Theo Fages : Thu Sep 24, 2015 11:39 am  

So, it's official and Theo has signed a four-year-contract with Saints.

Since Marwan Koukash has taken over at Salford, we've signed Tim Smith and lost Marc Sneyd. During this time, Tim Smith flopped and left to join Wakefield, he has since been involved in a drink-driving offence and has generally failed to impress since arriving back at Belle Vue. In contrast, Marc Sneyd has reached the play-offs twice with Cas and Hull and has played in a Challenge Cup final.

We've also signed Rangi Chase and Michael Dobson, but just lost Theo Fages. Despite moments of absolute individual brilliance from Rangi Chase, he has failed to consistently influence games and as a result our league position hasn't improved (much) since he joined. Michael Dobson is another who has had an indifferent first season with Salford, he suffered a knee injury (something he was known for before joining Salford) which forced him out for around 8 weeks and whilst he has been on the pitch his contribution hasn't been anything special. Again, similarly to Rangi we've seen glimpses of what he is capable of ie controlling games, kicking teams around the park and generally being a leader but not a consistent basis. Theo on the other hand has attracted interest from the current Super League champions, who have just signed him up on a four-year-contract with the seemingly likely scenario that he will be playing first team RL next season alongside Luke Walsh in the halves.

I wonder just where Salford would be right now, had we kept hold of Marc Sneyd and Theo Fages and not made any of the above signings. Would the combination of both those young, talented players have improved our league positioning in 2014 and 2015? I guess it's difficult to say, but judging by the way Niall Evalds has performed following Kevin Lockes arrival/departure I would hedge my bets that we certainly wouldn't have done any worse and in the process Marwan would have saved thousands of pounds and the club wouldn't have its name dragged through the press due to club imposed suspensions and the like.

We're also strongly linked with signing Gareth O'Brien. Whilst I like O'Brien as a player, he is certainly no better than either Sneyd or Fages. It just beggars belief.

Marwan said when he joined, the days of our youngsters leaving to sign for other clubs is a thing of the past. Lets hope we signed Niall Evalds up to a lengthy contract ASAP and that we've learnt our lesson when it comes to signing overseas players when we've got more than adequate youth at our disposal.

Re: Theo Fages : Thu Sep 24, 2015 11:56 am  

I think your "end of term report" on Chase and Dobson is a bit harsh: I saw direction from Dobson especially at Widnes and Chase is an individual player not one to steet a team around the pitch.

However I disagree most in thinking lengthy contracts are the answer: from what I know, Fages was on a long contract (albeit from the Wilky days) and Sneyd wanted out of his contract. Unless we superglue players to the stadium, if they want to leave, they will.

I wish we could have kept Fages, Sneyd and Chase.

There are many reasons why I wish the last few years (decades) were better but at least I can say I saw Chase magic whilst he wore a red shirt.

Re: Theo Fages : Thu Sep 24, 2015 12:05 pm  

It doesn't really help that we have kept a revolving door going on head coaches, who come in, change things their way then disappear. Three years in, onto our third set of management, so it's hardly surprising to me that our recruitment and retention is schizophrenic to say the least. At least the current torch-bearers seem to be focusing on the elements of the Club that should have been sorted three years ago. The promotion of some of our successful academy side seems to bode well for the direction we're pointing in.

With Watson and Sheens I feel more confident that the choices for new signings will be based on what is required as players and people, rather than a knee-jerk reaction to get in a 'name'.

The last few years have felt, in retrospect, like a bachelor party that fizzles out before settling down and doing things sensibly. It's a shame it's taken this long, and there's no guarantee that next year wont be another under-achieving nightmare. I have a feeling it wont though. As for Fages, well good luck to him. I don't think he went about matters in a dignified manner, especially after all the Club did for him. He has the potential to go all the way. Whether he gets to do that is more open to question.

Re: Theo Fages : Thu Sep 24, 2015 1:03 pm  

John Gilbert Reds wrote:

We've also signed Rangi Chase and Michael Dobson, but just lost Theo Fages. Despite moments of absolute individual brilliance from Rangi Chase, he has failed to consistently influence games and as a result our league position hasn't improved (much) since he joined.

The biggest problem with Rangi Chase was his level of consistency. His Jeckyll and Hyde performances have exactly mirrored the teams performances over the past two seasons. As we all know the guy can occasionally be a genius but he hasn't done it enough for the huge contract he was on. Is it any coincidence that Castleford Tigers form went from strength to strength when he left? I think it says it all really the fact we are letting him go on a free after paying such a big fee for him. Is there better value out there? I think so and I think Tim Sheens does as well.

As a replacement I would be looking to sign a pacy running halfback in the mould of Brierley at Leigh to partner a player like Dobson.

