Re: Changes for 3rd Test : Sat Nov 07, 2015 11:48 pm  

Give Watkins more ball.
Put Williams on the left and have him feed and feed off Williams as he has done all season.
Put some decent kicks up for Hall and Hardaker to chase.
Have Watkins switch sides to confuse them.
Freedom to offload - I can barely remember any second phases.
Let Graham pass more, he's just being used as a truck 95% of the time.

But as already said most of this relies on the pack playing well and winning the collision, it didn't today. Tbh neither side got on top enough to create much.

I wonder if the NZ fans are saying RTS should be replaced?

Re: Changes for 3rd Test : Sun Nov 08, 2015 1:48 am  

Exactly the same issues which were apparent after the first Test.

1) Our halves are dismally failing to provide any attacking threat, and are starving the backs of the ball. Their kicking game is also woeful. The halfback situation has to change. It was always ridiculous that Maguire wasn't in the squad, but Gale is, and he should play in the third Test. I don't rate Smith very highly, but I'd be tempted to switch both Williams and Widdop out for Gale and Smith. Smith has a kicking game, and Gale is willing to try attacking rugby. But something needs to happen here, or it'll be the same story in Wigan.

2) We need two centres. One on each side. How easy must it be for NZ to defend when the know that any rare move down the left is likely to collapse because we've a second-row playing centre. We need to put Cudjoe in there to provide an actual attacking threat - ideally with him receiving some ball from a changed half-back pairing.

I'd like to see Westwood brought back in, if only to put a really aggressive player in there alongside Graham and Burgess. Probably can't afford both him and O'Loughlin from the penalty angle, though.

Re: Changes for 3rd Test : Sun Nov 08, 2015 8:22 am  

I fail to see what widdop brings

Re: Changes for 3rd Test : Sun Nov 08, 2015 9:49 am  

Bring in Westwood for Farrell

Re: Changes for 3rd Test : Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:00 am  

Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:

Bring in Westwood for Farrell

Long term Westwood's international career is over, but this is a test series decider, a one-off, so his aggression and ability to play 80 minutes should get him in the side ahead of either Farrel or Whitehead, who offered nothing in attack. McGilveray 's extra grunt deserves a shot on the wing over Burgess who did nowt wrong but doesn't suit these tight defensive encounters. Pity Shenton is not in the squad, but Cudjoe has to replace Bateman if we're to have any attacking threat in the centres. Not sure about the halves: after two games they are hardly 'bedded in' but a change now could completely destabilize the team structure that worked quite well in Hull.

Re: Changes for 3rd Test : Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:23 am  

Worlds Apart wrote:

McGuire in at scrum half for Williams
Cudjoe in for Bateman at Centre
McGillvary in for Burgess on the wing.

McGuire isn't even in the squad.

I'd bring in Westwood for Farrell who is just being ran at constantly by the Kiwis, as he'll add some much needed aggression and an offload game in the back row (saying that Whitehead had 53 offloads last season and I don't recall a single one in two games for England in the last two weeks - again must be down to the coach).

Start Roby, maybe even play him all game and bring on Hodgson for stints as a second hooker option.

We do not need wholesale changes. Hall and Burgess have been fine for the paltry space and service they've been given. Watkins Hardaker Bateman similar, they've been provided with no platform to play with by the back row and HBs.

The biggest change should be in he tactics. We haven't had a better opportunity to show how much more exciting our game is compared to Union after the World Cup and how terrible the England Union side were yet England RL have been more boring to watch in the last two weeks (especially yesterday) than any game in that World Cup. Yesterday was a disgrace!
We need to be far more expansive and actually have something different to one or at most two passes and a drive six times every set all game!

Re: Changes for 3rd Test : Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:45 am  

Change the game plan completely.

Speed up the tempo considerably.

Stop playing one up football.

I

Re: Changes for 3rd Test : Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:45 am  

fun time frankie wrote:

I fail to see what widdop brings

The prestige of an NRL contract, and the love and admiration of Mr Raymond Warren.

Re: Changes for 3rd Test : Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:52 am  

The Sydney Roosters bound Wigan star Joseph Burgess has done nothing wrong and does not deserve to be dropped. He has received little ball and no opportunities to run far with it.

The problem is in the halves.

Matthew Smith is a proven incompetent. The successful combination of Daniel McGuire and Robert Burrow needs to be employed immediately.

Re: Changes for 3rd Test : Sun Nov 08, 2015 12:06 pm  

Luke Gale has been the most consistent, influential English half back in super league this year. A real poor decision from Mac to overlook him for the first two tests. An actual centre should be playing too, not a makeshift.