Offside Monkey wrote:
I agree. He's far from the complete package in that shirt, infact, he may never convince people that that's his best suited position, but he can do a very effective job. His ability to handle the ball at the line is one that not many british lads have. The problem is that at the moment, the opposition defence does not percive us to have any threat wide of the 1st reciver position so numbers up in that area, the compounding factor is that they're right, so Lomax, at the moment, is all to often taking a well stacked defensive line on by himself.
True. But I think there's another issue. Lomax is most dangerous running at tired forwards where he can use his agility, step and speed off the mark to greatest effect. Taking the ball at first or second receiver the space between him and the defence is greater than it would be if he were launching himself out of the dummy half attacking the ruck. In the case of the former defenders have just that little more time to re-adjust - in addition to the fact that he may be taking on quicker men whose speed negates the effectiveness of his own. At nine the thinking time is cut significantly. Any mistake by the defender and Lomax would be away. Furthermore, at dummy half he's far more likely to be taking on slower guys. This is why I feel if ever Jonny was made for a position it is hooker.
I should also point out that whilst Lomax's edge defence can be susceptible (usually he comes a cropper against raw speed or situations where the attack has overloaded his thinking with multiple dummy runners) his front-on tackling certainly is not. Finally, his workrate is prodigious - which is an essential requirement for any hooking candidate.
I'm not convinced by arguments in favour of him assuming the full back slot. For a start Makinson is better under the high ball, quicker and a superior tackler. I agree that Jonny would more than likely improve upon Wellens' abysmal kick returns. But I just don't think we'd be putting him in a role to which his pretty unique skills are best suited. As previously stated, Jonny needs to be
running at big, slow men against whom his speed and power can wreak enormous damage (especially after they've just spent thirty minutes or so having their lungs turned inside out chasing Roby down). Putting him up against quicker guys in the backs just seems like a waste.
He may not be a scrum half, but he played very well in that position last year. Better than he's playing this year even in the many games we've won.
The two biggest changes since now and then are Royce leaving and Gaskell not playing #6. I know which I think is the cause.
What frustrates me is that % play is the core of our game, with us having the top completion rate in the league (least it was t'other week), but yet we seem happy to take the field without our only qulaity long range kicker. Jeez, even Oldham were better than us in that department.
In my mind, Hohaia is currently behind both Wheeler and Gaskell for the #6 shirt.
I'd put Hohaia clearly behind Gaskell. But I'm a bit mystified by Wheeler's position above him. After all, what has he DONE? Yes, we can point to the odd good game here and there. But there's certainly no demonstrable form on a consistent basis and especially at stand-off. Moreover, we can't say he's not had opportunities. It's worth noting that in one season Gaskell has proved twice the player Wheeler has been in the best part of three.
Hohaia too is a player who has done most of his work away from the halves. And yes, his form has been pretty sketchy. But at least with him we can point to the honest part of a decade in the world's premier competition. On the strength of Wheeler's contributions to Saints since his arrival I doubt he would have amassed ten first team games in the NRL.
