: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:37 am  

Ryan Hall won't spend the majority of his career on the wing IMO. With a bit of work on the physical side of the game he's got the skillset to make a decent second rower - quick, good footwork, not afraid of the contact (his two stops on Tupou at Odsal can attest to that). Where he seems to struggle is dealing with kicks - moving into the pack takes that requirement out of his game.

: Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:23 pm  

LS16_Rhino wrote:

I just don’t see it, I don’t see the potential or the raw skills that make a top class player, skills that were there a few years ago with Smith.

Players like Michael Haley, Ben Jones-Bishop and Kallum Watkins excite me (no gay gags please) watching them play – IMO they all show the raw talent that can be tuned into top class players – Hall sadly doesn’t.

I could be wrong, in fact I hope I am but I just don’t see it.

Nope. You are the one spot on, and others blinkered.

Hall simply does not have the ability to be a top class winger, with nothing in his armour to suggest otherwise. Potential for future in the pack though. But as a winger he offers no danger what so ever.

I think people who think he has potential are comparing him to other super league wingers. Thats the problem. The competition out there is so poor that a guy as trash as Gardner is considered our best International option in that position. No wonder people are so blind to have faith in Hall.

: Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:27 pm  

DISA wrote:

Nope. You are the one spot on, and others blinkered.

Hall simply does not have the ability to be a top class winger, with nothing in his armour to suggest otherwise. Potential for future in the pack though. But as a winger he offers no danger what so ever.

I think people who think he has potential are comparing him to other super league wingers. Thats the problem. The competition out there is so poor that a guy as trash as Gardner is considered our best International option in that position. No wonder people are so blind to have faith in Hall.

In Your (Not So) Humble Opinion ...of course..............

: Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:29 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Ryan Hall won't spend the majority of his career on the wing IMO. With a bit of work on the physical side of the game he's got the skillset to make a decent second rower - quick, good footwork, not afraid of the contact (his two stops on Tupou at Odsal can attest to that). Where he seems to struggle is dealing with kicks - moving into the pack takes that requirement out of his game.

Now as a back rower he might just cut it, as you say he would need to bulk up a bit but I think you’ve got a point there.

I’ve not thought of him in the forwards but take some of the inherent defensive positional pressure off him and he could be a prospect.

: Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:58 pm  

LS16_Rhino wrote:

I’ve not thought of him in the forwards but take some of the inherent defensive positional pressure off him and he could be a prospect.

Ironically the thing that has caused him most problems defensively is not having a settled combination on the right whenever he has played. The second try at the JJB springs to mind, where Ellis shot out of the line and left Hall in an impossible position. I'd like to see whether that side of his game would develop with the same centre week in, week out.

: Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:00 pm  

Hall is usually solid under the high ball, stryuggled over the last couple of weeks, but before then he rarely dropped a thing. He has shown glimpses in attack (Huddersfield away, 80m try), but IMO it's no contest, Smith is the better player.
Smith is hugely underrated by alot of Leeds fans IMO, he's been very good for a couple of seasons now, and I actually think he will move to fullback once Webb leaves in 3/4 years.

: Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:12 pm  

loinertillidie wrote:

He's not the first back to give away a try because he couldn't see the ball in the sun now is he?

The sun had set behind him about 25 minutes previous.

: Tue Jul 22, 2008 2:26 pm  

'Juice' Terry wrote:

The sun had set behind him about 25 minutes previous.

Could swear there was a shadow behind him as he stood under the ball.

My mistake.

: Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:09 pm  

loinertillidie wrote:

Could swear there was a shadow behind him as he stood under the ball.

My mistake.

There was, unless the Sky engineers painted shadows on after the game.

: Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:15 pm  

Hall's dropped bomb that led to a try came early in the 1st half when he was facing directly into the sun.