Re: Field and French : Sun Feb 20, 2022 12:16 pm  

I think back to that comment by Shaun Wane that Byrne was a player who had plenty of improvement in him.

He knows a thing or two, does Waney!

Re: Field and French : Sun Feb 20, 2022 12:59 pm  

moto748 wrote:

I think back to that comment by Shaun Wane that Byrne was a player who had plenty of improvement in him.

He knows a thing or two, does Waney!

Not according to LeBron/Wolves69/etc and if anyone knows best, it's definitely him/her/it!

I think Smithies has had a change of attitude too. There were a few niggles in the Leeds game that he would have responded to last season but on Friday he just got on with his rugby. Really good to see these younger players moving up a level in this way. It all shows what a change in culture can do and, again, that starts from the top down.

Re: Field and French : Sun Feb 20, 2022 4:43 pm  

Phuzzy wrote:

Not according to LeBron/Wolves69/etc and if anyone knows best, it's definitely him/her/it!

I think Smithies has had a change of attitude too. There were a few niggles in the Leeds game that he would have responded to last season but on Friday he just got on with his rugby. Really good to see these younger players moving up a level in this way. It all shows what a change in culture can do and, again, that starts from the top down.

I’m really pleased so far with Byrne and Smithies.
Field quite rightly is getting all the accolades at the moment but those 2 young guys are also like having 2 new recruits because their starts to the season are light years ahead of the previous season.

Re: Field and French : Sun Feb 20, 2022 4:51 pm  

moto748 wrote:

Agree with all of that,especially abut Byrne, who seems to have really come on, after looking 'least likely' last year. As for French/Field, as I've said before, I'm not sure where these NRL first-team berths for them are coming from. Look down the list of NRL full-backs: are Field and French better than any of them? Canberra maybe, although they have a talented youngster too. But there will be injuries down the line, and hopefully opportunities for those fringe players. Although some of us were talking about Shorrocks being the club's long-term 13 not long back, and that might still be the case, but right now, through no particular fault of his own, he's not even making people's proposed 17!

Quoting my own post, but the Canberra talented youngster is Xavier Savage, and I'm watching him right now as they are playing the Roosters in a pre-season game. Harry Rushden is playing, and he just set up a lovely try.

Re: Field and French : Sun Feb 20, 2022 5:00 pm  

moto748 wrote:

Quoting my own post, but the Canberra talented youngster is Xavier Savage, and I'm watching him right now as they are playing the Roosters in a pre-season game. Harry Rushden is playing, and he just set up a lovely try.

It's a real bumper time for FB's in the NRL. You look up and down the team lists and there's some superstars and hugely talented kids knocking about. French and Field might want to go back there to play, but there's no guarantee that teams will be looking to pick them up. Out of the two however, I think Field is the more rounded player and stands more of a chance.

Re: Field and French : Sun Feb 20, 2022 5:08 pm  

One thing we have to factor in with the NRL is there will be a brand new team in there in 12 months time and they’re going to need 25 players. That doesn’t automatically mean Superleague teams losing players to them but they could feel a knock on effect of spots opening up at other clubs down under.

Re: Field and French : Sun Feb 20, 2022 6:59 pm  

Anyway, I'm going into Wests v Manly now, to see how Ollie Gildart performs!

Re: Field and French : Sun Feb 20, 2022 7:00 pm  

Pretty sure Fields partner didn’t settle and is back in Aus.

Think he’s grinning and bearing it until he can head home and pick up an NRL deal.

Re: Field and French : Sun Feb 20, 2022 7:50 pm  

Pretty convinced Field will be off at the end of the year if he gets offers. He said on a podcast just after his injury his plan was to come for 2 years and then go back. Plus he doesn't exactly look thrilled to be here though that may just be his personality. In contrast Ellis, Cust and Mago all look enthused and happy to be at Wigan which is good to see.

Re: Field and French : Sun Feb 20, 2022 7:56 pm  

MadDogg wrote:

Pretty convinced Field will be off at the end of the year if he gets offers. He said on a podcast just after his injury his plan was to come for 2 years and then go back. Plus he doesn't exactly look thrilled to be here though that may just be his personality. In contrast Ellis, Cust and Mago all look enthused and happy to be at Wigan which is good to see.

Pretty sure it’s his manner. I’ve seen old interviews on YouTube from his St George and Parra days and he’s exactly the same. He seems extremely shy/awkward to me but there’s something refreshing about that. He looks like a lad that needs to do his talking on the field and by crikey, he’s doing that and some.