Re: Ben Kavanagh joins Bulls : Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:38 pm  

If he's doing what he's told, I'd question why the coaches are giving him "Run around like a headless chicken for 10 minutes then come off blowing out of your 'arris" instructions.

[Bullseye]

Re: Ben Kavanagh joins Bulls : Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:41 pm  

"Running" around is being kind HamsterChops.

Re: Ben Kavanagh joins Bulls : Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:58 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

He does as he’s told? That’s an indictment of the coaching staff if ever I heard it!

Assuming they speak to each other!

[Bulliac]

Re: Ben Kavanagh joins Bulls : Mon Dec 07, 2015 1:02 pm  

The short answer to that is, unfortunately another question, we aren't short of options up front and who keeps getting picked, time and again?

The number of games he plays in doesn't just 'suggest' his mentors are happy with what he does - it announces it loudly, clearly and in bell like tones, on the ten o'clock news. I'm just a fan and don't have their specialised knowledge, of course, but I'm as baffled as anyone else.

Re: Ben Kavanagh joins Bulls : Mon Dec 07, 2015 1:08 pm  

Bulliac wrote:

The short answer to that is, unfortunately another question, we aren't short of options up front and who keeps getting picked, time and again?

The number of games he plays in doesn't just 'suggest' his mentors are happy with what he does - it announces it loudly, clearly and in bell like tones, on the ten o'clock news. I'm just a fan and don't have their specialised knowledge, of course, but I'm as baffled as anyone else.

I could understand it a little more last year when the other options were Fleming and Samir, who both look massively sub par even for Championship level. It meant Lauaki and to a lesser extent Crossley didn't have to do a whole lot to keep their place.

With the options this year, I would expect it will tell more if they keep their spot. The likes of Jonny Walker and Ben Kavanagh are a definite upgrade on Fleming & Samir. Mitch Clark, I honestly don't know enough about to judge.

[Bulliac]

Re: Ben Kavanagh joins Bulls : Mon Dec 07, 2015 2:19 pm  

HamsterChops wrote:

I could understand it a little more last year when the other options were Fleming and Samir, who both look massively sub par even for Championship level. It meant Lauaki and to a lesser extent Crossley didn't have to do a whole lot to keep their place.

With the options this year, I would expect it will tell more if they keep their spot. The likes of Jonny Walker and Ben Kavanagh are a definite upgrade on Fleming & Samir. Mitch Clark, I honestly don't know enough about to judge.

To be honest, if you're only going to do 20 minutes in a game , and given the contribution we got in those 20 minutes, then for me Tahraoui or Fleming would have been a far cheaper way of getting similar input. I actually thought Samir was improving as he went on, and though it's true to say he never really ran his weight [a bit like Luaki?] he was developing a decent offload game and was, at least, looking like he wanted to improve. I was disappointed in Fleming's input, that's true, but even so he was no less effective than Luaki and he could play longer minutes too which would have given Sidlow or Cloughie a proper break.

Jimmy has spoken about his interchange policy last year and the implication was that he's going to modify it, let's hope so.

[Bullseye]

Re: Ben Kavanagh joins Bulls : Mon Dec 07, 2015 3:47 pm  

Lauaki’s selection must have been based in some sort of illusion that he would suddenly become a wrecking ball. Did he ever really produce an impact for 10-15mins? For a big lad he was stopped very easily and looked way out of condition. Nor did he seem to get any fitter as the season wore on which is quite an achievement. I was always baffled that we didn’t just put him on a late pre season regime and phase him into the side later in the year – we had plenty of cover. As it was he was a fixture on the bench for most of the season.

If he comes back as lardy and ineffective in 2016 then I hope Lowes is as consistent in dealing with him as he was with Samir.

Re: Ben Kavanagh joins Bulls : Mon Dec 07, 2015 3:52 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Lauaki’s selection must have been based in some sort of illusion that he would suddenly become a wrecking ball. Did he ever really produce an impact for 10-15mins? For a big lad he was stopped very easily and looked way out of condition. Nor did he seem to get any fitter as the season wore on which is quite an achievement. I was always baffled that we didn’t just put him on a late pre season regime and phase him into the side later in the year – we had plenty of cover. As it was he was a fixture on the bench for most of the season.

If he comes back as lardy and ineffective in 2016 then I hope Lowes is as consistent in dealing with him as he was with Samir.

Jimmy is the polar opposite to Franny. Certainly in the sense of not wrapping the players in cotton wool.

[Bullseye]

Re: Ben Kavanagh joins Bulls : Mon Dec 07, 2015 4:06 pm  

I thought Lowes gave Lauaki heaps of slack last season in comparison with others who got the bullet almost immediately. He must see something in him that I cannot.

Re: Ben Kavanagh joins Bulls : Mon Dec 07, 2015 5:11 pm  

Don't think Kavanagh is good enough for the 17. If he is used as a rotational prop throughout the season to give Clough and Sidlow a rest, then fair enough. But if Jimmy isn't going to use the depth, then it's a pointless signing.

Sounds like Leigh are about to make another huge signing tonight. I can't see them imploding in the eights again this year and the people they have brought in all improve their 17. I'd say Walker and Clark are an improvement on Crossley and Lauaki, but Mullaney is a massive blow.

I would rather we used Kavanaghs, Campbell's and Haggertys wages together to buy one player of real quality. I'm all for having a big squad with it being such a long season, but we have a coach who doesn't believe in rotating so what's point in buying a big squad.