Re: A season for real optimism : Fri Dec 31, 2021 9:30 am  

jonh wrote:

I think he lacks the natural pace to be a half.

He though has the frame to be a ball playing loose which as we have seen at Wakefield recently can be a real asset to a team in a division dominated by props running at 13.

Personally think a ball handing 13 is arguably the most important position on the field if you have a good one.

A ball handling loose forward of the old style? I wish we had one !

Re: A season for real optimism : Fri Dec 31, 2021 10:20 am  

Luppylad wrote:

Im not going down any route all i did is pick out that they have a great looking squad to someone who think they will struggle and if fair be fairc
as john says they do have a good squad.i dont think there our competitors personally i think its toulouse, hull(yes hull)and Huddersfield but thats just me i do actually think we are looking at 10th which ill be delighted with as isaid other day its about the next 2 or 3 years

Sorry but great looking squad? I beg to differ. I think you’re seeing names and to be fair the first 15 look ok but hardly exceptional.

What you need to remember is that Salford has had the exact opposite three seasons to ourselves. They have suffered very few injuries and have not had their squad depth seriously tested.

This is a threadbare club that runs no Academy or reserves, they invest all they have in the first 17. Should that fail they have no backup either in terms of young players or money.

Maybe their luck will hold who knows but for me they are the worst club in the comp at every level at present. they remind me a bit of us in our early SL years but minus the trickle of youngsters.

If their luck fails them they probably won’t make it until the end of the season. I also can’t see all the on the cusp Aussies they have signed being of the dig deep variety.

Finally are they better than us? On paper no not if we remain fit. In reality, who knows, it’s impossible to predict, nobody in 2003 thought that the following year we’d become one of the best teams in SL. In 2015 I think we’d hit rock bottom, the next three seasons were IMO our best and most consistent in SL.

There are so many factors but the two that count are the four main signings, Hood, Lineman, Gaskell and Whitebread. They could all be duds but they could all be brilliant. Even more important is getting the quality we already have, which is considerable, back on form. I think Boxing Day showed we now have the depth.

PS: Not having a go but be honest. If you woke up tomorrow morning and Salfords squad was now our squad what would be the first thing you'd post? You'd be worried about our total lack of depth and for once I'd agree with you.

Re: A season for real optimism : Fri Dec 31, 2021 10:27 am  

jonh wrote:

I think he lacks the natural pace to be a half.

He though has the frame to be a ball playing loose which as we have seen at Wakefield recently can be a real asset to a team in a division dominated by props running at 13.

Personally think a ball handing 13 is arguably the most important position on the field if you have a good one.

Nah not for me not on this one.

Anyway even if he isn’t as fast as you’d like would it matter? There is such a shortage of his type of HB he’d still have it all to himself rather than be lost in a see of identification LF’s.

Nigel Wright wasn’t fast and today I suspect he’d be earmarked for LF, what a waste that would have been. He also apparently had the build, turned out looks can be deceiving.

Re: A season for real optimism : Fri Dec 31, 2021 11:37 am  

vastman wrote:

Nah not for me not on this one.

Anyway even if he isn’t as fast as you’d like would it matter? There is such a shortage of his type of HB he’d still have it all to himself rather than be lost in a see of identification LF’s.

Nigel Wright wasn’t fast and today I suspect he’d be earmarked for LF, what a waste that would have been. He also apparently had the build, turned out looks can be deceiving.

No wrong again you know sweet fa about trinity Nigel wright had speed ,build and a brilliant pair of hands(apparently) you’ve never seen him play have you ,ahhhhhhh what a joke

Re: A season for real optimism : Fri Dec 31, 2021 11:47 am  

cosmicat wrote:

No wrong again you know sweet fa about trinity Nigel wright had speed ,build and a brilliant pair of hands(apparently) you’ve never seen him play have you ,ahhhhhhh what a joke

What in gods meme are you on about.

Never seen him play, I used to stand with him on the North bank before he broke through and followed his career til the end,. He is one of my all time favourites.

I have to ask if you ever read any bodies posts or just react like an idiot.

Of course he had the build and the hands where did I ever say he didn’t! In fact that was exactly what I did say.

What he didn’t have was the speed of some of his contemporaries like say Steadman. He was no slouch by any stretch but it was not speed that made him such a great player.

You need to go away and grow up a bit mentally and then you might one day make a worthwhile post.

Re: A season for real optimism : Fri Dec 31, 2021 12:21 pm  

For me I don't really pay attention to the league table and take each game as it comes. I find that way the games far more enjoyable and each and every one is as important as the other.

Having said that, I am surprised that the first game hasn't been touted as a must win yet by our very own long distance supporter.

Re: A season for real optimism : Fri Dec 31, 2021 12:37 pm  

Khlav Kalash wrote:

For me I don't really pay attention to the league table and take each game as it comes. I find that way the games far more enjoyable and each and every one is as important as the other.

Having said that, I am surprised that the first game hasn't been touted as a must win yet by our very own long distance supporter.

Agreed, the only time I take notice of the league is when we are too close to the bottom or much rarer close to the top. Otherwise who cares so long as we win more than we lose and we entertain.

Re: A season for real optimism : Fri Dec 31, 2021 3:17 pm  

I think I post this same comment every year:
I love the close season because it's generally full of optimism and positivity. Then along comes the playing season and it's another year of stress and worry until we are mathematically safe from the drop.

Re: A season for real optimism : Fri Dec 31, 2021 3:42 pm  

Wollo-Wollo-Wollo-Wayoo wrote:

I think I post this same comment every year:
I love the close season because it's generally full of optimism and positivity. Then along comes the playing season and it's another year of stress and worry until we are mathematically safe from the drop.

Yeah close season it's great to be joint top for a few months but I feel optimistic for the coming season.
There seems to be a buzz under the new regime !

Re: A season for real optimism : Fri Dec 31, 2021 4:49 pm  

vastman wrote:

Sorry but great looking squad? I beg to differ. I think you’re seeing names and to be fair the first 15 look ok but hardly exceptional.

What you need to remember is that Salford has had the exact opposite three seasons to ourselves. They have suffered very few injuries and have not had their squad depth seriously tested.

This is a threadbare club that runs no Academy or reserves, they invest all they have in the first 17. Should that fail they have no backup either in terms of young players or money.

Maybe their luck will hold who knows but for me they are the worst club in the comp at every level at present. they remind me a bit of us in our early SL years but minus the trickle of youngsters.

If their luck fails them they probably won’t make it until the end of the season. I also can’t see all the on the cusp Aussies they have signed being of the dig deep variety.

Finally are they better than us? On paper no not if we remain fit. In reality, who knows, it’s impossible to predict, nobody in 2003 thought that the following year we’d become one of the best teams in SL. In 2015 I think we’d hit rock bottom, the next three seasons were IMO our best and most consistent in SL.

There are so many factors but the two that count are the four main signings, Hood, Lineman, Gaskell and Whitebread. They could all be duds but they could all be brilliant. Even more important is getting the quality we already have, which is considerable, back on form. I think Boxing Day showed we now have the depth.

PS: Not having a go but be honest. If you woke up tomorrow morning and Salfords squad was now our squad what would be the first thing you'd post? You'd be worried about our total lack of depth and for once I'd agree with you.

It's Lineham and Whitbread, Vasty...but I could forgive you for getting Dave-to-the-loo wrong, if we offer him a contract