: Mon Apr 06, 2009 7:33 am  

Tony Ferrino wrote:

Personally would use Gibson as cover on the wings or centre, Watkins at centre smith on the wing.

I dont think smith will do well at centre full time or Gibson.

Smith on the wing eh, which wing would that be. Hall is having a great season so far so that only leaves the other side and i cant see bluey dropping Donald

Re: Gibson or Watkins : Mon Apr 06, 2009 7:49 am  

Could you please change m wrote:

Does anyone else think Watkins should have played today? Gibson has some good skills, and he's a clever player, but he just doesn't have the physical attributes (pace, size, power) to be a top SL centre. Yes Watkins is young and some parts of his game are raw but he offers the team another dimension that is really needs at the moment in attack.

Had Watkins been playing the scoreline would have been even higher. And there was nothing in attack that Gibson could have done better.

If you think Watkins would have defended better you are deluded.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 7:54 am  

Rhino Roy wrote:

Have said it all along Gibson offers absoloutly nothing in attack or defence.
he has shown zero for reserves this season also, and i dont understand why he has been moved up ??? Ablett would have been a better option today.
Watching watkins in the reserves he was absoloutly appalling, he tried ridiculous offloads and fancy passes the first five times he touched the ball
and lost it every time.
Defensively, a poor salford side ran in all but one of their tries down his side...he was terrible.....bring back smith for me.

Pretty much agree about Gibson.

Thing is though Smith looks like hes off to Rugby Union.

Another poster goes on about how Toopi was average at best..but I know who i'd rather have playing in the centres right now out of a fully fit Toopi,Gibson and Watkins.

Our only threat out wide yesterday was Senior and if he isn't retiring at the end of this season,he probably will at the end of next season.

Very disappointing and the final score flattered us big style

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:10 am  

G1 wrote:

Does anyone really think the performance of our right centre had any bearing whatsoever on our inept display today?

I mean, really?

That would be daft, but as one of many threads it's a legitimate topic of discussion. We had a game plan that went up the middle. It hasn't worked well - especially against Saints who handled it effortlessly. The game plan seems to be dictated by what we have as attacking options and at the moment we have very little out wide.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:11 am  

BigM wrote:

Smith on the wing eh, which wing would that be. Hall is having a great season so far so that only leaves the other side and i cant see bluey dropping Donald

I wouldnt say great season personally, he lacks pace and cuts inside and holds up far too often for me.

i think we're wasting Donald out on the right.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:29 am  

I agree that Donald looks lost on the right. less than half the player he has been before

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:22 am  

G1 wrote:

Does anyone really think the performance of our right centre had any bearing whatsoever on our inept display today?

I mean, really?

Couldn't agree more, difficult for any threequarter to shine when the pack is on the back-foot. Whilst Bailey may have made a difference (but may have been a liability), we sorely miss Ellis' wide runs - a role that would have certainly fallen to Eastwood. If we can be contained down the middle (which Saints have on both occasions this season) then other than Ali, we have no other threat.

It also seems the club got it wrong in deciding to not directly replace Toopi (once again more evident without Ellis). Ablett is too slow in the centre, Smith (despite being a class player) isn't a centre (and will probably have left the club before the end of the season) & I dont think either Gibson or Watkins are ready for being played week in week out at this stage. Credit to Keith, he's having a great season but if he were to get injured we'd be worryingly weak in the backs, certainly not champion material.

Hopefully there's something up Hetheringtons magic sleeve.....

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:54 am  

leicester_rhino wrote:

I agree that Donald looks lost on the right. less than half the player he has been before

Kind of agree. He looks lost, but I'm not sure if it has anything to do with him been on the right flank. Fair enough, there's no way he's seeing the quality of ball that he's had from Senior over the last couple of seasons, but the truth is he's not looking for it either. His kick returns have been nothing but dull (he's hardly got out of second gear, in more ways than one), I don't expect one of his 'specials' every week, but i want to see him picking those holes in broken play and attacking them. We haven't seen have many scoots from the hooking position (after a general kick down field), so his work ethic has to be questioned, as well as his application. We are seeing handling errors from him, letting balls bounce and not finishing the tricky scores we know he can produce. I'm annoyed by his lack of form, he's Super Leagues premier winger on his day (highlighted by his try ratio and inclusion in the Dream Team for the last two seasons). I feel his future or other circumstances are effecting him, so putting it down to him playing on the right doesn't wholey ring true to me. Wingers, more than any other position, are confidence players, they need to be scoring. He seems to love scoring against the Bulls (and game breaking scores at that), so a hat-trick there couldn't come at a better time. Will the real Scott Donald please stand up.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:03 am  

thebloodbath wrote:

Kind of agree. He looks lost, but I'm not sure if it has anything to do with him been on the right flank. Fair enough, there's no way he's seeing the quality of ball that he's had from Senior over the last couple of seasons, but the truth is he's not looking for it either. His kick returns have been nothing but dull (he's hardly got out of second gear, in more ways than one), I don't expect one of his 'specials' every week, but i want to see him picking those holes in broken play and attacking them. We haven't seen have many scoots from the hooking position (after a general kick down field), so his work ethic has to be questioned, as well as his application. We are seeing handling errors from him, letting balls bounce and not finishing the tricky scores we know he can produce. I'm annoyed by his lack of form, he's Super Leagues premier winger on his day (highlighted by his try ratio and inclusion in the Dream Team for the last two seasons). I feel his future or other circumstances are effecting him, so putting it down to him playing on the right doesn't wholey ring true to me. Wingers, more than any other position, are confidence players, they need to be scoring. He seems to love scoring against the Bulls (and game breaking scores at that), so a hat-trick there couldn't come at a better time. Will the real Scott Donald please stand up.

Absolutely agree. The guy has been pish poor this season, and if we had the backup he should not be in the team.

It is quite obvious that Senior is the reason he has looked so good for a couple of seasons.

We can now see why a player with such a fantastic scoring ratio in the NRL never came close to state of origin or why other NRL clubs were not queing up for his signature.

This is not knee jerk, because its been the same for all game this season. He has the heart of a pea. Rarely chases balls, and looks uncomforble under high balls himself.

That said, I thought he had his best game of season yesterday (which is not much). If it takes moving him outside Senior again to get his previous two seasons form back, then that is what should happen quickly.

: Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:28 am  

DISA wrote:

Absolutely agree. The guy has been pish poor this season, and if we had the backup he should not be in the team.

It is quite obvious that Senior is the reason he has looked so good for a couple of seasons.

We can now see why a player with such a fantastic scoring ratio in the NRL never came close to state of origin or why other NRL clubs were not queing up for his signature.

This is not knee jerk, because its been the same for all game this season. He has the heart of a pea. Rarely chases balls, and looks uncomforble under high balls himself.

That said, I thought he had his best game of season yesterday (which is not much). If it takes moving him outside Senior again to get his previous two seasons form back, then that is what should happen quickly.

Nail. hit. on. head.