Re: Smith and Smithies : Sat May 08, 2021 10:06 pm  

We’re asking too much of these young players for me. A top side carries a couple of really promising youngsters in their 17, whereas we’re including 6 or 7 every week. Yes they’re very good but they still need to be lead by the experience around them, especially in the front row.

Lammy really worries me when it comes to what he’s looking for in a young ‘middle’. He’s said again after the game today that Smithies is a middle player and now Manfredi is back, he can stop playing out of position. The last thing we need is another young grafter in the middle. He’s a great young player but he needs time in the second row whilst he builds up his physical attributes in the gym. We need a couple of brick s*it houses in the middle to give these brilliant kids the chance to make their way. We’re damaging not only our present but also our future at the minute by flogging these kids.

Re: Smith and Smithies : Sat May 08, 2021 10:12 pm  

When the centres are fit our back 3 need to be

11Faz
12 Isa
13 Bateman

With the prop problem we need Bateman to help control the ruck.

Give Bateman a free reign too and encourage his offloading game.

Re: Smith and Smithies : Sat May 08, 2021 10:17 pm  

NSW wrote:

When the centres are fit our back 3 need to be

11Faz
12 Isa
13 Bateman

With the prop problem we need Bateman to help control the ruck.

Give Bateman a free reign too and encourage his offloading game.

The ultra attacking Lam won’t let Bateman do anything other than go one out but I agree that is how we should be using him.

I’m that fed up with our props that I’d start using Isa there. He is at least aggressive and determined enough to charge a ball in. He could do 80 minutes there no worries also and then use the others on a rotational basis.