: Thu May 28, 2009 9:23 pm  

He looked slimmer than I remember against Fev and scored a couple of tries that nearly turned the game in Leigh's favour.

: Thu May 28, 2009 9:24 pm  

I must admit, he was a real surprise signing in the off season. What puzzles me though is that with his experience, you know what you're going to get. There will be positives and negatives, which at his stage, can't necessarily be ironed out as with a youngster. So, logically, if you sign him, you've already thought of a role for him and his style of play. Then not to play him seems peculiar. Identified a player, spotted a role, signed him, paid wages, then just put him in the reserves and then on loan. A younger man maybe as an investment for the future, but not a guy of his experience.

I'm trying to think of a parallel. Say, you borrow a laptop, think, wow, this is better than mine, use it for awhile so you know all its ins an out, then off down to PCworld to purchase it. At which point you just take it home and stick it on the side and never open it up, before lending it out to someone. its probably never going to get better, will only depreciate in value and use up valuable cash.

I can't really get my head around it.

: Thu May 28, 2009 9:28 pm  

Marcus Notsquare wrote:

He looked slimmer than I remember against Fev and scored a couple of tries that nearly turned the game in Leigh's favour.

Also let Featherstone in for 1 try after slipping over and attempted to pass the ball to the touch judge instead of his winger. 2nd try was a decent effort I suppose.

: Thu May 28, 2009 9:46 pm  

bestgameofall wrote:

I must admit, he was a real surprise signing in the off season. What puzzles me though is that with his experience, you know what you're going to get. There will be positives and negatives, which at his stage, can't necessarily be ironed out as with a youngster. So, logically, if you sign him, you've already thought of a role for him and his style of play. Then not to play him seems peculiar. Identified a player, spotted a role, signed him, paid wages, then just put him in the reserves and then on loan. A younger man maybe as an investment for the future, but not a guy of his experience.

I'm trying to think of a parallel. Say, you borrow a laptop, think, wow, this is better than mine, use it for awhile so you know all its ins an out, then off down to PCworld to purchase it. At which point you just take it home and stick it on the side and never open it up, before lending it out to someone. its probably never going to get better, will only depreciate in value and use up valuable cash.

I can't really get my head around it.

He kicks goals and adds a bit of experience and depth to our squad. I've often wondered if Mac considered trying him as an impact forward. I doubt he's on big money and realistically we'd need an injury crisis (not unheard of) to see him make the first team. He's not as bad a signing as some make out given that there isn't exactly a surplus of quality backs in SL these days.

: Thu May 28, 2009 9:48 pm  

Kelvin's Ferret wrote:

He kicks goals and adds a bit of experience and depth to our squad. I've often wondered if Mac considered trying him as an impact forward. I doubt he's on big money and realistically we'd need an injury crisis (not unheard of) to see him make the first team. He's not as bad a signing as some make out given that there isn't exactly a surplus of quality backs in SL these days.

Interestingly, Nanyn was on the pitch for about 70 minutes tonight but wasn't used as an impact forward once. In fact, he barely touched the ball in his own half and was only used for crashes near the line.

: Fri May 29, 2009 8:36 am  

Dave Lister wrote:

Interestingly, Nanyn was on the pitch for about 70 minutes tonight but wasn't used as an impact forward once. In fact, he barely touched the ball in his own half and was only used for crashes near the line.

I didn't see the game, but its likely to be down to the role he's asked to play, at NL1 level (or whatever daft name it now has) he's a proven pointscorer in the centres, at SL his mobility is going to be a problem. Using him as a crash ball forward at SL level isn't that wild an idea, he's not a bad player, it's just at SL level his size and strength won't overcome his limited technique like they do in NLs.

I do still think he could make a useful utility player, his decision to come to London suggests he was willing to try and step up from being a big fish in a small pond.

: Fri May 29, 2009 8:58 am  

Kelvin's Ferret wrote:

I didn't see the game, but its likely to be down to the role he's asked to play, at NL1 level (or whatever daft name it now has) he's a proven pointscorer in the centres, at SL his mobility is going to be a problem. Using him as a crash ball forward at SL level isn't that wild an idea, he's not a bad player, it's just at SL level his size and strength won't overcome his limited technique like they do in NLs.

I do still think he could make a useful utility player, his decision to come to London suggests he was willing to try and step up from being a big fish in a small pond.

For most of the game he was a passenger though. People could go on about his second try and his "destructive" run, but he was only faced with Jamie Field and 2 flyweight backs.

I think its maybe time to accept he is a poor fish like a pollack rather than a blue fin tuna.

: Fri May 29, 2009 9:12 am  

Dave Lister wrote:

For most of the game he was a passenger though. People could go on about his second try and his "destructive" run, but he was only faced with Jamie Field and 2 flyweight backs.

I think its maybe time to accept he is a poor fish like a pollack rather than a blue fin tuna.

I think you're missing the point, if he was a superstar signing then we'd have good cause to bag him, but he's not, he's a squad player who our coach thinks might offer us an option at some point. We'd need to have 2 possibly 3 centre options (Howell, Gafa, Clubb and Purdham can all play centre) injured before he'd make it in to the first team as a centre.

There is a lack of quality British centres around, which is why were not going to get one as a squad player.

: Fri May 29, 2009 9:16 am  

Kelvin's Ferret wrote:

I think you're missing the point, if he was a superstar signing then we'd have good cause to bag him, but he's not, he's a squad player who our coach thinks might offer us an option at some point. We'd need to have 2 possibly 3 centre options (Howell, Gafa, Clubb and Purdham can all play centre) injured before he'd make it in to the first team as a centre.

There is a lack of quality British centres around, which is why were not going to get one as a squad player.

I'm not missing the point, even as a squad player he's not even close to being good enough to step into a side currently sitting in the playoff positions in Super League. I'm sure there is somebody in the academy who can offer more than he can and I don't understand why we are wasting more than nothing on his contract. He was cack against Fev so imagine what would happen if we were forced to play him in a big match in SL?

: Fri May 29, 2009 9:43 am  

Dave Lister wrote:

I think its maybe time to accept he is a poor fish like a pollack rather than a blue fin tuna.

you what son?