Re: Our Centres : Mon Apr 11, 2022 11:35 am  

Bang wrote:

Look at our pack. It needs some serious investment. It's dire.

I would go so far as saying Alex Mellor is WORSE than either Ian Kirke or Chris Feather.

An utter disappointment.

Re: Our Centres : Mon Apr 11, 2022 12:05 pm  

Tetevano - a complete dud. Get rid.
Thompson - see above.
Prior - whilst he still may offer something, he is obviously at the back end of his career
Oledzki - superb
Holroyd - looks a real talent, just need to get him fit and playing consistently.

Need some serious surgery in this area of the squad. We require 2/3 new halves also. Are we in another transitional period due to our recent signings being sh-te?

Re: Our Centres : Mon Apr 11, 2022 12:58 pm  

In the short term we need to get rid of some of the above and find ourselves a couple of Ava-style props - big guys. They don't need to be the greatest, but big enough to hold the middle with the likes of Oledzki and Holroyd. The myth that you don't need genuine big men has been completely busted. We've got too many props that aren't big enough and get wiped out by bigger opponents.

Re: Our Centres : Mon Apr 11, 2022 3:27 pm  

You didn't need big men when we were effectively playing touch and pass for a year or two. That's over now and the big boppers are busting through again because they generally get rested enough. We've got 4 genuine props of which one has been banned and another not played a game. It's no wonder the rest of the team looks crap if we can't get out of our own half...

This was a known gamble that has backfired spectacularly.

Re: Our Centres : Mon Apr 11, 2022 4:34 pm  

batleyrhino wrote:

You didn't need big men when we were effectively playing touch and pass for a year or two. That's over now and the big boppers are busting through again because they generally get rested enough. We've got 4 genuine props of which one has been banned and another not played a game. It's no wonder the rest of the team looks crap if we can't get out of our own half...

This was a known gamble that has backfired spectacularly.

Yep and it’s no coincidence that Warrington are in exactly the same position.

Personally id be tempted to try get a big prop from the championship, I know we don’t need any more plodders but id at least prefer a plodder that can actually do a job. And it doesn’t have to be a plodder id be going all out ti get Dupree from Widnes.

Re: Our Centres : Mon Apr 11, 2022 4:43 pm  

Alan Hunte reckons that Dupree might be Salford bound, apparently he was there on scholarship originally?

Re: Our Centres : Mon Apr 11, 2022 6:14 pm  

batleyrhino wrote:

Alan Hunte reckons that Dupree might be Salford bound, apparently he was there on scholarship originally?

Tyler was actually at Salford initially but Marwan Koukash put paid to that when he cut back the academy system funding there and that is why he had to leave the club.

No surprise there really IMO as you could write on a postage stamp what Koukash knows about the game and how to run a professional club and it's certainly no coincidence that
Salford have looked a much more balanced and well run club since Ian Blease took over the reigns and they subsequently made a Grand final in 2019 and also Challenge cup final in 2020 as a result of his appointment

Tyler Dupree should never have been allowed to leave the Rhinos as he was always a talented player, Although he did lack a bit of aggression in his game.
Could this be yet another example of our club letting a player go too soon that we will regret?

Re: Our Centres : Mon Apr 11, 2022 6:41 pm  

Once were Loiners wrote:

In the short term we need to get rid of some of the above and find ourselves a couple of Ava-style props - big guys. They don't need to be the greatest, but big enough to hold the middle with the likes of Oledzki and Holroyd. The myth that you don't need genuine big men has been completely busted. We've got too many props that aren't big enough and get wiped out by bigger opponents.

The club certainly struck gold in the past when they signed players from the NRL that weren't really regarded that highly and who also weren't also on marquee contracts too in both Kylie Lealuai and Ava Seumanufagai
Both of these players gave far better service and performances to the club than our expensive Marquee players that we have recruited recently in Trent Merrin and Zane Tetevano

Chris Satae at Hull FC is yet another example of getting a talented player that is not a box office marquee player, The talent is clearly out there

Re: Our Centres : Tue Apr 12, 2022 10:50 am  

The Biffs Back wrote:

The club certainly struck gold in the past when they signed players from the NRL that weren't really regarded that highly and who also weren't also on marquee contracts too in both Kylie Lealuai and Ava Seumanufagai
Both of these players gave far better service and performances to the club than our expensive Marquee players that we have recruited recently in Trent Merrin and Zane Tetevano

Chris Satae at Hull FC is yet another example of getting a talented player that is not a box office marquee player, The talent is clearly out there

Completely agree with this. If you look at Melbourne's success model, they have had Jesse Bromwich as the cornerstone of their pack, but other than that do not spend big on front rowers, and replace them regularly. Tetevano has been a huge disappointment. If you are spending marquee on a prop, they need to be top 5 in the comp in my opinion.

I think Alex Mellor was a decent signing on paper. He looked decent at Hudds, and as Tetevano has showed, it might be worth going for english talent over paying more for oversees players who end up on inflated wages. My problem with Mellor is that he's soft. Every tackle he looks as though he's really badly hurt. Needs to do more of the tough stuff and put his hand up more. No issues with him leaving.

Gus Gould put out a tweet the other night that in the NRL you have a salary cap of around $9m, but need to have at least $11m in market value of players. I think a big issue with our squad currently is a lack of value for money. We're probably close to the cap, but the actual market value of players is probably lower overall. Saints are the opposite at the minute.

Re: Our Centres : Wed Apr 13, 2022 5:26 pm  

Zak Hardaker might be available, dropped for Good Friday game with Saints for ' unprofessional off field matters ' Would we want him back ? No,never !