I'm not suggesting for one minute that he's on his way to Wigan. I personally think we've got our next coach sorted. Look at SL and there are a few posts that could be up for grabs next year; Hull KR, Hull, Quins RL and dare I say Wakefield.
i thinkelliot needs to go to a team with alot of money, seemed to do an ok job at bradford when they had a good squad but (i dont really know) his nrl credientials seem to be lacking
I'm not suggesting for one minute that he's on his way to Wigan. I personally think we've got our next coach sorted. Look at SL and there are a few posts that could be up for grabs next year; Hull KR, Hull, Quins RL and dare I say Wakefield.
IMHO Ben Davies does not look like filling his potential. When I've seen him on TV he just doesn't look up to it.
I don't think he has been given anywhere near enough time to make an accurate and fair judgement on whether or not he looks like he will fill his potential. He has played five Super League games. He hasn't stood out, but hasn't done an awful lot wrong either. It took Paul Prescott years before we started to see the level of performances expected from a first team prop. Joel Tomkins has said it has taken him 50 Super League appearances before he felt comfortable playing at this level. Mike McIlorum has also only started to shine after more appearances and a consistent run in the first team. Until we see him at his best fully developed we can't (or shouldn't) just write him off. Touted as one of the most promising up and coming English prop forwards in the game - massive mistake to let him leave IMO, especially since good English props are such a rare commodity.
I don't think he has been given anywhere near enough time to make an accurate and fair judgement on whether or not he looks like he will fill his potential. He has played five Super League games. He hasn't stood out, but hasn't done an awful lot wrong either. It took Paul Prescott years before we started to see the level of performances expected from a first team prop. Joel Tomkins has said it has taken him 50 Super League appearances before he felt comfortable playing at this level. Mike McIlorum has also only started to shine after more appearances and a consistent run in the first team. Until we see him at his best fully developed we can't (or shouldn't) just write him off. Touted as one of the most promising up and coming English prop forwards in the game - massive mistake to let him leave IMO, especially since good English props are such a rare commodity.
Totally agree. It'll take patience on both fronts, from the club and Ben himself. But examples of what being patient can reap, are there for all to see.
i dont know. i dont watch the nrl but id be looking at our options there. the problem with king is that his wages will be top dollar. he wont take a pay cut to join us and when he signed for wire it was rumoured to be the biggest sl earner ever 250k+ considering the increase in the aussie cap he can prob command a wage increase if he moves home!!! you dont spend real cash on a guy not to get the best out of him - a lesson we learnt the hard way with ainscough and for a year pat.
It's not easy to offer a solution. Our options in the NRL are limited/zero. Ian Lenagan stated at the fans forum that the market for centres is very grim. Top NRL centres will be harder to entice to Super League now the NRL salary cap has gone up. All the best are signed up. Justin Hodges is staying at Brisbane and Matt Cooper wants to stay at St.George. You can almost rule out a centre from the NRL. Then you must turn to Super League. I compiled a list of all the OOC players in Super League and Matt King is the best centre available. Matt King would not be able to demand a wage increase ANYWHERE in RL - especially not the NRL. He will be 31 when his contract runs out and has just come back from a nasty knee injury. The rumours about his wage when he arrived at Wire are just rumours, but when he arrived at Wire he had played 9 times at origin level and had been capped 10 times by Australia, 2 time consecutive NRL grand finalist, winning the latter one. He was also 25/26 years of age. His value will have decreased - not gone up. However he is still performing in Super League (demonstrated by the hat-trick he scored last weekend) and was in the Dream Team last year as a centre. He's be a shrewd signing. He is certainly the best available.
anyway, who says it needs to be OOC? IL splashed for gleeson who is the best all round centre in this league. full stop.
I can't see Ian Lenagan splashing the cash for a centre. I can't think who he would buy in Super League anyway. I also don't see who he would buy and why he would buy a centre when someone like King is available.
id take a put on j-p baille. reminds me of bj mather
So you wouldn't have Matt King, but you would take JP-Baille?
I've seen them bomb a quarter final, bottle a semi final, finish as league leaders, but I've still, never, seen the Wire win the league Doom and gloom, doom and gloom
It's not easy to offer a solution. Our options in the NRL are limited/zero. Ian Lenagan stated at the fans forum that the market for centres is very grim. Top NRL centres will be harder to entice to Super League now the NRL salary cap has gone up. All the best are signed up. Justin Hodges is staying at Brisbane and Matt Cooper wants to stay at St.George. You can almost rule out a centre from the NRL. Then you must turn to Super League. I compiled a list of all the OOC players in Super League and Matt King is the best centre available. Matt King would not be able to demand a wage increase ANYWHERE in RL - especially not the NRL. He will be 31 when his contract runs out and has just come back from a nasty knee injury. The rumours about his wage when he arrived at Wire are just rumours, but when he arrived at Wire he had played 9 times at origin level and had been capped 10 times by Australia, 2 time consecutive NRL grand finalist, winning the latter one. He was also 25/26 years of age. His value will have decreased - not gone up. However he is still performing in Super League (demonstrated by the hat-trick he scored last weekend) and was in the Dream Team last year as a centre. He's be a shrewd signing. He is certainly the best available.
I can't see Ian Lenagan splashing the cash for a centre. I can't think who he would buy in Super League anyway. I also don't see who he would buy and why he would buy a centre when someone like King is available.
So you wouldn't have Matt King, but you would take JP-Baille?
i'd have matt king but i think it would be a wiser move to sign someone on less wages with more to offer long term such as baille. i think in light of the aussie cap increase you might see a scramble for players and some seriously over inflated wages flying round so dont rule out king commanding the same or slightly more in terms of wages - 31 is a fine age to go back to the nrl and still cut it.