Like Big Les at the same club? Ah Van actually looks like he will be very good for us. Decent kicker (80% success rate) and puts 100% effort in in every game. Runs the ball hard and looks for work. I won't comment on Herbert but IMO your assessment of Ah Van is wrong.

Now in the same context i could say you called jimmy lowes A journeyman with your reply? you see I know you didn't mean that. Like i didnt mean what your a trying to push for. Like we both know you are trying to push this bit of banter away from the point I'm making, poorly worded by me I admit. I've said already on this forum about disco in the mcshane thread and mentioned about the bulls signing unwanted players. That's what I ment. You know it I know it but continue with the point by point reference BS if it makes you feel better! I make a fair point if you like it or not.

I agree. I think Ah Van has been a modest success this year. High kicking ratio (despite that face that a lot of his kicks only just creep over....but they do!), plenty of effort and 'go forward'. Ok, hardly a world beater or with pace to burn, but he's a good solid acquisition.

In a better team, or team that's on top, he would look a lot better. I remember thinking that he really looked good coming in to acting half in the Cas game. Our pack got on top of the Cas pack, and Ah Van made some punishing runs out of defence.

It might well be wrong that's fair comment. We will just have to see. He was a punt for sure. Obviously I've not seen him as much as you lot he seems a bit hot and cold to me. But it must be tough to look good when things arnt going right on the park.

Gotta say, I think I've been watching a different player to that assessment.

Not saying he won't come good (who knows at the end of the day, and Big Les is no doubt a great example of sticking with someone), but I haven't noticed this 100% effort bit.

I think the guy was massively unfit when he arrived (in comparison to SL players that is not you and me!), can see he's lost abit of weight and the extra effort has come from that. I agree initially he wasn't putting it in all game but its improved game on game.

Ah Van was signed as a utility back but seems better suited to the wing. He's ok but if he didn't kick goals and we had Ainscough and Raynor fit he'd have a job getting in the side.

Er . . . no!

Of [icourse[/i it's banter! You fouled up and I'm milking it! "Poorly"? "Wrongly" worded is the phrase you need. That's what it is, when you say the direct opposite to what you later say you meant.




Floor around your pram's getting full!

Anyhoo. Now you're on to "unwanted" players. Every year, every team signs a number of players. By definition, none were wanted, or wanted sufficiently, by their former clubs. Otherwise they would have re-signed for them. This does not mean they are crap, past it, whatever, just that there is a reason why their former club let them go. Might be team structure, new coach, bigger offers that club can't match, new challenge needed, financial pressures, lots of things. But it is simplistic and foolish to label all players we sign as "unwanted".

I mean, on that view, you could equally say that Keith Senior, Kylie Leuluai, Scott Donald, Matt Diskin, Danny Buderus, Ali Lauitiiti and Ryan Bailey were "unwanted" by any other club, seeing as they re-signed for Leeds.

I like Ah Van, he definitely isn't one that I can accuse of not putting it all in, and he often comes in as an extra battering ram taking the ball up.

Having said that, he is too slow to operate as a proper winger, and despite his success rate I am not at all convinced by his kicking; seems to me he doesn't get enough from out wide, and he doesn't get enough pressure kicks when we really need them. Cf people like Sinfield and Richards, and Deacon when we had him, where you just expect the ball to sail over, even when it doesn't.

Will be good for the future, but atm I'd prefer to see an older squad getting some wins! Obviously that's hard to do when half of your first choice team are sat on the sidelines, but I really can't wait to get Langers, Scrutes, Diskin & Kearney back.

When they do get back, we will have Lynch, Hargreaves, L'Estrange & Herbert injured too.