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Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 14 Sep 2018, 17:27
by RonnieGibbs'forearm
What do you think? Agree? Shoot me down? Why?

Positive
-Squad options/selection headaches are best they have been in 20 years.
-Truman/Roberts/Macca/Gale make kicking game as dangerous as it's been under Powell.
-Mata'utia's physicality will more than compensate for losing ZH.
-Watts, Moors, Meeks form forwards in league.
-Can't pick between Clark and Trueman for young player of season.
-We are starting to show flashes of last year in spells.
-I can't believe it's nearly a year since the GF- need another shot at it to exorcise the demons.

Concern
-Intensity: can we go from patchy games recently to be able to ramp it up for a semi? Thinking how we fared at Wigan recently.
-The number of times we have absolutely bombed in big games.
-Trueman's pace to be a top level HB/Get us through a SF/GF
-Webbo's lack of pace in a SF/GF on a football pitch.
-Wardle although decent, brass could have been spent elsewhere.
-Defending kicks (Eden...)
-Galey's fitness for big push.
-Springer, Maher, Aston etc: wasted squad spot/cap.
-Rumour of Powell's departure in near future (England bound?).

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 14 Sep 2018, 17:36
by Mr XP
I would be slightly concerned we can defend or raise our intensity for a semi final away ...

There seems to be a lot made of our defensive average the last 4 games, we have played a depleted hull side, a Catalan side probably still coming down from the CC , a wire side with one eye on the CC and a Huddersfield team with nowt to play for.

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 14 Sep 2018, 17:45
by HuddsTigers
You don't need pace to be a quality SL half back
I don't think Webbo is going to play unless needed - giving him the conversion last night seemed to me to be farewell - could be reading it wrong though.
Players get injured
Brough's kicks are mean - best of wingers would have struggled
The last two points have no bearing on the end of the season, especially since Wayne Bennett has a two-year contract for England up until the end of 2019.

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 14 Sep 2018, 17:49
by HuddsTigers
In terms of positives:

We're building up a winning mentality again.
We kept Huddersfield scoreless in the second half.
We're not conceding long range tries
The tries we do concede come off our own mistakes
We have a well-balanced side with a great spine
McMeeken is coming back into the form of last year
James Clare and Nathan Massey continue to prove their critics wrong

Concerns (or rather, areas to work on:)

Our lack of conviction - we did it in the second half yesterday but we should have been out of sight in the first half
Our discipline at times - silly penalties.
Forcing play than just settling it down

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 14 Sep 2018, 18:01
by ERG2012
I think HT's concerns are pretty much on the money

I do like how we're just sneaking along undetected and just picking up the 2

No need to be flash or running in points but we do need to work on building pressure rather than forcing passes. However I'd dare say young Mr Trueman has a short kicking game up and beyond his years which is a wonderful weapon in our armoury. Watts Millo Meeks and Moors are coming into the business end in great form. Add the enthusiasm of Clark and Adz and JSL its a potential nightmare. Nath is steadying the ship and laying the positional foundation for the launch.

As a back I never underestimated the work done in the engine room. The old cliche is right, forwards win you games backs decide by how many

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 14 Sep 2018, 18:27
by tigerfeat
Powells proved again this season why he's one of the best coaches in the world to to go through most of the season without a recognised full back missing both starting half backs of last year and leading try scorer for biggest part of season and still always be in top four and along the way beat full strength Wigan and warrington sides with much weekend sides is a credit to him

Last year in two of our three biggest matches the c.c cup match at hull and the grand final Powell described the performance as the worst of the season there will always be questions now until we lift one of the main two trophys then they will stop and we will win a few more in the years ahead I believe

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 14 Sep 2018, 19:39
by the machine
Far too much is being said about Truemans alleged lack of pace, frankly I think he's deadly from around 15-20 yard away from the line with a sharp turn of pace and that's where it will matter most imo

He must be a huge contender for YPOTY

Clark is having a huge impact for us now, not bad for a cheap signing eh lol

Watts and Millo are having a huge impact for us

Little bit more patience at times rather than forcing some over the top play will be what helps us get over that line to win the big games

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 14 Sep 2018, 22:36
by Mysterio
Where have you seen rumours of dazzy’s departure!?

