: Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:19 am  

Well if AT's packing it in we need to be ready now. He has bankrolled us these past few years so without him we havent got a club unless we secure new revenue.

: Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:32 am  

we need a new standoff all together reay and donlan never get a pass in open play if they do its a suacide pass you can see there frustration when all we do is keep it in the forwards

: Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:51 pm  

Playing players out of position interesting debate. I don't think Marsh should be at 6 - infact at the moment he shouldn't be anywhere near the team until he gets fit and picks his game up. He hasn't played well this season and every aspect of his game seems to have dropped from last season.

His defence is poor he's too slow in attack and slows us down and his kicking game has gone right downhill. Ridyard or Rourke should be played at 6 and Marsh try Marsh at 13 see how he goes in the pack.

Mort should stay at full back, I think despite him playing junior rugby at 6/9 or whatever he is now suited the the full back role and with time he will get better. I don't think he has the creativity to play at 6 and I don't think we'd see the best of him there or out on the wing. I think in our last two games behind Hill and Taylor he's been our best performer.

He's run the ball back well beating players and making half breaks and he can score tries, he showed excellent backing up skills yesterday and finished it really well. Obviously he's a great goal kicker too. If there's any area that worries me about Mort is his positioning but hopefully that will come with time and experience.

Although Donlan would be an obvious choice at full back and were we'd see the most out of him, i'd like to see Mort develop there and Donlan stay in the centre were he can play and were if we get the ball out he can still have a big impact on the side.

: Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:31 pm  

Donlan does actually want to play FB and as he says thats what he was signed to do!

I don't think Nicky Stanton is getting the plaudits he deserves right now he has been outstanding the last two games the heart of a lion.

: Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:34 pm  

WHERESYERBALL wrote:

Donlan does actually want to play FB and as he says thats what he was signed to do!

I don't think Nicky Stanton is getting the plaudits he deserves right now he has been outstanding the last two games the heart of a lion.

So what do we do? Hinder Mort's good progress at the expense of Donlan? I'm not disagreeing with you as I know Donlan as it is, is the better full back but there is nowhere else to play Mort IMO and as he's been playing doesn't deserve to get dropped. It's a tough one.

Agree with Stanton - he works hard and is very quick and good making yards forward, not bad in defence and took a great high ball yesterday under real pressure.

: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:32 pm  

WHERESYERBALL wrote:

Donlan does actually want to play FB and as he says thats what he was signed to do!

I don't think Nicky Stanton is getting the plaudits he deserves right now he has been outstanding the last two games the heart of a lion.

Donlan is the better fullback out of the two but is it fair on Mort to take him out of the team when he has had two good performances in a row. Quite a few people are suggesting that we play him on the wing, has he ever played in this position? I think his abilities are wasted if we play him on the wing, however, I wouldn't mind seeing him at 6.

Totally agree regarding Stanton, the guy constantly takes work off the forwards and is always looking for work by going into dummy half and if he gets into open field he will be hard to catch.

: Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:22 pm  

Stanton to 6 then.
Donlan must play FB, Mort to wing. Best players in most effective positions.

: Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:26 pm  

We have

1 young lad - coming on nicely at full back, has played occasionally on the wing, or at 6 or 9 at times in his junior career but came through our academy in recent years playing most regularly at FB. Bags of confidence despite taking a big step up to the first team, loads of pride in the shirt, good goalkicker & scored the matchwinner against Widnes. Not the finished article & still learning, but needs game time to improve.

1 SL player who wants to play FB. Well known to us as a FB playing in a distant previous spell with us. Has since played regularly in SL, but from what I've seen probably as often on the wing as at FB. Despite this experience hasn't broken any pots in the wings/centres in NL1 since returning, although that could be down to lack of service. Also re-signed for us as a captain but leaves all the on-field communication to other players.

We either persevere with our policy of giving young players their chance, and see the results in years to come, or we shuffle everybody about to try to get the best we think we can out of a SL signing that IMHO hasn't exactly set the world on fire so far.

Donlan may be more like the finished article at FB than Morty, but IMHO he was something of a luxury signing when we had already discovered Morty at FB and had other players like Alstead & Maden who could cover there if needed. We also more desperately needed quality in other positions. In our current squad built so much around young players he should be there to help players like Morty develop, not hinder them. I don't mind them switching occasionally if we're under a lot of pressure, or if Morty's form or confidence start to suffer, but generally in the interests of developing our young players this season Morty gets my vote at FB.

: Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:30 pm  

leyther1 wrote:

We have

1 young lad - coming on nicely at full back, has played occasionally on the wing, or at 6 or 9 at times in his junior career but came through our academy in recent years playing most regularly at FB. Bags of confidence despite taking a big step up to the first team, loads of pride in the shirt, good goalkicker & scored the matchwinner against Widnes. Not the finished article & still learning, but needs game time to improve.

1 SL player who wants to play FB. Well known to us as a FB playing in a distant previous spell with us. Has since played regularly in SL, but from what I've seen probably as often on the wing as at FB. Despite this experience hasn't broken any pots in the wings/centres in NL1 since returning, although that could be down to lack of service. Also re-signed for us as a captain but leaves all the on-field communication to other players.

We either persevere with our policy of giving young players their chance, and see the results in years to come, or we shuffle everybody about to try to get the best we think we can out of a SL signing that IMHO hasn't exactly set the world on fire so far.

Donlan may be more like the finished article at FB than Morty, but IMHO he was something of a luxury signing when we had already discovered Morty at FB and had other players like Alstead & Maden who could cover there if needed. We also more desperately needed quality in other positions. In our current squad built so much around young players he should be there to help players like Morty develop, not hinder them. I don't mind them switching occasionally if we're under a lot of pressure, or if Morty's form or confidence start to suffer, but generally in the interests of developing our young players this season Morty gets my vote at FB.

Great post which basicly says the money on Donlan was wasted because he is pants as a highly paid centre.
Who does our recruiting?

: Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:51 pm  

Would have hoped that Donlan would have perhaps taken Mort under his wing a little and educated the lad in the art of full-backery. Mort's positional play has been shocking on the last tackle and perhaps a bit of a lesson from Stuart would help him along!!