Re: Theo Fages : Thu Sep 24, 2015 1:57 pm  

Salford - By appointment - Official supplier of Quality Half Backs to SL.
Catalan - Ritchie Myler
Warrington - Stefan Ratchford
Hull - Daniel Holdsworth - Marc Sneyd
Wigan - Matty Smith
Saints - Theo fages

can't blame them they know have either CCup medals- Playoff & Grand Final with their new clubs & I've no doubt the Fages mantelpiece will have silverwear before too long - it will assist his international ambitions also .
In 3 seasons 56 Players will have left the club !!
It's crucial this off season we are more deliberate about ' evolving' a better side rather than acting like X-factor meets celebrity Big Brother.

so less moaning we haven't signed up a ' Sonny Bill Williams ' & more about developing Salford's George Williams.

Re: Theo Fages : Thu Sep 24, 2015 2:02 pm  

middleman wrote:

Salford - By appointment - Official supplier of Quality Half Backs to SL.
Catalan - Ritchie Myler
Warrington - Stefan Ratchford
Hull - Daniel Holdsworth - Marc Sneyd
Wigan - Matty Smith
Saints - Theo fages

can't blame them they know have either CCup medals- Playoff & Grand Final with their new clubs & I've no doubt the Fages mantelpiece will have silverwear before too long - it will assist his international ambitions also .
In 3 seasons 56 Players will have left the club !!
It's crucial this off season we are more deliberate about ' evolving' a better side rather than acting like X-factor meets celebrity Big Brother.

so less moaning we haven't signed up a ' Sonny Bill Williams ' & more about developing Salford's George Williams.

We have a good record of developing young halfbacks it's keeping hold of them that's been the problem. Perhaps this was down to finances in the past where we had to play them and had they been at another club they wouldn't of got the same opportunity of regular first team football.

Re: Theo Fages : Thu Sep 24, 2015 2:28 pm  

What we've not got to forget is Koukash came into the sport and took over Salford not having a single clue about the sport (still doesn't tbh), he thought he could get instant success by throwing money at so called "big named" players, he was poorly advised on this.
The simple fact that Chase / Smith / Dobson were brought in was, it was wrongly presumed that there would instantly be 10k supporters knocking the door down at the AJBell just to see them and we know how that's panned out.
Hopefully with Sheens at the helm any "stars of the future" can be retained and want to stay at the club, it's took 3 years to realise youth is the way forward.

Re: Theo Fages : Thu Sep 24, 2015 3:43 pm  

theredshed wrote:

We have a good record of developing young halfbacks it's keeping hold of them that's been the problem. Perhaps this was down to finances in the past where we had to play them and had they been at another club they wouldn't of got the same opportunity of regular first team football.

I'm not sure that we can claim to have developed Myler.
Similarly,Smith was a well known player when we signed him.
There was far less furore when Sneyd went,than there has been subsequently. Benefit of hindsight,mainly.
Dobson is an excellent signing and,whilst I agree with most of what JGR says,generally,I think his assessment of Dobson is very harsh.
Chase was a massive disappointment but,like Hock,did for us exactly what their previous clubs fans predicted.
I am excited by what Sheen might bring in,he's a man who can judge ability but,more importantly,character

Re: Theo Fages : Thu Sep 24, 2015 5:03 pm  

I think Salford have the ideal set up now coaching wise.A very wise older coach who knows the game inside out,then a young fit coach who can still run the plays on the training pitch.

Re: Theo Fages : Thu Sep 24, 2015 5:10 pm  

I understand you might find the assessment of Dobson harsh, but apart from in fits and starts (such as Widnes on Sunday) I haven't been overly impressed with him this season. He certainly hasn't been the same Michael Dobson we saw at Wigan and Hull KR but I appreciate it is his first season in the team, which was obviously disrupted by a lengthy injury. Whilst he is nowhere near the Tim Smith standard of disappointing signings, he has hardly been outstanding either.

I agree there is plenty of hindsight when it comes to Marc Sneyd, at the time we were all far too excited about Rangi Chase arriving to care too much. Saying that, we're not the ones paid as "professionals" to know which players have and which have not got the talent to make it. Daryl Powell seemed under no illusions that Sneyd could take the place of Rangi and he more than did that.

I think my main gripe is we employ these head coaches, who make their own judgement which has ultimately come at the expense of the club. Noble was here for a season, Harris roughly around the same time frame and because of decision they made we've seen the club sign three 28 plus year old half-backs, two of which have now left the club despite costing thousands to sign and in the process we've lost two 21 year old half-backs to clubs higher than us in the league who will go on and have another successful 10 seasons in Super League.