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 15 Sep 2018, 08:48
by heritage1926
The biggest concern for me and has been for years, even before Powell came in is, we have never had a plan B.

We have always been a club that can and has thrown the ball about in a fashion that it's, if you score 38, we'll score 40.

When games call for up the jumper stuff and to keep it tight, we just don't have it in us. Especially when it comes to wet weather rugby. We have this mentality to just start lobbing it everywhere in hope that 1 pass does come off.

Teams like Hull, Wigan, Leeds will always thrive playing teams like Cas and Saints, in wet weather, who love throwing the ball around because they know they will have some joy.

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 15 Sep 2018, 10:31
by WF10
Some tarts on here.

Don't worry about it, we've got this.

BELIEVE.

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 15 Sep 2018, 10:40
by tigerfeat
Wigan are not a great team they just play for every minute as tho there lives depend on it especially when there playing at home if we match them with that intent there will only be one winner

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 15 Sep 2018, 11:30
by RonnieGibbs'forearm
tigerfeat wrote:Wigan are not a great team they just play for every minute as tho there lives depend on it especially when there playing at home if we match them with that intent there will only be one winner
That's the entire issue for us to solve: intensity.
Handling their aggression. Starting strong. Matching them physically and still playing and playing with composure. Need to take the sting out early and shut the crowd up.

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 15 Sep 2018, 11:35
by Nu Shooze
tigerfeat wrote:Wigan are not a great team they just play for every minute as tho there lives depend on it especially when there playing at home if we match them with that intent there will only be one winner
My biggest concern. We will need continuous line speed and ruck speed, but we never seem able to do both other than in short spells. If we can get that we willl be ok as we have far more creativity.

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 15 Sep 2018, 11:45
by RonnieGibbs'forearm
Nu Shooze wrote:
tigerfeat wrote:Wigan are not a great team they just play for every minute as tho there lives depend on it especially when there playing at home if we match them with that intent there will only be one winner
My biggest concern. We will need continuous line speed and ruck speed, but we never seem able to do both other than in short spells. If we can get that we willl be ok as we have far more creativity.
A refereeing performance which doesn't allow Wigan spoilers at ptb too would do.

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 15 Sep 2018, 11:50
by Nu Shooze
RonnieGibbs'forearm wrote:
Nu Shooze wrote:
tigerfeat wrote:Wigan are not a great team they just play for every minute as tho there lives depend on it especially when there playing at home if we match them with that intent there will only be one winner
My biggest concern. We will need continuous line speed and ruck speed, but we never seem able to do both other than in short spells. If we can get that we willl be ok as we have far more creativity.
A refereeing performance which doesn't allow Wigan spoilers at ptb too would do.
Correct. They often seem to get as long as they like clearing the ruck as they pile bodies on, whilst others get pinged for minor delays. They’re masters at it.

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 16 Sep 2018, 00:42
by corvusxiii
I too am worried by loose passes not just in pressured situations but those from seemingly straight forward plays. Pies at at Cas would be interesting but at the PieDome with compulsory nothing penalties at the ptb just kills the game.

Re: Business End Of Season Observations

Posted: 16 Sep 2018, 14:16
by Hepworth7
Interesting take on things, the squad does seem to be coming together at the right time,our attacking kicking game is for me the best in SL,offensively it seems to be heading in the right direction but defensively we haven't faced a quality attack in the last four games, Wigan and Saints would be a different prospect so the focus and intensity needs to be ramped up a level. Gales organisational abilities are key for me in this. Kick defence is a worry but that would probably apply to any team top four or otherwise given the number of tries from kicks. Handling errors are a double edged thing,can accept them if we're playing expensively and looking for something special in a tight game but there have been too many basic errors when we should have just been looking at field position or completing the set. For all I'm still a Shenton fan he's been responsible for more than his fair share. Silly penalties? Watts can be a hot head,but clearly his game would suffer if you took out the niggle and aggression, whereas Milner has conceded three pointless penalties by coming in late to an already completed tackle,but I still wouldn't swap him. Completely agree that for all his undoubted talents Truman does lack pace,a yard of which would elevate him from a promising half to a great one,can't actually remember a world class half who hasn't had it. For me loads of positives still,yup there are negatives but not insurmountable ones and at least we'll be going into any semi in decent form and competitive squad.