Schofield: Widnes don't need old men : Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:42 am  

Here. An Article in the Daily Star admirable in it's positivity but I think we will need one or two experienced players. Schofield is suggesting as we are safe we should go with young english players but we do need to get off on the right foot and I suspect that will be as with almost all successful sides a mixture of youth and experience.

Here. An Article in the Daily Star admirable in it's positivity but I think we will need one or two experienced players. Schofield is suggesting as we are safe we should go with young english players but we do need to get off on the right foot and I suspect that will be as with almost all successful sides a mixture of youth and experience.

Re: Schofield: Widnes don't need old men : Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:34 pm  

"I’ve been told that three men have been conducting player negotiations – Betts, Paul Cullen and Terry O’Connor.
That’s not the right way to go about it.One man should be talking to players – and that’s the coach"

Hmmmmmm something others have alluded too many a time. i agree dalto. hes obviously a secret viking and its generally positive but this club like any other, is a business, and whilst using a team full of fresh faced academy products would be pleasing, nobody will keep coming too watch if and when that young, inexperienced team gets owned week in week out. you need your big, experienced campaigners, especially in the forwards, or superleague packs will bully us week in week out.
thats not to say we should be going for the has beens, i agree with him on that. and whats this about Steve O'c wanting a playoff place in year one? i find that very hard to believe, it must be bullcrap.

Re: Schofield: Widnes don't need old men : Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:16 pm  

We can't be throwing in our own youngsters at the deep end. They need time to develop and having an experienced player ahead of them is ideal for doing that. I'm not saying fill the team with over the hill players but perhaps having some experienced players in key positions that can be gradually phased out. I expect that this is what we plan to do because it's common sense.

I don't know what Schofield thinks we're trying to do, buy a play off place with old players? That's not what we'll be doing at all.

The bit about O'Connor wanting a play off place in our first year I think has just been plucked out of the air.

Re: Schofield: Widnes don't need old men : Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:50 pm  

Alex J wrote:

We can't be throwing in our own youngsters at the deep end. They need time to develop and having an experienced player ahead of them is ideal for doing that. I'm not saying fill the team with over the hill players but perhaps having some experienced players in key positions that can be gradually phased out. I expect that this is what we plan to do because it's common sense.

I don't know what Schofield thinks we're trying to do, buy a play off place with old players? That's not what we'll be doing at all.

The bit about O'Connor wanting a play off place in our first year I think has just been plucked out of the air.

Our youngsters need time and also experience to learn from. We need a good mix like all successful teams. Clubs who are bringing in the best youth, Saints, Leeds, in particular, have a long tradition of having a good mix so there is a conveyer belt of aging players being replaced. No one is thrown to the wolves, the older heads are not a liability, the younger never out of their depth.

We need another Steve Carter the first season. We've got plenty of youngsters in the side, we're not just antipodean XIII.

Re: Schofield: Widnes don't need old men : Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:59 pm  

Steve Carter was a beast i remember me and my mates drunkenly doing the Waynes World "we're not worthy" thing to him in the Appo. get another Robert Relf in, relfy knew how to sort em out.

Re: Schofield: Widnes don't need old men : Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:23 pm  

vikingsmurf wrote:

Steve Carter was a beast i remember me and my mates drunkenly doing the Waynes World "we're not worthy" thing to him in the Appo. get another Robert Relf in, relfy knew how to sort em out.

Yes. There's nothing wrong with a few old heads, and everyone has a few aussies. It would be a shame if we let our team become an old persons home, but working by the same rules and spirit as the best in the game will get us far. Because think of the talent Leeds Saints and Wigan have brought through and where it got them.

Re: Schofield: Widnes don't need old men : Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:51 pm  

Scarts was epic, i remember our first season back in Super League when we beat Wire at Wilderspool and he owned Warrington that day in defence and scored a great interception. He was a total warrior and had the deserved hardest man in cheshire title. Relfy was also a beast, i would love it if we signed another 2 like them.

Re: Schofield: Widnes don't need old men : Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:32 am  

I want us to make an impression straight away to show we are the right choice for SL. We can bring both youth and experience to SL and be competitive.

Re: Schofield: Widnes don't need old men : Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:53 am  

One old man I'd have without question is Steve Menzies, still got it. Awesome for Catalan at the weekend, filling in at stand off

Re: Schofield: Widnes don't need old men : Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:02 am  

Even names like Flannery cropping up, I'd be happy to take him.