Re: Signing a halfback : Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:54 pm  

getdownmonkeyman wrote:

I am pretty sure Harry Siejka at Wakey doesn't come remotely close to the 50% rule, in fact I am sure he didn't play any first grade in 2013.

And was only allowed over with a polish passport...

Re: Signing a halfback : Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:03 pm  

Magic Superbeetle wrote:

And was only allowed over with a polish passport...

So, as always, there is more than one way to remove the epidermis from a feline.

Re: Signing a halfback : Tue Aug 19, 2014 10:10 pm  

It's a difficult one, it all depends on who is available and wanting to play for us, and are they any better than what we already have? Eg last year asotasi was available and wanting to "play" for us but would we have been better off keeping carvell?

I trust tony smiths judgement entirely (asotasi aside), I do think that the future was supposed to be ratchford and Myler but so far that hasn't worked. If the right player is available I would like to see us make the signing to be honest.

Re: Signing a halfback : Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:00 pm  

Uncle Rico wrote:

I agree, but, I would suggest that self-belief is a major factor in anyone's development. Renting a player out to another club can work both ways...I am gaining valuable first team experience, my day will come, or the coach doesn't want me I'm always the first to be dropped/farmed out.

O'Brien's loans were when Briers was here.

And he was loaned to Saints. Whatever jokes we might like to make about Saints, it's not a slap in the face to get loaned to them, seeing as they are a far more successful club than us.

Re: Signing a halfback : Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:12 pm  

marshman777 wrote:

I was looking at this yesterday and thinking which Half backs were world beaters at 22 in Super League. We are thinking that he should be in there now doing the Briers stuff, that very rarely happens at 22 yrs old. Most half backs dont rise to the top till 24/25. Sean Long, Danny Brough, Matty Smith, Lee Briers to name a few, the odd one like Bobby Goulding and Danny Maguire are the ones i can think off that were very good at a young age. So i personally dont think he is as good as he is going to get.

You are right, and Briers really kept improving right the way through, Briers at 28 was a far better player than Briers at 22 or 23, and at 30 or 31 he had even gone on another level from that.

GO'B will improve but I also think if he was going to be a player of the highest calibre we would have seen something. The very best (like Briers) had obvious match-winning talent when he was 19 in his first season with us, his game was full of flaws which GO'Bs isn't, but you could see he always had something to work with so it was a case of ironing those out.

For me GO'B has a better temperament and is a much calmer and more mature player on the field at 22 than Briers was at the same age, he doesn't get distracted by events going against him like Briers did, but he doesn't have the ability to break a team like Briers did. This isn't a criticism of GO'B because few players have what Briers does but it means I see him as playing a different role.

I think his career will go one of two ways, he can either be a third halfback for a top club competing for trophies, or the first choice halfback at a club at the lower end of the table. Being third halfback at a top club is like being back up quarterback in the NFL - the role calls for somebody that can understand how a team plays, and when the big gun isn't available, can come in and be reliable and just keep the team ticking over so the other players can do their thing. You don't want a back player that is going to be an obvious weak link and spoil the way the team plays. But if he wants to play every week then he could probably get a gig at Wakefield, Hull KR, Widnes or a club like this. What I don't think will happen is GO'B being first choice halfback at a club like Leeds, Saints or Wigan.

Re: Signing a halfback : Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:15 pm  

getdownmonkeyman wrote:

So, as always, there is more than one way to remove the epidermis from a feline.

Yes you can get round work permits if you sign players that have EU passports.

But I am not sure it sends out a great signal for the future British game if our strategy is based on looking around the reserve competitions in Australia for halfbacks with European passports.

Re: Signing a halfback : Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:45 pm  

Ganson's Optician wrote:

Without wishing to sound rude or forward, how on earth would you know?

I happen to work with a Super League players father.

[Uncle Rico]

Re: Signing a halfback : Wed Aug 20, 2014 10:08 am  

sally cinnamon wrote:

O'Brien's loans were when Briers was here.

And he was loaned to Saints. Whatever jokes we might like to make about Saints, it's not a slap in the face to get loaned to them, seeing as they are a far more successful club than us.

I didn't say that it was a slap in the face, but, commented that it could be taken either way by the player as we don't know under what circumstances O'Brien and indeed the other lads have been waved off on the bus to either Saints or Swinton.

Re: Signing a halfback : Wed Aug 20, 2014 11:33 am  

Rugby League Mole on twitter over in Australia seems to think we're signing a halfback who "CAN play"

Re: Signing a halfback : Wed Aug 20, 2014 11:44 am  

Moving Forward wrote:

Rugby League Mole on twitter over in Australia seems to think we're signing a halfback who "CAN play"

when was this tweeted?