Re: The Prop Problem : Sun Apr 11, 2021 10:56 pm  

After the George Burgess signing I think we can understand the club being extremely cautious about signing players with injury doubts.

After watching his late hit on a kicker in the NSW Cup (that I believe he unbelievably got away with a ban for), I await his bleating about how dirty Wigan players are with baited breath. That’s presuming he’s a big moaning girls blouse like his twin.

Re: The Prop Problem : Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:01 am  

Grimmy wrote:

Do we have the cap room anyway? If Jukesays is right about a fair portion of the Burgess money going on upgrades for French and Hastings then we might not have much choice for this year.

I don’t know, I’d assume we do given French & Hastings were given wage increases months before Burgess left.

Re: The Prop Problem : Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:02 am  

100% Warrior wrote:

I don’t know, I’d assume we do given French & Hastings were given wage increases months before Burgess left.

Months before IT WAS ANNOUNCED that Burgess had left.

Re: The Prop Problem : Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:12 am  

We got burned on Burgess and Tomkins.

I’m more than comfortable to take a pass on Fafita and play the waiting game, better quality long term options will come on the market.

We don’t need a short term, and forgive the terminology, knee jerk signing.

2 from 2 and in the quarter finals of the cup with nearly a full backline missing.

Wakefield need a spark and a lift short term, I think he will have that affect. If his contract goes into next season though it’s a car crash waiting to happen.

Re: The Prop Problem : Mon Apr 12, 2021 10:46 am  

Grimmy wrote:

Penalties and daft stuff is the thing with Watts. He's been top 20 in the league for penalties every year bar one since 2015. I think he's suited being at clubs where a penalty doesn't lose you a semi or final, and I think it's why we haven't seen him in an England shirt. I'd love someone with his attacking talent without the pens though!

The props from down under seem to come over with not enough tread left on the tyres, I'd honestly be looking to the Championship. There are plenty lads who get released from academies at 19, a decade before their peak as props, who would come for a low wage and maybe be the next Hill/Walmsley/Peacock (I know Peacock didn't come from the Championship but he did debut after he would have been released under the current system).

we signed the best prop in the championship

Re: The Prop Problem : Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:24 am  

Pieman wrote:

we signed the best prop in the championship

I'm talking about for our next prop, if we can't get a top SL player.

Re: The Prop Problem : Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:37 am  

Grimmy wrote:

I'm talking about for our next prop, if we can't get a top SL player.

I know but we need an experienced classy player | feel, Burgess was perfect in theory just the injuries were terrible.

Re: The Prop Problem : Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:38 am  

Grimmy wrote: I'm talking about for our next prop, if we can't get a top SL player. What about the best prop in the Aussie reserve grades? Not sure how it works from a visa POV, but worth a try imo. Guys like Lachlan Timms had a huge rep as the "next big thing" in 2019, but he's not made the NRL yet. https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2020/05/25/lachlan-timm-st-george-illawarra-dragons-canterbury-cup-nsw-stats/ Some of these guys just need an opportunity to show what they can do. Kind of like what Field is looking for with us, or like Blake Green did.

Grimmy wrote: I'm talking about for our next prop, if we can't get a top SL player. What about the best prop in the Aussie reserve grades? Not sure how it works from a visa POV, but worth a try imo. Guys like Lachlan Timms had a huge rep as the "next big thing" in 2019, but he's not made the NRL yet. https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2020/05/25/lachlan-timm-st-george-illawarra-dragons-canterbury-cup-nsw-stats/ Some of these guys just need an opportunity to show what they can do. Kind of like what Field is looking for with us, or like Blake Green did.

Re: The Prop Problem : Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:49 am  

Pieman wrote:

I know but we need an experienced classy player | feel, Burgess was perfect in theory just the injuries were terrible.

Yeah I have a theory that props tend to come over from the NRL with that kind of rep, but then we quickly find that the NRL has taken too much of a toll on their bodies, like they age quicker than SL or Championship props because of the intensity of the game there. Just my opinion, but I'd primarily be looking at this hemisphere if we want someone in their prime.

Re: The Prop Problem : Mon Apr 12, 2021 12:49 pm  

Whilst I agree with others saying we're a quality prop short, I think it's too easy to focus on some underwhelming stats on meters made whilst glossing over the work they do when it comes to our outstanding defence & energy levels. Obviously in a perfect world you could get a rare player like Walmsley who makes meters for fun but can defend well whilst doing very decent minutes - but how many players of that calibre are in SL? Rightly or wrongly, we've asked our pack to play a role in recent years which is focussed much more on aggressive defence, mobility and durability than any other team in the league. Post-contact meters are still important, but I'd avoid using them as a stick to beat our forwards with when you can be sure that Lam and the coaching staff will be judging them on a whole range of different factors.

My worry is not so much that the pack isn't up to it - we came within a hair's breadth of winning the GF last year without Havard, & him with our other young forwards all have another 12 months experience. It's more that a couple of injuries means we suddenly start relying too much on Clubby or Clark.