Re: Round 15 | vs Leigh Leopards (H) : Sun Jun 30, 2024 7:30 pm  

When he keeps his head, he's an asset.

The problem is we are loaded with workmen backrowers. Only Ruan offers size and he's young / raw.

Re: Round 15 | vs Leigh Leopards (H) : Sun Jun 30, 2024 8:25 pm  

Bentley has been discussed to death but one thing he isn't is a player who will get us on the front foot. You can't just have one or two forwards responsible for all the momentum. Good sides hit the opposition with heavy artillery on successive carries; we have generally been unable to do this.

He works best as a bench player but then we have O'Connor for that role who is arguably better at it.

I'd be surprised if Bentley is retained beyond his (confusingly long) recent contract. If Blease wants a Murray-era pack we need a few different players.

Re: Round 15 | vs Leigh Leopards (H) : Mon Jul 01, 2024 12:01 pm  

KaeruJim wrote:

Bentley has been discussed to death but one thing he isn't is a player who will get us on the front foot. You can't just have one or two forwards responsible for all the momentum. Good sides hit the opposition with heavy artillery on successive carries; we have generally been unable to do this.

He works best as a bench player but then we have O'Connor for that role who is arguably better at it.

I'd be surprised if Bentley is retained beyond his (confusingly long) recent contract. If Blease wants a Murray-era pack we need a few different players.

Bentley is a better 2nd rower than O’Connor. Remember, this is a player who Saints wanted to keep and showed abilities that many thought would lead to him playing in the NRL.

Not signing at least 2 experienced props over the off season, instead adding another lightweight 2nd rower hurt us badly.

Re: Round 15 | vs Leigh Leopards (H) : Mon Jul 01, 2024 3:13 pm  

Bentley is fine as a player now he's stopped getting banned.

We are just full of similar backrowers, resigning Donaldson was another mistake to go with Fusitua and Goudemand imo.

Losing Martin,as good as he is wouldn't be the worst situation for us given our cap/QS / needs for next year.

A pack with a new monster prop and a strike back rower to start with Bentley and Oledski with Holroyd/ Lisone/ Gannon /Mcdonnell/Sangare fighting for bench spots is a better position to be in

Re: Round 15 | vs Leigh Leopards (H) : Mon Jul 01, 2024 6:27 pm  

Les Norton wrote:

Bentley is a better 2nd rower than O’Connor. Remember, this is a player who Saints wanted to keep and showed abilities that many thought would lead to him playing in the NRL.

Not signing at least 2 experienced props over the off season, instead adding another lightweight 2nd rower hurt us badly.

I agree and that`s why he looked good at Saints with the props they had and like I`ve said before he will unsettle the opposition and make a bucket load of tackles something Goudemand and Donaldson don`t do.
Comparing Bentley with O`Connor is wrong as they play in different positions.

Re: Round 15 | vs Leigh Leopards (H) : Tue Jul 02, 2024 1:25 pm  

O’Connor came through at 13 and has played alongside Ackers at times, and is a similar body type to Bentley.

Stopped being banned?? He hasn’t played for months that why.

Anyway I’m not getting too far into that can of worms again; we’ll see what Blease makes of it all. I think we can all agree the overall balance of that Leeds pack isn’t right.

Re: Round 15 | vs Leigh Leopards (H) : Tue Jul 02, 2024 2:08 pm  

To be fair to Bentley his discipline did improve in his last outings, and I remember at the start of the season a lot being made of the fact that he'd given up alcohol. If he continues to knuckle down when he returns he should be in the 17 most weeks.