Re: it just gets worse and worse for the bulls : Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:01 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

So no club should be signing or retaining "average" players? Do you want a four team SL?

Who said that??
I posted my opinion of him and that of a club willing to give him a 3yr deal.
He became one of the top earners at Quinns and unbelievably earned an international call up so he won't be on johnny average pay either.

Re: it just gets worse and worse for the bulls : Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:04 pm  

Were Leeds a "desperate club" when they offered Matt Diskin, who has a similar level of international experience to Sykes, a four year deal?

Re: it just gets worse and worse for the bulls : Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:07 pm  

Leeds were 'desperate' not to lose him to Bradford, IIRC.

Re: it just gets worse and worse for the bulls : Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:08 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Were Leeds a "desperate club" when they offered Matt Diskin, who has a similar level of international experience to Sykes, a four year deal?

Is Matt Diskin on more than Sykes? I think that is what rhinoms is on about.

He said about average in all his positions, which to an extent you can get away with an average player in the pack, as long as they are giving it their all, but you can't in the backs. Not at centre, fullback and stand off anyway.

Re: it just gets worse and worse for the bulls : Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:14 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Were Leeds a "desperate club" when they offered Matt Diskin, who has a similar level of international experience to Sykes, a four year deal?

Diskin has contributed far more in his position for the club and "earned" that deal with performances on the pitch and in terms of his value to the team and his talent at 9 he's far from an average player imo.
If you want to compare Sykes with a Rhinos player then look at Kirke.

Re: it just gets worse and worse for the bulls : Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:23 pm  

I like the way the debate continues as if it's now established fact that Sykes is an average player.

FWIW, IMO, he isn't. He's a very good player. Very solid. Does a decent job at half back and if he had another proper half alongside him he'd be doing very well, just like he did in the final dozen or so games for the Bulls last year. Like Pryce at Saints, he needs a proper play making half along side him.

Because of the struggles at the Bulls recently the focus is on him, as a lad out of position, doing his utmost to guide a struggling team around the park. A bit like the negative focus our know nowts were putting on Burrow early season.

I'd imagine the Bulls officials recognize the effort and job he's doing at the moment and the quality of the player. If anyone thinks that the struggles of the Bulls are down to Paul Sykes at stand off they should think again. The Bulls do not concede nearly 100 points to crusaders and Gnats because of who is playing stand off.

In Tony Smith's judgment Sykes was good enough to play international football and that speaks volumes to me.

Witty thread title mind you.

Re: it just gets worse and worse for the bulls : Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:24 pm  

rhinoms wrote:

If you want to compare Sykes with a Rhinos player then look at Kirke.

If Kirke every gets a sniff of an international jersey I will buy a Leeds carnegie season ticket.

Re: it just gets worse and worse for the bulls : Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:30 pm  

G1 wrote:

I like the way the debate continues as if it's now established fact that Sykes is an average player.

FWIW, IMO, he isn't. He's a very good player. Very solid. Does a decent job at half back and if he had another proper half alongside him he'd be doing very well, just like he did in the final dozen or so games for the Bulls last year. Like Pryce at Saints, he needs a proper play making half along side him.

Because of the struggles at the Bulls recently the focus is on him, as a lad out of position, doing his utmost to guide a struggling team around the park. A bit like the negative focus our know nowts were putting on Burrow early season.

I'd imagine the Bulls officials recognize the effort and job he's doing at the moment and the quality of the player. If anyone thinks that the struggles of the Bulls are down to Paul Sykes at stand off they should think again. The Bulls do not concede nearly 100 points to crusaders and Gnats because of who is playing stand off.

In Tony Smith's judgment Sykes was good enough to play international football and that speaks volumes to me.

Witty thread title mind you.

Am i correct in thinkng you agreed with me that he should of been nowhere near the national set up when he was selected for the WC and last year?
Just to add i don't see anyone blaming Sykes for the Bulls troubles just offering opinion on him as a player we'll have to agree to disagree.

Re: it just gets worse and worse for the bulls : Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:42 pm  

rhinoms wrote:

Am i correct in thinkng you agreed with me that he should of been nowhere near the national set up when he was selected for the WC and last year?

I doubt very much I would've used those terms. I can't recall specifically but I wouldn't have been too enamoured with his selection, especially if Smith was selecting him as a half back, which was where he finished the year at the Bulls.

I still don't think he's average and possesses exactly the kind of qualities that a soft cock like Kirke could desperately use.

Re: it just gets worse and worse for the bulls : Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:54 pm  

G1 wrote:

I still don't think he's average and possesses exactly the kind of qualities that a soft cock like Kirke could desperately use.

I like how you persistently call Kirke a soft cock when anybody in the game that plays at SL level, especially in a champion pack, is clearly not a soft cock. You have to be a pretty hard barsteward.