Re: Blaymire to Crusaders : Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:41 am  

Some people just don't have a clue what they are talking about. Blaymire is one of the safest fullbacks in the league. Just because he doesn't score every time he fields a high kick or is (as some people say) very pedestrian in his returning of the ball. Look at Brent Webb probably by far the best attacking fullback in super league, but many Leeds fans will tell you they cringe when he is under the high ball in a crowd or is facing a one on one.

I for one prefer to have a fullback who is going to field the high ball and keep a hold of the damn thing. Whether he charges back at 100 mph or strolls back to the line is not the be all and end all. The most important thing is he retains possession more often than not and his positional play is good, he is safe under the high ball. Granted he may miss some one on one tackles, but name me a full back in the league that doesn't, especially one that has to stop as many attacks as one playing behind our defensive line.

Some of our more steady recent fullbacks were not blessed with pace, Martyn Holland, Gary Spencer, Kevin Harcombe and even Collum Halpenny, but they all did a job. In my opinion if he does go it will be Wakefield's loss and Crusaders' gain.

Re: Blaymire to Crusaders : Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:45 am  

H2O wrote:

When Did Gaz Spencer get some pace then. Must have been after he left school.

Gary Spencer had great pace, trouble is he slipped, tripped and fell after 3 yards.

Re: Blaymire to Crusaders : Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:19 am  

Miro wrote:

Gary Spencer had great pace, trouble is he slipped, tripped and fell after 3 yards.

Was that not down to him having one leg longer than the other?

Re: Blaymire to Crusaders : Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:38 am  

trinfan71 wrote:

Some people just don't have a clue what they are talking about. Blaymire is one of the safest fullbacks in the league. Just because he doesn't score every time he fields a high kick or is (as some people say) very pedestrian in his returning of the ball. Look at Brent Webb probably by far the best attacking fullback in super league, but many Leeds fans will tell you they cringe when he is under the high ball in a crowd or is facing a one on one.

I for one prefer to have a fullback who is going to field the high ball and keep a hold of the damn thing. Whether he charges back at 100 mph or strolls back to the line is not the be all and end all. The most important thing is he retains possession more often than not and his positional play is good, he is safe under the high ball. Granted he may miss some one on one tackles, but name me a full back in the league that doesn't, especially one that has to stop as many attacks as one playing behind our defensive line.

Some of our more steady recent fullbacks were not blessed with pace, Martyn Holland, Gary Spencer, Kevin Harcombe and even Collum Halpenny, but they all did a job. In my opinion if he does go it will be Wakefield's loss and Crusaders' gain.

Anybody else think that Matty knows running the ball back at pasce will do him no good as when he does get tackled we would have nobody there at the paly the ball. One of the reasons he takes it steady returning the ball is to give the rest of the team time to get back for the next play. Let's face it none of them exactly rush back to help him do they?

IMO he has fallen foul of some of the fickle fans that feel we always need a scapegoat. 2 years ago some were talking of him being a potential England player and now those same posters are saying they'd be glad to see the back of him.

No doubt next season (if he does go) those same posters will be slagging the club off for letting him go.

Re: Blaymire to Crusaders : Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:42 am  

J.T wrote:

Was that not down to him having one leg longer than the other?

That was Gary Price. He had special inserts in his boots to help the balance, but still ran 40 yards sideways for every 10 forwards!

Re: Blaymire to Crusaders : Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:54 am  

I agree with Trinfan71 - Matt has been one of our best fullbacks for ages. Safe as houses, and willing to link up to score the odd try or two. Cannot believe how much flak our players get from "supporters". If they read these boards they must be well pleased to leave. And yes I am just as disappointed as the next man regarding this season but all this slagging off of individuals is getting beyond a joke.

