Re: What now? : Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:17 am  

I haven’t checked, but if memory serves me well, Tag played in the friendly at Fev, the draw against Warry, the close win over Wakey, and the defeat to Wigan away in which he got his foot injury, a long way from being his best, and worryingly this injury kept him out longer than Bentleys terrible fractured leg. A real loss for us, and without Big Chris & Ligi god knows what our season would have become.

Re: What now? : Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:19 am  

The thing for me, is that Taylor just doesn't look fit. Massive shorts, unkept - he definitely doesn't have the physique of 2016

Re: What now? : Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:23 am  

barham red wrote:

He wasn't terrible last year just playing in a well beaten side and he came with big expectations, add to that , along with most overseas players landing last year, he came to England in a year of massive pandemic disruption and settling into the country with families etc mustve been a nightmare. The number of overseas player who hit the ground running are in the minority.
He was the scapegoat for a lot of fans last year and it was pretty unjustified in my view

So it wasn’t him dropping the ball - being out of position in defence - poor passing options or just throwing it out of touch.

Re: What now? : Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:25 am  

Steve0 wrote:

Surely retaining Matongo is the sort of sentimental recruitment decision we need to be moving away from?

Sentimental to the bank balance

Re: What now? : Thu Sep 16, 2021 12:02 pm  

Irregs#16 wrote:

The thing for me, is that Taylor just doesn't look fit. Massive shorts, unkept - he definitely doesn't have the physique of 2016

Several players at the club don't look fit, just look at Albert at Brisbane, he knows the NRL won't put up with eating nuggets and half hearted training displays so he looks the fittest he's done in years

Re: What now? : Thu Sep 16, 2021 12:28 pm  

Irregs#16 wrote:

The thing for me, is that Taylor just doesn't look fit. Massive shorts, unkept - he definitely doesn't have the physique of 2016

He carried the pack when Watts left did far to much work and his form gradually dipped. Ironic if the rumours of Watts being shipped out due to a bust up with Taylor are to be believed.

I'm sure he started a couple of games from the bench at the start of the season and he looked somewhere near his best. He needs to lose a few kilos to regain his agility and stamina. Hopefully he can sort this out pre season as on form he is a top quality player.

Props for 2022.

Satae
Sao
Taylor
Fash
Brown

Scurr?
Fed trained signing?

Use the quota place for a hooker which is much more important in my view and have Houghton starting from the bench.

Re: What now? : Thu Sep 16, 2021 1:13 pm  

Plum Bob wrote:

So it wasn’t him dropping the ball - being out of position in defence - poor passing options or just throwing it out of touch.

I watched him every week and he was far from the worst on the pitch, if anything he was trying too hard. Was he as good as this year, no, but like I said against a backdrop of new club, new country and a world turned upside down is that to be expected. Smith can't have thought he was that bad, he made him captain.

Re: What now? : Thu Sep 16, 2021 1:31 pm  

Reading how other teams are getting their players signed and then looking at the 54it show that is FC really makes me think there are a lot of very inept people in control but the book stops with the coach imo. Beginning of the season we needed another forward and he did nothing, now we get to the end of a really poor season and suddenly he and the club have realised that some players are simply not up to it. This will probably mean getting rid fringe players like Johnstone, Bowden and possibly Shaul but wont do anything about Houghton, Taylor, Fonua or Sneyd just like the last time we tried removing the cancer but oh look the cancer still remains.

[Chris71]

Re: What now? : Thu Sep 16, 2021 2:29 pm  

Sebasteeno wrote:

Reading how other teams are getting their players signed and then looking at the 54it show that is FC really makes me think there are a lot of very inept people in control but the book stops with the coach imo. Beginning of the season we needed another forward and he did nothing, now we get to the end of a really poor season and suddenly he and the club have realised that some players are simply not up to it. This will probably mean getting rid fringe players like Johnstone, Bowden and possibly Shaul but wont do anything about Houghton, Taylor, Fonua or Sneyd just like the last time we tried removing the cancer but oh look the cancer still remains.

I kind of get what you are saying and in the most think you make valid points. With regards to the coach I think the situation has probably been a little different than usual when BH came in due to the covid restrictions and the fact that due to the signings and contracts from the previous coach it was in most probability a situation that was going to take some time to fully appraise. I can to some extent see the logic of waiting for the right player rather than getting a player in just for the sake of it or the short term and giving the players the chance to prove their worth the the new coach.

In regards to the signings you look at St's who were GF winners last season, have let Naiqama go and stuck to what they thought Coote was worth They've also brought in a top hooker in Lussick to replace Roby who they've given a 1 year deal too. Roby though at the letter end of his career is still one of the best 9's in SL but St's have been smart and spelled him rather than flogging him and brought in a replacement for Roby before its an issue. Where as we have flogged Houghton for 80 mins practically all season and still not brought a good quailty 9 in to replace him with and without sounding harsh he is not at the level of Roby in terms what he offers in a game for St's.

That is the difference and where we need to be in terms of recruitment policy as we seem to have re signed players seemingly due to sentiment or it was easier than giving the bad news and moving players on.

If AP wants the club to be successful then he has to change the way we do the recruitment and be tougher with it.

Re: What now? : Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:22 pm  

Chris71 wrote:

I kind of get what you are saying and in the most think you make valid points. With regards to the coach I think the situation has probably been a little different than usual when BH came in due to the covid restrictions and the fact that due to the signings and contracts from the previous coach it was in most probability a situation that was going to take some time to fully appraise. I can to some extent see the logic of waiting for the right player rather than getting a player in just for the sake of it or the short term and giving the players the chance to prove their worth the the new coach.

In regards to the signings you look at St's who were GF winners last season, have let Naiqama go and stuck to what they thought Coote was worth They've also brought in a top hooker in Lussick to replace Roby who they've given a 1 year deal too. Roby though at the letter end of his career is still one of the best 9's in SL but St's have been smart and spelled him rather than flogging him and brought in a replacement for Roby before its an issue. Where as we have flogged Houghton for 80 mins practically all season and still not brought a good quailty 9 in to replace him with and without sounding harsh he is not at the level of Roby in terms what he offers in a game for St's.

That is the difference and where we need to be in terms of recruitment policy as we seem to have re signed players seemingly due to sentiment or it was easier than giving the bad news and moving players on.

If AP wants the club to be successful then he has to change the way we do the recruitment and be tougher with it.

All good points but Saints constant success is a massive selling point for them, I reckon players would choose them over slightly better offers from lower down the table as a player can be confident they are appearing in finals and winning silverware. It takes balls to say to a player like Coote who has been top class since he arrived 'thats the offer, we aren't going higher' because they know they will find other good options (and also had Welsby in the squad if not) If we did that with say Connor we wouldn't have the same amount of interest from top replacements.