Re: Gary Wheeler/17 for Sunday? : Mon Sep 12, 2011 1:56 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

Yep, would be an unwinnable game like Warrington in the play-offs last year with Smith/Wilkin in the halves.

Why bother turning up? It's not as if this is some sort of sporting contest where teams can have off days or play above themselves or something like that.

I agree. Sport would be much easier if the winners were crowned at the start of the year rather than the end. It would save so much money.

Re: Gary Wheeler/17 for Sunday? : Mon Sep 12, 2011 3:05 pm  

With the positivity on this page i think we might as well stop posting and focus on next season then by march the following season.

Where in the play offs and anything can happen......Trust in Mr Simmons.

Re: Gary Wheeler/17 for Sunday? : Mon Sep 12, 2011 3:35 pm  

if all fit i would go with 1 wellens 2 makinson 3 shenton 4 meli 5 gardner 6 gaskell 7 lomax 8 graham 9 roby 10 tony p 11 moore 12 sia 13 wilkin 14 pryce 15 clough 16 lms 17 flannery

Re: Gary Wheeler/17 for Sunday? : Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:36 pm  

Ok my personal choice taking accout of the resality that Royce will not drop Wellens for eastmond and gaskell will not get a game.

Wellens
Foster
Meli
Shenton
Makinsdon
Lomax
Pryce
Graham
Roby
TP
Sia
Moore
Wilkin

LMS
Clough
Flannery
Wheeler

Re: Gary Wheeler/17 for Sunday? : Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:12 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

I think wheeler will take the bench spot we assign to a back.
Gaskell is probably most deserving of that spot, but perhaps would lose out to Wheels and Eastmong because they offer a little more electricity. I would think Wheeler will get the nod over Kyle since he's had a bit of a run in the reserves to get his fitness up and isn't leaving at th'end of the season.

I think Gaskell is some one you need from the start. Hes not san impact back for mine. He's some one who can peg a side back and apply pressure over the course of a game. I would actually go Lomax Pryce Gaskell to start with either lomax or pryce at fb. But Royce will not drop wellens and will not play gaskell ahead of pryce dispite form and the lack of a kicking game.

Re: Gary Wheeler/17 for Sunday? : Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:02 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

Wheeler is our most naturally gifted player and would have a place in any 17 I was picking, if fit.

Wellens
Foster
Shenton
Wheeler
Meli
Pryce
Lomax
Graham
Roby
TP
Soliola
Flannery
Wilkin

LMS
Clough
Moore
Eastmond (if we MUST persist with this bloomin "back on the bench" policy)

Having said all that, I see the merit in the alternative of Eastmond out, Wheeler to the bench, Meli back to centre and Makinson on the wing (given the combination Meli/Foster have built up). But I think Wheeler is a better centre than Meli, even taking into account Meli's excellent recent form.

Above all, I hope we play two props on the bench. This means Flannery starting in the back row and TP prop.

Id agree with this, Wheeler must play if fit. He was completely bossing wigan on good friday until he was taken out.

Re: Gary Wheeler/17 for Sunday? : Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:11 pm  

bewareshadows wrote:

But Royce will not drop wellens and will not play gaskell ahead of pryce dispite form and the lack of a kicking game.

I don't know why some fans insist on harping on about Wello. He is our most experienced player and superb last defence cover. Also he organises the defence. We need him for those reasons alone with so many inexperienced players in the side. It's so obvious that I am amazed some fans do not see it. Defence is vital in big games. Some say it wins them.

As for Pryce, his attitude since deciding on the Dragons has been a disappointment but not really surprising. Whether he can be motivated into playing well on Sunday I don't know but I'm fairly sure that Simmons would have little trouble dropping him if he thought an alternative was a better option. He's benched Eastmond for most of the season.

Re: Gary Wheeler/17 for Sunday? : Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:29 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

I don't know why some fans insist on harping on about Wello. He is our most experienced player and superb last defence cover. Also he organises the defence. We need him for those reasons alone with so many inexperienced players in the side. It's so obvious that I am amazed some fans do not see it. Defence is vital in big games. Some say it wins them.

As for Pryce, his attitude since deciding on the Dragons has been a disappointment but not really surprising. Whether he can be motivated into playing well on Sunday I don't know but I'm fairly sure that Simmons would have little trouble dropping him if he thought an alternative was a better option. He's benched Eastmond for most of the season.

I'm amazed you cant see that wello is past it. He's never been the fastest, but his positioning and tackling more than made up for it. Now however his defence is becoming questionable. 28 missed tackles this year is average for a fullback, but terrible for wello who has no other real facets to his game

Re: Gary Wheeler/17 for Sunday? : Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:50 pm  

I'd certainly have Wheeler in the 17, possibly 6 at Pryce's expense, but wouldn't even consider moving Meli back to the wing. He's been a revelation at centre, Foster has had some dream service and we've witnessed hardly any of the brainfarts that used to haunt him defensively on the wing.

As much as I know it won't happen, I'd love to see Simmons really mix it up by having a genuine attacking threat at FB, Pryce or Lomax, with Wello as the 'bench back' if we need to go safety first. That's not intended to be a sleight on Wello, more that we'd be introducing a new dimension to our game that Wigan are unlikely to have prepared for. Play off rugby is exactly about those brave, unpredictable and potentially match winning calls.

Re: Gary Wheeler/17 for Sunday? : Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:53 pm  

Saint Simon wrote:

I'm amazed you cant see that wello is past it. He's never been the fastest, but his positioning and tackling more than made up for it. Now however his defence is becoming questionable. 28 missed tackles this year is average for a fullback, but terrible for wello who has no other real facets to his game

To begin with you conveniently bypassed my use of the word 'experience' which, given our season, has been vital. Wello hasn't been in the best of form since his injury at Wigan at Easter (prior to which he was fabulous). He isn't 'past it'; he's just suffering from a lack of form and some of that will be down to him playing with injury as have many of our players.

I'm sure we will see him back to form next season. Meanwhile, he has managed to pull off some great try saving moves even when off form and he brings vital experience to the field as a member of a team which is very much lacking in experience.