Re: Blaymire to Crusaders : Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:53 am  

everyone bagging blaymire on here because he doesn't mak enough ground on kick returns yet blaymire has averaged 86.2m a game this season and murphy has average 64.4. Both have scored 5 tries a peice. supporters see what they choose to see and blaymire was being pushed for a england call up by alot on here 12months ago, now he is rubbish. Murphy has not been as good as people are going on about had a geat start and then was as poor as the rest for half a season, although i still feel he is a future star. The team is falling apart, and poorly coached and if blaymire leaves its yet another indication of how the club and coaching staff have lost the plot completely.

sixtiescat wrote:

I agree with Trinfan71 - Matt has been one of our best fullbacks for ages. Safe as houses, and willing to link up to score the odd try or two. Cannot believe how much flak our players get from "supporters". If they read these boards they must be well pleased to leave. And yes I am just as disappointed as the next man regarding this season but all this slagging off of individuals is getting beyond a joke.

Re: Blaymire to Crusaders : Mon Sep 20, 2010 11:25 am  

Fordy wrote:

Anybody else think that Matty knows running the ball back at pasce will do him no good as when he does get tackled we would have nobody there at the paly the ball. One of the reasons he takes it steady returning the ball is to give the rest of the team time to get back for the next play. Let's face it none of them exactly rush back to help him do they?

That's not an unreasonable observation; I've criticised Blaymire myself in the past due to him appearing to amble back with the ball and then tackle himself when he hits the line, but it is very difficult to judge a FB who is playing behind a beaten/inept team. Perhaps he suffers in the way that Millard does, who has looked pedestrian for a lot of the time, due to being used in totally the wrong way?

I wouldn't extend the same latitude to Gleeson, but knowing our luck, he'll pull up trees at Salford next year and prove everyone wrong.

Re: Blaymire to Crusaders : Mon Sep 20, 2010 11:54 am  

Miro wrote:

Gary Spencer had great pace, trouble is he slipped, tripped and fell after 3 yards.

I remember him going the full length on the pitch away at Castleford in 86 it was a great try we got battered that day all season for that matter just 4 wins and a draw

Re: Blaymire to Crusaders : Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:14 pm  

trinfan71 wrote:

Some people just don't have a clue what they are talking about. Blaymire is one of the safest fullbacks in the league. Just because he doesn't score every time he fields a high kick or is (as some people say) very pedestrian in his returning of the ball. Look at Brent Webb probably by far the best attacking fullback in super league, but many Leeds fans will tell you they cringe when he is under the high ball in a crowd or is facing a one on one.

I for one prefer to have a fullback who is going to field the high ball and keep a hold of the damn thing. Whether he charges back at 100 mph or strolls back to the line is not the be all and end all. The most important thing is he retains possession more often than not and his positional play is good, he is safe under the high ball. Granted he may miss some one on one tackles, but name me a full back in the league that doesn't, especially one that has to stop as many attacks as one playing behind our defensive line.

Some of our more steady recent fullbacks were not blessed with pace, Martyn Holland, Gary Spencer, Kevin Harcombe and even Collum Halpenny, but they all did a job. In my opinion if he does go it will be Wakefield's loss and Crusaders' gain.

God you are a strange one aren't you? You seem to think that the "bring a mate" campaign currently at the tail of every communication from the RFL guy seconded to the club is the work of a crack team of media geniuses locked away for a strategic planning weekend.
What you fail to understand is that there are now les than 200 season ticket holders/members and another 300 or so hard core fans left....and they have all brought mates, brothers, parents, kids, kids mates, kids mates parents to games. In 2012 these fans were to be rewarded for "bringing mates" as part of their ST allowances......less than 5% did.

So no, it's not No fans No Broncos. Your lord and master has been given some cash with which to market the game to the locals......not just to try and flog RL to 300,000 kids the local council paid him to let them come and see his facility.

No Marketing = No fans = No Broncos.........the Marketing bit is down to you and your precious owner. Remind me again how brilliant he has been at that so far?


BTW, I said free "away" kids....they bring full price paying adults with them and it is the same across ALL superleague clubs! If you're going to attempt spin, at least put some effort into it