Membership renewals - I hate Thorman Club

[The Colonel]

Oh yeah, the FG. You get the ball 40m out, 60 sec on the clock, on the last tackle. What's the option? FG attempt? Or your kick for touch, scrum with Storm feed, and give the likes of Orford, Hill and Slater another go? Which is what happened virtually anyway?

To think like that, you must have been giving Parra advice the LAST time we got a golden point game, and kicked off?????

Boneheads!!!!!

It was a good try however I thought it called for percentage football especially as it was Slater fielding the kick on the full with little or no Parramatta players chasing. As Slater was so deep maybe a chip kick may have been a better option? Hindsight I know but he has burnt many teams this year on the kick return.

I did think he struggled at times and played well in patches. I still think Witt is the better option but could see Thorman as a more than effective player to spell Riddell.

 

[William Hung]

Geez you people are overrating a terrible performance- made to look more impressive by Witt's continual failure in the top grade.

Thorman is terrible. He does not look like creating opportunities- his kicking game- esp attacking kicks is disgraceful.....he cannot read the defence well at all- and his own defence leaves a lot to be desired. He simply does not have what it takes at 23/24 to be successful in the NRL.

Having said that he does take the line on alot more than Witt- which is something young Michael should look to do. Witt seems to be in 10 minds whenever he gets the ball and generally takes a bad option cause he's spent too long thinking about it. Thorman seems to have his mindset but the play is either executed poorly or for himself. IMHO he's a very selfish player.

Face it- Witt and Thorman are both crap-we have Witt for another 3 yrs to develop his game- why bother wasting more money on Thorman.

Bring on Riddell- at least he has some vision.

 

[Misty Bee]

Yeah, but Ridell will naver be a halfback!

William, do you wonder why, with 2 ex halfbacks coaching them, Parra can't fire at halfback? IN Smith's history, we have had a string of potential halves ranging from average (Kusto) to young (Witt) to experienced (McFadden) to manufactured (Penna) to very good (Taylor) to brilliant (Simon). All have falied in the long term under Smith!

Thorman has good skills, and is very dangerous close to the line. What I have never seen in a Smith coachd halfback is confidence.

I agree that the halves are where we were outclassed. Same for the Saints game, the Cowpats games, and the Raiders game. There's 8 points there if we had confident, competent halves.

If you are saying that the halves is where our season died, I'd agree. However, rather than blame Witt/Thorman/Dykes, I'll blame Smith/Taylor, who should have brought the best out in them.

 

[oldmancraigy]

I gotta be honest - after the first couple of games that Thorman played I might've signed up for membership in the "I hate Thorman club"

But he has definitely improved as he's adjusted to the speed of the game.

I thought he was great on Saturady night - he led the team around and I thought he marshalled our defence magnificently. That was the best defensive effort of the year so far - they scored a couple of freak (and questionable) tries - I liked the way we were led around.

Like to see Thorman stay at 7 for the rest of the year - there he can push us around and direct us, and he even looks like putting someone into a hole every now and then (unlike earlier...) - very happy with his game.

 

[William Hung]

Yeah, but Ridell will naver be a halfback!

William, do you wonder why, with 2 ex halfbacks coaching them, Parra can't fire at halfback? IN Smith's history, we have had a string of potential halves ranging from average (Kusto) to young (Witt) to experienced (McFadden) to manufactured (Penna) to very good (Taylor) to brilliant (Simon). All have falied in the long term under Smith!

Thorman has good skills, and is very dangerous close to the line. What I have never seen in a Smith coachd halfback is confidence.

I agree that the halves are where we were outclassed. Same for the Saints game, the Cowpats games, and the Raiders game. There's 8 points there if we had confident, competent halves.

If you are saying that the halves is where our season died, I'd agree. However, rather than blame Witt/Thorman/Dykes, I'll blame Smith/Taylor, who should have brought the best out in them.

I think Smith has long felt that you don't need a ball playing half back to be successful. Smith coached teams used to attack the short sides alot with skillfull ball players on each side of the ruck and the half back acting as a link man.

Witt's defence is pretty solid for a half back. If he can work on his kicking game and getting quick clean ball to both sides of the field he'll do in 2005.

I think our attacking ball players in 2005 will be a combination of Morris, Riddell, Wagon and Morrison with Witt being a link man.

I really think Riddell is going to be hugely important to how we go next year.

 

[Eelementary]

I'm not his greatest fan, but I do think he is talented.

As evidenced by Moi Moi's try; the near-try to Widders (who was held back without the ball).

He is very selfish though.

And I wasn't impressed to see Witt dropped for him.

 

[Eelementary]

Thorman needs to work on his kicking game.

You want to know the reason why we lost? Because two inept players became lazy and missed a simple tackle on Orford. He races 40 metres up the field and from the next tackle he scores.

Who missed the tackle? I belive it was Hindy and Widders.

Hindy was definitely involved in that half-arsed effort (they just swung their arm; Orford is knee high to a marshmallow, and they just swung their arsm at him). If anyone cost us, it was him.

But is anyone going to come out and say how he gave away DUMB penalties and missed that crucial tackle?

Nope. 'Cos Hindy is sacred.

Thorman wasn't brilliant (his kicking game was woeful) but he wasn't the reason we lost. Course, his poor last tackle options didn't help.

 

[Freak]

Im not a Thorman fan by any stretch, but I actually think his long kicking game is great. He generally finds the grass and his depth is pretty good.

In saying that when was the last 40-20 the Eels kicked??? :roll:

His short kicking game though is well IMO sub standard. That kick at the end of the first half had to go to the air!!!

 

[Parraren]

Im not a Thorman fan by any stretch, but I actually think his long kicking game is great. He generally finds the grass and his depth is pretty good.

In saying that when was the last 40-20 the Eels kicked??? :roll:

His short kicking game though is well IMO sub standard. That kick at the end of the first half had to go to the air!!!

Thorman actually kicked a great 40/20 in the game we played against Melbourne earlier this year but it was missed by the touchie :lol: Other than that I don't think we've come close to one.

Thorman actually has a very good kicking action because of his soccer background. If you have a close look at the way he strikes the ball with his foot it's a very clean kicking style and he even uses the inside of his foot like a soccer player does to pass the ball. I know we definitely haven't seen the best of his kicking game yet because the few games that I saw him play last year for the London Broncos his short kicking game was very impressive. I think it's a confidence and timing thing. I think we saw against Melbourne the first few signs that he is finally adjusting to the speed of the NRL but he still needs more work. I think the potential is certainly there though.

 

[Eelectrica]

I just wish Smith would quit with the HB by committee approach. No player is going to get a chance to shine while Smith continues to chop and change.

 

[fish eel]

I just wish Smith would quit with the HB by committee approach. No player is going to get a chance to shine while Smith continues to chop and change.

I dont mind the fact witt got shunted for thorman on the weekend.

we might as well throw the guy in and see what he can do, given there aint much on the line other than pride.

 

[Redback71]

all i have to say is

:blahb: :blahb: :blahb: