: Tue Mar 31, 2009 7:48 pm  

JWP wrote:

I agree with you.

What happened to the stories of his 10.74 sec 100m stuff.

Serious question Rob, and everyone else really, but you in particular Rob,

Q1. Is Chris Hicks a better finisher than the much maligned Henry Fa'afilli ?

A1. For me, no, I thought Henry was better, he took half chances better. Got the ball down in seemingly impossible situations etc.

Q2. Who would you rather have ? (Assuming we had another recognised kicker, so it was contribution based on winger v winger)

A2. Tough call, for me, Hicks just I think. I'm kinda torn, Hicks because he has better value out of acting half, better workrate, also in theory he must be quicker etc. I just felt Fa'afilli was underrated, he had that tryscoring ability but you have to factor in that Riley, Reardon, Hicks etc have all done well outside Gleeson. It's a tough one, Hicks just.

Discuss.

Thinking about it, they are smiler players in regards to weighing up the pro's and con's, for me Hicks just edges it because i thought Henry messed about to much i.e, silly steps, running sidewards and his inability to pick up a rolling ball.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 7:59 pm  

JWP wrote:

I agree with you.

What happened to the stories of his 10.74 sec 100m stuff.

Serious question Rob, and everyone else really, but you in particular Rob,

Q1. Is Chris Hicks a better finisher than the much maligned Henry Fa'afilli ?

A1. For me, no, I thought Henry was better, he took half chances better. Got the ball down in seemingly impossible situations etc.

Q2. Who would you rather have ? (Assuming we had another recognised kicker, so it was contribution based on winger v winger)

A2. Tough call, for me, Hicks just I think. I'm kinda torn, Hicks because he has better value out of acting half, better workrate, also in theory he must be quicker etc. I just felt Fa'afilli was underrated, he had that tryscoring ability but you have to factor in that Riley, Reardon, Hicks etc have all done well outside Gleeson. It's a tough one, Hicks just.

Discuss.

Personally i think question 1 is hard to answer for the following reason, when Chris Hicks first arrived he was scoring tries for fun and i would say at that time he was a far better finisher than Fa`afili, what changed is Chris Hicks got messed about a bit in having to move to fullback along with taking on the kicking duties so he had a lot more responsibility.

If you left Hicks to be an out and out winger with Gleeson on form and as his regular partner then i think Hicks would be the better finisher, what Hicks hasn`t benefited from like Fa`afili did is an on song Lee Briers with pin point accurate kicking to the right wing. Lee Briers is now 3/4 years older since the Fa`afili days and his form had been in regression for a fair while now up and till showing a bit os sparke against the bottom of the table side at the weekend.

Question 2, Hicks for me as the better all round winger.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:01 pm  

Hicks all day every day! henry was a one trick pony

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:05 pm  

I'm undecided. Earlier last year i would have said Hicks when he seemed to be scoring tries for fun but i dont know. I rated henry and as i said earlier in this thread i was always impressed with his tries in the corner. As others have mentioned this may have just been because he had more support.

Hicks will be good for us and i can see when the team start to settle he will scoring easily again.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:11 pm  

Dave Sharky wrote:

I'm undecided. Earlier last year i would have said Hicks when he seemed to be scoring tries for fun but i dont know. I rated henry and as i said earlier in this thread i was always impressed with his tries in the corner. As others have mentioned this may have just been because he had more support.

Hicks will be good for us and i can see when the team start to settle he will scoring easily again.

I'm undecided, i'm tempted to say 'a mix of the two' but I hate it when folk do that.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:13 pm  

Rob Wire wrote:

The only problem i have with Chris Hicks is what i pointed out at the time when we signed him which is a lack of out and out pace, with Matt King on one wing and Hicks on the other we are not the quickest on the outside so it restricts the sort of range that we are capable of scoring tries from.

Where Chris Hicks is excells is close to the opponents line, he has nimble footwork and strength and normally he is a decent one on one defender but he is prone to anyone with pace taking him on.

He looked pretty nippy in his Manly days, but I'm sure he had quite a serious injury before he moved here, I wonder if that's affected him at all?

He does look a little slower and weaker this year, though.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:23 pm  

langer the king wrote:

Hicks all day every day! henry was a one trick pony

yes but that '1 trick' was scoring tries

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:27 pm  

Rob Wire wrote:

Personally i think question 1 is hard to answer for the following reason, when Chris Hicks first arrived he was scoring tries for fun and i would say at that time he was a far better finisher than Fa`afili, what changed is Chris Hicks got messed about a bit in having to move to fullback along with taking on the kicking duties so he had a lot more responsibility.

If you left Hicks to be an out and out winger with Gleeson on form and as his regular partner then i think Hicks would be the better finisher, what Hicks hasn`t benefited from like Fa`afili did is an on song Lee Briers with pin point accurate kicking to the right wing. Lee Briers is now 3/4 years older since the Fa`afili days and his form had been in regression for a fair while now up and till showing a bit os sparke against the bottom of the table side at the weekend.

Question 2, Hicks for me as the better all round winger.

I get you, but I'd also point out that Henry scored plenty of tries from left & right centre when plonked there, plenty. I don't think we gave him the credit for the ability he had.

What de finish with ? Circa (total guess) 74 in 95 something like that. Up there with the best.

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:27 pm  

YED79 wrote:

yes but that '1 trick' was scoring tries

beat me to it, garrrr.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:29 pm  

Tony Catsmith wrote:

beat me to it, garrrr.