Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Jun 25, 2021 7:41 am  

Shaun Johnson has signed a 2 year deal with the Warriors… unfortunately, New Zealand Warriors!!

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Jun 25, 2021 8:41 am  

NSW wrote:

Does Bibby warrant a contract extension?

I think he does.

Very solid and reliable player. Still only young and can cover 2 positions.

Can score a try and provides good post contact meters.

Kind of player a team needs in a salary capped sport.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Jun 25, 2021 8:47 am  

jonh wrote:

I think he does.

Very solid and reliable player. Still only young and can cover 2 positions.

Can score a try and provides good post contact meters.

Kind of player a team needs in a salary capped sport.

Agree with this.

Bibby is still relatively young, but in a shortish career he's shown he can be an asset to a club that's going well.

He's been off the boil a little, but like the rest of the young guys, they are being seriously let down by senior players. Singleton, Powell, Bateman & Tommy have been up and down (not all bad btw). We've also been let down by Zak and Clubb on the disciplinary front too.

There's too many senior guys who need to step up.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Jun 25, 2021 8:56 am  

For varying reasons the young ones have had to pick up too much slack for all of the following-Hardaker, Manfredi, Gildart, Marshall, Leuluai, Clubb, Powell, Singleton, Bullock, Clark and Bateman. It’s a mix bag of injury, suspension or not being at their best. I can count on a few fingers the senior players who have managed to stay fit and have played to somewhere approaching their best (Isa, Farrell and Hastings).

All roads lead back to the coach IMO. It is his job to get the best out of his players and for 90% of his time here, he’s been unable to do it.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Jun 25, 2021 9:04 am  

NSW wrote:

If a professional rugby league player can’t adapt to playing on the other side of the field we need to pack up and go home.

i sort of agree, but everyone has a preferred side

i am right handed and would play on the right wing, fend with left and step out to the right. yes i could play left but my preference is to carry the ball on the right side, so my fend wouldnt be effective and my preferred step would be infield

look at the highly paid professional footballer in comparison who gets paid massive amounts of money and how many of those can play naturally 2 footed as is being alluded to on here. Ryan Giggs one of the most decorated players in history over here had a left peg and that was it, he played left side and pretty sure that was it, but we are expecting a rugby league player just to switch sides like that

whilst i think it can be done, i dont think it will be natural to everyone

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Jun 25, 2021 9:05 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

All roads lead back to the coach IMO. It is his job to get the best out of his players and for 90% of his time here, he’s been unable to do it.

Hit the nail on the head there. Can we honestly say that he's getting the best out of Hastings and Bateman (two of our premier players)? They've been good, but there's loads more to get from them.

I posted yesterday that I looked at the Salford side that got to the GF in 2019. This side, imo, is better than that one. The difference is Watson squeezed everything out of Hastings and he walked the MOS. Imagine if we could get that from him & Bateman.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Jun 25, 2021 10:07 am  

sergeant pepper wrote:

Hit the nail on the head there. Can we honestly say that he's getting the best out of Hastings and Bateman (two of our premier players)? They've been good, but there's loads more to get from them.

I posted yesterday that I looked at the Salford side that got to the GF in 2019. This side, imo, is better than that one. The difference is Watson squeezed everything out of Hastings and he walked the MOS. Imagine if we could get that from him & Bateman.

I’m always loathed to criticise Hastings because his energy and effort is great but I agree Lam hasn’t got anything like his best from him. I’m not expecting him to play like that 2019 season every year but you only need to look at the stats to see Lam hasn’t given him the chance to hit the heights. In that season he scored 9 try’s and made 36 assists. Last year it was 9 try’s and 18 assists and this year it’s 2 try’s and 7 assists. He’s a magic player Hastings but Lam can’t even get the best from him.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Jun 25, 2021 10:22 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

I’m always loathed to criticise Hastings because his energy and effort is great but I agree Lam hasn’t got anything like his best from him. I’m not expecting him to play like that 2019 season every year but you only need to look at the stats to see Lam hasn’t given him the chance to hit the heights. In that season he scored 9 try’s and made 36 assists. Last year it was 9 try’s and 18 assists and this year it’s 2 try’s and 7 assists. He’s a magic player Hastings but Lam can’t even get the best from him.

Oh I'm definitely not knocking Hastings. I think he's a top player and has been a shinning light in a poor start. He's said himself that he's been playing a different role, one that's more part of a team and that's (normally) what you'd expect at a bigger club.

That being said and especially with the injury to French, now's the time to go back on that and make it 'his team'. Make it like it was at Salford i.e you get the ball to Hastings, you do what Hastings says etc. There would only be 1 exception to the rule and that's Bateman. Get him at 13, get him involved more. Then get KPP at 2nd row with Faz and have them as strike players out wide (like Jones did at Salford).

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:04 am  

NSW wrote:

If a professional rugby league player can’t adapt to playing on the other side of the field we need to pack up and go home.

Of course you can adapt but for some players it will never be the same as the dominant side and when fine margins come into it, that can and will be the difference.

Do you never wonder why Liam Farrell is so effective on one side? Should he pack up and go home?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:10 am  

sergeant pepper wrote:

Oh I'm definitely not knocking Hastings. I think he's a top player and has been a shinning light in a poor start. He's said himself that he's been playing a different role, one that's more part of a team and that's (normally) what you'd expect at a bigger club.

That being said and especially with the injury to French, now's the time to go back on that and make it 'his team'. Make it like it was at Salford i.e you get the ball to Hastings, you do what Hastings says etc. There would only be 1 exception to the rule and that's Bateman. Get him at 13, get him involved more. Then get KPP at 2nd row with Faz and have them as strike players out wide (like Jones did at Salford).

What does "getting Bateman more involved" entail?

Bateman is best hitting lines outwide at second row where defect is more scattered / less set. If we cannot get him involved, or is it him not wanting to get involved? at second row then there is an issue. Moving him to 13 will mean more tackling, running at a more set defence. You may be referring to involved with some passes at 13? This isn't what he is good at and we should avoid.

Bateman to 13 is round peg square hole. He is an out and out second rower, played all of his best rugby there so lets keep him there?