Re: Rumours : Thu Oct 12, 2017 11:32 am  

If Price backs one of our young guns and it works out (like Wane and Williams) he is on a winner. If he backs him and it fails he has given our youth a chance and he is on a winner, but we then need to find a more senior player.

Re: Rumours : Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:11 pm  

Fantastic Mr Catpiss wrote:

well, according to the guardian today, price has high hopes that Patton will be a shining star for us.

I do wonder if thats him blowing smoke to increase confidence

Patton will be a top half for just as long (Like any half) as the pack are prepared to roll their sleeves up and start knocking a few teams around the park. Our weakness this season has most definitely been our middle.

Not much a half can do playing behind a bullied pack or having no one that can/will run a line for them.

They way people have been banging on about Gale you'd think he was Thurston, Cronk and Johns all rolled into one. But he still showed what happens when there's no platform to play off of.

Re: Rumours : Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:46 pm  

moving on... wrote:

Patton will be a top half for just as long (Like any half) as the pack are prepared to roll their sleeves up and start knocking a few teams around the park. Our weakness this season has most definitely been our middle.

N'ah...don't see it. He could be playing behind a Tiger tank and he wouldn't be good enough....not quick enough...not clever enough. IMO.

Re: Rumours : Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:30 pm  

Oxford Exile wrote:

N'ah...don't see it. He could be playing behind a Tiger tank and he wouldn't be good enough....not quick enough...not clever enough. IMO.

How can you possibly say that after only one full season? and not only that but his debut season behind a shambles of a forward pack?

One season (Our worst season for a long long time) and he isn't good enough! This is why teams like Wigan and Leeds' academys look the dogs knackers, because they stick with their young lads. Not us. We put a young lad behind 6 turnstiles and expect him to run round putting people in for hat-tricks

Jesus wept.

Re: Rumours : Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:43 pm  

moving on... wrote:

How can you possibly say that after only one full season? and not only that but his debut season behind a shambles of a forward pack?

One season (Our worst season for a long long time) and he isn't good enough! This is why teams like Wigan and Leeds' academys look the dogs knackers, because they stick with their young lads. Not us. We put a young lad behind 6 turnstiles and expect him to run round putting people in for hat-tricks

Jesus wept.

Why has Leeds signed Myler? If their academy is so good. Also, they signed Aston last year & have Lilley.

Re: Rumours : Thu Oct 12, 2017 5:06 pm  

moving on... wrote:

How can you possibly say that after only one full season? and not only that but his debut season behind a shambles of a forward pack?

One season (Our worst season for a long long time) and he isn't good enough! This is why teams like Wigan and Leeds' academys look the dogs knackers, because they stick with their young lads. Not us. We put a young lad behind 6 turnstiles and expect him to run round putting people in for hat-tricks

Jesus wept.

because I have been watching and coaching rugby long enough to recognise when somebody 'has it' or not. Yes the pack is a factor, and half backs are only as good as the platform the forwards provide.....stand by my comments re. Patton. Average Joe.

Re: Rumours : Thu Oct 12, 2017 6:18 pm  

Oxford Exile wrote:

because I have been watching and coaching rugby long enough to recognise when somebody 'has it' or not. Yes the pack is a factor, and half backs are only as good as the platform the forwards provide.....stand by my comments re. Patton. Average Joe.

You may well be right, but it’s only fair we give Patton a chance under a new coach who may well help develop him. Could turn out to be above average and complement a new half that we bring in, even if he won’t be a world beater. Bear in mind that Brown is retiring after this season too.

Wasn’t price a half-back himself? Everyone gets a clean sheet this season for me, although a new experienced half back is an absolute necesssity

Re: Rumours : Thu Oct 12, 2017 6:31 pm  

I have been told by a source close to Dec Patton that he was very much limited by Tony Smith into what he could try on the field and was kept very much under orders.

Also I believe the relationship between them could be described as 'strained.'

New coach might give him his head and we see a new Dec Patton.

Re: Rumours : Thu Oct 12, 2017 7:20 pm  

Irish Wire wrote:

I have been told by a source close to Dec Patton that he was very much limited by Tony Smith into what he could try on the field and was kept very much under orders.

Also I believe the relationship between them could be described as 'strained.'

New coach might give him his head and we see a new Dec Patton.

This.

Brown's replacement next season will be more important to us than getting a half back right now we've got akoula n possibly bmm which also along with Crosby will be a boost to our pack!! Patton and brown can do a job behind next year's pack where we fall short is centre and wing for me as good as Atkinson has been this season he doesn't create anything for his winger or pass to him then on the other side we have russel outside a good quality centre it's an inbalance that is far more important an issue to resve than a fancy half back??? Put burgess outside springer and Watkins inside lineham we would have just as much a reason to be optimistic as signing a 3rd choice nrl half back

Re: Rumours : Thu Oct 12, 2017 7:24 pm  

whos atkinson when did we sign him and where from