Quote: Phuzzy "It wasn't his main strength but that doesn't mean he didn't have a running game Jon! That's exactly the point of this discussion. One doesn't preclude the other. It's quite possible to have both. The credibility comment is because you claimed that Thurston didn't have a running game and was merely an organiser. Check out some of his tries. They're world class! You can't say "yes but they don't count because his organizational skills were even better". I'm sorry if you took offense at that comment (it wasn't my intention to offend) but do you think that to say a man with his try scoring record didn't have a running game is a credible viewpoint? He scored over a hundred career tries at just short of 1 every 3 games in the best comp in the world! He did it at every level, including SOO and international level.
With regards to playing split halves, you still have to have running threat there to be world class otherwise it's too easy to defend.
Thurston had a similar try scoring record to Andrew Johns who you readily admit "had it all". How do you think he did that if he was just an organiser? I'm genuinely curious as to how you square that circle.'"
….but we are talking about his strengths. Like I said he even admits himself he wasn’t a great runner of the ball and it was his ability to pick passes that made his career.
It’s the reason he floated around clubs and didn’t get picked up initially due to his lack of athleticism, that’s from the man himself.
When I think of Thurston I certainly don’t remember him as a strike half back.
It’s all about levels I agree though and again my comment was based on the best way to replace Field for the next 8 weeks.
I don’t think Farrimond and Smith is the right call. Rocky is clearly struggling so I think we need to look at other options.
We have gone from commenting on the ability of an 18 year old to making comparisons with Johns, Thurston etc.
Smith and Farrimond at the moment for me doesn’t work, or certainly we lose significant strike threat moving French to 1 if we replace him with Farrimond.