Re: Cas Away : Sun Feb 18, 2024 4:38 pm  

Mago had one of his best games for the club last night. Put some minutes in too, probably about fifty overall. It's like having a new player, he'll definitely be up for it on Saturday.

Re: Cas Away : Sun Feb 18, 2024 4:42 pm  

He throws himself into every challenge on attack and defence. Something that made him stick out in his early days and last night he was class and i like to see it from a forward a Paleaaesina style run but it can cause these sorts of injuries. It’s a catch 22 really need them barnstorming runs that skittle players but 1 in 10 of those runs your going to come off second best. I’m sure the club will take care of Luke. Hopefully more is learned about head knocks and there are things we can do to combat them.

Re: Cas Away : Sun Feb 18, 2024 5:20 pm  

I would expect Leeming to be the backup half if Smith is banned (assuming Leeming is even fit) with Farrimond second choice and possibly on the bench.

Re: Cas Away : Sun Feb 18, 2024 5:34 pm  

If Keighran didn’t get banned for his tip tackle in the Hull preseason game, I don’t expect Smith to get banned.

Re: Cas Away : Sun Feb 18, 2024 6:39 pm  

NSW wrote:

If Keighran didn’t get banned for his tip tackle in the Hull preseason game, I don’t expect Smith to get banned.

I watched the Keighran one on KPP in the GF earlier and that is worse than last nights and he got a game for that. I thought there looked nothing in the Smith one from the first angle, which was behind him but then they show the other angle and it looks a bit worse but Hooley ducks his head in toward the ground himself. I don’t know why players are doing that. Kev Brown was saying no player would do that to try and win a penalty but it just doesn’t seem natural.

Re: Cas Away : Sun Feb 18, 2024 7:01 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

I watched the Keighran one on KPP in the GF earlier and that is worse than last nights and he got a game for that. I thought there looked nothing in the Smith one from the first angle, which was behind him but then they show the other angle and it looks a bit worse but Hooley ducks his head in toward the ground himself. I don’t know why players are doing that. Kev Brown was saying no player would do that to try and win a penalty but it just doesn’t seem natural.

I think he probably will get a 1-2 game ban but if anything saves him it will be the fact that Hooley ducks his head plus a pretty clean previous record (maybe even a spotless record - can't recall any previous charges).

Either way though domestic bans should not count for internationals (club or country). Its just shooting ourselves in the foot ala George Williams prior to last year's test series.

Re: Cas Away : Sun Feb 18, 2024 8:46 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

I watched the Keighran one on KPP in the GF earlier and that is worse than last nights and he got a game for that. I thought there looked nothing in the Smith one from the first angle, which was behind him but then they show the other angle and it looks a bit worse but Hooley ducks his head in toward the ground himself. I don’t know why players are doing that. Kev Brown was saying no player would do that to try and win a penalty but it just doesn’t seem natural.

I like Kev Brown and he's an excellent pundit for the most part. He does have a tendency to say something ridiculous and then feel duty bound to back it up. It stupid to say no player would do that when it happens all the time! Welsby was always looking to do it in his early days. Possibly he judges other players by what he would do himself. Who knows? You only need to look at the angle of Hooley's head makes it clear he was looking for a penalty.

Re: Cas Away : Sun Feb 18, 2024 11:39 pm  

I just watched the game back and the Watts one could be seen both ways. Watts clearly has no intentions to wrap his arms Westerman lazily attempted to put an arm round. Dupree did appear to be a little stooped. Be interesting to read the match panels verdict on it. I think he’ll be seeing a couple of games for a shoulder charge. For me Smith should have seen red was no need for that tackle. He should get banned for a few games off the back of that. Cas then went on to play for every pen going.

Re: Cas Away : Mon Feb 19, 2024 12:06 am  

I watched the Sky version back earlier, having watched on BBC in real-time. Not for the first when watching back, I thought the ref was pretty good. The ruck needs tidying up, and it's up to coaches and players to respond. Notable that Matty Peet had no complaints on that score. The only thing he might have done was send Smith off, tbh. I am not optimistic abut his chances. When will we know?

Re: Cas Away : Mon Feb 19, 2024 4:50 am  

moto748 wrote:

I watched the Sky version back earlier, having watched on BBC in real-time. Not for the first when watching back, I thought the ref was pretty good. The ruck needs tidying up, and it's up to coaches and players to respond. Notable that Matty Peet had no complaints on that score. The only thing he might have done was send Smith off, tbh. I am not optimistic abut his chances. When will we know?

Find out this afternoon