Rogues Gallery wrote:
I was talking to Kyle Amor about Eckersley when he was on loan at Widnes. Eckersley had just scored two long rang tries and we were discussing his best position.
I said that I was unsure if he was a fullback, wing or centre,
Kyle said he thought that Eckersley would make a great wide running 2nd row, as he had the size, pace and power for that position.
Kyle Amor needs to stick to punditry!
Centre and secondrow are in the modern game quite similar positions and for years we had a trend of converting big athletic lads who play centre as juniors into secondrow forwards the basis of that decision was that they were big and athletic.
Whilst there is a hole in my rear Eckersley is a centre and that is where he needs to be playing.
Eckersley has a centres skill set he’s not just big and athletic he also has hands and ability to read a game hence why he is able to cover multiple positions including fullback.
I used to pull my hair out watching clubs take big athletic centres and try to convert them into secondrows on the basis that they were big and athletic….then we wondered why we had no big athletic centres at SL or playing for England.
I can understand a centre covering there and vice versa just like Isa, Bateman, Faz and players like Gildart did in the past. I can even see it when lads like him get to the back end of their career, I think Hardaker could transition well for a year or 2 into the pack at Hull, but we must not even consider it with Eckersley.
He’s a talented strike athlete with a high level developing centre skill set, and that is where he needs to play.
I think Keighran has shown he has been excellent when the important games have come but he isn’t the wingers centre I thought we were getting. He’s a very solid defensive centre who maybe at times lacks that bit of control which has cost him and his team at times during his time with Catalans and Wigan.
I look forward to seeing how he goes next year as he’s had to transition from Australia, to Catalans and then to Wigan in a short period of time relatively speaking and we may see him take his game to the next level now he has a season with up already under his belt but a call will have to be made very early in 2025, if it hasn’t been made already, on if we are looking to retain him beyond his current contract and Eckersley will also have a big part to play in that.
If I were to make the call now, I personally wouldn’t be making him an offer for 2026 and ideal world he returns to the NRL. Tough call though undoubtedly.
