Re: Dream team : Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:09 pm  

Phuzzy wrote:

Shoe ins for Field, French, Croft (although Smith will have pushed him close), Passi and Farrel.

The rest are a bit more difficult. Welsby will be in the mix but he's been moved around a lot so difficult to know where he would feature. I think Roby deserves to be in the discussion on pure longevity at the very highest level alone but might be pipped by Levi.

McQueen will be in a lot of journalists minds too and it's probably between him and Batchelor for the other 2nd row spot. I like FTVs suggestion of Watkins too. Had a fantastic season after moving into the forwards. Probably a 3 way contest between him, Smithies and Yates although it wouldn't surprise me to see Knowles get it again as you say.

Final wing spot probably should be Sio but Handley, Marshall and Makinson will be in the mix.

Centres are Lafai and Leutele for me but Hurrell has had an impact too and might just sneak it. Made a few too many errors for me so a little too rocks and diamonds.

Marshall on the wing is a decent shout, had forgotten about him TBH as your mind just immediately goes to French.

Re: Dream team : Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:13 pm  

Phuzzy wrote:

Fair comments FTV although I would add that Smithies has had the better of him overall in our meetings this season.

I know it comes across that I don't rate Knowles, but that's not the case at all. I think he's a good, solid player and a grafter. I just don't think he's more than that. He certainly doesn't warrant the hype he gets. It's interesting that not a single person on your own site has him anywhere near player of the season and none of the LRL journalists have him in their dream team (one did have Smithies) yet we have the likes of Wilkin coming out with his infamous quote. Beggars belief really.

Had you asked the question last year a lot of Saints fans would have had him in. I just think he's not been quite at his best second half of the season whilst we have others who have really stood up and improved (in the ase of Batchelor and Paasi) or surprised (in the case of Hurrell).

I also think he is starting to fall into the Lomax and Roby bracket that you don't even mention him because he does what he always does. I didn't mention Lomax in out POY discussion (I went Batchelor, Paasi, Hurrell) but when I think about it we would have been absoolutely screwed without Lomax and he's had a very good year including playing a chunk of it busted.

Re: Dream team : Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:16 pm  

Pie_Eyter wrote:

Not saying Roby has dropped off or anything but he hasn't been at his usual very high standard this season (though still very good) with that in mind though, as good as Levi is, a 70% Roby at 36/37 is still miles ahead of the rest. Absolute stand out for me in the SL era. Miles ahead of Cunningham who is in turn, miles ahead of anyone else.

If you told me I could swap out Levi for Roby for the play-offs, there is a 0% chance that I would and I'd be very surrised if any fan of any team would.

Roby's efforts have just become the accepted norm and therefore don't attract comment anymore.

Re: Dream team : Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:22 pm  

Is there not an argument to work down the man of steel leader board until you’ve covered every position?

Re: Dream team : Fri Sep 02, 2022 2:31 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

I’d go-

Field
French Hurrell Lafai Sio
Welsby Croft
Paasi Levi Hill
Batchelor Farrell Smithies

The backs were a pretty easy pick for me, other than maybe Leutele for Hurrell. The forwards were far tougher. Hill has missed a lot of games but has been the best prop in the league when available IMO, so I went him over Walmsley or Oledzki. Chris McQueen or Batchelor was also very tough but Batchelor has been so consistent and absolutely superb against us. Smithies or Yates is tight for the 13 spot. Knowles hasn’t had his best season but I still think he’ll get in, as much in the same way Lockers pinched a spot on occasion, he gets a lot of good press.

I’d go with that team only Leutele over one of the centres, Roby over Levi and Marshall over Sio.

Re: Dream team : Fri Sep 02, 2022 2:58 pm  

I think from Wigan the 3 obvious candidates are French, Field & Farrell but I do think Marshall has had a cracking season and should be in consideration

Re: Dream team : Fri Sep 02, 2022 3:10 pm  

nathan_rugby wrote:

Is there not an argument to work down the man of steel leader board until you’ve covered every position?

If the rankings are fair the is absolutely no reason that couldn't work.

Re: Dream team : Fri Sep 02, 2022 3:38 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

Marshall on the wing is a decent shout, had forgotten about him TBH as your mind just immediately goes to French.

He's suffered in a sense by the extraordinary exploits of Field and, particularly, French. In my opinion he's been barely behind them all season and won us both the semi and final (along with Smith) of the Challenge cup. Most years he'd have walked into one of the wing positions. You also have to take into consideration he's made said contributions despite most of our attack, for obvious reasons, going down the right flank.

Re: Dream team : Fri Sep 02, 2022 3:50 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

Had you asked the question last year a lot of Saints fans would have had him in. I just think he's not been quite at his best second half of the season whilst we have others who have really stood up and improved (in the ase of Batchelor and Paasi) or surprised (in the case of Hurrell).

I also think he is starting to fall into the Lomax and Roby bracket that you don't even mention him because he does what he always does. I didn't mention Lomax in out POY discussion (I went Batchelor, Paasi, Hurrell) but when I think about it we would have been absoolutely screwed without Lomax and he's had a very good year including playing a chunk of it busted.

In all honesty he isn't in the same bracket as those two. Roby is, quite frankly, one of the best players ever to play Superleague.

I see what your saying in that he quietly goes about his business and does it to good effect on a consistent basis. However, the same could be said of Farrel and, I would argue, the things Farrell does, Knowles couldn't and never will be able to do.

I'm not saying he isn't a good player, but he's in the 'valuable grafter' mould. He's never going to win you games in the way a Roby, Lomax or Welsby can.

In sport, Superstars attract fans. We big up the aforementioned or French or Field for example and when non-rugby league types see them, it's clear as day that they're out if the ordinary. Tell a non-rugby league type that Knowles is 'one of the best players in Superleague ' as has been suggested on numerous occasions and they'll be at a loss as to why.

We do ourselves a disservice as a sport trying to over egg good standard, solid, reliable players into superstars. As I say, I've nothing against him. He's a fine player. But we need to stop the hype.

Re: Dream team : Fri Sep 02, 2022 3:58 pm  

If we went just on derby games this season then Paasi would absolutely stroll into my side. I used to worry about Walmsley - this year I was counting the minutes for him to come back on and get Paasi off the field!