Quote: Rogues Gallery "It isn't though is it?
What about tackles made, marker tackles, carries etc etc,.
Fans tend to see the spectacular, rather than the workmanlike.
Brian McTigue was one of the best prop forwards I ever saw, but he never ran 100 metres in a game ever.'"
It is not just about metres made, it is more how and where those metres are made and where on the pitch. What is the point of someone like Marshall running the ball back 30 metres say from a kick then the next sets we only gain 10 metres from the forwards, the 30 m gain is of little consequence.
What we need are forwards who can gain metres when it matters and get a quicker play the ball and so quicker distribution from dummy half (areas we really, really struggle in) so the half-backs have some space to work in and can use our backs in a better way other than just as battering rams - we might as well play second rows as centres for all the good they do as anything else.
I do not think it is any co-incidence that when we play Saints, Leeds, Catalan or Warrington that our pack become totally ineffective especially if the ground is a bit heavy. We are so reliant on Field, French and Marshall to get us wins that it is painful.
I get the point about someone like McTigue (and Potter, Case and many others) but someone like that and the ones mentioned where streets ahead of anyone we have now.
