: Mon May 18, 2009 6:36 pm  

JWP wrote:

5.

Cooper has been excellent, I think folk don't give him enough credit, he quietly coming on leaps & bounds. For a young lad, he doesn't half make some yards, has good leg drive & is rarely dominated. Tough position for a kid to play, no hiding place.

I know 1878 think's very highly of him, I remember a game last year(not sure who against) when he offloaded and we went onto score...west stand.

: Mon May 18, 2009 7:00 pm  

JWP wrote:

5.

Cooper has been excellent, I think folk don't give him enough credit, he quietly coming on leaps & bounds. For a young lad, he doesn't half make some yards, has good leg drive & is rarely dominated. Tough position for a kid to play, no hiding place.

Yeah, at times he has been good and at times he has struggled abit, but i guess it's a learning process for him. And I am sure he will get there in the end, certainly rate him alot higher than Pickersgill.

Here is a question for you JWP, if Rah ends up leaving at the end of the season, would you want Sir Che Tony to bring in someone new or give Cooper his chance as the forth choice prop?

: Mon May 18, 2009 7:14 pm  

Supreme Optimist wrote:

Yeah, at times he has been good and at times he has struggled abit, but i guess it's a learning process for him. And I am sure he will get there in the end, certainly rate him alot higher than Pickersgill.

Here is a question for you JWP, if Rah ends up leaving at the end of the season, would you want Sir Che Tony to bring in someone new or give Cooper his chance as the forth choice prop?

Tough one, loads of different factors really.

The most obvious thing to say is, you don't start SL with only 4 frontline props, so there's always going to be room for five, so that quashes that, but I know that's not what you're kinda asking me.

It's all relative to the cap really for me, and Smiths plans. People say that your front row doesn't win you games, but off Saturday it clearly does, without Morley & Carvell we don't win that game, simple. Your pack gets you upfield and allows folk like Briers & Bridge and flash fellas to play, so they are essential, but a bit of you thinks 'don't waste money on the front row', but you're not really, get me ?

We have to replace Rauhihi, in terms of a body, if Picks goes too, you're leaving yourself with no options.

I'd be happy if Rauhihi was replaced by say Kylie Leuluai for example. He'd be my first choice for us to bring in, him or Andy Lynch but he's never fit enough for me. I'm saying this assuming it's an out of contract prop we go for, if a fee was involved obviously you'd want Burgess, but I'm answering on the assumption it's a free like Rauhihi would be released, so it's just wage for wage.

Paul Wood needs to be careful, I like Wood, but he's very much now a head down, yardage prop, and Cooper does the same thing, perhaps better. We always seem to talk as if Rauhihi keeps Cooper out, but I wouldn't say he's too far behind Wood for me right now.

: Mon May 18, 2009 7:33 pm  

Pickersgillis out of the picture and will probably be released. Can we afford to give Rau another (third) final season? Paul Wood is playing well, long may it continue, he deserves a bit of good luck. Morley and Carvell are two of the best go forward Props in SL at the moment. I would go for a British player. Lynch is out of contract and would be another good signing.

: Mon May 18, 2009 7:47 pm  

JWP wrote:

Tough one, loads of different factors really.

The most obvious thing to say is, you don't start SL with only 4 frontline props, so there's always going to be room for five, so that quashes that, but I know that's not what you're kinda asking me.

It's all relative to the cap really for me, and Smiths plans. People say that your front row doesn't win you games, but off Saturday it clearly does, without Morley & Carvell we don't win that game, simple. Your pack gets you upfield and allows folk like Briers & Bridge and flash fellas to play, so they are essential, but a bit of you thinks 'don't waste money on the front row', but you're not really, get me ?

We have to replace Rauhihi, in terms of a body, if Picks goes too, you're leaving yourself with no options.

I'd be happy if Rauhihi was replaced by say Kylie Leuluai for example. He'd be my first choice for us to bring in, him or Andy Lynch but he's never fit enough for me. I'm saying this assuming it's an out of contract prop we go for, if a fee was involved obviously you'd want Burgess, but I'm answering on the assumption it's a free like Rauhihi would be released, so it's just wage for wage.

Paul Wood needs to be careful, I like Wood, but he's very much now a head down, yardage prop, and Cooper does the same thing, perhaps better. We always seem to talk as if Rauhihi keeps Cooper out, but I wouldn't say he's too far behind Wood for me right now.

Aye, I'm really asking whether Cooper can be promoted to 4th/3rd choice prop if Rah was to go, although i agree we would need to purchase another prop as 4 isn't enough for a SL season and Neal isn't quite there yet. I actually think Landerson could bulk up abit more and play front row, whether he does i doubt it, it's only an idea as I don't like him defending on the fringe.

If Pickersgill goes (which it looks as though he will) and Rah goes, we will for sure need to bring another prop, a big unit with a decent offload and work rate would be ideal. Kylie Leuluai would be perfect, if a fee is involved for any prop it should be either Burgess or LMS.

The fact that Wood only got 1 year shows that he could become surplus if Cooper comes storming into the side and makes a good impression next year.

: Tue May 19, 2009 9:54 am  

JWP wrote:

People say that your front row doesn't win you games, but off Saturday it clearly does, without Morley & Carvell we don't win that game, simple. Your pack gets you upfield and allows folk like Briers & Bridge and flash fellas to play, so they are essential,

Exactly. Alot of people say things like "If Briers plays well, Warrington play well" or "Stop Briers, you stop Warrington" or "Briers only plays when he wants to". All nonsense in my opinion. If the team aren't doing the basics well such as completing sets of six and making yards upfield, then usually there's not much your halfback can do about it. Conversely, if the pack is on top then there's not much the opposition can do to stop your halfback performing because he'll have time and space and be getting plenty of posession.

I've rarely seen Briers play badly on top of good work by the rest of the team. Usually when he hasn't stood out, it's been because we've failed to complete sets and/or given too many penalties away.

: Tue May 19, 2009 4:22 pm  

SEB wrote:

Exactly. Alot of people say things like "If Briers plays well, Warrington play well" or "Stop Briers, you stop Warrington" or "Briers only plays when he wants to". All nonsense in my opinion. If the team aren't doing the basics well such as completing sets of six and making yards upfield, then usually there's not much your halfback can do about it. Conversely, if the pack is on top then there's not much the opposition can do to stop your halfback performing because he'll have time and space and be getting plenty of posession.

I've rarely seen Briers play badly on top of good work by the rest of the team. Usually when he hasn't stood out, it's been because we've failed to complete sets and/or given too many penalties away.

It's all about field position and even the worlds best HB can't play behind a beaten pack.

Interesting to see Higham also benefit from Morley and Carvell winning the collision enabling him to secure a quick PTB. That is one thing Rauhihi (for all his benefits) never does.

: Tue May 19, 2009 6:36 pm  

I think we would have probably won with Briers in at Edinburgh though. Saying we probably would have won if we had any half back playing.

: Tue May 19, 2009 7:08 pm  

Leigh have got a cracking young prop at the moment, Danny Meekin. We could do a lot worse than have a look at this young lad.

: Tue May 19, 2009 10:09 pm  

JWP wrote:

People say that your front row doesn't win you games, but off Saturday it clearly does, without Morley & Carvell we don't win that game, simple.

Only thickos like Phil Clarke when he's being deliberately controversial.

Morley, Carvell, Wood, and Cooper are ace, Harrison will be there or thereabouts eventually too. Maybe get a man in for a season or two, no duff Aussies though ta.