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Post by chief on Feb 19, 2020 6:49:42 GMT
Pauli is not a prop as we saw last week - either we give Ormondroyd a shot or get someone else in. Mossop did over an hour last week and looked much improved- he started slow last year so I wouldn’t write him off just yet. Mossop in Superleague team of the week Thought he was best Salford player on the pitch by quite some distance. |
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Post by BDD on Feb 20, 2020 0:20:48 GMT
Mossop in Superleague team of the week Thought he was best Salford player on the pitch by quite some distance. I'm confused about the Pauli statement implying we saw he isn't a prop last week? He played almost and entire game at 2nd row, not prop, and I think it was clear he isn't a 2nd rower. Credit for playing the minutes but it's not like he was taking the ball up time and time again like a Jones or BMM before him. There were at least 3 occasions the ball went to him with a chance of an overlap, him being the third man in, against 3, with space, and the play died because he either wasn't quick enough, or smart enough, to step the guy rushing him to create the overlap; or didn't have the ball skills to pass the ball on accurately. Not his fault. There is no way he's a 2nd rower and if I were Hudds, or any team, I'd run at him, Tui, Welham and Sio all-day. Sio cost us a try by rushing in an allowing his winger loads of space when there was absolutely no need--just man up to the offence. I avoided posting a picture last week as I saw silly comments about the ref or Brown costing us points, they didn't, the performance by the team for 80 minutes, and Watto's tactics, cost us the game. There is a lot to fix and I hope we do. There are plenty of poor tactics in out kicking gamecarrying over from last year that haven't been fixed, I can only blame Watto for that. We are one dimensional and easy to predict. We haveability, as we saw last year, but we need to be confident to play from anywhere and not only when we get in the opposition 30. Back to Pauli, him and Greenwood are marked as scapegoats already. Jury is out on Greenwood, I hope it works out for him, but Pauli isn't a big minute guy and we need to recognise and play to that. I've not idea why he played so long last week. When he charges, he charges, that extra effort at the end of the game created a break. He didn't have that motivation earlier and I'd bet he'd have gone down easier and played the ball. He needs to be rotated and be used running on to the ball with some steam. He'd be hard to stop and drain defenders. Tactics are poor at the momebt, for me. I do think we need to work a kicker into the team, Inu or Chamberlain. I'd give Inu a shot at 2nd row, if not, then Welham has to make way for one of them. Kicking will be vital for us. Evalds needs to support more in the middle, especially with Seb back. Also, the weakenlst part of Evalds game is his pivot play. If you watch the game back, or any game, you'll see that he fails to create an overlap opportunity or make the right decision to pass to the C or W, or run, he almost always runs into the opposition Cand third man in. He needs to straighten up between them, force the C to stand flat footef and pass to Sarge. We can turn it around, half way through last year the season could have gone either way. This year will be the same I feel. We need to figure some things outs tactically and defenders outside need to trust those inside. |
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Post by redunderthebed on Feb 20, 2020 1:16:10 GMT
Inu will probably be in the team this week if Sarge is out. I don’t think we can judge the kickers yet. Tui is a decent kicker. Against Toronto no one would have kicked well in that wind. Last week he had 2 kicks from the touchline and nailed one of them.
The 4 backs we’ve been playing are the ones who earned their places in pre-season. Sio has looked a bit ropey in the last couple of games and is most at risk I think apart from injury. Welham gets criticism and people saying drop him every year and he proves the critics wrong every year.
Inu does have a bit of magic in him. He will try things that others won’t and we could do with a bit of that at the minute. But he is as likely to make a mistake as he is to come up with a magic play. Remember the off load at Wigan in the play offs, his kicking out on the full and short kick offs when we had narrow leads. He made half a dozen handling errrs in the pre season games this year. I loved watching him on the wing last year and he had some awesome performances but he didn’t play well at centre and he won’t transform the team.
Chamberlain looked poor in the pre season games. His defence was poor and mistakes like allowing himself to be tackled 10m out from our line and being driven back over the dead ball line won’t have done his chances any favours.
Evalds pivot play is fine. Not brilliant but good enough. He’s greedy. You don’t get to score as many tries as he does by giving the ball away 5 or 10m out all the time. Gaz O’Brien was a much better pivot but I’d rather have Evalds direct style. We get more tries from it. Evalds passes when he has no chance of scoring or there is an obvious overlap. I think his try scoring record shows that he makes the right decision more often than not.
