Re: 19 man squad announced : Tue Feb 03, 2015 6:34 pm  

Horses for courses means that charnley likes playing against ah van

Re: 19 man squad announced : Tue Feb 03, 2015 6:54 pm  

It's a load of bull WW, the preferred 17 will be chosen every game,injuries permitting.We are not in the position yet of doing otherwise.

Re: 19 man squad announced : Tue Feb 03, 2015 8:40 pm  

Dug Out wrote:

It's a load of bull WW, the preferred 17 will be chosen every game,injuries permitting.We are not in the position yet of doing otherwise.

I was having a bit of a laugh with the ref to ah van being easy meat for charnley DO

Agreed re the starting 17 for us but some other teams players just dont like our pitch and with the top teams they could be rested but with the new system re relegation i cant see many top teams taking it easy

Re: 19 man squad announced : Tue Feb 03, 2015 9:10 pm  

Dug Out wrote:

Not being funny or anything but can someone explain this horses for courses thing and picking different players for different opponents. I am genuinely intrigued.

Whilst I accept that we don't yet have enough strength in depth to take this too far the most obvious change might relate to the size and or mobility of the opposition pack. Previously we didn't have much choice, we had to hope that our more mobile pack would hold its own, whether the opposition had a big pack or a smaller more mobile pack, because we just didn't have the option to go for size.

Now its conceivable that we could opt to match size with size, having got Dudson and Manuokafoa. So against the bigger packs, we might go with O'Carroll, Joseph, Dudson and Manuokafoa, whereas if we were coming up against a mobile pack then we might want to go with Gerrard perhaps even Kavanagh (who admittedly needs to kick on, but is no slouch), O'Carroll and Manuokafoa.

Alternatively we could look to counter size with speed etc etc. We clearly dont yet have enough established options in the backs to box and cox with them. So I suspect it will be more a case of looking at the make up of the pack against what the opposition are likely to put out, their style of play etc,

Re: 19 man squad announced : Wed Feb 04, 2015 11:12 am  

The squad shows why bookies have Widnes down For 11th place. The first choice 17 is fine but take a few out and we will struggle.
I really hope Owens is not another whose face doesn't fit. Given that Flynn is out and PAV seems to be struggling then he ought to have been automatic for a squad place.

Re: 19 man squad announced : Wed Feb 04, 2015 9:39 pm  

Currently we have the largest squad in Super League at 35 and yet our main criticism is lack of depth in the squad. Only Wigan are close and they've 33 by my reckoning.

Re: 19 man squad announced : Wed Feb 04, 2015 10:07 pm  

Strength in depth means quality rather than quantity.

Re: 19 man squad announced : Wed Feb 04, 2015 10:47 pm  

Dug Out wrote:

Strength in depth means quality rather than quantity.

Exactly my point. 35 in the squad but we've managed not to have enough quality.

Leeds are running at 24. How come our squad is so bloated?

Do you think we should slim down?

Do people think we'll trim down and replace with more established talents?

Or is a large squad with plenty of academy products the way forward over the next few years?

I've no idea myself what would be the best for the club. At 35 deep you have to wonder what kind of game time the fringe players are getting and how consistent a side we will be. But there again if it balances the books and gives us flexible injury cover when players of a more established quality are expensive and difficult to come by then it can only be good in the short term. And if some of the younger lads go well then it bodes well for the future.

Re: 19 man squad announced : Thu Feb 05, 2015 8:47 am  

We played many times last year without 'leading' players and got good results, because other people step up, and having a large squad means that if you're not performing, you won't keep your place. Great headache for Denis to have.

Completely disagree with 'Dug Out' that we look like a squad that will finish 11th - we were never out the 8 last year!!!! And have brought in some good players.

Judge this team when you've seen them play a few games.

Re: 19 man squad announced : Thu Feb 05, 2015 10:42 am  

AJ Viking wrote:

We played many times last year without 'leading' players and got good results, because other people step up, and having a large squad means that if you're not performing, you won't keep your place. Great headache for Denis to have.

Completely disagree with 'Dug Out' that we look like a squad that will finish 11th - we were never out the 8 last year!!!! And have brought in some good players.

Judge this team when you've seen them play a few games.

Great point AJ, we have improved the squad overall adding much needed size and we were never out of the top 8 last year so we should be confident of being in or about that part of the league again this year IMO. All you get is we are a one made team and that all other teams had a bad 2014 which almost gifted us 8th spot, pretty disrespectful of how good a season we had on 2 fronts we had our injury problems last year too not least Mellor who seems to have been forgotten as a major part of our team by pundits etc.

I agree other teams have improved their squads from last season but a lot of them are and were above us last season, Salford should do better this year but they are still an uncertain entity for me. HKR brought lots of new players in and it always takes time to settle / bed in as we know, Wakey will do OK but should be below us, Hull well what can you say flatter to deceive nearly every year. Why will they be any different this year, the goldfish bowl of Hull seems to do strange things to that team! Castleford even with Powell cannot have as good a season as last year with even further departures so new players have to bed in again their.

I honestly believe we can be as high as 5/6 or will be in 8/9 again, no way do I see us being in bottom 2.

However I will add our season is going to be very tough in that we have a few occasions this season were we play on Sun/Mon and have to back up just 4 days later on the Thurs/Fri and with no so called give me (London / Bradford) that will certainly test us plus injuries are going to be a major factor for all teams IMO. 9 HOURS TO GO!!!!