Re: Liam Hood & Luke Menzies : Fri Nov 20, 2015 2:00 pm  

As has been commented it resembles a championship/competent line up that will give its all but whether its enough to compete against top eight sides i doubt it. There's a few in there but not enough experience.
I thought we were building especially after last years disaster. Not with these players and it seems on this basis we are never going to.

Re: Liam Hood & Luke Menzies : Fri Nov 20, 2015 2:10 pm  

redwolf wrote:

As has been commented it resembles a championship/competent line up that will give its all but whether its enough to compete against top eight sides i doubt it. There's a few in there but not enough experience.
I thought we were building especially after last years disaster. Not with these players and it seems on this basis we are never going to.

If we can get them working together like the 2006 side then who knows, although the 2006 side did have some go forward with the likes of Rutcho , Coley and Haggerty from the bench. Also Sibbit (when fit) used to hit good lines as did Finnigan.

Only time will tell I suppose

Re: Liam Hood & Luke Menzies : Fri Nov 20, 2015 4:19 pm  

I really hope they prove me wrong but I can't see anything other than our pack being dominated. Too many average joe castoff's for me that aren't physically capable of getting over the advantage line. Every team needs forward momentum but I can't see where it's going to come from?

Re: Liam Hood & Luke Menzies : Fri Nov 20, 2015 5:02 pm  

On Phil Joseph's Wikipedia page it says he can play and has played hooker so maybe the plan is for him to spell Tommy Lee at times during the game now Hood has gone?

On another point though, I've been thinking about Big Phil's role a lot and although more recently he's been an out-and-out prop I'm starting to wonder if it might be worth us playing him off the bench as an impact back-rower? He's not just the biggest player in our squad but also one of the biggest in Super League and if he is running in wider channels at typically smaller men his impact on the game could be devastating!

Re: Liam Hood & Luke Menzies : Fri Nov 20, 2015 6:23 pm  

MarioRugby wrote:

On Phil Joseph's Wikipedia page it says he can play and has played hooker so maybe the plan is for him to spell Tommy Lee at times during the game now Hood has gone?

On another point though, I've been thinking about Big Phil's role a lot and although more recently he's been an out-and-out prop I'm starting to wonder if it might be worth us playing him off the bench as an impact back-rower? He's not just the biggest player in our squad but also one of the biggest in Super League and if he is running in wider channels at typically smaller men his impact on the game could be devastating!

Off the bench I could see him as an impact player. As a back-rower? I'm not so sure. I don't think he has the pace to punch holes, break and put someone away. I can definitely see him as impact off the bench. Trouble is, with reduced interchanges, I think this kind of tactic needs to be applied with care from the backroom staff.

Re: Liam Hood & Luke Menzies : Fri Nov 20, 2015 7:41 pm  

Ave It! wrote:

If we can get them working together like the 2006 side then who knows, ....Only time will tell I suppose

2006 worked because we had a 6- 7 combination that clicked Dunemann - Robinson
a quick & elusive backline
1.Karl Fitzpatrick
2. David Hodgson
3. Kevin McGuniness
4. Aaron Moule
5. John Wilshere

and some genuine hardworkers
Littler - Alker - Highton Rutgerson Charles ,
the only impact forward we had was Coley.

If Watson Sheens have recruited well with Lui and he works with Dobson - O'Brien , and the pack is prepared to ' put a shift in ' the backline has the craft to deliver, Team spirit is the key .

Re: Liam Hood & Luke Menzies : Fri Nov 20, 2015 7:50 pm  

Didnt know we had sold Phil Joseph to Leigh, and arent Leigh still in the championship.

Bye MR Barker / Mario.

Re: Liam Hood & Luke Menzies : Fri Nov 20, 2015 7:52 pm  

People seem to keep avoiding the notion that the forward back is organically going to get smaller due to the reduction in interchanges, there will been less of a difference between front and back row players going forward. Salford might just be stealing a march on the rest by going for a big back line who can help share the work load around. Sa'u, Griffin, Vidot and Carney are all perfect backs to take the first 2 or 3 drives in a set.

We are though less light weight up front than people realise, BMM and Kopczak are pretty big props and as others has said for me this is the make or break season for the Walnes brothers, potential to be real big SL grade players or the types who languish in the lower leagues never having fulfilled the obvious potential.

Re: Liam Hood & Luke Menzies : Fri Nov 20, 2015 7:54 pm  

MarioRugby wrote:

On Phil Joseph's Wikipedia page it says he can play and has played hooker so maybe the plan is for him to spell Tommy Lee at times during the game now Hood has gone?
On another point though, I've been thinking about Big Phil's role a lot and although more recently he's been an out-and-out prop I'm starting to wonder if it might be worth us playing him off the bench as an impact back-rower? He's not just the biggest player in our squad but also one of the biggest in Super League and if he is running in wider channels at typically smaller men his impact on the game could be devastating!

Tommy Lee , Phil Joseph , Robert Lui, all being mentioned at Hooker - acting half back ... I have this vision in my head akin to Jurassic Park , three lumbering Brontosaurus meandering across the grass .. trouble is , it should be terrifying Velociraptors , ball in hand tearing past stunned opposition ...

Re: Liam Hood & Luke Menzies : Fri Nov 20, 2015 7:58 pm  

I think 2006 was such a good season because our 'success' was built entirely on hard work and team spirit.

As I've already said, I do wonder if this team has that same strength of team spirit. Not sure how many of you agree, but I couldn't imagine many of our players sharing a pint down the pub and socializing away from the game. Conversely though, I suppose this could be a good thing given the trouble the Kiwi-cliques caused us last year and Tasi's reputation for enjoying the nightlife in Manchester.

Point is, no matter how much Iain Watson pays these players to jump on ecah other and celebrate after every try, there are too many journeymen in this squad and players on short contracts looking for other clubs or here simply because they've been suspended elsewhere - If Ferres joins as well the AJ Bell will be more like a swingers club than a rugby stadium next year. Maybe Im just being negative, but I cant see this helping build a strong winning culture.