Toronto are bad. How could they spend their entire cap and have so few players?
Overpaying 2nd tier journeymen but not having the sense to make them short term contracts and keeping them in Super League.
Bingo
They paid Super League salaries to a large number of players who were at best fringe first graders, to get promoted quickly. Now they're stuck with them.
To be fair, I like what they're doing in defence and how they work as a team. They're putting in the effort. But, SBW aside who was absent today and will take time to have a serious impact, they have no stars in attack. There's no one to focus an attacking strategy around. No one that makes the defense second guess themselves or push extra numbers towards him. They really need SBW to get in and step up.
They've played some of the better teams in the League now so will rate their chances at knocking off some of the bottom ones. But the risk is, if the injuries and demoralisation start building up, they won't even be in a position to win those games.
By my count, they have 6 mediocre halves - McCrone, O'Brien, Mellor, Wallace, Cunningham, Wilkin - and zero good fullbacks. What do you do with this mob?
I'd be tempted to try starting with Cunningham at halfback, I liked what he was about at London, and Wallace outside him. O'Brien at fullback and Mellor or Wilkin off the bench. There's still Chase Stanley to come in which gives the backs some extra zip. Maybe Miloudi could shift to fullback?
There are options but none are outstanding really.
Todays game..
Sorry I can't cop McCrone. The bloke chooses the wrong option without fail, every time. His dud chip straight into French was a game turner. Miloudi was again one of Toronto's better attacking options and worst liabilities with another yellow card. The forwards and wingers competed well with their opposites but in the end the spine is not good enough to convert opportunities into points. Hastings and French switch sides and Toronto win.
On Wigan - another unimpressive win really. They're doing just enough but not convincingly. I like what Harry Smith and Jackson Hastings brought to the table today, and Bevan French proved the difference in attack again. I'm still not sure it's their best setup, with Hardaker fairly quiet out in the centres. Bullock and Smithies were good off the bench but their starting front row is pretty bog average.
Hard to get a read on them really. There's potential here but im not sure it will be reached. Could finish 1st or could miss the playoffs entirely.
3 French
2 Hastings
1 Bullock
