Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Oct 12, 2016 11:26 pm  

You know, just on George Williams, I like him a lot, he is a great talent, but I don't think he's anywhere near NRL half standard yet. He's a way behind youngsters over there like Moses and Brooks, he hasn't yet got the all-round game they have. I wouldn't imagine any NRL side would want to throw him into their first team right now.

And I'm not sorry about that!

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 13, 2016 2:18 am  

Agree re Williams, I don't think we have anything to worry about now or in the future to be honest.

I like him, I think he is still a bit hit and miss but I fully expect him to flourish alongside Tommy.

Looking at the NRL though they have an embarrassment of riches in the halves and it is no coincidence whilst English players have become a target fir NRL clubs no halves have headed over there.

Players like Clearey at the Panthers are younger than Williams but significantly further ahead in their development, which is a sad indication of our development systems over here.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 13, 2016 12:21 pm  

Well Cleary is a freak, and still 18!

All this talk about Williams is getting me down though; I honestly think I'd rather have lost the GF than GW.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 13, 2016 12:48 pm  

moto748 wrote:

You know, just on George Williams, I like him a lot, he is a great talent, but I don't think he's anywhere near NRL half standard yet. He's a way behind youngsters over there like Moses and Brooks, he hasn't yet got the all-round game they have. I wouldn't imagine any NRL side would want to throw him into their first team right now.

And I'm not sorry about that!

Is Sarginson an NRL standard centre/fullback?

There are far worse players than Williams that have had offers from the NRL so I personally don't feel confident that he'll be around for long. As for the Wire rumour it's obvious bullsh*t, there's not even a mention of it on their board and I really don't think he'd leave Wigan for another SL club anyway.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 13, 2016 12:58 pm  

'NRL Standard' is a bit of a myth for me. It's tough to judge how any player will settle regardless of talent so top players could bomb. Other lads (like Josh Hodgson) get taken out of their comfort zone and thrive on the back of this and produce far more then you thought possible.

George Williams is clearly good enough for the NRL but who knows of he'd smash it over there because of the reasons mentioned above (plus numerous other factors such as injury, your clubs form, acclimatisation to the weather etc).

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 13, 2016 2:31 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

'NRL Standard' is a bit of a myth for me. It's tough to judge how any player will settle regardless of talent so top players could bomb. Other lads (like Josh Hodgson) get taken out of their comfort zone and thrive on the back of this and produce far more then you thought possible.

George Williams is clearly good enough for the NRL but who knows of he'd smash it over there because of the reasons mentioned above (plus numerous other factors such as injury, your clubs form, acclimatisation to the weather etc).

Bingo, Widdop has been a starter over there for ages. I know you could argue they are a different style but I don't see how Williams offers much less than him. It certainly doesn't seem that way when they have both put an England shirt on.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 13, 2016 4:44 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

Bingo, Widdop has been a starter over there for ages. I know you could argue they are a different style but I don't see how Williams offers much less than him. It certainly doesn't seem that way when they have both put an England shirt on.

I can't wait to see if Widdop can finally manage what he's been trying to do for years in an England shirt and disappear up his own backside!

His lack of basic direction was frankly appalling last year with him running around in circles that much I feared he'd bump in to himself.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 13, 2016 6:18 pm  

OK, I'll respond.

Is Sarge a NRL-standard centre or full-back? No, I don't believe he is. But he's going to one of the NRL's poorer sides (albeit one that rather overachieved last season), presumably as a squad player, and I doubt he'll be on enormous money. That's very different, in Aussies eyes, from making an untested Pom your primary play-maker.

GW has the talent, and I'm not saying he couldn't make the step up, but right now he's not as good as Moses, Brooks, Cleary, Townsend, etc etc.

I think it's telling that, despite being "the world's most expensive player", Sam T was never entrusted with a place in the halves when at NZW, despite numerous occasions when injuries would have made it feasible.

As for Widdop, I agree he's not all that, but I would make a few points that possibly explain his relative success over there:

a) I think the "Made in Melbourne" tag counts for a lot over there.

b) Widdop may not be that creative, but he's busy, and a good defender (positionally, not just a good tackler), and the risk-averse Aussies like that.

c) And don't forget he plays for the Dragons. They have been so dismal lately that he probably shows up as one of their better performers!

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 13, 2016 7:09 pm  

moto748 wrote:

OK, I'll respond.

Is Sarge a NRL-standard centre or full-back? No, I don't believe he is. But he's going to one of the NRL's poorer sides (albeit one that rather overachieved last season), presumably as a squad player, and I doubt he'll be on enormous money. That's very different, in Aussies eyes, from making an untested Pom your primary play-maker.

GW has the talent, and I'm not saying he couldn't make the step up, but right now he's not as good as Moses, Brooks, Cleary, Townsend, etc etc.

I think it's telling that, despite being "the world's most expensive player", Sam T was never entrusted with a place in the halves when at NZW, despite numerous occasions when injuries would have made it feasible.

As for Widdop, I agree he's not all that, but I would make a few points that possibly explain his relative success over there:

a) I think the "Made in Melbourne" tag counts for a lot over there.

b) Widdop may not be that creative, but he's busy, and a good defender (positionally, not just a good tackler), and the risk-averse Aussies like that.

c) And don't forget he plays for the Dragons. They have been so dismal lately that he probably shows up as one of their better performers!

I don't know enough about the names you mention to comment tbh but I do know about Williams and he's clearly good enough to go and give the NRL one hell of a go. As I pointed out it may not work out (I'm talking as though he's going here but hopefully that won't be for a while yet) but it won't be through a lack of talent.

The point I'm making is we bull the NRL up way too much. Yes it's a better league, that's clearly the case and the finances available mean they can gobble up our best players. We have many players good enough to hold down places in NRL teams/squads though IMO. Some will go better then expected, some not as well as expected but that's much the same years back over here when Aussies and Kiwis of a higher quality were coming over. Some hyped up players flopped and some unheralded signings smashed it.

I hope we don't get the chance to find out how Williams will go in the NRL for quite a while but if he wanted to go tomorrow he'd find a club with ease and if he settled in nicely, he would go very well IMO.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Oct 13, 2016 8:26 pm  

I personally think Williams is a big talent but needs to show more consistency. I think Tommy will be a great foil for him and he will kick on next year.

The reason I don't think he would get too much interest from the NRL because the halves and the ability to develop halves is relentless. They have a production line of quality halves at all clubs.

There however seems to be a bit of a lack of quality or depth of quality in other positions particularly outside backs. Obviously they have the superstars but centre is a position that lacks depth in the NRL wingers and fullbacks often shifted there to see how they go. I just don't think English halves are in demand at the moment.