Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Mar 09, 2020 11:07 am  

Bigredwarrior wrote:

Lam specifically said he’d be rotating the forwards and has said specifically it will be in the first part of the season. We’ve won 5 from 6 and played some excellent rugby at times. I’m not sure what people expect?
If he played the strongest, most experienced 17 week in week out he’d be criticised for risking burn out.
We’re going well and got loads of improvement still left in us, I’m very happy with the season so far. Bigger tests to come but so far so good.

Couldn’t agree more, just posted a new thread about the level of negativity we get from some sections of the fan base.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Mar 09, 2020 11:08 am  

It's probably worth considering that the next game is already only 4 days off.

Spelling the forwards makes sense when you look at it that way.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Mar 09, 2020 11:14 am  

Bigredwarrior wrote:

Lam specifically said he’d be rotating the forwards and has said specifically it will be in the first part of the season. We’ve won 5 from 6 and played some excellent rugby at times. I’m not sure what people expect?
If he played the strongest, most experienced 17 week in week out he’d be criticised for risking burn out.
We’re going well and got loads of improvement still left in us, I’m very happy with the season so far. Bigger tests to come but so far so good.

I’m not saying I’m not happy with the season so far, it’d be ridiculous not to be when we’re top and 2pts clear but there are still clear issues. Rotating forwards with 5 games in? Rotating Bullock after having played twice? Stick with Clubb who for 4 games might as well have stayed at home such was his impact? I’m just not convinced by Lam still.

We have played some excellent rugby undoubtedly. French and Hastings at the centre of it too, both unbelievable players who we should enjoy whilst we still can. Powell has been transformed as a hooker too, the freedom he now has to play for me puts him right up there with the best in SL.

I’ll quite gladly sling the positives when they’re there to be given but that doesn’t mean I’ll hold back on the negatives either. The win was hard fought and IMO much more hard fought than it should have been but those wins do benefit us more than say a thumping 60+ pointer would have done.

The real test of how far we’ve come from last season comes on Good Friday IMO irrespective of what Saints’ form is.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Mar 09, 2020 1:32 pm  

Bigredwarrior wrote:

Lam specifically said he’d be rotating the forwards and has said specifically it will be in the first part of the season. We’ve won 5 from 6 and played some excellent rugby at times. I’m not sure what people expect?
If he played the strongest, most experienced 17 week in week out he’d be criticised for risking burn out.
We’re going well and got loads of improvement still left in us, I’m very happy with the season so far. Bigger tests to come but so far so good.

I quite happy with the progress particularly Hastings and French plus we have some great youngsters coming through however, we are still short on the pack front in that we seem incapable of dominating opponents packs.
For me the jury is still out on Burgess and Clark can't even get in the starting 13 in the reserves

We've played 4 at home 2 away so until we have played all teams at least once and balanced up the home/away fixtures I can't draw solid conclusions but suspect although good improvement we still may lack intensity/grunt when we come to championship games particularly away.

I'm enjoying watching Hastings and French is the most exciting player we've had since Sam Tomkins moved to FB

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Mar 09, 2020 1:49 pm  

Itchy Arsenal wrote:

I quite happy with the progress particularly Hastings and French plus we have some great youngsters coming through however, we are still short on the pack front in that we seem incapable of dominating opponents packs.
For me the jury is still out on Burgess and Clark can't even get in the starting 13 in the reserves

We've played 4 at home 2 away so until we have played all teams at least once and balanced up the home/away fixtures I can't draw solid conclusions but suspect although good improvement we still may lack intensity/grunt when we come to championship games particularly away.

I'm enjoying watching Hastings and French is the most exciting player we've had since Sam Tomkins moved to FB

An alternative way of looking at it, Itchy, is that it's still early days and we have a pack still working it's way to full fitness and missing O"Loughlin in the middle. No pack is killing it yet and no pack we have played, except perhaps Castleford's, has got on top of ours either. We aren't dominating but neither are the opposition.

Bizarrely, the area of the pack I thought was perhaps the weakest, the second row, is the area that's perhaps performing best. I think come the firmer tracks and proper match fitness we'll go well in the pack.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Mar 09, 2020 2:28 pm  

Phuzzy wrote:

An alternative way of looking at it, Itchy, is that it's still early days and we have a pack still working it's way to full fitness and missing O"Loughlin in the middle. No pack is killing it yet and no pack we have played, except perhaps Castleford's, has got on top of ours either. We aren't dominating but neither are the opposition.

Bizarrely, the area of the pack I thought was perhaps the weakest, the second row, is the area that's perhaps performing best. I think come the firmer tracks and proper match fitness we'll go well in the pack.

But our pack is awful! Just ask anyone on redvee

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Mar 09, 2020 3:26 pm  

Phuzzy wrote:

An alternative way of looking at it, Itchy, is that it's still early days and we have a pack still working it's way to full fitness and missing O"Loughlin in the middle. No pack is killing it yet and no pack we have played, except perhaps Castleford's, has got on top of ours either. We aren't dominating but neither are the opposition.

Bizarrely, the area of the pack I thought was perhaps the weakest, the second row, is the area that's perhaps performing best. I think come the firmer tracks and proper match fitness we'll go well in the pack.

Yes I can see the alternative view however, the Cas pack handled easy on the night and maybe that performance is driving my thoughts
Backs wise potentially we are the best in the competition
and if they can get good quality ball we are capable of being a decent outfit
A lot I think depends on how Burgess and Flower perform over the season and this is ultimately where I think we may fall short but obviously would be happy to be proven wrong

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Mar 09, 2020 4:49 pm  

Itchy Arsenal wrote:

Yes I can see the alternative view however, the Cas pack handled easy on the night and maybe that performance is driving my thoughts
Backs wise potentially we are the best in the competition
and if they can get good quality ball we are capable of being a decent outfit
A lot I think depends on how Burgess and Flower perform over the season and this is ultimately where I think we may fall short but obviously would be happy to be proven wrong

Fair comment mate although I think there's more in the pot than just Burgess and Flower. If they bloom (see what I did there?) then no doubt the rest will follow but in Bullock, Byrne and Havard we have 3 who could really come through for us this year. All looking good on their limited showings so far. I also liked the look of Clark in the Hull match but doesn't seem to be in favour with Lam for some reason. I know you have expressed doubts about the props but I wonder if that's not perhaps a hangover from previous seasons. This year we have props who can make metres, others who can do long minutes and a competition for places we haven't had in quite some time.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Mar 09, 2020 5:31 pm  

Phuzzy wrote:

Fair comment mate although I think there's more in the pot than just Burgess and Flower. If they bloom (see what I did there?) then no doubt the rest will follow but in Bullock, Byrne and Havard we have 3 who could really come through for us this year. All looking good on their limited showings so far. I also liked the look of Clark in the Hull match but doesn't seem to be in favour with Lam for some reason. I know you have expressed doubts about the props but I wonder if that's not perhaps a hangover from previous seasons. This year we have props who can make metres, others who can do long minutes and a competition for places we haven't had in quite some time.

Was anybody worried that we were standing back and inviting KR to take easy yards? When we did that against Saints we got crucified, or that it possibly what we are aiming for on Good Friday?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Mon Mar 09, 2020 5:40 pm  

Lam will have to rotate the pack, we have suspensions and injuries.