Re: Todays match v Catalan : Mon Feb 19, 2024 7:10 pm  

Boss Hog wrote:

We need to play Hayes at 7 ASAP.

Burgess is giving Drinkwater a chance to prove himself, but I didn`t see any difference on Saturday.

Hayes will make a big difference once he is given a regular gig.

I thought Drinkwater tried and did ok.
It was clear to see that we were second best in pack weight and the backs always then suffer for it and look bad.
I expect Drinky & Williams to look like world beaters against a decimated Hull.
I won’t get carried away with a big result though because of the suspensions.

Re: Todays match v Catalan : Mon Feb 19, 2024 7:37 pm  

I didn’t notice anything different from last season.

Same guff attack options when in the final 20m.

Same soft defence in the middle.

Big holes in defence on both fringes.

Currie, Walker and Drinkwater offering up the usual ordinary performances.

Same structures.

Can’t play against 12 men.

I didn’t get a sniff of anything new or innovative, in this or the Leigh game.

This what a completely rebuilt Catalans team, worryingly.

Re: Todays match v Catalan : Mon Feb 19, 2024 7:54 pm  

rubber duckie wrote:

It was clear to see that we were second best in pack weight:

And that's our first choice pack with the exception of Nicholson.

Pack isnt fit for purpose, neither is the halfback pairing

Re: Todays match v Catalan : Mon Feb 19, 2024 7:56 pm  

Whilst watching Tariq Sims put that hit on it made me ponder when I had last seen a wire hit like that.

Re: Todays match v Catalan : Mon Feb 19, 2024 8:15 pm  

Wires71 wrote:

Whilst watching Tariq Sims put that hit on it made me ponder when I had last seen a wire hit like that.

Likely not since Benny Westwood.

Re: Todays match v Catalan : Mon Feb 19, 2024 8:52 pm  

Sort of alarming that a former prop as coach couldn't see that our pack is featherweight. Or even that Chambers couldn't see it at the back end of last year and push for a big signing in the off season. Cue another year of being bullied by the bigger boys and we all keep coming on here every week to say how we couldn't dominate up the middle so our backs couldn't flourish. Even a resounding win on Friday against a depleted hull will be no indicator of where we're truly at.

Re: Todays match v Catalan : Mon Feb 19, 2024 9:18 pm  

matt_wire wrote:

Sort of alarming that a former prop as coach couldn't see that our pack is featherweight. Or even that Chambers couldn't see it at the back end of last year and push for a big signing in the off season. Cue another year of being bullied by the bigger boys and we all keep coming on here every week to say how we couldn't dominate up the middle so our backs couldn't flourish. Even a resounding win on Friday against a depleted hull will be no indicator of where we're truly at.

Think the coaches know that. There is still quota and salary cap space available for a prop. Just need to find the right one.

Re: Todays match v Catalan : Mon Feb 19, 2024 9:54 pm  

I don’t think the pack will be that much of a problem, the more we can get Vaughan, Musgrove and Harrison on the field the better.

For me, the issue keeps coming back to the way we finish and start our sets. Our kicking from deep just always seems so panicked and unprepared, and when we are near the line too often we come up with an awful kick in hope rather than expectation. I sometimes think it would be better to just run the ball in on the last simply make sure we don’t kick it dead, every week we struggle to keep the ball in the in goal area.

And on kick return, Dufty is hesitant on catching, and often stalls to hand off to a winger. We’d be much better served if he just got on with it and got us up the field. I don’t want to be too negative on Dufty, but watching Sam Tomkins do it is one thing, he is essentially a half back moved out of the defensive line, but Dufty wants broken defensive lines and a bit of space to run into, this is the exact scenario where he should thrive. At worst, the threat of him running the ball back would ensure that the kick chasers can’t get lazy or have a break.

If we could get on the front foot, get Dufty, Ashton and Thewlis on a roll coming away from our line, the packs job becomes much easier. But they’re constantly being challenged to start against a set defensive line.

Re: Todays match v Catalan : Tue Feb 20, 2024 12:03 pm  

matt_wire wrote:

Sort of alarming that a former prop as coach couldn't see that our pack is featherweight. Or even that Chambers couldn't see it at the back end of last year and push for a big signing in the off season. Cue another year of being bullied by the bigger boys and we all keep coming on here every week to say how we couldn't dominate up the middle so our backs couldn't flourish. Even a resounding win on Friday against a depleted hull will be no indicator of where we're truly at.

+1
We’ll probably have an indication away at KR.

Re: Todays match v Catalan : Tue Feb 20, 2024 1:23 pm  

Alffi_7 wrote:

Think the coaches know that. There is still quota and salary cap space available for a prop. Just need to find the right one.

I suspect they would have loved to have done a 'Kasiano out/Mikaele in' move but I suppose Kasiano took longer to sort out meaning Mikaele had to look elsewhere to sort his future out.