Bigredwarrior wrote:
You haven’t answered my question mate. Who do you consider a realistic target who is better than one of our starting 13 who can kick goals? I’m not happy with our kick success rate but I’m happy the club have made an effort to address it and I’d rather have Hodgson in than a weaker player just because they can kick.
In regards to ST, it’s unfair to refer to one or 2 cameo appearances when he played every game since returning from injuries last season. I suspect nobody at the club realised the extent of his injuries when he was brought back as a marquee player and I don’t think it’s right to judge him yet. Let’s see how he goes after his 1st pre-season in 9 years and then judge him. I wouldn’t make him captain until Lockers calls it a day but he’d be my choice as his successor.
I also agree that the standard of RL over the last few years hasn’t been great but I do see some mitigation but that’s been done to death on here. I honestly believe we have a very strong squad and with a bit more luck with injuries we’ll be there or there abouts again next season. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that we won the GF in 2016 and are currently world club champions who reached Wembley in 2017. No it’s not good enough but only because we’ve been spoiled over the years.
Merry Christmas to you and yours matey!
The question of a kicker (and in that I mean goal kicker and out of hand) is a larger subject than just that specific skill set.
Of our top 5 earners by whom I assume ST, GW, SOL, MM and JT none of them are reliable regular kickers. IL, KR and SW have engineered this no one else. They for what ever reason deem kicking to be unimportant. If ST plays 6 and GW plays 7 next year we wont a half who has any sort of a tactical kicking game and GW is very hot and cold on conversions.
The squad hasn't been announced yet but we will have 4 hookers who effectively play the same role style/role so even here where could mix things up a little like other teams. We have zero options.
I genuinely only watch NRL occasionally but I don't think that there are any sides who don't have at least one player as their go to player for tactical kicking and all have regular nominated goal kicker. In RU all sides including amateur teams have a regular kicker and when I played all of the backline were expected to have a half decent kicking out of hand skill level. Historically all top RL teams have always had a top goal kicker and in recent history when tactical kicking is even more important all top sides have a go to player for tactical kicking and conversions indeed clubs build their team around this player.
What do we do? We organise a kicking competition in January to see which players can be arsed to take part in a kicking competition. If it wasn't so serious it would be hilarious.
I accept and fully understand the limits of the salary cap so I know at times there are no easy or short term solutions but shouldn't we at least be planning for the future? When Smith went why didn't we sign a kicker then? I understand that players with good kicking abilities don't grow on trees and I can understand a season where we may struggle due to cap restrictions etc I could probably just about accept 2 seasons if it meant we got a top liner but we are now 5 seasons since Pat Richards left and we have just got a part time short term contract coach to help the situation. If our gym burned down would the club wait 5 years to replace or fix it?
If the mat in the wrestling pit was ripped and worn through would we wait 5 years to replace it?
KR, SW & IL will have the mobile number of every agent in the game in the UK and Australia. They have scouts throughout the north of England. Are we seriously accepting that in 5 years with all that net working capability they couldn't nail this issue or even have a failed attempt at it??
So scene setting over I would let any of our top 5 earners (as above) go if it meant we could get a top flight kicker. I'd let ST, GW & SOL collectively go in a heartbeat if we could attract the half who played for Lebanon in the world cup.
On the SL front players who I believe have been available in the past 5 years who I would have signed are McShane, Finn, Sneyd. None of them world beaters but I suspect all earning less than our top 5 and all would add to the squad skill sets we are sadly lacking. Would they be my preference? Absolutely not. However, one of those guys could have given us a bit breathing space until we found a longer term solution either through the academy or through other pro clubs. Didn't we sign Deacon at the end of career knowing full well it was a short term fix?
I haven't seen a great deal of Josh Woods but I have been led to believe that he has good kicking game so why not give him a run out instead of TL last season when it was apparent to a guy with no nose that TL stunk the place out on the kicking front.
It is Bigred a difficult problem however, KR, SW and IL are paid big money and have the contacts to solve this. Organising a kicking competition isn't the way forward. It may be inexpensive and it may keep the top 5 earners but it doesn't resolve the issue. My main gripe is that they don't seem to have the appetite or urgency to solve it.
By the way enjoy your trip to Australia
