Quote: Roy Haggerty "That's the key point, in my view. By the time Whitehead gets a run out, it's as sub half-way through a vital game when he hasn't played for over a month. And while Hardaker may be a daft lad, I've not seen any suggestion that he's been unprofessional on this tour. I think his exclusion is the biggest criticism of McNamara's judgement in my view. From an opposing fan's view, Hardaker was the single player at another club who caused the greatest rise in blood pressure when he got the ball. In the second half today when the defensive lines were getting straggly, Hardaker's running would have been devastating. Tomkins just didn't offer the same threat from fullback, and only someone who was defaulting to a "NRL over SL" position couldn't see that. If Tomkins had to be included for his undoubted talent, then the place to include him was either off the bench, or in the halves to inject some unpredictability into our rather pedestrian attack.
By the way, I was not one of those who criticised Sarginson's inclusion
I do prefer the NRL, but, I would have still preferred Hardaker for the same reasons you explain so very well. Tomkins is class, he is not a classy full back, although I would give him credit for his high ball taking today, something I am always usually very critical of from him.
His form in the NRL has been : superb at link play; moderate to poor under kicks and absolutely useless at returning from deep, with the ball in hand.
I believe that Sam would be best up and around where the engine room is, For me his best strengths are, quickness off the mark and an unpredictable nature to perform the unexpected.
Sarginson did what good players are always capable of, when presented with an opportunity which he did so very well. Barring injury he has cemented a rep place for England for some time to come.
Watkins I thought played his best game of the three today and surprisingly did some genuinely good defending too, but yes he has not at all, done what he gets away with at Leeds.
Against top opposition by no means, he does need to raise his game at this level.
I believe he gets it too easy to perform with Leeds and the fact that he has to do a lot more, Versus this class, possibly he needs to amend his game, unless, worse still, he just isn't capable of doing so.
As some one says, we defended better than we have in the recent past. But surely, if the coach is down under working he would naturally see what is required form that League in a defensive capacity?
The reason I prefer the NRL is that there is as much emphasis put onto defending as there is on attacking.
Closer games mostly resulting from that, whereas in the S/L scoring is the be all and end all, with a lot of sides seeming content for the other side to score with the thought that they will then try to score more!
Up against S/Hemi sides that attitude will always fail.
