8 wingers in the league .

This was patent nonsense. However he was and is, not a superstar winger more like a decent reliable wing who will put in a fair shift.

He is better than Gardner was at 22 years of age.

He is inferior to Charnley and Burgess at Wigan, and Hall and Briscoe at Leeds.
Players such as Lineman at Hull and Justin Carney of Castleford are also arguably better.
Monaghan at the Wolves is superior.
I also don't think he is the best winger at Saints, as I regard Swift as better than him.

Re: Tommy Makinson : Sun Mar 16, 2014 12:39 pm  

Judder Man wrote:

If you remember last season, I reckoned Makinson was struggling to be in the top 20 wingers in superleague. Would you say he has broken into the top 10.

I have no idea who you would consider the 'top 10' wingers to be. Who do you consider them to be?

Personally, what I have seen over the years since he made his debut in 2011 is a young guy who showed lots of potential during that year and is now beginning to realise it, which is what you would expect of someone who had the potential in the first place. That is no different from any other player with potential. Either they realise it or they don't. But the potential was there to start with.

Last season was rubbish. I don't know how any of our players, especially our young players, can be judged on last season. Like everyone else he didn't get anything from the halves, because they changed as often as the weather and weren't ever actual halfbacks to start with, and he was forging a new centre partnership, which began to bear real fruit towards the end of the season. Also, we insisted on playing to the left repeatedly, and have done so for a few years now. Since Walsh started with us though we are bringing in our right side much more and that has reaped benefits, as I always said it would. You watch, if Walsh is missing next week, we will probably start going to the left again.

Re: Tommy Makinson : Sun Mar 16, 2014 12:43 pm  

The Chair Maker wrote:

I also don't think he is the best winger at Saints, as I regard Swift as better than him.

Swift is poorer than Makinson defensively and not as reliable under the bomb as Makinson, but then again Swift only made his debut last season so just as I was willing to give Makinson time to develop his game - unlike many on here - so I am willing to give Swift time to develop his game.

Swift and Makinson have different styles but having both in our arsenal is great because that keeps the opposition on its toes.

Re: Tommy Makinson : Sun Mar 16, 2014 12:45 pm  

The Chair Maker wrote:

I also don't think he is the best winger at Saints, as I regard Swift as better than him.

Tough one that, It'll take this full season to judge swift fully, but signs are very good so far.

I'm very happy with both our wingers, they're both very good, but probably wont get international call ups with whats in front of them. They wont command huge wages, and will be hopefully here for a long while with settled centres as well with Percy and JT

Re: Tommy Makinson : Sun Mar 16, 2014 12:46 pm  

The Chair Maker wrote:

He is inferior to Charnley

Based on this season's form, no way is Makinson inferior to Charnley!