Am I The Only One..... : Sun Apr 09, 2023 6:57 pm  

Am I the only one getting sick & tired of hearing how this is the best Giants side recruited in the SL era? When we've lost 4 of the opening 7 games.

We've got all this talent & absolutely nothing to show for it, tonight vs Leeds was unbelievably frustrating, to go on 4-13 up ^ lose 18-17.

Just my opinion but Watson should be watching his back at the moment, these performances eith these players are abysmal

Re: Am I The Only One..... : Sun Apr 09, 2023 7:23 pm  

No, you're not.

It's like watching Jon Sharp's team from fifteen years back.

Re: Am I The Only One..... : Mon Apr 10, 2023 10:49 am  

I have said on numerous occasions he has recruited the wrong players, 20 good forwards and poor halves and lack of pace across the team is not good recruitment. We are a straight forward mid table team this year, despite his many remonstrations about us consistently challenging for the top. I was at the Leeds game last night and apart from the first 15 minutes (Leeds have started badly in virtualy every game this year) we were second best for the rest of the game. Once Leeds started playing they looked a lot better sside than us, well balanced with pace, incisive half backs and lots more good quality ball movement. Jake Connor is not going to be the answer he was looking for, as many Hull fans have said he is not at his best at 6, he is a centre. We lack a quality 6 a quality 9 and pace and if Watson can't see that he is not the man for the job.

He is now saying we will be dangerous with a full strength side, for me that would be Fages and Lolohea in the halves,Peats at hooker, Connor in the centre and Pryce at full back. I still don't think that will be putting much fear into Wigan/Saints/Warrington/Leeds, theres still a real lack of pace in that spine and noone to finish off chances. Too many organisers and not enough running threat. Pryce is the only one, and is far from the finished article. Peats was a horrible replacement for Levi, and after a promising start Marsters really isn't very effective at all. He looks good and runs hard, but i have yet to see him beat a man or look anything like scoring a try

Re: Am I The Only One..... : Mon Apr 10, 2023 11:06 am  

Hangerman2 wrote:

I have said on numerous occasions he has recruited the wrong players, 20 good forwards and poor halves and lack of pace across the team is not good recruitment. We are a straight forward mid table team this year, despite his many remonstrations about us consistently challenging for the top. I was at the Leeds game last night and apart from the first 15 minutes (Leeds have started badly in virtualy every game this year) we were second best for the rest of the game. Once Leeds started playing they looked a lot better sside than us, well balanced with pace, incisive half backs and lots more good quality ball movement. Jake Connor is not going to be the answer he was looking for, as many Hull fans have said he is not at his best at 6, he is a centre. We lack a quality 6 a quality 9 and pace and if Watson can't see that he is not the man for the job.

He is now saying we will be dangerous with a full strength side, for me that would be Fages and Lolohea in the halves,Peats at hooker, Connor in the centre and Pryce at full back. I still don't think that will be putting much fear into Wigan/Saints/Warrington/Leeds, theres still a real lack of pace in that spine and noone to finish off chances. Too many organisers and not enough running threat. Pryce is the only one, and is far from the finished article. Peats was a horrible replacement for Levi, and after a promising start Marsters really isn't very effective at all. He looks good and runs hard, but i have yet to see him beat a man or look anything like scoring a try

Agree 100%

Give me Leutele & Levi over Marsters & Peats & it's a different outlook all together.

I'd rather he recalled Senior & played him on the Wing, at least he's got some pace about him.

Re: Am I The Only One..... : Mon Apr 10, 2023 8:52 pm  

I’m sick of hearing Watson talk about the “process”.

Loses every big game he plays in.

10-0 up against 12 men and taking the 2 was beyond negative.

Re: Am I The Only One..... : Tue Apr 11, 2023 9:49 am  

NSW wrote:

I’m sick of hearing Watson talk about the “process”.

Loses every big game he plays in.

10-0 up against 12 men and taking the 2 was beyond negative.

It's looking a lot like a lot of the success at Salford wasn't down to him as it's continuing now he has left. The warning signs were there early with him only signing salford players, or players he had had under him before. He also loves excuses, blaming our losses on 'other sides fielding full strength sides against us' while we miss key players. Guess what every side has that to contend with. Wigan still managed to beat saints without Jai field, and when we beat Salford they were missing Ackers and Lafai two of their very best players. We had a fantastic half back in Aidan Sezer, who was pulling up trees for us (he has taken time to do the same at Leeds for sure) and now we lack a quality half, why did he leave? Watson has built his own team with almost unlimited backing from Ken, it's time to stop making excuses and talking about 'building towards the back end of the season' and start delivering results.

Re: Am I The Only One..... : Tue Apr 11, 2023 10:23 am  

Exactly.
More and more 'reasons' why we're falling behind the rest. The latest being, the move from Siddal training ground has cost us!
As pointed out before 'John Sharp anyone'?

Should we fail again on Friday even (the very patient) Ken may be putting processes of his own in place soon.
After all the money he's spent and we still have better players of our own running about in Wakefield shirts rather than ours every week.

The only saving grace I can find is that the bookies are keeping faith with us. We're considered favourites to beat Catalan on Friday and still seen as a top 5 team at the season's end.

Here's hoping!

Re: Am I The Only One..... : Tue Apr 11, 2023 12:10 pm  

And we haven't had a consistent place kicker since Michael De Vere (and yes I include Danny Brough, as he used to kick great from the touchline but then frustratingly miss easier ones!)

Re: Am I The Only One..... : Tue Apr 11, 2023 10:11 pm  

Unfortunately I do not think the club had much choice in losing Levi and Leutele. They could not wait indefinitely for Leutele to sign - he had stated on more than one occasion that he was happy at the club but for whatever reason he did not put pen to paper - and Levi desired to return to the NRL. Who knows if that played a part in his form dipping in the second half of the season - certainly he was not alone in that - but his form at the start of the season was electric and I was very sorry to see him leave.

After Peats' positive impact in his first spell with us I was optimistic that his steady influence would be a good fit for us with Connor also occupying a place in the spine, however the downside to these signings, as mentioned above, is that our spine suffers from a lack of zip.

I was disappointed that Leutele left given his fantastic performances last year though be it him, Latrell or anyone else it was going to be a tough ask for this season's centre to match the impact of 2022.

However Marsters is looking useful and hopefully with a settled spine, rather than different half backs every week, he will be able to showcase more of his skills. Given he is 6th in the league for metres and top for offloads, head and shoulders above our next best, and is one of our better performers for tackle busts, I think with him and Naiqama Watson has signed a couple of high quality centres.

I am as disappointed as everyone else with our start and am not necessarily always a glass half full person but maybe a little perspective is needed.

The last 3 games we have lost have been by a combined total of 5 points, (with several first team players missing) and this was to Leeds, Saints and Wigan - two grand finalists and the challenge cup winners. I would be worried if there wasn't more improvement in our fluency in attack but we have looked far more dangerous since Connor returned to the fold. A settled spine may not possess the speed we all seem to agree that it would benefit from but it would at least give us greater chance to further develop our attack.

Watson noted before the season kicked off that we would be building towards the back of the season due to the World Cup. Given the points we have acquired to date I certainly hope he is right!

We are often reminded that it's not how your start but how you finish. We started well last season, only to fade badly in the second half. Let's hope we have learned our lessons.

Re: Am I The Only One..... : Wed Apr 12, 2023 6:14 am  

Well said 'no fear'.
A nice thorough and balanced view. I really hope you're correct with your conclusions.