Quote: keighley1 "Shontayne Hape had had two knee reconstructions, Vainikolo and Farrell had both had serious knee injuries. Farrell spent months out of the game due to recurring injuries and a road accident but he was crocked when he went to Union. It was good business by RL not to offer them major money to stay, None of them was up to continuing their RL careers. It is a testament to lesser fitness and speed required for top class Union that they were all able to get into th England team, Farrell as a back for Petes sake. OK they were less than 30 but they were finished in RL.'"
Consider the last season of the three players aboveIf Owen Farrell is the future of English RU success then good luck.He is not fit to lace the boots of such great RU stand offs as David Watkins, Phil Bennett, Jonathan Davies, Chris Carter, Carlos Rogers or even Sharp.
He is from the long line of nonetities who have graced British RU with their kick first, run never approach like O Gara Jones,Wilkinson and the very forgettable Scottish excuses for stand offs.
He dosn t make a break or a mesmerising side step to set his threequarters in motion with mental strength. He needs physical ability to do that and all he can do is kick. He is run averse. His first instinct is to heave the ball downfield. His astute passing, which you praise but I have never seen, is practically useless if he never shapes to run and the defence can just key on those to whom he passes.
Don t give me that age and experience guff either. Alex Murphy and Roger Mollward were playing against and beating the Aussies when they were teenagers. Farrell is playing the kind of earth shattering stand off brilliance expected of a 35 year old just selected to manage things because there is no one better.
You might be right in saying Farrell might make a loose forward.Thats what Sinfield does for leeds. He might be listed as stand off but he plays as a link forward. The person playing the traditional stand off role at Leeds is Mcguire, you know, devastating place, making breaks, setting up chances for his outside backs on the end of the breaks, you know, things Farrell cannot do. '"