Your new buys

[simon says]

I agree about Fitzhenry.I dont rate him as a 6 either,Ive had blues on the official site till I was blue in the face....and plenty agree with me.But he is held in high regard by Sheens and he picks the team so..........Id have Benji or Reynolds there.

Prince .

Theres the quote,see I bet you wouldnt have said that If you knew I said it first,lol.

I still think you are dreaming if you think the Parra buys are better players than ours......but you have shown you have extreme Parra goggles so I wont take it too seriously.

Cheers.

 

[eels1986]

In your post Simon u said u don't want him the 17 does that mean u don't rate him as a footballer or just a 5/8

 

[Hurriflatch]

Just on Fitzgeralds comments on Vella/Cayless playing 2nd row while it may prove to be true when was the last itme Fitzgerald picked a team??

 

[simon says]

In your post Simon u said u don't want him the 17 does that mean u don't rate him as a footballer or just a 5/8

I dont rate him.Ive noticed that he wont commit in defense,and take the line on in attack.He had a promising 2002 at FB at centre,but this year his heart didnt look in it.

At 6 he did a lot of running around in circles and not passing it to our men out wide.I do admit that when he has some space he is very steppy,and he does have a good short kicking game,but I hate guys that wont put their body on the line.Especially in defense and thats why I dont rate him.

My spies have told me that he has bulked up quite dramatically,and that he is 1st in line for another go at 6....this has a lot of WT fans very worried.Me included.

I have a qusestion for you guys,how much influence do you think Fitzgerald has on the team???He is Smiths empolyer,does he run the show or Smithy????

 

[Hurriflatch]

Well if you ask Hadley then Smith is god at Parra but there are personal issues between Hadley/Smith.

Picking the team Smith should be the main person in charge of picking the teams signing players etc

 

[eels1986]

Fitzgerald has said in an interview that Smith runs the football side of things. I don't think Smithy would be still at the eels without that sort of power. In my opinion the coash should all the say and if he succeeds then he keeps the job and if he fails then lets look at another coach. Fitzgerald runs the admin side of things and knows his should keep out of the footy side of things. Maybe Fitzhenry had a 2nd year syndrome Simon. I still think he is better suited to centre but seeing Wilson was the tigers highest try scorer last season and Halatua is an exciting prospect the Tigers look good in the centres.

 

[simon says]

The mail is that Wilson is not even being cosidered for a centre spot,and will be used as a utilty.This has a lot of us worried cos we have liked what Wilson has done in the centre position,and were of the view that him and the Halatau could become one of the best combos in the comp.

Names mentioned for the spot are Elford,Buettner,Fitzy,Halatau,but not Wilson.Funny that you score 16 tries and dont make it into the starting team.

I guess only time will tell if this prediction becomes true.

 

[Hurriflatch]

just because Wilson doesn't get into the top 13 doesn't mena he isn't highly valued. Some players are simply better of the bench look at Dunley last year for Parra or PJ MArsh in 2001.

I'm sure there are plenty of other examples both at Parra and other clubs.

 

[simon says]

I disagree,not getting picked for the first 13 is a big deal.You ask any player and they want to be there form the start.

Not getting there means you arent rated as highly as the other 13 guys who start the game and are in front of you.

And he was our best last year....surely your best player deserves to start in the first 13???????

 

[Hurriflatch]

I've seen a few quotes in the paper can't remember excatly the names of players saying they like starting on the bench now they could just be saying this to not annoy the coach in a bid to try and get selected in the top 13 but their have definatly been a few players saying they want to start from the bench.

 

[eels1986]

If a players scores 16 tries he deserves to be in the side. He was in the wilderness for a while but had a great season last year and should be rewarded. Is he not being considered because of his lack of speed Simon? By the way Hurriflatch those players you mentioned were backup hookers and I'm sure both PJ and Dunley would have locked to have number 9 on their back not 14. I think Wilson will be pretty peeved if he doesn't start. One thing comes to mind Simon, does Wislon prefer the forwards over centre and maybe he has asked to be considered as a forward?

 

[Jake the snake]

I have followed Wisons career since he left parra and the kid is class. He is a great hole runner and he skill as well but he lacks abit in the pace department so I believe his best posy would be at lock.

