: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:13 am  

I think he has got lazy. As someone has said he is great when we are racking up the points but when it comes to "hey lads hey" he seems to disappear (EG Grand Final 2008).

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:20 am  

Seriously!!!!

My god we have been spoiled over the last few years, so one player isn't as amazing as people "think" he should be!

As has been previously stated, Jon is a dry weather player, but he never let us down in any game that i have seen him play, which i want to point out, its probably around 99% of them. And to say that he went missing in the 2008 Grand Final, jeeeeeeez, none of the 17 really played as well as they could.

To single out one player is unfair, but to say he walks around as though he is a super star is just ludicrous.

He doesn't always make the headlines, but thats part of being in a team, and in my view is a brilliant team player who never lets us down.

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:32 am  

LoubyLou1219 wrote:

Seriously!!!!

My god we have been spoiled over the last few years, so one player isn't as amazing as people "think" he should be!

As has been previously stated, Jon is a dry weather player, but he never let us down in any game that i have seen him play, which i want to point out, its probably around 99% of them. And to say that he went missing in the 2008 Grand Final, jeeeeeeez, none of the 17 really played as well as they could.

To single out one player is unfair, but to say he walks around as though he is a super star is just ludicrous.

He doesn't always make the headlines, but thats part of being in a team, and in my view is a brilliant team player who never lets us down.

Get rid of the patronising rubbish and judge him in a balanced manner.

He plays for a top side so he is by logic a good player. The point is that he is not as good as he should be and doesn't work hard enough for me.

The Grand Final needed forwards to put the ball up their shirt and give us some field position to take some form of control of the game and the reality is that not enough of them did this, including Wilkin. You could similarly say that Wilkin is supposed to be a play making back rower. Well I have not seen him make a big play when we have genuinely needed it in a big game yet for Saints, not once.

This idea that Saints player are not to be judged or we have been spoiled is utter rubbish. We have been at the top because we have had the players to put us there. Who exactly is Wilkin replacing at Saints? Chris Joynt, Paul Sculthorpe ? He has to start proving he is a capable enough player to warrant a Saints jersey and he hasn't for 2 years now IMO.

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:37 am  

Stirlingshire Saint wrote:

Get rid of the patronising rubbish and judge him in a balanced manner.

He plays for a top side so he is by logic a good player. The point is that he is not as good as he should be and doesn't work hard enough for me.

The Grand Final needed forwards to put the ball up their shirt and give us some field position to take some form of control of the game and the reality is that not enough of them did this, including Wilkin. You could similarly say that Wilkin is supposed to be a play making back rower. Well I have not seen him make a big play when we have genuinely needed it in a big game yet for Saints, not once.

This idea that Saints player are not to be judged or we have been spoiled is utter rubbish. We have been at the top because we have had the players to put us there. Who exactly is Wilkin replacing at Saints? Chris Joynt, Paul Sculthorpe ? He has to start proving he is a capable enough player to warrant a Saints jersey and he hasn't for 2 years now IMO.

So if he is so rubbish who would you replace him with?

might i point out that at present WIlkin has made 157 tackles in 4 games. Thats 39 a game harldy a lazy player as some have said

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:41 am  

Stirlingshire Saint wrote:

Get rid of the patronising rubbish and judge him in a balanced manner.

He plays for a top side so he is by logic a good player. The point is that he is not as good as he should be and doesn't work hard enough for me.

The Grand Final needed forwards to put the ball up their shirt and give us some field position to take some form of control of the game and the reality is that not enough of them did this, including Wilkin. You could similarly say that Wilkin is supposed to be a play making back rower. Well I have not seen him make a big play when we have genuinely needed it in a big game yet for Saints, not once.

This idea that Saints player are not to be judged or we have been spoiled is utter rubbish. We have been at the top because we have had the players to put us there. Who exactly is Wilkin replacing at Saints? Chris Joynt, Paul Sculthorpe ? He has to start proving he is a capable enough player to warrant a Saints jersey and he hasn't for 2 years now IMO.

patronising rubbish???

I just dont understand it when people say he isnt as good as he should be!

He has played in the team for what 4 or 5 years now straight and to say he has gone backwards, in my view, is a bit harsh.

He is a very good player, and like most players in any sport, he plays well when the team is playing well. But for people to say he doesnt show up when the team is playing badly....he isnt superman he cannot make the team play well all on his own.

I just hate it when fans pick out certain players for not being world beaters every week.

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:55 am  

I recall KC suggesting at a recent Wello forum that Wilkin was probably the most under-rated player in SL.

His lines and dummy runs create holes for other players demonstrate how he his a smart player and provides a self-less role within the team.

I would suggest KC's opinion echo's that of his team-mates and coaching staff. Is he not contracted to Saints until 2012?

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:58 am  

wellensisno1 wrote:

I recall KC suggesting at a recent Wello forum that Wilkin was probably the most under-rated player in SL.

His lines and dummy runs create holes for other players demonstrate how he his a smart player and provides a self-less role within the team.

I would suggest KC's opinion echo's that of his team-mates and coaching staff. Is he not contracted to Saints until 2012?

And what would he know compared to Stirlingshire Saint?

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:01 pm  

Well I have not seen him make a big play when we have genuinely needed it in a big game yet for Saints, not once.

Sorry, only just noticed this.....

you must either have a really bad memory or you are chosing not to see it because that is a load of rubbish!!!

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:01 pm  

Are you his girlfriend?

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:04 pm  

Whoever has said Wilkin has 'not lived up to his potential' is suffering from some sort of amnesia, because Wilkin was hardly setting the world on fire when he began to appear in the team.

Wilkin is a dependable player - his tackling is reliable and he puts more thana his fair share in, like Ski said he is always involved in play and generally has a good RL brain.

He is not that type of player to break tackles left, right and centre in what has essentially become a collision sport due to the inordinately high number of substitutions that can be made.

Rather, Wilkin offers subtlty that is needed in a good pack - the clever pass down the blind side, the stabbed kick into the corner as a foil for Long etc etc.

You cannot pack a team with biff and bash merchants. Wilkin adds to the team.

Some people need to get a grip.