LFC Saint wrote:
It amazes me how people start threads about this bloke but yet Wilkin once again gets let off scotch free.
Wilkin is an absolute disgrace to the club as is KC for continuing to play him and have him as captain
Wilkin once again never ran the ball, lazy in defence and just does not motivate the team at all. The sooner he goes the better.
Wilkin didn't have a good game. But I don't see why he should take any more of the blame than his teammates.
For the record - Wilkin has played some of his best rugby over the last twelve months. Without him we would have had precisely ZERO tactical input last season. Given that he'd received limited coaching as a kicker I thought he exceeded all expectations.
As an out-and-out forward he has always been handicapped by his size. He doesn't have the raw physicality to consistently breach the advantage line and whilst not slow he lacks the footspeed to present much threat down the flanks.
That said, he is one of the very few players we have who is capable of thinking outside the moment and changing the emphasis of our game.
To get the best out of Jon Wilkin you need plenty of go-forward from the big guys. Last night we were a pretty mixed bag in that department. As stated in the other thread, I had hoped Walsh would be over his injury nightmare by now. Whilst no longer a turnstile in defence it's patently obvious he is very reluctant to carry the ball himself.
Which is a major problem for us because the effectiveness of Walsh is directly linked to his ability to take on the defensive line. At his best Walsh is a handful for any side because he is very difficult to read. He can pass quickly and accurately either side, long and short and through heavy traffic. His kicking game has always been dangerous and he is effective with the boot in his own half and close to the line. Whilst not quick - he is fast enough to exploit holes in a retreating defensive line which is in two minds precisely because he is capable of doing so many different things. When fit early in his first season he looked a nailed on certainty to be in the running for player of the season. Unfortunately for us he picked up injury after injury since and he now looks a shadow of his former self.
Walsh and Wilkin are two sides of the same problem. A fit Walsh is arguably the first name on the teamsheet. But as things stand right now he seems closer to the Walsh of last season than the first. Which leaves us with a scrum-half who isn't functioning pushing last season's best playmaker into a role which cuts his effectiveness in two.
Currently (and bear in mind that we are still very early in a very long season) I don't think we can afford to have BOTH Walsh & Wilkin dictating the play. At the very least I'd consider dropping Walsh unless his game picks up dramatically in the next six games. I know many won't exactly be enthused at the idea of Wilkin leading the team but at least we know he can perform in that role. This still leaves us with the monumental headache which is stand-off and full-back. But at the very least it's a functioning platform on which to build. Right now I'm not certain Walsh will ever return to his former abilities.
