Quote: antoine "GH get it sorted before it's too late
Too many out of form and simply not good enough
Webb & Donald living off past glories and defensively have lost it
Diskin (looks disinterested)
Gibson,Worrall, Bailey, Ablett & Kirke - offer us very little
We've lost Toopi,Scruton,Ellis & Tansey (3 of whom are better than we have now) and replaced them with a decent hooker
With Peacock,Hall & McGuire out for Sunday I again fear the worst'"
I've not yet read any replies here yet but guess tvoc (and others) has (have) again responded more than adequately.
It's rather unfair to blame Webb (who I would suggest is still one of our greatest threats on attack - eg he has quickly learned it's very beneficial to support Buderus up the middle)..and Donald (who it must be obvious to anyone is badly missing being on the left with his old benefactor, who along with Ali, gives him the space he needs to exploit his greatest assets - speed and elusiveness. Webb too seems much better at getting out long cut out passes to his left).
Hall has grown so much in confidence.. and seemingly worked hard on improving his pace, magically epitomised by his try in Edingburgh...why not switch the wingers ?. And in his absence this Sunday please do not play BJB there out of position....or, God forbid, Ablett back in the centre. Threequarters should be [iWatkins, Smith[/i (he needs to be played there consistently as our best option at the moment...no more switching with Gibson and/or Ablett in a 'French farce' scenario), [iSenior, Donald[/i.
Unfortunatley, I have to agree with the comments on Diskin, Gibson, Bailey, Ablett and Kirke - to varying degress. I am particularly disappointed with Ablett who I thought would really kick on with his opportunties in the pack....I have never seen the advantages of having the belligerent, but ineffective-when-going-forward Bailey in the squad and Diskin has obviously taken the hump with having Buderus competing for his beloved hooking role.
Gibson is understandably lacking in confidence and must know he is only there to make up the numbers when all other options fail.
The greatest losses are without doubt Ellis and Scruton. The loss of Toopi for most of last season wasn't really an issue with the better squad we then had...and Tansey was largely a jack of all trades, master of none. Full back was his best position but with Webb, Smith and BJB available he won't be missed.
The pack must be a priority for strengthening..the expectation and responsibilty on Peacock's shoulders is immense. Sadly the great need for a right centre is gradulally becoming superseded ([isp is correct ![/i) by the failings in the engine room. The spirit is generally good, but the tactics, gameplan and discipline continue to concern. We are far too reliant on individual flashes of o[iff the cuff[/i brilliance on attack.
After all this we will probably beat Huddersfield on Sunday and continue to bumble along until disaster hits us at the end of the season with a plethora of serious injuries to and burn out of our key game winners. Burrow already seems to be a shadow of his former self: have too many knocks taken their toll ? Why can't he wear his scrum cap again ?