Nice swerve, but no, you insulted Diskin by calling him a journeyman, in fact he was the first name you listed of journeymen we have signed.


You did, you've just completely reversed what you said. Diskin was a journeyman, now he's a legend etc.


I won't say anything about you, I don't know you. I comment on what you put.

But your 17 fit players are still miles better than ours and include the likes of Roby, Graham, Wilkin, Shenton, Foster etc.

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.

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.

It really wouldn't surprise me this season tbh.

We must have done something really bad to pi$$ off McNamara's 'football gods' this season.

I think the problem with him is that he seems to be very chilled and just go about his business which at times makes him look lazy but he is has by far been our best player at getting us out of our own 10. His kick returns always seem enthusiastic too. He's not the fastest guy but at his age I think he only has improvement in him. It's not like he is a 30 year old doing the same (eg Raynor)

EDIT: that was not a dig at raynor because I do quite like raynor....has some pace at least. Think we just dont use him enough...but we all know that anyway. Id like to see a stat of how often we actually play the ball out to the wingmen if such a stat exists. The only time they seem to get the ball is when they take it from dummy half.