Re: Gareth Thomas be warned! : Mon Mar 22, 2010 12:10 pm
Grendel wrote:
You ARE joking aren't you?
The average Union No 8 or flanker is bigger and harder than Ferriol. All he has is a bit of momentum because of the differing rules of the game. If the structure of the game allows big fellas to run fast, they do.
Hell I could easily pick half a dozen Welsh forwards as big and fast and hard as Ferriol.
You know, I prefer league as a game over Union (even if my team was nicked), but there is nothing, repeat NOTHING for top level union boys to fear from league except some childish "point-proving" dirty tackling from some of the thicker, more spiteful League players.
And this goes the other way too, when League players go to Union.
League is the BETTER game. That's all. It's a DIFFERENT skill set, not a HARDER skill set. League players are not bigger, harder, braver or any of that other bovine excrement. Neither are Union players.
It is probably the thing most likely to put me off League OR Union (cos they say it too) this childish "my cok's bigger than your cok" rubbish.
Thomas getting concussed in his first game proved one thing ONLY. You can't learn a new code in 2 weeks and perform at the very top level (no tedious comments about the NRL please Dally). Nothing else.
The average Union No 8 or flanker is bigger and harder than Ferriol. All he has is a bit of momentum because of the differing rules of the game. If the structure of the game allows big fellas to run fast, they do.
Hell I could easily pick half a dozen Welsh forwards as big and fast and hard as Ferriol.
You know, I prefer league as a game over Union (even if my team was nicked), but there is nothing, repeat NOTHING for top level union boys to fear from league except some childish "point-proving" dirty tackling from some of the thicker, more spiteful League players.
And this goes the other way too, when League players go to Union.
League is the BETTER game. That's all. It's a DIFFERENT skill set, not a HARDER skill set. League players are not bigger, harder, braver or any of that other bovine excrement. Neither are Union players.
It is probably the thing most likely to put me off League OR Union (cos they say it too) this childish "my cok's bigger than your cok" rubbish.
Thomas getting concussed in his first game proved one thing ONLY. You can't learn a new code in 2 weeks and perform at the very top level (no tedious comments about the NRL please Dally). Nothing else.
I agree.
It's not that the players are different, it's just that the games are different and allow players to show their skills or give benefit for a particular skill (like being tall in line outs).....however, he did pick a particularly big monster to run at and to be fair, he wouldn't normally run staright at a No.8 in Union.
I have to say (as a neutral Wakefield fan) I was gutted for Thomas when he took that tackle and then tried to play the ball. He didn't hide from any work after that either and I'm sure he will be a very good player in future, but I knew there would be a lot of innane "he's not tough enough etc" which is just plainly not true.
It was a tough game to start in and at least he stuck to it.
Seen plenty of RL players get their head in the wrong place in a trackle and get knocked out. It's just a technique thing.
The other converts of the past have had an off season or even reserve games to get used to the game before being thrown in. Thomas is being thrown in at the deep end. The coach obviously thinks he can. I hope he can too. (Not just taking it in as an extra forward)
I hope he plays next week and gets the running chances. One thing I do know as Wakefield fan is that Tony Martin will give him good ball and guide him if needed. He's a good decision making centre. Our wingers always benefited from playing with him rather than the other wing.
