Re: Toronto game : Mon Aug 05, 2019 8:41 am  

Thoroughly enjoyed the game. Effort was there for all to see and thought we really took the game to them. What a lot of the performances this year have screamed to me is we genuinely aren't far off. I think a couple mre battle hardened championship props, a hooker to replace Wildie should he go (how good was Andy Ackers by the way) and an experienced full back (athough I do think Brown could be the man) we could be there or there abouts if we are a bit more mentally strong at times

Re: Toronto game : Mon Aug 05, 2019 9:04 am  

Jake Webster take a bow! Three times in the first 20 he hit their centre like a freight train, third time was a knock on and you could see clearly from the standside that, as the ball came to him he was looking for Jake.

I think we were knackered with 20 to go. I know a lot of SM warriors are going loopy at taking the two the second time round but there was no way we had the energy to get through. The only regret was not taking the first penalty and getting the damn ball back at 20-21.

As for Pick I don't think he lacks the skill but sadly he's a bit shy. Ball on the floor in front of him and he daren't run and slide towards and grab like a Withers or Wellens would do, he panics and fluffs it. I don't think you can coach him to be fearless. It's like being scared of a fast bowler. You either front up or back away. Sadly a couple of times yesterday Pick was wafting from square leg.

[Bullseye]

Re: Toronto game : Mon Aug 05, 2019 9:41 am  

Scarey71 wrote:

Jake Webster take a bow! Three times in the first 20 he hit their centre like a freight train, third time was a knock on and you could see clearly from the standside that, as the ball came to him he was looking for Jake.

I think we were knackered with 20 to go. I know a lot of SM warriors are going loopy at taking the two the second time round but there was no way we had the energy to get through. The only regret was not taking the first penalty and getting the damn ball back at 20-21.

As for Pick I don't think he lacks the skill but sadly he's a bit shy. Ball on the floor in front of him and he daren't run and slide towards and grab like a Withers or Wellens would do, he panics and fluffs it. I don't think you can coach him to be fearless. It's like being scared of a fast bowler. You either front up or back away. Sadly a couple of times yesterday Pick was wafting from square leg.

Agree with all that. Webster was immense. He’s got another year with us and he’ll be a heck of a man to replace after that.

I also thought we fluffed it not taking the first penalty in the 2nd half which was very kickable. I’m sure I saw Kear indicate to go for the 2 points but we ran it and blew it.

On Pickersgill he backs up very well as was showed when he was involved in the Webster try. However there’s a lot more to fullback than support play. His attempted “tackle” when they broke through at the ruck was awful. I have my heart in my mouth when he’s faced with kicks too. He knocked on when he wasn’t decisive enough to deal with a bobbling ball in the first half. He seemed to think about diving on it then thought again and that indecision made him c0ck it up. In the second half the high kick to the corner where they scored he had his feet planted on the ground even though he had a run up to take it. That meant the Toronto tryscorer had a free catch. Coming into the line I can see what he’s trying to do but for me he runs to laterally and never draws a man or creates space for players outside him.

He’s a lot to work on if he wants to make the position his own.

Re: Toronto game : Mon Aug 05, 2019 11:28 am  

Wasn't that Hitchcox who got outjumped at the end? Why would Pickers be fielding a kick to the winger?
Ryan seems to be bulletproof on here but he's been making a lot of errors recently and they're crucial ones too. Pretty much cost us the game against York and he dropped another bomb yesterday which Toronto scored from. I'm sure it's no coincidence that his form has dropped since his future (away from the club) was sorted out.

[Bullseye]

Re: Toronto game : Mon Aug 05, 2019 11:41 am  

Nothus wrote:

Wasn't that Hitchcox who got outjumped at the end? Why would Pickers be fielding a kick to the winger?
Ryan seems to be bulletproof on here but he's been making a lot of errors recently and they're crucial ones too. Pretty much cost us the game against York and he dropped another bomb yesterday which Toronto scored from. I'm sure it's no coincidence that his form has dropped since his future (away from the club) was sorted out.

Hitchcox was stood on his line so not in a position to jump as high whereas Pickers had run across and was in a great position, he could've contested the ball but didn't.

Ryan saved a try in the first half when he chased back to collect that grubber kick. The bomb he dropped was his mistake but at least he got off the ground. His form has dropped a bit but whether that is anything to do with his future is guesswork.

Re: Toronto game : Mon Aug 05, 2019 12:56 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Hitchcox was stood on his line so not in a position to jump as high whereas Pickers had run across and was in a great position, he could've contested the ball but didn't.

Ryan saved a try in the first half when he chased back to collect that grubber kick. The bomb he dropped was his mistake but at least he got off the ground. His form has dropped a bit but whether that is anything to do with his future is guesswork.

He also had a brainfart towards the end when they drilled the ball at him at pace and all he had to do was leave it but his usual calm self deserted him for a moment and he gave away the scrum.

Anyway, MOM must be Flanagan for getting himself banned for the rest of the season surely (See Scott Murrell's 'Spam Tower' tweet if you haven't seen it)

Re: Toronto game : Mon Aug 05, 2019 1:10 pm  

Agree Bullseye regarding Pickersgill. Let's not forget he's also a FT player I believe and should be doing better. I'm all for allowing mistakes, he's young, he's going to make them. But he seems to be doing the same ones over and over again which is my worry. His attempted tackle is the same error he made again Swinton which was his last game, which says to me he's not learning. He's too hesitant in fielding kicks, he seems to allow it to bounce one two many times. Hli don't think he caught many on the full. When he tackled the man in the air I was pulling my hair out at the stupidity.

Brown showed huge potential against York and really drew the man in before passing. We seemed to go back to just throwing it down the line and not drawing anyone in in the second half.

I think we really need to work on defending high kicks as all our back 3 are coming up with errors of late. Ryan's errors are really disappointing and he seems to have made a lot this year, particularly at crucial times. His attempted catch of the grubber in the last minute was pretty pathetic to be honest.

Webster as others have said was immense. Reads the game so well. Wildie will be a big miss if he goes. Another with a great rugby brain.

[Bulliac]

Re: Toronto game : Mon Aug 05, 2019 1:12 pm  

It wasn't Ethan's best move of the game was it, but with around a minute left and camped on our line for a scrum the chances of us working it downfield to score were pretty remote tbh. Obviously, the chances of him taking it in and then beating the tacklers, who were still in position and then haring down field to score were also a bit remote too. He had a fraction of a second to make the decision, so it was basically instinct. I'm prepared to cut some slack...

[Bullseye]

Re: Toronto game : Mon Aug 05, 2019 1:21 pm  

Same here Bulliac. If he'd taken the ball we'd all have applauded. In the end it was the wrong option but he wasn't alone in doing that yesterday.

I'd forgotten about the penalty Pickers gave for tackle in the air to the player catching the ball. That was another brainfart.

If Brown is fit he surely gets back in the side next week a Barrow?

Re: Toronto game : Tue Aug 06, 2019 1:45 pm  

I am certain Ryan is, by a long chalk, the most secure catcher of a ball we have. For the try, it looked to me like he was bumped just as he took the ball but no player will ever catch 100%.

In the last minute what else could he do, unless he gets the ball and goes down the wing and we score, we're finished, so however hopeless it was, it was realistically the only option, leaving it would lose the game for certain.