St pete wrote:
Just got to find a 6.
I've got a feeling that Walsh is going to be like holdsworth at hull for us. If he plays well we will win just like Holdsworth at hull but when he plays poor we need someone to step up which is pretty similar to what's happened at hull.
We can't just rely on Walsh to lead us around the park, be creative, have a good kicking game and also be our goal kicker. That's a lot of pressure for a player who's already said he plays better without pressure.
The signings of Amor, Maose, Beaumont in the pack to play alongside Lms, walmsley, Roby, sia, Manu and Wilkin should give us a platform but I just hope we don't depend on Walsh to much.
It's no surprise Briers has become a better player under smith as he took that extra pressure off briers. He took the goal kicks off him and brought in Myler which had had a positive impact on the wolves and lee.
So basically, I just hope we don't put the to much on Luke Walshs shoulders!
With regard to the 6 issue.
I think next season we will play Walsh down the right with Wilkin playing down the left as nominally loose forward but being one of the play makers. I then expect Lance or maybe Wheeler to play a midfield support player role in which they are basically sniffing around forwards looking for offloads, and then making darting runs in midfield. Sometime even filling in at hooker. Similar to how Brown had Luke Robinson at Huddersfield.
Our pack next year should be a fearsome affair. This year Walmsley has exceeded all expectations and often has carried our pack. Next season he will have the support of Amor and Masoe in particular, and also Beamont when injuries hit.
As a result I doubt we will be in a situation such as we have seen this season were we struggle for territory and thus struggle to make try scoring opportunities for the backs.
Inability to make yards going forward also means the opposition have more opportunities to score against us due to their superior territory.
It is therefore somewhat encouraging that despite little field position and with arguably no halfbacks this season, we were able to score the same number of trys as Leeds in the playoff game, and in the regular rounds inflict defeats on Warrington, Wigan and also Leeds.
For the first time in years im also excited about our threequarters.
We now have the magical LOFA (length of field ability) that ive been banging on about for years. ie the players with pace who can magic out a try from deep inside their own half.
Turner for me has also exceeded everyones expectations. I was a champion of his signing, but even then didn't expect him to perform at the level he has done. Certainly he is a far superior player than what the Hull fans thought of him.
One area he has surprised me of late is his kicking game, I didn't know he had one, yet he possesses what I regard as a raw ability in this area, that with a bit of coaching could become an extra string to his and the teams bow. This by the way is with regard to both goal kicking and field kicking. He kicked our only 40/20 this season, and also I noticed against Leeds he was getting the drop kicks from under the sticks to travel almost Pat Richards distances 60+ metres. This is in marked contrast to Paul Wellens whose kicks used to just about get passed the 40 metre mark.
