Re: 2021 squad : Sat Dec 26, 2020 3:11 pm  

vastman wrote:

So like most teams then.

Who are the four fullbacks, well of course there are just two. The other two play FB as a back up position but don’t let the truth get in the way will you.

If we had 8 props and 2 Fb’s you’d be moaning that we were two FBs short.

Basically your looking for issues because that’s the bit you enjoy as far as I can tell.

Most people, including yourself, have already posted we're acouple of props short! Now you're arguing that we're not!

Which are the two players say are only back up full backs?

Re: 2021 squad : Sat Dec 26, 2020 4:49 pm  

imwakefieldtillidie wrote:

Most people, including yourself, have already posted we're acouple of props short! Now you're arguing that we're not!

Which are the two players say are only back up full backs?

I said a prop short, but that’s not the same as saying we will be uncompetitive is it?

If we have a good season for injuries we will be up there so long as the effort is there. The short fall of one prop will only matter if we get injuries, the same as every other team. I can’t see many teams who have more than 4-5 specialist props, the numbers are made up by Swiss army players, why should we be any different?

We have 2 fullbacks, Walker and Jowitt, Hampshire is primarily a HB and Gigot is a utility back. Unless I’m missing somebody that’s is.

Re: 2021 squad : Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:02 pm  

vastman wrote:

I said a prop short, but that’s not the same as saying we will be uncompetitive is it?

If we have a good season for injuries we will be up there so long as the effort is there. The short fall of one prop will only matter if we get injuries, the same as every other team. I can’t see many teams who have more than 4-5 specialist props, the numbers are made up by Swiss army players, why should we be any different?

We have 2 fullbacks, Walker and Jowitt, Hampshire is primarily a HB and Gigot is a utility back. Unless I’m missing somebody that’s is.

We have 4 props which is less than most teams and has for full back jowitt and walker are fullback gigot main postion is full back as he says in interviews he can cover other postions and hampshire arguably best form as been at full back

Re: 2021 squad : Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:51 pm  

vastman wrote:

I said a prop short, but that’s not the same as saying we will be uncompetitive is it?

If we have a good season for injuries we will be up there so long as the effort is there. The short fall of one prop will only matter if we get injuries, the same as every other team. I can’t see many teams who have more than 4-5 specialist props, the numbers are made up by Swiss army players, why should we be any different?

We have 2 fullbacks, Walker and Jowitt, Hampshire is primarily a HB and Gigot is a utility back. Unless I’m missing somebody that’s is.

Most clubs run with at least 6 experienced props, we've only got four. Kelepi will make it five but we then lose his impact from the back row. Add Battye and one more, someone like Naverette, and I think we'd look a lot stronger.

Got to disagree about the full back situation. Walker, Gigot and Jowitt are all natural full backs. Hampshire sees himself as an half, but his best form has come at 1. Pretty much every coach he's ever had has only used him as a back up half.

Re: 2021 squad : Sat Dec 26, 2020 7:39 pm  

imwakefieldtillidie wrote:

Most clubs run with at least 6 experienced props, we've only got four. Kelepi will make it five but we then lose his impact from the back row. Add Battye and one more, someone like Naverette, and I think we'd look a lot stronger.

Got to disagree about the full back situation. Walker, Gigot and Jowitt are all natural full backs. Hampshire sees himself as an half, but his best form has come at 1. Pretty much every coach he's ever had has only used him as a back up half.

No they don’t, find me these clubs with 6 experienced specialist props please. There aren’t many, most have four to five out and out props, the rest are middles or youngsters.

Following your logic Aydin is a prop and has nearly as much first team as some listed props at some other clubs. You’re seeing what you want to see.

So tomorrow I’ll be a bore and go through all the SL teams and list the specialist and experienced props and see where we are and put this one to bed. I will by the way include Tanginoa because like it or not he’s a very good prop.

Hampshire is a HB in the same way Tanginoa is a prop, he can play well at both, what Hampshire is is a utility player, ditto Gigot who is not a natural FB. You seem to want it all ways.

Walkers is the out of step player because he’d the one we could get away with losing to find the cash for a prop. That said he could still prove his worth if we have a crisis on the backs.

It’s impossible to cover every eventuality as regards players, every team even Saints have week areas, it’s just how the dice falls sometimes. Why panic in December, it’s just bizarre imho.

Re: 2021 squad : Sat Dec 26, 2020 7:54 pm  

Luppylad wrote:

We have 4 props which is less than most teams and has for full back jowitt and walker are fullback gigot main postion is full back as he says in interviews he can cover other postions and hampshire arguably best form as been at full back

See answer to other poster.

Re: 2021 squad : Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:08 pm  

vastman wrote:

No they don’t, find me these clubs with 6 experienced specialist props please. There aren’t many, most have four to five out and out props, the rest are middles or youngsters.

Following your logic Aydin is a prop and has nearly as much first team as some listed props at some other clubs. You’re seeing what you want to see.

So tomorrow I’ll be a bore and go through all the SL teams and list the specialist and experienced props and see where we are and put this one to bed. I will by the way include Tanginoa because like it or not he’s a very good prop.

Hampshire is a HB in the same way Tanginoa is a prop, he can play well at both, what Hampshire is is a utility player, ditto Gigot who is not a natural FB. You seem to want it all ways.

Walkers is the out of step player because he’d the one we could get away with losing to find the cash for a prop. That said he could still prove his worth if we have a crisis on the backs.

It’s impossible to cover every eventuality as regards players, every team even Saints have week areas, it’s just how the dice falls sometimes. Why panic in December, it’s just bizarre imho.

Tanginoa is a very good prop, I just think he's a better second rower. But Chester has commented recently that he hopes to use him in the back row so to include him is distorting the facts. But if you insist on including him and Aydin, make sure you include all the cover and youngsters from other clubs as well.

Agree about Walker, although I think he'd be fine had we not signed Gigot. I understand why we brought him in when we did, but with Jowitt hitting form and the need for an organising half it's not really worked out and left us top heavy.

I'm not panicking, there's two and a half months to go and as I said in my original post we've still got some work to do. I'm basing my opinion on the squad as it is now, not what I think it'll be come March. I still reckon we'll add Battye, but London will need to get their squad in order for that to happen.

Re: 2021 squad : Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:42 pm  

vastman wrote:

get real we need every position covered by at least 40 international class players to even beat Leigh... no chance, lay off the egg nog!

Not sure if this is a cack handed attempt at humour, or just another blatant attack of sarcasm on your part

Re: 2021 squad : Sat Dec 26, 2020 9:28 pm  

dickie mint wrote:

Not sure if this is a cack handed attempt at humour, or just another blatant attack of sarcasm on your part

He’s said himself he thinks we’re two props short, but for some reason he doesn’t want anyone else to say it as well.

Re: 2021 squad : Sat Dec 26, 2020 9:42 pm  

I accept that in an ideal world Kelepi would play second row but he’s played far more at prop for us out of his 30 odd consecutive appearances.

So I’ve got
Fifita
Arona
Kelepi
Green
Tangata
Aydin

Add Joe westerman at a push and hopefully Eddie Battye and I just don’t see the need for doom and gloom?