Re: Transfer fee for Roberts? : Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:27 pm  

St Helens Wolf wrote:

November 2016, Sandow leaves us in the lurch and we sign Brown at the 11th hour. October 2017, we've just escaped the middle 8's and we haven't got a coach. We sign Roberts who, more than likely, didn't want to come to England but instead was using us hoping to boost an NRL offer. Neither are bad half backs, we just weren't in a strong bargaining position at the time. It was equivalent to us needing to call an emergency plumber out over Christmas. It's not that either of these guys were cowboys, just expensive.

Totally understand your logic.

However, we have only just enacted an option to keep Brown for another season!!!!!

Re: Transfer fee for Roberts? : Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:49 pm  

St Helens Wolf wrote:

November 2016, Sandow leaves us in the lurch and we sign Brown at the 11th hour. October 2017, we've just escaped the middle 8's and we haven't got a coach. We sign Roberts who, more than likely, didn't want to come to England but instead was using us hoping to boost an NRL offer. Neither are bad half backs, we just weren't in a strong bargaining position at the time. It was equivalent to us needing to call an emergency plumber out over Christmas. It's not that either of these guys were cowboys, just expensive.

Fair analogy. Does not explain why we have called the first plumber back again (Brown).

Re: Transfer fee for Roberts? : Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:42 pm  

I am concerned that Austin and Brown are too similar in style for a half back combo.

Re: Transfer fee for Roberts? : Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:52 pm  

Captain Hook wrote:

I am concerned that Austin and Brown are too similar in style for a half back combo.

Is it April 1st?

Re: Transfer fee for Roberts? : Wed Sep 26, 2018 3:11 pm  

rubber duckie wrote:

Is it April 1st?

I think what he’s trying to say is neither Austin or Brown are classic organising half-backs. We definitely need a little general with a decent all-round kicking game to steer us across the park.... where we get one is the difficult part of the equation.

I like Steve Price so far but I fear he’ll not be remembered too well if we flop next season without a proper half-back. Roberts may be overpaid but he’s been steady and his kicks in general play have been on the money.

Re: Transfer fee for Roberts? : Wed Sep 26, 2018 3:17 pm  

easyWire wrote:

I think what he’s trying to say is neither Austin or Brown are classic organising half-backs. We definitely need a little general with a decent all-round kicking game to steer us across the park.... where we get one is the difficult part of the equation.

I like Steve Price so far but I fear he’ll not be remembered too well if we flop next season without a proper half-back.

Yes there are no excuses for the squad make up in 2019. We have had ample time to recruit and "scour the Earth" as the CEO says.

This season we overachieved, in my view, getting 4th and CC Final. Next season the targets will be rightly higher.

My biggest, lurking concern, is how un-drilled and chaotic we look on late tackle count plays in the opposition 30m. Either Price does not see this, or sees this and doesn't want to change it, or cannot change it.

Re: Transfer fee for Roberts? : Wed Sep 26, 2018 3:19 pm  

Wires71 wrote:

Fair analogy. Does not explain why we have called the first plumber back again (Brown).

Probably down to the review on checkatrade.com - ‘turned up and finished the job, although the workmanship was average’.

Sandow’s review was probably something along the lines of - ‘amazing workmanship, but went for lunch and didn’t come back’...

Re: Transfer fee for Roberts? : Wed Sep 26, 2018 4:08 pm  

I was probably being a little disingenuous regarding Brown. It has been written many times that he actually took a pay cut in moving from Widnes to ourselves. I guess that the 3rd year option must either be value for money else there is no one else available.

I agree with others that he doesn't look, on paper, to be the ideal partner for Austin. Maybe we just need to stop messing around and get over to the half back orchid where, so I'm told, they grow on trees.

Re: Transfer fee for Roberts? : Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:03 pm  

rubber duckie wrote:

Is it April 1st?

I didn’t say “in skill and ability” but you knew that.

Re: Transfer fee for Roberts? : Wed Sep 26, 2018 7:46 pm  

Wires71 wrote:

Yes there are no excuses for the squad make up in 2019. We have had ample time to recruit and "scour the Earth" as the CEO says.

This season we overachieved, in my view, getting 4th and CC Final. Next season the targets will be rightly higher.

My biggest, lurking concern, is how un-drilled and chaotic we look on late tackle count plays in the opposition 30m. Either Price does not see this, or sees this and doesn't want to change it, or cannot change it.

Two years is not really enough time given the relatively barren recruitment market available.
If Warrington were to finish 5th/6th next year under Price it wouldn't necessarily mean he had done a bad job.