 

[simon says]

I am a big Wilson fan.He is surprisingly fast,a great hole runner and a top shelf defender.The reason I think he is not being considered,is that Sheens wants specialist backs to play in specialist positions....Im assuming that since Wilson was thrown in there as a stop gap,that he is therefore not a specialist back and therefore not being considered.

I think its fairly simple that everyone wants to start the game,they may say they dont mind,but thats about it.Id be surprised if anyone really wanted to.I hated coming on as a reserve when I played,I dont think too much has changed in that dept.....

He wont be starting at lock,not with Galea,Sattler,Graham there,If he isnt centre,I can only see him as a benchie that can cover several positions.....If I was Wilson,after scoring 16 tries and dramatically changing our side for the better, in attack and defense,and I wasnt first picked I wouldnt be happy,and thats the mail I have.He scored his 16 tries in about as many games as he missed the first few or so games(Im going from memory here)and wasnt moved to centre later where he starred.Until he went there we were averaging one try a game for about 5 weeks.

 

[Jic Jarrett]

One thing I'll say that WT has covered for this coming season is goalkicking. Luke Covell was a sensation last year in this department and with Hodgo on the scene, this could potentially be worth an extra 8 - 10 points a game for 'em.

 

[simon says]

One thing I'll say that WT has covered for this coming season is goalkicking. Luke Covell was a sensation last year in this department and with Hodgo on the scene, this could potentially be worth an extra 8 - 10 points a game for 'em.

Well spotted mate.

Covell strikes the ball better than any other kickers I have seen.He was on about 80 plus percent this year,which was down about ten percent on what he kicked in PL the year before,which was over 90 percent.


He hit the post about ten times this year,and he nearly knocked the post down.Once he gets his act together,and hits em at 90 odd again he will be a sensation.

A good kicker is worth his weight,the Warriors could have won the comp if they had one,and have bought Martin to rectify this.And while Im waxing about kickers,I dont think there has ever been a greeater group of kickers than we have now.El Masri,Schifcosfki,Covell,Devere,Johns,Fitzgibbon,Hannay are all 80%ish.I remember not too long ago blokes used to toe bash it and be luckt to get 3 out of 6.Today,you get guys kicking 20-30 in a row.Unbelievable.

 

[Freak]

A greater enthasis is obvious when it comes to good kicking practices in todays game, but to the old guys defence kicking these days is a lot easier than kicking was in previous years. The quality of the balls they use are a big factor, not to mention the use of the kicking tee.

Comparisons would simply not be fair.

 

[The Colonel]

I remember not too long ago blokes used to toe bash it and be lucky to get 3 out of 6.Today,you get guys kicking 20-30 in a row.Unbelievable.

It is unbelievable however have you ever tried to kick one of the leather balls the greats like Cronin and Eadie used to use? If they had the syntheic balls they do now I reckon we'd still be waiting for Taylor to beat Cronin's record just quietly.

Just on Covell - Is he ever going to get a jersey dirty? My mate is a huge Tigers supporter and even he bagged him at the game against the Eels at PS last year - personally I doubt whther he will make the top squad this year given the strength of the recruits and the ability of Richards, Elford, Hodgson, Reynolds and Prince to kick goals.

 

[eels1986]

Luke Covell is the best goal kicker in the NRL, I have no doubt about that. He can kick from the sideline and he can kick from halfway so teams would need to be careful where they gave penalities away. It will just depend if he can play as well. Remember everybody bagged Halligan yet he won more games for the bears and bulldogs than he lost. If he can kick at 85% then he should be in the side. Remember Hodgo was only kicking at less than 70% last year.

 

[The Colonel]

Still do you carry a goal kicker like Covell in this day and age when you have blokes who are capable of kicking like Hodgie. Remember the Tigers need to score points before they worry about kicking the goals - personally my backline would be -

1. Hodgson
2. Richards
3. Elford
4. Fitzhenry
5. Halatau
6. Reynolds
7. Prince

which pretty much gives them pace and size and goal kicking to boot.

 

[eels1986]

Covell is not the worst winger in the world. I expect him and Richards fighting out the wing spot this year. If Pat can find some good form then you would give Hodgo the kicking but if Pat plays like he has for the last 2 seasons then Covell would get my vote. He is solid at 90kg, tall 6ft 1" and reads the game pretty good. It will depends on how the "star" new recuits go.