Re: Greg Burke : Tue Jul 28, 2015 7:15 am  

He's always looked like he's carrying too much weight. Never looks like he's that fit but saying all that if you dropped him in a good team he might look a lot better. As the goose said he;'s done nothing wrong and has tried hard enough but I would have been disappointed if we had been looking to sign him.

Re: Greg Burke : Tue Jul 28, 2015 8:07 am  

Pickering Red wrote:

I think they need him as cover for the impending retirement of O' Loughlin. I assume this is because his preferred position is loose forward, but I think Donno has impressed more in this position and I have gone on record as saying Donno would be better suited to convert to hooker.

I disagree with Goose in that I don't think anyone is bagging Burke, but he hasn't left a lasting impression IMO. I never find myself saying " get Burke back on the field quick, we are missing his impact and go forward play."

Therein lies the team problem, however, as we desperately need a couple of impact back rowers next season.

i agree but we never replaced bailey we need a couple of big props as well

Re: Greg Burke : Tue Jul 28, 2015 8:45 am  

2 Props with good go forward this year would have seen us finish in the top 8. Never thought we'd miss Mick Weyman as much as we have.

Re: Greg Burke : Tue Jul 28, 2015 3:27 pm  

any rumours who you might be getting?

Re: Greg Burke : Wed Jul 29, 2015 8:48 pm  

Being a Warriors fan i am always interested to see how our loan players are doing. I am pretty sure we will get him back and get him strip fit for an assault on the no. 13 shirt next season. As a couple stated, He has only just come back from a bad injury, What were you expecting so soon after his return? When i watched him before his injury he was very dangerous near the attacking line. Obviously i will be a little biased being a Wigan mon but i think Chester has possibly expected too much too soon after his injury. Granted he hasn't had much of a choice with your injury problems but our players going to KR in the past have usually come back a lot better for the experience and made a name for themselves at the DW. He is still only young yet and i am pretty sure the experience of being in a dog fight this season will hold him in good stead for the future. I think he will be benched on Saturday, For me, at this present moment i think his best influence is coming off the bench for impact rather than starting in a frenetic first 20 mins and knackering himself out for the rest of the game when he is lacking a bit in fitness. I think he could be an influential player for you in the middle 8's providing he can get himself up to speed in the next couple of weeks. To be honest i am a little disappointed with how your coaching staff have allowed a few of your players to get so unfit. At the start of the season you started like a train and everybody looked really sharp but as the season had rolled on players like Burke, Blair, Lunt etc have been allowed (for whatever reason) to lose fitness and put weight on. That for me (as an outsider looking in) is the root of your problems because on your day you can beat anyone in the league and in the first half of the season you were doing just that. Double that up with the decision to play Walker (very brave move) and the snowball starts. His head can't be 100% focused. It just can't be.

I will certainly be cheering the Robins on this weekend though and with Kelly back and Russell and Westwood out for the Wolves this is the best chance you have had and are likely to have in years provided your lads get themselves really up for it. Could be a classic.

Re: Greg Burke : Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:29 pm  

Thanks for the comments, but they're all wrong.

Re: Greg Burke : Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:40 pm  

Sandro II Terrorista wrote:

Thanks for the comments, but they're all wrong.

How would you counter my comments then?

Purely out of interest of course. What are your views on the points i have made?

RE Burke
Our loan players coming back from a spell at Craven Park
The fitness of (some) of your players
Your dramatic drop in form over the past few months
The decision to play Walker
Your chances on Saturday

Re: Greg Burke : Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:45 pm  

Sandro II Terrorista wrote:

Thanks for the comments, but they're all wrong.

Agreed.

Lunt was out injured even longer than Burke. Nowt to do with fitness if he's got a shafted back. Blair has less timber on him now than he did back in March, but can do 80 in the halves or back row no problem.

Re: Greg Burke : Wed Jul 29, 2015 10:30 pm  

I'm sorry but I think Cherry Warrior makes SOME good points, particularly the one about fitness. Our players have looked seriously behind the curve in terms of fitness for some time now, and our lack of form towards the end of seasons past is a re-occurring theme. Mallinson is a dinosaur and should have been moved on a few years ago - sorry Billy, you're a top bloke and everything but we need some fresh ideas.

Re: Greg Burke : Thu Jul 30, 2015 6:43 am  

bob bob bobin robin wrote:

I'm sorry but I think Cherry Warrior makes SOME good points, particularly the one about fitness. Our players have looked seriously behind the curve in terms of fitness for some time now, and our lack of form towards the end of seasons past is a re-occurring theme. Mallinson is a dinosaur and should have been moved on a few years ago - sorry Billy, you're a top bloke and everything but we need some fresh ideas.

Our fitness is an issue but the points cherry warrior has made are off the mark, saying that he doesn't see us week in week out or probably pay as much attention as we do.

Burke doesn't look any less fit than he did at the start of his spell, he's looked to be carrying a pound or two too much from day one. I'm still unsure of his position to be honest. It seems Wigan see him as a 13, we seem to be playing him as a prop. He looks completely the wrong shape for a 13 to me, certainly got no where near the finesse of an O'loughlin.

Blair is trimmer than he was, he's always looked knackered and at the beginning of the season looked huge. Lunt's fitness also looks good especially considering his injury.

Walker hasn't looked as good since his 'problems', but in fairness last week aside he's still been one of our better props.

Of the Wigan loanees Greenwood looks a far better prospect than Burke, that lad looks to have a fair bit of potential in him, the odd error aside, I'd like us to get him for a year or 2 and see how he does. Reckon he'd be a better SR / 13 behind 2 big props.

Our drop in form may be down to conditioning / training or even mental toughness.