Re: Meli moments ... : Sun Sep 16, 2012 1:18 pm  

I just have to bow to the knowledge of greater people, such as the last 5 Saints coaches and the last 2 Exiles coaches.

Re: Meli moments ... : Sun Sep 16, 2012 1:23 pm  

bewareshadows wrote:

Yeh but Royce got sacked for doing that.

I think we just have to accept he is a gamble player, could blow the opposition to piece, could ruin our chances.

The best option really is to have a young eager centre, willing to mop up any spilt ball from Meli and to expect there to be spit ball on every kick.

Thank god for Jones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Much of the numpty perception problem is with the position he plays - if a hooker or SR makes 2 or 3 appalling clangers in a game then the opposition probably gains 30 or 40 extra yards out of it, the game moves on and everyone soon forgets about it with no hanging posses being formed. If a winger does the same then the opposition gets gifted an extra 12/16 points and the "murder him for the good of the gene pool" threads start. Meli always has a brainfart in him but they're comparatively few these days and his ups massively outweigh his downs.

Re: Meli moments ... : Sun Sep 16, 2012 1:25 pm  

bewareshadows wrote:

I just have to bow to the knowledge of greater people, such as the last 5 Saints coaches and the last 2 Exiles coaches.

Yup - it never ceases to amuse me the number of people who think that they know player qualities better than dozens of professional RL coaches who work with and against them every day...

Re: Meli moments ... : Sun Sep 16, 2012 2:13 pm  

It is nice to see the thread back on topic after saddo's attempt to derail it.

Regarding Meli; he has his good points but it is heart in mouth every time a kick goes his way. Oh the exitment

Re: Meli moments ... : Sun Sep 16, 2012 2:44 pm  

bewareshadows wrote:

I just have to bow to the knowledge of greater people, such as the last 5 Saints coaches and the last 2 Exiles coaches.

Meli came in with Anderson, so it's not quite five coaches! And since Anderson coached the last Exiles team, I'd have fully expected Meli to be in it.

Simmons was the only one to shunt Meli off the wing. Everyone on here agreed last year that Meli was better at centre than on the wing. Now half of those people have reverted back to thinking he's great on the wing. Interesting that!

Re: Meli moments ... : Sun Sep 16, 2012 3:21 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

Simmons was the only one to shunt Meli off the wing. Everyone on here agreed last year that Meli was better at centre than on the wing. Now half of those people have reverted back to thinking he's great on the wing. Interesting that!

Meli, for me, is a better centre than a winger. He doesn't have to deal with the high kicks and proved hroughout last year hat he could score and create for his winger. He also defend s his channel much better than initially thought he would. However, given our current squad and the long term absence of Ade mean that he's more use to on the wing.
Before Royce was sacked, we were playing with two shrimps on the wing and were struggling to get away from our try line because of it.
He didn't do much wrong yesterday and to focus on the almost try in the opening minutes is harsh. Monaghan, who was able to run and jump, was always going to have an advantage over Meli jumping from a standing position.

Meli is still one of the most dangerous outside backs in the league and over the year's he's won us more games that he lost us, by a long way I reckon.

Whoever said Makinson has been shaken under the high ball all season has a short memory. He had a run of games were he was looking great under high kicks, taking them high above the opposition, but he did have a run the other way.

Re: Meli moments ... : Sun Sep 16, 2012 3:27 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

:LOL: Kick returns are maybe 50% of a modern winger's game, most definitely so if you're playing in a tight game against tough opposition, and a massive, massive part of a fullback's game too. It is laughable to even attempt to dismiss their importance to a winger's effectiveness. Makinson will never make a top #1, #2 or #5 until he learns to add this vital facet of the game to his arsenal.

Totally agree!

I nearly wet myself laughing when saintsfan made comment about kick returns only being small part of a wingers game and kick returns are not important!

Re: Meli moments ... : Sun Sep 16, 2012 3:45 pm  

Ninja saint wrote:

I nearly wet myself laughing when saintsfan made comment about kick returns only being small part of a wingers game and kick returns are not important!

I didn't say they weren't important. I said every metre made was important. Given that we made it to yet another GF when we had Foster and Makinson on the wings last year, and lost fewer games last season than this, I feel fully justified in saying that they are a small part of the winger's job. If the kick return of a winger was as influential as you are claiming then only making a couple of metres (which is what both our present wingers achieve) would be having a detrimental affect on our results. However, they aren't. We did fine last year and fine this year because what counts more is the impact of our forwards and their ability/willingness to make metres, not our wingers.

Re: Meli moments ... : Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:34 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

Meli, for me, is a better centre than a winger. He doesn't have to deal with the high kicks and proved hroughout last year hat he could score and create for his winger. He also defend s his channel much better than initially thought he would. However, given our current squad and the long term absence of Ade mean that he's more use to on the wing.
Before Royce was sacked, we were playing with two shrimps on the wing and were struggling to get away from our try line because of it.
He didn't do much wrong yesterday and to focus on the almost try in the opening minutes is harsh. Monaghan, who was able to run and jump, was always going to have an advantage over Meli jumping from a standing position.

Meli is still one of the most dangerous outside backs in the league and over the year's he's won us more games that he lost us, by a long way I reckon.

Whoever said Makinson has been shaken under the high ball all season has a short memory. He had a run of games were he was looking great under high kicks, taking them high above the opposition, but he did have a run the other way.

Unfortunately, when you've got Wellens at #1 then you need 2 wingers who can both make yards early in the tackle count in the big games or another G/F being kicked and turned to death by Sinfield beckons. That's why for me Meli and Gardner need to be our wings when push comes to shove.

Re: Meli moments ... : Sun Sep 16, 2012 6:31 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

Her problem is that he was gash for a longish spell about 5 years ago and cost us big in a few Grand Finals a few seasons ago. .

Re read what you typed and it's not hard to see why so many people , me included think he's a liability ... "cost us big in a few grand finals" . In the big games against the best teams he is just exposed. It gives me no pleasure to say this either.