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Mac's big problem looming.


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At the risk of alienating some certain subscribers I will press on.

Watching the NRL and in particular players that will almost certainly be in the S/Hemi sides for OZ and Kiwi's I am becoming most concerned for our England sides players in relation to the accuracy of the kickers for a start and the ability of those following up and their prowess at jumping for and taking the ball close to, or on the try line itself.

Pat Richards is without any doubt the best at this ploy in S/L and in all honesty there must be twenty or more in the NFL with similar or an even better ability than Richards currently has!!

This is alarming when some people are still mindful to name Peter Fox as a possible winger in our team, a fact I cannot at all understand.

Hall and Briscoe who will in all probability barring injury be the wings of choice and Shenton, Atkins, Senior, Gleeson it would seem are front runners for the centre spots also.

We simply cannot afford to have a winger/centre of small stature on field in these games as they would simply be overwhelmed, the Aussies especially are deadly at this tactic and we need to be prepared for it.

MacNamara should decide on his threequarters and make them practice non-stop on taking the high ball under pressure.

This should be constant and practiced until they can catch the ball in their sleep, or we can absolutely expect the very worst to happen. In S/L this tactic is used I accept, but the accuracy and ability to retrieve from these kicks is of a dimension above what our lads are used to or conversant with.

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You shouldn't be concerned about speaking the truth, you are absolutely spot on but, worse, it's not just in the kicking department that they are far superior to us.

We're going to have to play very well indeed to compete.

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How are we picking this side on Past performance, ability, reputation or form??? The perception of the England team is that we match now or beat the aussies in the pack (based on past performance), could hope to even tip them at half back (based on the ability and form of Tomkins and Eastmond) but are weeker in the three quarters. We are also presuming that the full back problem is sorted with Gareth Widdop, Sinfield at Hooker and Westwood filling in for the injured Peacock. We have Mc Guire and Roby who the aussies rate highly and seem to cause them problems and senior has a few more games in him yet as does Burrow and Leon Pryce. Personally I would choose:

1. Tomkins Backs subs. 14. Widdop Backs Reserves. 19. Shenton

2. Hall 15. Atkins 20. Fox

3. Senior 21. Bridge

4. Pryce 22. Burrow

5. Briscoe

6. Mc Guire

7. Eastmond

Anyone who thinks Shenton should start in front of Pryce - visit opta stats. (Pryce's problem is his apparent lack of hunger at times which needs to match his ability). I feel you have the most technical abilty also with Senior and Pryce, size and height. The alternative option of Shenton or Bridge would not fear the Aussies where using Atkins as an interchange should one of these players become injured or tire would be most effective due to his explosive power. By using Widdop as an interchange you have two possibly three positions covered also.

Could a brave option be to play Eastmond and Roby as interchange Hookers?? With sinfield at 13 or on the bench??

I will consider my pack now and post tomorrow!

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Stepladders, that's what we need.

Nah, big old Alvin Stardust stack heels.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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You shouldn't be concerned about speaking the truth, you are absolutely spot on but, worse, it's not just in the kicking department that they are far superior to us.

We're going to have to play very well indeed to compete.

Thanks for that and I am not, but there is usually a few that get uppity at the mention of Aussies and the comparisons made with our players. I was simply attempting to let it be known that whatever they think: this is my opinion.

I also emphatically concur with the rest of what you state concerning the relative merits of the players that will be involved.

I am alarmed at the fact that so many people over here harp on so consistently about our forwards matching even overshadowing those of the S/Hemi. Having watched the NRL in some depth this season, I would go so far as to state that their backs are not as threatening as the forwards, in both Oz and Kiwiland!!

There are some awesome players who will be taking the field for both of those sides and I would be very surprised to find that PNG are as easy a pushover as the French, for they to have some pretty able people now playing in the NRL and could offer a severe threat again if our lot are not at full throttle.

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Pat Richards is without any doubt the best at this ploy in S/L and in all honesty there must be twenty or more in the NFL with similar or an even better ability than Richards currently has!!

NFL????

I aint sure they could catch a kick to the corner!!! :D

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I agree.

Small three quarters are a weak link, for risk of being overpowered and outjumped. We've got to pick our biggest/strongest lads out there.

Hall, Senior, Shenton, Lawerence.

Hall, Shenton, Bridge, Briscoe - Forget about it.

The Aussie's 3/4s are absolutely streets ahead of us.

If Keith Senior and Michael Lawrence (the worst of some very good English backs at Hudds - but he can still improve, unlike Keef), are the best we can do then God help us.

I reckon high kicks to the corner are about number 8 in the 'things to worry about for Steve Mc and our 3/4s when we play the antipodeans' list.

Edited by GoldDog
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The Aussie's 3/4s are absolutely streets ahead of us.

If Keith Senior and Michael Lawrence (the worst of some very good English backs at Hudds - but he can still improve, unlike Keef), are the best we can do then God help us.

I reckon high kicks to the corner are about number 8 in the 'things to worry about for Steve Mc and our 3/4s when we play the antipodeans' list.

I wonder if you have been watching the NRL :D at all? If you have not then I can accept that you are unaware of the expertise that so many possess both as kickers with almost uncanny accuracy and also as catchers: these are generally far superior at this art than what our wingers have to contend with domestically.

Believe me it will be a decisive threat and one that will test our lads severely.

I would not even think of Lawrence, Cudjoe, Hodgson or Fox for the simple reason that not one of those named would be considered good enough to play in second or third grade teams in Oz.

As for Senior, he is not my flavour of the month either, but without club loyalties or any other reason please tell me: which centre threequarter is playing as well as him this season in S/L???????????????????

I can't think of one, can you?

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I wonder if you have been watching the NRL :D at all? If you have not then I can accept that you are unaware of the expertise that so many possess both as kickers with almost uncanny accuracy and also as catchers: these are generally far superior at this art than what our wingers have to contend with domestically.

Believe me it will be a decisive threat and one that will test our lads severely.

I would not even think of Lawrence, Cudjoe, Hodgson or Fox for the simple reason that not one of those named would be considered good enough to play in second or third grade teams in Oz.

As for Senior, he is not my flavour of the month either, but without club loyalties or any other reason please tell me: which centre threequarter is playing as well as him this season in S/L???????????????????

I can't think of one, can you?

I know the answer.

We should tell the organisers that Petero says we are ****, and therefore we are not bothering to turn up.

Alternatively, we can play a back line consisting of Keith Senior on his own, and just run with that and see how it goes.

There you go, problem solved.

Happy to help.

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I know the answer.

We should tell the organisers that Petero says we are ****, and therefore we are not bothering to turn up.

Alternatively, we can play a back line consisting of Keith Senior on his own, and just run with that and see how it goes.

There you go, problem solved.

Happy to help.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What eh, did someone write something, oh I see, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

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ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What eh, did someone write something, oh I see, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Yeah, some boring git wrote something about our players not being tall enough, and Australians being able to fly.

Go back to bed.

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If any of out backs haven't been practicing these things then there is something seriously wrong. The afl style if catching has been common in afl training methods for many many years, as it has been in yawnion (courtesy of dave alred circa 2003). And in all honesty I would have thought we have been using the same methods for some years also, we're just not as good at it. For whatever their big lads have over us in leaping for the ball, we should maybe looking at ways to benefit from their size, maybe with grubber kicks to turn them around, with our backs running onto them.

Newham Dockers - Champions 2013. Rugby League For East London. 100% Cockney Rugby League!

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www.newhamdockers.co.uk

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