Cronus wrote:
You're banging on about the 6 & 3 as though it's a shocking statistic.
Benji Marshall also missed 6 tackles in that game.
So did Anthony Watmough.
Dene Halatau missed 6 and made 4 ineffective tackles for Canterbury.
Nathan Fein made 4 ineffective tackles for St George.
Chris Sandow missed 10 tackles for Souths.
There are many players who missed more tackles and made more ineffective tackles than Gareth Ellis. Change the record.
It's not a statistic which earmarked Ellis's performance this weekend as a "mashing, crushing or ripping up" of the NRL by any stretch of anyone's imaginative imagination. It was the most ridiculous example of "bigging up" a British player imaginable. Galloway, Heighington and Gibbs all played far better than Ellis this weekend.
Unlike Ellis whose job it is to engage in the no-nonsense grind and tackle stints, none of those players you've cited above are noted for their solid, defensive qualities. Laughably, you've compared Ellis to attack-minded backs like Sandow, Marshall and Fien. You may as well compare Ellis's defensive capabilities with those of Sean Long or Danny McGuire!
Ellis isn't mashing, crushing and ripping up the NRL every week. He's a solid, dependable, reliable player with a high work rate mainly in defence. He had a poor game this weekend by his own standards. And when it comes to the 4N in November, he'll struggle to compete... just like he and every other England player has struggled to compete in the international arena. Nothing will change there, no matter what England side takes to the field or who is coaching them.