Re: Should Danny Addy become a full time half back? : Wed Aug 26, 2015 1:41 pm  

Bull Mania wrote:

Seem to remember people saying the same about Dale Ferguson.

Not sure what your point is here?

Ferguson has still missed a fair few games this season but the impact to the team has been minimal due to us having a load of 2nd rowers. He's strung a few games together recently but I wouldn’t say he's iron man now.

I really hope Jake and Dale are over the worst of it now as theyre both cracking players.

Re: Should Danny Addy become a full time half back? : Wed Aug 26, 2015 2:00 pm  

I see Mick Gledhill's tweeted that the Bulls are looking at Scott Murrell. I take Micks tweets with a pinch of salt but I'd imagine that this would be the quality of signing that we may be looking at if staying in the Championship. Nothing against Murrell but I'd stick with Addy. Would make a good squad player though.

[Bulliac]

Re: Should Danny Addy become a full time half back? : Wed Aug 26, 2015 2:17 pm  

Wigan Bull wrote:

On Addy, I think he's is more suited to a ball playing 13 role.

I think the question is - where are we going as a team style wise.

Do you have an additional ball player in the team and forfeit some of the sterner defence (A Dave Heron)
Or
Do you go for another SR who gives you a tackling machine (A Mike Forshaw)

I think the former gives you more options in breaking down tighter defences and playing a better brand of rugby, but the defence is likely to be a little leakier also....

Think that's a good point. If you want your no. 13 to be the 'modern type' [ie basically another prop] then Danny wouldn't be your man, but as an 'old fashioned', ball playing, creative 13 then he's ideal.
Thing is though, with the substitution rules changing to fewer interchanges, it really suggests that clubs are more likely to go down the 'extra prop' route. I guess, if you're a coach, you just have to make best use of your players abilities whatever number is on their back.

[Bullseye]

Re: Should Danny Addy become a full time half back? : Wed Aug 26, 2015 3:30 pm  

Addy’s a conundrum. He’s probably played more rugby in the halfback positions than he has at loose forward.

He’s improved as he’s matured which isn’t surprising. He’s capable of really good play, take that long pass to Adam Henry that got Caro that long range try not so long ago. He’s also capable of a 40/20 or two. Where he struggles is maintaining consistency in his creative play – he doesn’t control a game as much as we need him to – there are too many naff kicks or times when he runs up a blind alley. He can hit high standards but not consistently – in other words he’s great back up for Mullaney and Gaskell. He’s better than Siejka.

As a forward it’s more difficult. Defensively he’s been showed up at SL level as missing too many tackles. He’s not the biggest backrower and I think lacks the technique in defence to make up for a lack of size like Forshaw. Not many other teams play an old fashioned creative loose forward. Most have a bigger runner. Many even use a lad who could play prop. We run the risk of being steamrollered by bigger packs and have been a few times this year e.g. against Batley (away), Halifax and Wakefield so unless we bring in some beef to “carry” Addy at loose forward I don’t think we should play him there. You can’t play fancy rugby unless you’re winning the battle up front and making metres forward and dominating the collision in defence. Addy’s not a great metre maker and not one for making big hits.

If the number of subs comes down there could be an opening for him in the pack in the future but who knows how that will turn out. As things stand I see him as ideal back up for halfback and if Gaskell and Mullaney are fit then he’s my first pick to be on the bench as he can cover halfback, hooker and backrow.

He may continue to improve and I think he’s definitely worth sticking with but I think more for his versatility. Why do we need to pigeon hole him anyway. He can do a job, sometimes very well. He’s a bit like a Carl Ablett who could have been something better if he’d just concentrated on one position but put his hand up and played wherever he was needed.

Re: Should Danny Addy become a full time half back? : Wed Aug 26, 2015 5:07 pm  

And Ablest is outstanding. Very underrated Imo

Re: Should Danny Addy become a full time half back? : Wed Aug 26, 2015 7:24 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Addy’s a conundrum. He’s probably played more rugby in the halfback positions than he has at loose forward.

69 of his 116 appearances he has started at either 6 or 7. He has only started in the back row 11, 12 or 13 on 21 occasions.

Re: Should Danny Addy become a full time half back? : Wed Aug 26, 2015 7:45 pm  

Bloody hell, that's way more than I would have guessed.

Re: Should Danny Addy become a full time half back? : Wed Aug 26, 2015 9:40 pm  

vbfg wrote:

Bloody hell, that's way more than I would have guessed.

Not really... He's been at half back more or less all this season, and as far as I recall it was much the same story last year.

This kinda backs up my reason for starting this thread. People keep saying 'Addy is really a loose forward' but there comes a point when you have to say 'if he walks like a duck, and talks like a duck....'

Re: Should Danny Addy become a full time half back? : Wed Aug 26, 2015 9:43 pm  

Yeah, I suppose. It has always felt like a temporary measure though. It's just a temporary measure that's never really gone away.

Re: Should Danny Addy become a full time half back? : Thu Aug 27, 2015 11:29 am  

paulwalker71 wrote:

... when you have to say 'if he ... talks like a duck....'

...
...then you need to take more water with it, until it just sounds like quacking again.