I can understand people’s frustration with the kicking game. It is a deliberate ploy in many games to put it high to the winger. It stops the winger running it out and putting the team on the front foot as it gives the chase time to close him down. It’s a fairly negative tactic but when we get it right it serves us well. When our forwards are on top it allows our centres to challenge for the ball. Welham is especially good at that
As for the ‘5 drives and a kick’. Watson is a big believer in tiring the opponents out and taking advantage once they do tire. They will target different defenders depending on the opposition but the middles take plenty of hammer with the drives from our props and the drop off balls to the back rowers running back inside.
I think the problems so far have been our timings in attack and defence aren’t quite there yet. That has to improve and it should do as the season goes on. And we are not being clinical enough. Sio should have scored both of those tries that were disallowed against huddersfield. He scores one and we win. He was a bit unlucky with the one at saints but we score that one and the game maybe goes differently. We are getting field position and not coming away with the points. If we can fix that up we will be fine
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2020 9:57:40 GMT
Those poor kicking tactics got us to a Grand Final. The blunt truth is that we are never going to get perfection with this budget/these players. The Mourinho short blanket analogy comes to mind. We are obviously letting our feet get cold with the long kicking game in order to keep our shoulders warm. Apologies to anyone who has no idea what I’m on about!
As for Watson’s tactics costing us the game against Huddersfield that’s as daft as blaming Brown or the ref. The pack was monstered and dead on it’s feet after 30 minutes in each half and still we hung on. We don’t look fit and without a couple of key props we obviously have issues making yards. You can’t start playing expansive rugby in your own half. You also can’t play aggressive defence if your pack isn’t fit and can’t last 30 minutes.
I wouldn’t say Pauli is being held up as a scapegoat- not seen that many negative comments about him on social media and on here we are just picking out flaws because we think he should be doing better. If he wants to be an impact player in any position he’s going to have to start busting some tackles or making some offloads because at the moment he looks far too slow and lumbering.
We know Evalds isn’t a natural pivot but correct me if I’m wrong doesn’t he have more assists than anyone else on the team this year? We expect too much of some players.
I’m not sure where this ‘Inu wasn’t much good at centre’ has come from? I remember him being a bit inconsistent but having a few cracking games. I don’t think we should mix up his centre play with his bad kicking spell.
Welham fighting off his replacements reminds me of Littler but the big difference was that Littler scored on a consistent basis. Welham’s scoring rate dropped off a cliff a couple of seasons ago and his defence isn’t getting any better. Yes he has his moments but as we need some flair If Inu is fit I’d prefer him personally.
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Post by Carnster on Feb 20, 2020 10:10:37 GMT
Our pack was knackered. Hudds did a very good job of slowing the PTB down and coming up quick. Tiring us out on attack and limiting our options. When we defended they played the ball quickly, again tiring us out. It was frustrating to watch, as once the pack is effectively neutralised like that we were always going to lose. What surprised me was that Watson didn't get them in at halftime and get them adjusted. Or he did and they didn't respond.
If I can see this it baffles me why something wasn't changed to counteract these tactics. Our PTB speed has been poor this season so far and we're constantly relying on very basic tactics from our own half.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2020 11:34:49 GMT
As there are a number of clubs looking for a prop I wonder if any will take him on?
Catalans being the very paragons of virtue will be interested I bet.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2020 11:50:23 GMT
As there are a number of clubs looking for a prop I wonder if any will take him on? Catalans being the very paragons of virtue will be interested I bet. Hull KR? We don’t know what’s happened or if it will prevent him playing for anyone else. |
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Post by JJR on Feb 20, 2020 22:53:52 GMT
Good statement by the Club as he leaves. Dignity all around: good to see.
He is a nice guy and somehow sadly fell into bad ways, as we all do to some extent at times.
Good luck to him.
Heard the Club gave him some help.
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Post by twistthemellonman on Feb 21, 2020 22:26:25 GMT
Kyle Amor and Ben Flower seem to be on the lookout for new clubs. You'd think Flower with the Wales connection would be more likely but who would you rather have?
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Post by thevulcanone on Feb 21, 2020 23:44:59 GMT
Can anyone precis the first 3 posts on this page? Life is short enough...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2020 6:45:28 GMT
Kyle Amor and Ben Flower seem to be on the lookout for new clubs. You'd think Flower with the Wales connection would be more likely but who would you rather have? Flowers a good call, but Amor would be better but can see Saints retaining him. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2020 8:11:58 GMT
For me we need to replace him ASAP.
There are 2 options at London, Olsi Krasniqi we all know from his time here, not a world beater but solid and would do the required job when called upon.
Or I'd look at Sadiq Adebiyi, when I saw him a couple of times last season he looked solid enough, ran the ball in strongly and I'm sure will progress the older he gets.
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