Re: SL RD 3 | St Helens (A) : Sat Feb 25, 2023 7:37 pm  

Clearwing wrote:

Maybe giving him the centre role is causing him to overthink?

It’s certainly not suiting him or playing to his natural strengths. He’s a good winger, and there was a big fanfare about Olpherts as a centre (I know that’s a reaction to him being a poor winger) so why not play them in their “preferred” positions?

Handley should only play on the wing. Period.

Re: SL RD 3 | St Helens (A) : Sat Feb 25, 2023 8:06 pm  

batleyrhino wrote:

This will sound harsh. Whilst the break itself was good, it’s what he’s paid to do as one of the leagues premium wingers he should be doing it most weeks, perhaps more than once per game. He made a complete hash of it though, he showed no wingers instinct and has shown before that his passing is questionable. He should back his pace in acres of space against a static fullback.

Let’s put it this way, he’s our best winger, so by comparison do Bevan French, Tommy Makinson, Matty Ashton, Ryan Hall, score form there? I use those examples as they are the best wingers at their clubs.

Bevan French is the only one who definitely scores from that list. Hall and Makinson def don’t by themselves, as not quick enough…..

Re: SL RD 3 | St Helens (A) : Sun Feb 26, 2023 2:06 am  

Shabino wrote:

Won’t be many making this trip, how many do we normally get? 500-1k?

I'd hope it's be more than that. Hull brought 1500 to Headingley this week.

Re: SL RD 3 | St Helens (A) : Sun Feb 26, 2023 9:00 am  

Shabino wrote:

Bevan French is the only one who definitely scores from that list. Hall and Makinson def don’t by themselves, as not quick enough…..

I would say Ashton is as quick if not quicker than French. I also think Makinson is quick enough to score that try. Ryan Hall not so much. Need to remember Handley was clocked as one of the fastest players in SL last year.

More generally a couple of longer range breaks we couldn’t finish. Close to the Hull line we never looked like scoring. We could still be playing now and we wouldn’t have score any kind of attacking shape try from inside the 20. The lack of direction and quality is shown by the run and turn over plays from Leeming and the late kicks from Austin and Sezer. Awful short range kicking game, lack of structured attacking plays. Either we crash over or we do something off the cuff and hope it might come off.

Re: SL RD 3 | St Helens (A) : Sun Feb 26, 2023 9:15 am  

The dissapointing thing with the Handley chance is that he didn't have go. If Hoy had have got his hands on him he could have looked to pass out of the tackle and leave Austin clear. It could well have gone wrong, but wouldn't have looked so amateurish. While Ash might be the quickest at Leeds I doubt he finishes in the top six in a sprint for fastest in the league. That in itself is a problem.

Re: SL RD 3 | St Helens (A) : Sun Feb 26, 2023 9:43 am  

Big respect to anyone who does go. 5hr round trip for Saints love in and they’ll probably put 50 on us…….

Re: SL RD 3 | St Helens (A) : Sun Feb 26, 2023 9:47 am  

ArthurClues wrote:

The dissapointing thing with the Handley chance is that he didn't have go. If Hoy had have got his hands on him he could have looked to pass out of the tackle and leave Austin clear. It could well have gone wrong, but wouldn't have looked so amateurish. While Ash might be the quickest at Leeds I doubt he finishes in the top six in a sprint for fastest in the league. That in itself is a problem.

Ash is fast, not sure why leeds fans try to talk down their players constantly.

He made a right porridge of that chance, he should have taken him on but he wont be the first or last winger to do it, even those listed above.

Re: SL RD 3 | St Helens (A) : Sun Feb 26, 2023 10:24 am  

christopher wrote:

Ash is fast, not sure why leeds fans try to talk down their players constantly.

He made a right porridge of that chance, he should have taken him on but he wont be the first or last winger to do it, even those listed above.

Not trying to talk him down. He is fast and he's a very solid winger. My point was around our general lack of pace. Three clean breaks on Friday but our support players struggle to get in the frame in order to convert into tries. If you hark back to the glory days and put Burrow, McGuire and Webb on the pitch on Friday, we finish those chances. Probably only something that can be fixed by recruitment.

Re: SL RD 3 | St Helens (A) : Sun Feb 26, 2023 10:26 am  

I don`t think Handley gets past the full back as he looks to have it covered.
If he passes to Austin he too is already closed down.
The two biggest errors ironically coming from our best 2 players on the night was Smith not finding one of what 3 Leeds players supporting the break and Macdonald trying to pass when the Hull players were all over him which eventually resulted in the winning try.

Re: SL RD 3 | St Helens (A) : Sun Feb 26, 2023 11:02 am  

chapylad wrote:

I don`t think Handley gets past the full back as he looks to have it covered.
If he passes to Austin he too is already closed down.
The two biggest errors ironically coming from our best 2 players on the night was Smith not finding one of what 3 Leeds players supporting the break and Macdonald trying to pass when the Hull players were all over him which eventually resulted in the winning try.

Yeah Smith messed that up imo he should have taken the tackle id have hull odds on to make a professional foul holding him down.

He was probably our MOM though and he played most of the game second row. I can see Smith starting him there on Friday if Bentley isn’t fit