Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Sat Apr 30, 2022 8:58 am  

Weve had to rely on the squad fillers due to the injuries and suspensions which has been the issue. You have to have squad men who earn little but are needed once a month but unfortunately weve had to play them weekly.

The form of Prior and Tetevano for example worries me more than Thompson if im honest but we shouldnt be using a quota spot on a 5th/6th choice prop.

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Sat Apr 30, 2022 9:04 am  

Id agree with you there that their form is more a concern. However as we've all noted over this season we have too many squad fillers and not enough quality so it still stands they need to go. Donaldson has earned the squad filler role, others should really be made up of the likes of Gannon at his age and stage and other Academy players. Regardless of squad players needed offering Thompson and briscoe new deals would be standing still. Would you be happy if they were?

I'd argue that a quota spot should be used on a better 4th choice prop as Holroyd isn't there yet.

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Sat Apr 30, 2022 9:26 am  

Seth wrote:

Id agree with you there that their form is more a concern. However as we've all noted over this season we have too many squad fillers and not enough quality so it still stands they need to go. Donaldson has earned the squad filler role, others should really be made up of the likes of Gannon at his age and stage and other Academy players. Regardless of squad players needed offering Thompson and briscoe new deals would be standing still. Would you be happy if they were?

I'd argue that a quota spot should be used on a better 4th choice prop as Holroyd isn't there yet.

I wouldnt class Briscoe as a squad filler Seth he will be earning substantially more than that role so obviously needs to be gone when his deal ends.

You cant have quality everywhere in a salary cap sport, we all know that. Our issue is we cant keep people on the field so our back ups are playing far more than you would like them to. When these players play weekly they arent good enough for Leeds but if they are used once a month off the bench to rest somebody they would be fine.

You want your quota players to add quality to a squad not be cheap back ups. Thats my biggest issue with Bodene.

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Sat Apr 30, 2022 9:27 am  

Seth wrote:

Id agree with you there that their form is more a concern. However as we've all noted over this season we have too many squad fillers and not enough quality so it still stands they need to go. Donaldson has earned the squad filler role, others should really be made up of the likes of Gannon at his age and stage and other Academy players. Regardless of squad players needed offering Thompson and briscoe new deals would be standing still. Would you be happy if they were?

I'd argue that a quota spot should be used on a better 4th choice prop as Holroyd isn't there yet.

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Sat Apr 30, 2022 9:28 am  

No and I didn't mean Briscoe was a squad filler. The point is both Thompson and briscoe shouldn't be offered new deals and nor should Dwyer. Thompson again as you say takes a quota spot too, so he needs to go a replacement brought in and Holroyd 5th choice. Would you be happy if those 2 were offered new deals considering the lack of quality clearly in the squad?

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Sat Apr 30, 2022 9:38 am  

... Add Alex Mellor to that. Thompsons place taken by Holroyd (quality 4th prop brought in) Mellors place taken by Gannon, Briscoe moved on and possible centre brought in.

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Sat Apr 30, 2022 9:47 am  

Mellor and Thompson have never really delivered, nor has Tetevano who is on much more money. Those three are obvious candidates to leave.

Briscoe though is very different from the other players being mentioned here - he's a senior player with longstanding service who has been very good for us over a long time. He's certainly not "squad filler". He's also in the last year of his contract which incorporated his testimonial and was almost certainly renewed at a lower level than previously. If he actually played on the wing a bit more he might be playing well but forcing him to be a centre is one of the dumbest legacies of the Agar era. It's probably time he moved on after this deal just because we have younger players we need to find slots for in the backline; but Smith might be able to play him more effectively so I'd wait and see on that front.

Prior seems to have hit a wall somehow this year which maybe is just a thing which happens when quality players go on one year too long. I suspect he's carrying an injury the way he is being sparingly used but, if not, I think he's honest enough to call it quits after this season if it's not looking like he can recapture his previous performance levels.

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Sat Apr 30, 2022 9:48 am  

Im fine with having a player of Thompson's standard as a 6th choice prop earning the money i suspect he earns (who knows) and without using a quota spot. The problem isnt Thompson. The problem is Tetevano and Holroyd cant get on the field, Prior looks over the edge, were a prop light in the squad also which means Thompson is playing most weeks and hes not good enough for that.

We had players like Simon Worrall, Liam Botham, Eric Anselme etc who could fill in every now and again. But if they had to play most weeks they wouldnt have been good enough. You have to have those type of players in your squad.

I dont agree with 99 (unusually) i think we probably kept wrong Briscoe really. Tom is finished and has been a while. His wage can be put to much better use.

For whatever reason Mellor hasnt worked out. Both Mellor and Briscoe arent "squad fillers" tho. Mellor wouldve been brought in as a starter and will be on much more than Bodene i would think

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Sat Apr 30, 2022 10:04 am  

Bodene and Donno have been the least of our issues. I would have kept them both if Bo wasn’t a quota player. Think the only definite outs at end of year would be Mellor, T Briscoe, Bo….

Re: 2022 - IN | Rohan Smith - Head Coach : Sat Apr 30, 2022 10:07 am  

Shabino wrote:

Bodene and Donno have been the least of our issues. I would have kept them both if Bo wasn’t a quota player. Think the only definite outs at end of year would be Mellor, T Briscoe, Bo….

Donaldson is just the type of squad player you need.

As an aside I don’t think theres a game this year where he hasn’t won is a penalty for a head high.