Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 04, 2021 1:55 pm  

jonh wrote:

Both are playing levels above Smith at this moment in time.

“At this moment in time”

I agree but they’re not the standard we should be looking at. I’m not saying we target DCE mind but surely we’re above these two?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 04, 2021 5:51 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

A lot with the lad will depend on just how he’s treating a spell here. Is he coming to play some serious rugby league or does he buy in to a notion that the game is of a lesser standard here and therefore he won’t need to be in top shape? The quality may not be quite as high here but you still need to be supremely fit to play the sport and he’ll be in for a shock if he thinks he’s going to come to this league and get away with being in poor condition.

One thing we need to make clear is that these comments aren’t those you get where people write players off before they even turn out in our shirt. I trust my mate to give an honest opinion and not just look for non issues but he said his condition looked really poor. It sounds like they’ll need to put plenty of work in to him. If he’s prepared to put in the work, then he clearly can make good ground with the ball.

Removal of scrums, set restarts, continually reducing interchanges. Everything is moving towards keeping the ball in play longer. No room for unfit players, he will need to sort that. It's a shame IMO as impact props can be really entertaining to watch, but their days are over.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 04, 2021 8:05 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

Removal of scrums, set restarts, continually reducing interchanges. Everything is moving towards keeping the ball in play longer. No room for unfit players, he will need to sort that. It's a shame IMO as impact props can be really entertaining to watch, but their days are over.

I’m not sure they are. It depends what type of game you want to play, your tactics, how to break the opposing team down. There’s still room for your impact 15-20min stint props as there is your smaller more agile props.

For example if I want a roll on against a big pack I’ll take my smaller agile props, hit, down and quick PTB, primarily because they’re never going to win a physical battle but secondary because I want to get my more athletic props dominating their opposing numbers by tiring them out, getting them shifted and get us making quick yards up the pitch whilst creating chaos in the defensive line. If I want to dominate a smaller pack I’ll have my impact props rolling on/off taking big hard carries up the middle making ground and knocking the enthusiasm out of the opposing pack.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 04, 2021 8:24 pm  

It’s balance again for me. Maybe there’s a place if Singleton, Ellis, Havard etc do big minutes. It sounds like Mago needs to work on his fitness full stop though, regardless of role. Even 15-20 minutes could hurt you in defence if he’s struggling to get back in position.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 04, 2021 10:29 pm  

100% Warrior wrote:

I’m not sure they are. It depends what type of game you want to play, your tactics, how to break the opposing team down. There’s still room for your impact 15-20min stint props as there is your smaller more agile props.

For example if I want a roll on against a big pack I’ll take my smaller agile props, hit, down and quick PTB, primarily because they’re never going to win a physical battle but secondary because I want to get my more athletic props dominating their opposing numbers by tiring them out, getting them shifted and get us making quick yards up the pitch whilst creating chaos in the defensive line. If I want to dominate a smaller pack I’ll have my impact props rolling on/off taking big hard carries up the middle making ground and knocking the enthusiasm out of the opposing pack.

You've left out 50% of the game there though. It's when you don't have the ball that the really big boys can get exposed, especially when the ball has been in play for a long time and you've given up a set restart or too . I suppose there is still a role for impact prop but they're a risk.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sat Sep 04, 2021 10:49 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

It’s balance again for me. Maybe there’s a place if Singleton, Ellis, Havard etc do big minutes. It sounds like Mago needs ti work in his fitness full stop though, regardless of role. Even 15-20 minute ms could chat you in defence if he’s struggling to get back in position.

I’m very old school but any player who can’t do 80 minutes or prepared to do 80 minutes shouldn’t be on the field.
To people under 40 or even 50 I’m a dinosaur. I couldn’t give a shiny shoite
This one of reasons why we have a game at times of numbness
If you have effectively 10 players out of 26 who never do 80 minutes you have athletes of maybe 20 minute cameos who don’t really need to learn rugby.

If I could change one rule it would be once you are substituted you cannot return.
The introduction of substitutes at will has degraded the game on par of the recent introduction of Nazarenes i.e. players who perpetually walk around the pitch with their arms stretched out wide.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:38 am  

The Whiffy Kipper wrote:

Mason Lino on the other site

Nobody has said that.

Pretty sure they just said they would prefer Lino.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:40 am  

I do agree in many ways. No player should be in a condition where you can only do 20 minutes and no more, even if that is how you plan to use them. They may need to do longer spells due to injuries or disciplinary issues mid game for one. The way my mate spoke about Mago yesterday sounded like if you tried to leave him on for 80 minutes, he’d have probably fell over with exhaustion and that can’t be right. I just hope somebody from Wigan watched it (I’m sure they did) and will be having words about his plans in his off season and setting some expectations about the condition he should be arriving in. It’s unlikely to be any better than that but it can’t be worse.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:40 am  

nathan_rugby wrote:

Do you just make stuff up?

Nobody has said that.

They did to be fair to him. It’s not in the rumours section but I saw it somewhere myself.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:47 am  

Itchy Arsenal wrote:

I’m very old school but any player who can’t do 80 minutes or prepared to do 80 minutes shouldn’t be on the field.
To people under 40 or even 50 I’m a dinosaur. I couldn’t give a shiny shoite
This one of reasons why we have a game at times of numbness
If you have effectively 10 players out of 26 who never do 80 minutes you have athletes of maybe 20 minute cameos who don’t really need to learn rugby.

If I could change one rule it would be once you are substituted you cannot return.
The introduction of substitutes at will has degraded the game on par of the recent introduction of Nazarenes i.e. players who perpetually walk around the pitch with their arms stretched out wide.

Rubbish.

Walmsley at Saints not doing too bad and doesn’t play anywhere near 80.

He’s been one of the best props in the comp for the last 5 or so years.