3 Games without Sir Kev last season:

Vs Wigan - 5 Tries - 3 Sutcliffe conversions

Vs Catalan - 7 Tries - 5 Sutcliffe conversions

Vs Cas - 5 Tries - 3 Sutcliffe conversions


Point being - Sutcliffe is the 1st choice kicker and his stats are not that bad given age and time in the role.

It's entirely possible Zak was kicker elect last night because he outperforms Lilley at the task under practice conditions. Unless someone on here's privy to the club's training and knows different?

Not privy to training, but find it hard to believe with Zak's kicking technique that he could outperform Lilley in a competition.

My thoughts FWIW on Zak's goalkicking is that he's trying to kick it too hard, going for power not accuracy.
I thought last night that we should have gone for touch not for goal.
But the Wolves goal line defence had been so strong all night (that's what won them the game) that the likelihood is we'd have come up short anyway.
We didn't go for goal in the first half when there were a couple of easier chances.

Possible but most unlikely. Zak is not a natural kicker (or passer) Most successful goal kickers have a set routine before taking the kick designed to give them full concentration on the line to the target and a clean contact with the ball. Like good golfers who have a natural swing and keep their head and eyes over the ball they develop a good technique often holding their hands in a way that gets them mentally in the zone. Whereas Hardaker appears just to give it a wack.

Pretty much sums up my take on it. Although the easier chances were spurned while we were throwing a considerable amount at Warrington's tacklers. It wasn't unreasonable at that point to suppose that they'd cave in eventually. Many teams would have.

Unlikely but not impossible. Just seemed to be a lot of folk making the point that Lilley should have been kicking without examining possible reasons as to why he wasn't. I assume there are some.

Sutcliffe's priority is binding back into the team and playing rugby after being out. you can see why kicking duties haven't appeared on his 'to do list' yet this season.

He clearly is - hence he's prone to hooking them left.

Interestingly, when you watch him kick off, his style is so much different to taking a conversion because he kicks through the ball, not at it. He also stands the ball up on the tee differently. I guess there's no pressure when kicking off so his mind set is going to be a little different - and wow, can he wallop it.

As has been mentioned already on here, he's got potential, but it's going to take time and lots and lots and LOTS of practice before he gets it right. Nobody knows his attitude towards these things but I don't know if he's ever going to be dedicated enough to become a master at it (as we know Sinfield was with his kicking).

Point taken but as I'm sure you wouldn't want to mis-lead anyone his Wigan figure above was 2 conversions from 5 attempts - while also landing a 2nd half penalty so 3 from 6 on the night.

Hardaker for Leeds was 1 from 1 in 2012, 15 from 25 (60%) in 2013, 14 from 24 (58%) in 2014 and 9 from 13 (69%) in 2015. Sutcliffe 8 from 14 (57%) in 2014 (including the match winner V Les Catalans from a similar position - albeit opposite end) and 25 from 41 (61%) last year.

Neither option has shown the required consistency to bring confidence thus far, IMO.

Sutcliffe's sequence last season being a case in pointYXYXYXYYXYYXYYXYYYYXYYYXYXYXXYXYYXYXYYX

Didn't often miss two in a row but the problem was he didn't often kick two in a row either which may be alright for a deputy but is way short of a 1st choice ratio.

For the Wolves goal-kicking has been an issue Gidley may well be the answer.

I just wonder if Zak had kicked the last penalty would he be getting this much stick on here and on various social media platforms?!

Anyone would think Kev didn't miss kicks during games.

We all knew once Kev decided to leave/retire etc this would be the issue for what ever reason the club didn't feel the need to go out and buy a specialised goal kicker and they've stuck and backed one of our own.

The last thing Zak needs is everyone getting on his back after RD1!

Practice...Practice...Practice...that's what's needed.
If it doesn't work out it doesn't work out but the way some people are carrying on you'd think Zak had missed the kick to win the GF.
Give him a break, eh lads?!

People aren't getting on his back just suggesting ways that may help him to improve.
We all want him to do well.