Quote: Billinge_Lump "Gaskell's distribution is better than Lomax's. I've not seen Gaskell throw the number of intercepted passes Lomax does (one game last year he threw 4 iirc) and last weekends game continued that poor passing game with easy passes being thrown badly and behind the player on a number of occasions. This is added to his running game being less and less of a threat. Lomax was hindered in a lot of respects last year being partnered with Hohaia, but it also diverted attention away from his own drop in form.
Personally, I think a move away from 7 would do him good like it did Tomkins. Play Hohaia at 7 with Gaskell at 6 for now as we aren't going to be signing anyone. I do think the skill sets of Lomax and Gaskell compliment each other, but their combined lack of experience is an issue at the moment.'"
I think whats needed for the Lomax/Gaskell parnership is to get a run 4 to 6 winning games where they are playing on the front foot to gain confidence and develop there control of the team.
The moment the team is under pressure, the lack of half back skill set comes to the fore. Lomax with loose passes and Gaskell drifts out of the game.
Last year with Lomax/Hohaia/Gaskell we had too many games where they were playing like "rabbits caught in headlights" with the failed plan of Wellens and Wilkin attacking the line as an alternative.
Its OK saying our forwards should lay the platform for the half backs, but it works the other way as well. This is what a lot of our half backs in the past did by doing something skillfully inspirational to change the game for our forwards.
My biggest concern is whose bossing the team and showing something inspirational, whose linking the forwards with the backs. A lot of this is got to be the half backs with also the skills to create time and space for others.
Like I,ve said before our half backs are too flat and most of the time engage in a lot of lateral play. A ball playing loose forward like Sculthorpe would help but these are rare now, relying on a prop size unit instead.
Its a pity we can't get Sean Long on board as some form of attacking assistant coach just to accelerate our half backs skillset learning curve, otherwise we have the scenario of a painfully slow process of two inexperienced half learning there trade by there mistakes at cost.
I would also agree it might be better when conditions suit to let Lomax play elsewhere at Full Back for instance, to allow him to develop some attacking skills from deep with more time and space, then bring him back into the halves, or maybe if he is more effective to the team as a whole at full back then leave him there.
Question.......did Swift start life as a potential half back (no 6) I,m not sure.
