Look at our second set of the game.

It's not all about running from dummy half. A quality performance from a hooker would involve passes which maximise the impact for the forwards and direct the side. He was just picking it up and lazily dumping it on to the next forward. Unimaginative and going through the motions.

1 - Tomkins 4/10
2 - Goulding 2/10.
3 - Cudjoe 3/10.
4 - Atkins 1/10.
5 - Briscoe 3/10.
6 - O'Loughlin 6/10.
7 - Robinson 8/10.
8 - Graham 7/10.
9 - Roby 6/10.
10 - Burgess 5/10.
11 - Tomkins 5/10.
12 - Ellis 5/10.
13 - Westwood 9/10.

14 - Lunt 7/10.
15 - Crabtree 6/10.
16 - Fielden 5/10.
17 - Harrison 5/10

Did you miss his pass for our first try? If that was KC youd be ejaculating all over the forums. As for his passing, its the forwards job to get in the position. If he only has one runner to aim for, which is all he ever had, wtf is he supposed to do?

Exactly. The inability to distinguish between cause and symptom amongst pundits astonishes me at times.


Were you making a cup of tea when he put Burgess in then? One error aside, Roby was excellent in the first half. Titanic defence, and in direct contrast to your appraisal, was bringing the forwards on to the ball very effectively. He was our best, along with Westwood.

How can people give Cudjoe a better rating than any player when he was at fault for more tries than anyone?

1.Sam Tomkins. 4 (poor showing from boy wonder)
2 Goulding. 5 ( solid, nothing more)
3 Cudjoe. 5 ( shot out of the line for Aus 1st try)
4 Atkins 3 ( looked out of his depth again)
5 Briscoe 4 ( gifted aus a try with a poor take)
6 O'Loughlin 4 ( offered nothing in attack, was solid in defence)
7 Robinson 6 ( well taken try, did ok)
8 Burgess 6 ( another try v the aussies, couple of unforced errors)
9 Roby 6 ( needs to run more from dummy half for me, solid tho)
10 Graham 7 ( Same old Graham, never has a bad game)
11 Ellis 6 ( solid as per usual)
12 J Tomkins 3 ( was he playing? )
13 Westwood 7 ( Tackled everything that moved, still gives silly penalties away tho)

14 Fielden 6 ( went well, made good yards when he came on)
15 Crabtree 6 ( didn't make much impact)
16 Harrison 6 ( not much game time )
17 Lunt 6 ( looked bright when he came on)

merge with saddends thread

This is saddened we are talking about.

Sorry, but how on earth can you give Roby 6 and then Fielden 7 - Roby was superb in a losing side

I think he needs to run more from dummy half, meant to put 6 for Fielden, my mistake.

Our style of game doesn't change at all and we play the same old predictable stuff. Try to get over the advantage line with 3 or 4 one man drives, try to achieve a decent kick and apply preassure to force a mistake. Where as the Aussies, as do the kiwis just concerntrate on there own games and throw the ball about.

The aussies proved today that even if its Raining you can still play some good Rugby. Ok decisions went against us but the ease they was gaining metres on the fringes was frightening. When they make a break every player knows were to be and what lines to run were as we just throw the ball about and hope it ends up to somebody fast in space.

We just respect them too much, hence why we went for goal at 6-6.

Didn't realise Fielden was playing until about the 68th minute.

Cudjoe was horrific, as bad as Atkins if not worse.

I agree. Cased on the last 2 games Fielden probably wont get selected again after this 4 nations, he had his chance again this year and hasnt really took it.

Cudjoe and Atkins were just awful, Atkins for the 2nd game in a row. They just dont have the defensive game, awareness or ball handling skills to be centres.

You sound like Saddened and Stevo, ergo, someone who doesnt have a clue about hooker play and thinks the best hookers are those that make the most runs from dummy half.

Question for you, what is the point of a 12 stone player, running from dummy half at a set defensive line, when its better to give it to a forward who is hitting the gain line at speed? Answers on a post card to Stevo and Saddened.