Re: Rush and KC : Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:57 am  

SaintsFan wrote:

That's not clear at all. What IS clear is that there was no on field leader.

Whereas Wello seemed to more than suggest that the young guys were upset at the loss of Royce. After all, Royce showed faith in them and gave them their opportunities in the first team on a consistent basis.

Everyone seems to have forgotten all of a sudden that we had already lost Jammer and Robes was out injured for three weeks. That leaves nobody organising up front.

That's very true about the young lads, after all Royce stuck by some of them especially lee Gaskell who Royce picked before Leon pryce at play off time last year and that's one of the callsi really respect Royce for.

I also agree we ain't got a leader on the field and it's been a massive problem thus year, jammer and pryce (when he actully played) was very talkative on and off the field and we ain't got that this year.

Surly Royce knew that jammer and pryce was two strong leaders for us butcstill didn't bring and leaders in to replace them.

Re: Rush and KC : Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:02 am  

St pete wrote:

Surly Royce knew that jammer and pryce was two strong leaders for us butcstill didn't bring and leaders in to replace them.

Royce wanted a prop but was told the money wasn't there. He suggested the best recruitment for the team and that is what Mr Big recruited. You've moaned and whinged about Hohaia being recruited for instance and yet the last few weeks has proven why he was necessary. Had Robes not been injured then he would have been playing in the halves and it's very likely we would have been looking at more wins than losses as Gaskell would have been rested.

It's not Royce's fault if there isn't a leader among our team. He hasn't been responsible for the recruitment policy of the last 10 years.

Re: Rush and KC : Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:15 am  

SaintsFan wrote:

Royce wanted a prop but was told the money wasn't there. He suggested the best recruitment for the team and that is what Mr Big recruited. You've moaned and whinged about Hohaia being recruited for instance and yet the last few weeks has proven why he was necessary. Had Robes not been injured then he would have been playing in the halves and it's very likely we would have been looking at more wins than losses as Gaskell would have been rested.

It's not Royce's fault if there isn't a leader among our team. He hasn't been responsible for the recruitment policy of the last 10 years.

Never ever ever moaned about lance hohaia. Find me a post where I've bagged him or laffranchci for that matter.

I've said they are playing out of postion and I'd preferred Royce had brought in a scrum half and prop instead of a fullback and backrow but never have I critised them personally.

Re: Rush and KC : Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:18 am  

St pete wrote:

Never ever ever moaned about lance hohaia. Find me a post where I've bagged him or laffranchci for that matter.

You have never moaned about Lance Hohaia? The fullback who isn't a halfback at all ever? You must have done your moaning when drunk then Pete.

I've said they are playing out of postion and I'd preferred Royce had brought in a scrum half and prop instead of a fullback and backrow but never have I critised them personally.

And Royce said at the time that there were no halfbacks available. There weren't. You can't recruit someone when they simply aren't there.

Re: Rush and KC : Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:40 am  

SaintsFan wrote:

You have never moaned about Lance Hohaia? The fullback who isn't a halfback at all ever? You must have done your moaning when drunk then Pete.

And Royce said at the time that there were no halfbacks available. There weren't. You can't recruit someone when they simply aren't there.

Like I said, I've never called hohaia, I've said he's not a halfback and it was wrong of Royce to expect him to play there.

Hull signed Seymour who's a halfback, Widnes signed two in hanbury and watts and both look pretty useful.

Everyone took Simmons word that the was no halfbacks about and it was this time last year that we was told Kyle was going.

Come to think about it, lance wasnt available, he had another year on his contract meaning we specifically went for him.

Re: Rush and KC : Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:46 am  

St pete wrote:

Like I said, I've never called hohaia, I've said he's not a halfback and it was wrong of Royce to expect him to play there.

You've said more than that Pete. And of course he has played halfback. Didn't we win our games this year when he played halfback?

Hull signed Seymour who's a halfback, Widnes signed two in hanbury and watts and both look pretty useful.

Hanbury came from Crusaders didn't he? That happened after we'd signed Hohaia. Watts comes with a chequered past. And who is Seymour? Is he an international?

Everyone took Simmons word that the was no halfbacks about and it was this time last year that we was told Kyle was going.

I would imagine by now that McManus has a lot of contacts in the market and would be able to check on what Royce said and what he recommended. And after all, coaches just recommend players. They don't recruit them.

Come to think about it, lance wasnt available, he had another year on his contract meaning we specifically went for him.

He was available though.

Re: Rush and KC : Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:50 am  

SaintsFan wrote:

You've said more than that Pete. And of course he has played halfback. Didn't we win our games this year when he played halfback?

Hanbury came from Crusaders didn't he? That happened after we'd signed Hohaia. Watts comes with a chequered past. And who is Seymour? Is he an international?

I would imagine by now that McManus has a lot of contacts in the market and would be able to check on what Royce said and what he recommended. And after all, coaches just recommend players. They don't recruit them.

He was available though.

Like I said, we don't know who was available and took Simmons word for it. As you said, McManus will have contacts so I'm highly surprised we signed a fullback as a halfback.

The lack of quality halfback is the major problem and IMO cost Royce his job.

Re: Rush and KC : Sun Mar 25, 2012 11:15 am  

St pete wrote:

The lack of quality halfback is the major problem and IMO cost Royce his job.

Which is as much McManus' fault as Royce's. Had he forced Eastmond to make a decision at the mid point of the season before instead of three games into a new SL campaign we would have had time to bring a half-back in. By pandering to Eastmond we were forced to throw Lomax into the scrum half spot. He did ok. But a lot of that was down to his partnership with another youngster, Gaskell, which was completely new to SL's planned defences. Now because Lomax is more of an instinctive player rather than a tactically creative one he's been worked out at scrum half and we are left in the embarrassing and wholly undesirable position of having not a single functioning number seven at the club - including a reserve.

Re: Rush and KC : Sun Mar 25, 2012 11:21 am  

Mugwump wrote:

Which is as much McManus' fault as Royce's. Had he forced Eastmond to make a decision at the mid point of the season before instead of three games into a new SL campaign we would have had time to bring a half-back in. By pandering to Eastmond we were forced to throw Lomax into the scrum half spot. He did ok. But a lot of that was down to his partnership with another youngster, Gaskell, which was completely new to SL's planned defences. Now because Lomax is more of an instinctive player rather than a tactically creative one he's been worked out at scrum half and we are left in the embarrassing and wholly undesirable position of having not a single functioning number seven at the club - including a reserve.

Can't really argue with that, mac has to take his share of the blame but at the end of the day he's the boss and he won't sack himself. Jamie Ellis was another 7 we let go recently too whos looking like a good player

Re: Rush and KC : Sun Mar 25, 2012 11:23 am  

St pete wrote:

Like I said, we don't know who was available and took Simmons word for it. As you said, McManus will have contacts so I'm highly surprised we signed a fullback as a halfback.

You do keep ignoring the fact - the fact - that Hohaia has played at halfback and that is where he also played in his junior years. He was only a fullback for about the last four years. Is Sam Tomkins not a halfback because he now plays fullback?

The lack of quality halfback is the major problem and IMO cost Royce his job.

The last bit is utter tosh. What cost Royce his job were senior players not doing theirs. If Puletua had been awake and caught Wello's pass in Bradford we would have won that game and Royce would still be in a job. McManus is living in his own little world thinking we have a world beating team when actually we don't, and that's largely down to McManus and his recruitment policy of recent years, a recruitment policy you have derided many times on these very boards. So stop changing your tune.