Re: here's hoping! : Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:32 pm  

I have to say we missed Wellens this week. Just goes to show speed is not everything. He just is so much more assured at fullback than any of the pretenders.

Keeps us at full strength in other back positions too.

Re: here's hoping! : Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:33 pm  

St pete wrote:

Tommy doesn't bring much in terms of attack really, very rare he beats a man but is a worldclass finisher and that could cost us if we get one chance to finish it.

Unless it happens to be a great bomb which with his secure hands he catches and lands over the line to score the winning try of course.

Re: here's hoping! : Sun Mar 29, 2015 9:19 pm  

bewareshadows wrote:

I have to say we missed Wellens this week. Just goes to show speed is not everything. He just is so much more assured at fullback than any of the pretenders.

Keeps us at full strength in other back positions too.

Wellens has started to look poor at Full Back now. His positioning is no longer enough because he is that slow, he simply can't make up for it. If anybody with even a hint of footwork breaks through the line they will beat him one on one, it's like sticking a a back rower at the back. Kicks towards him are also starting to hit the turf with exponential regularity.

He was limited coming into the line anyway and now the play just dies in his hands, he can't bulldoze over a player nor can he beat them on the outside. I just don't think Wello is the answer anymore, having said that neither is Lance going off last week so we're stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Re: here's hoping! : Sun Mar 29, 2015 9:42 pm  

Our constant injury crisis' are getting dull now. I mean, the first 4 times we lost half the squad, it was fun. Now, the 97th consecutive season this has happened, it is not funny anymore.

Re: here's hoping! : Sun Mar 29, 2015 9:52 pm  

Carlos Alberto wrote:

Our constant injury crisis' are getting dull now. I mean, the first 4 times we lost half the squad, it was fun. Now, the 97th consecutive season this has happened, it is not funny anymore.

That's modern day rugby league.

I literally can't remember the last time we got close to getting our first choice 17 out on the field. It must be a number of years now. Between us and Wakey on Friday there was something like 15 or 16 players missing.

The only side that seen to avoid an injury crisis most years is Leeds. They get the odd one here and there but they don't seem to hit a really bad trot. Luck or credit to their medical staff? Who knows!

Re: here's hoping! : Sun Mar 29, 2015 9:54 pm  

BackrowSaint wrote:

Wellens has started to look poor at Full Back now. His positioning is no longer enough because he is that slow, he simply can't make up for it. If anybody with even a hint of footwork breaks through the line they will beat him one on one, it's like sticking a a back rower at the back. Kicks towards him are also starting to hit the turf with exponential regularity.

He was limited coming into the line anyway and now the play just dies in his hands, he can't bulldoze over a player nor can he beat them on the outside. I just don't think Wello is the answer anymore, having said that neither is Lance going off last week so we're stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I do agree. Last year, Wellens looked like he had really bulked up, and whilst it never quite made up for the loss of his speed, it made him really effective at a number of jobs (see the Leeds game at LP).

He seems to have completely lost that this year, and has been barged over the top of a couple of times already (vs Widnes springs to mind) - whilst I defended Wellens quite a bit last year, I can't help but feel we're approaching that mystical year too far territory.

That being said, he's still a better option than Hohaia at fullback.

Re: here's hoping! : Sun Mar 29, 2015 9:56 pm  

Carlos Alberto wrote:

Our constant injury crisis' are getting dull now. I mean, the first 4 times we lost half the squad, it was fun. Now, the 97th consecutive season this has happened, it is not funny anymore.

The worst case is what? Lomax, Percival, Burns, Walsh, Roby, Greenwood, Vea, Wellens, Walker(?) out? Anyone else a doubt? IT would be okay, but that's a very very good spine missing.

Re: here's hoping! : Sun Mar 29, 2015 10:43 pm  

St pete wrote:

Wello has a hip injury and will see specialist this week.

Quite bad news. My Gran had a hip replacement and she was never the same after that. A new hip might make him quicker. A mobility scooter like my Gran got definitely would. It wouldn't affect his game much these days either.

Re: here's hoping! : Mon Mar 30, 2015 6:21 am  

If we do have both halves, our fb and hooker missing, plus percy it would take a very poor side to lose to us imo. Thats every strike player in our team gone.

Re: here's hoping! : Mon Mar 30, 2015 6:43 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

That's modern day rugby league.

So how many are you likely to be missing this weekend given such injuries are common in modern day rl?

If you say Bowen, Sarginson, Smith, Williams, McIlorum, Bateman, Tomkins plus a couple of others it would reflect what we could be faced with.

Anyway, enough catastrophising - here's hoping both teams manage to get decent sides out and we get a good game.