Brits in the NRL

[Dunbar]

Only brief highlights on the NSWRL website but Harry Rushton looked to have a good game for the Raiders in NSW Cup.

He went over to Australia as an edge player but is playing prop now and looks a big unit.  

This weekend he topped the tackle count, ran for 144 metres and bagged a try and an assist. 

Hope he gets a chance to play first team at some point this year.

[Davo5]

Gildart totally outplayed by opposite number Jesse Ramien today.

[StandOffHalf]

Gildart was pretty anonymous but the Tigers' halves were abysmal.

He's the sort of small, nippy, fast centre who you want to be putting into holes, on front-foot ball. He's not the sort of player who's going to grab a listless situation and drag an edge along with him. He needs his back-rower to run well and his passers to put him away.

Shocking how bad and flat WESTS look ATM.

[EagleEyePie]

Looks like Gildart picked the wrong time and the wrong team for his opportunity in the NRL, although timing is probably down to bad luck due to his injuries.

In previous years he'd been really good for Wigan, but last season with the persistent injuries his form completely fell away. He'd been a relatively solid defender, and always seemed to defend well on the occasions he came up against good opposition, but last year his defence was absolutely awful. The drop in standard was pretty shocking. Still showed a bit of class in attack at times but even that side of his game was inconsistent.

To be going to the NRL on the back of some of the worst performances of his career and going to a team that is a bit of a shambles has put him on something of a hiding to nothing. Even in his very best form there were obviously aspects of his game that would need improving (his aerial ability is suspect for a league of 6 foot + super athletes) but anything below that form and it's hard to see anything other than him returning home early and signing for Wire next year.

[Scubby]

2 minutes ago, EagleEyePie said:

Looks like Gildart picked the wrong time and the wrong team for his opportunity in the NRL, although timing is probably down to bad luck due to his injuries.

In previous years he'd been really good for Wigan, but last season with the persistent injuries his form completely fell away. He'd been a relatively solid defender, and always seemed to defend well on the occasions he came up against good opposition, but last year his defence was absolutely awful. The drop in standard was pretty shocking. Still showed a bit of class in attack at times but even that side of his game was inconsistent.

To be going to the NRL on the back of some of the worst performances of his career and going to a team that is a bit of a shambles has put him on something of a hiding to nothing. Even in his very best form there were obviously aspects of his game that would need improving (his aerial ability is suspect for a league of 6 foot + super athletes) but anything below that form and it's hard to see anything other than him returning home early and signing for Wire next year.

Yep agree with most of that. He will be in NSW Cup in a couple of weeks at this rate.

[GeordieSaint]

5 hours ago, Scubby said:

Yep agree with most of that. He will be in NSW Cup in a couple of weeks at this rate.

From what I saw this morning, the whole Wests team is abysmal. Why drop him and not others - a standard even worse than the rest?

[Scubby]

1 minute ago, GeordieSaint said:

From what I saw this morning, the whole Wests team is abysmal. Why drop him and not others - a standard even worse than the rest?

I won't disagree with that. That squad is a ramshackle bunch and Elkie Brooks is probably a better shout than Luke at 7. He is stealing a living.

[Saint Toppy]

19 hours ago, Scubby said:

I won't disagree with that. That squad is a ramshackle bunch and Elkie Brooks is probably a better shout than Luke at 7. He is stealing a living.

Brooks was always never more than average. He looked decent when he had Moses running the game along side him but once he jumped ship for Parra Brooks was completely shown up

[Dunbar]

Wests would be 100 times better with Jackson Hastings and Adam Doueihi in tye halves but by the time they get them together the season may be gone.

[DavidM]

It’s hard to get a full handle on Gildart right now because Wests are so abysmal . Some of that at cronulla was beyind parody it was that bad . Even the guy who ran on showed more enthusiasm and moved faster 

[DavidM]

21 hours ago, Scubby said:

I won't disagree with that. That squad is a ramshackle bunch and Elkie Brooks is probably a better shout than Luke at 7. He is stealing a living.

Mel Brooks would be better and he’s 95 

[Liverpool Rover]

On 10/04/2022 at 14:18, EagleEyePie said:

Looks like Gildart picked the wrong time and the wrong team for his opportunity in the NRL, although timing is probably down to bad luck due to his injuries.

In previous years he'd been really good for Wigan, but last season with the persistent injuries his form completely fell away. He'd been a relatively solid defender, and always seemed to defend well on the occasions he came up against good opposition, but last year his defence was absolutely awful. The drop in standard was pretty shocking. Still showed a bit of class in attack at times but even that side of his game was inconsistent.

To be going to the NRL on the back of some of the worst performances of his career and going to a team that is a bit of a shambles has put him on something of a hiding to nothing. Even in his very best form there were obviously aspects of his game that would need improving (his aerial ability is suspect for a league of 6 foot + super athletes) but anything below that form and it's hard to see anything other than him returning home early and signing for Wire next year.

Players usually just go with whoever happens to be the first club to make them an offer when they might be better off holding out for a team that could be a better fit. 

[DavidM]

I thought Luke Thompson had a strong game in a losing team against the Premiers

[Number 16]

6 minutes ago, DavidM said:

I thought Luke Thompson had a strong game in a losing team against the Premiers

Agreed. Solid defensively and he made some decent metres. Too few runs though, but we don't know what Barrett's asking of him. 

[Futtocks]

Gildart and Thompson have both joined clubs that they may have hoped would be turning a corner, but haven't yet.

Let's face it, even the current #1 Kangaroo selection on the wing, Josh Addo-Carr, has been able to do very little at the Bulldogs. Imagine how much he'd be slated on this thread if he was a Brit.

Listening to the ABC Grandstand radio commentary this past weekend, the commentator said of Wests that they just don't look like they are enjoying it at all, even when things (however briefly) go well for them.

[Davo5]

McGuire makes some big changes with Gildart one of those to suffer.

http://bit.ly/363Z5KZ

[Dunbar]

Dominic Young succumbs to his knee injury.

Ryan Sutton starts at 13 for the Raiders with Elliot Whitehead back to the edge.

George Burgess on the interchange bench for the Dragons. 

[Scubby]

On 10/04/2022 at 14:20, Scubby said:

Yep agree with most of that. He will be in NSW Cup in a couple of weeks at this rate.

1 hour ago, Davo5 said:

McGuire makes some big changes with Gildart one of those to suffer.

http://bit.ly/363Z5KZ

Make that 1 week

[Jughead]

Gildart has been dropped by Wests. He’ll be back in Super League in time for next season. 

[DavidM]

George Burgess on the bench , but things are going so well for the Dragons one of their gun youngsters has to settle for a place on the bench and the other two a place in the stands 

[Scubby]

2 minutes ago, DavidM said:

George Burgess on the bench , but things are going so well for the Dragons one of their gun youngsters has to settle for a place on the bench and the other two a place in the stands 

Anthony Griffin is pretty much what is wrong with the NRL sometimes. He has no discernible qualities other than been around the block for a while. Lots of young coaches would kill for a gig like his. One win in 13 games and an uninspiring miserable sod to boot.

[EastLondonMike]

With Brooks still in the side opposition will still likely target that left edge, and unless they’re bringing in a 25 year old Mal Meninga to play centre it’s likely to get ripped apart just as much.

 

[Davo5]

Dom Young expected to be out for 4-6 weeks.

[Davo5]

Herbie Farnworth ruled out this week with a knee injury,no news yet on the severity of the injury.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

Lets hope Sutton and Whitehead go well this morning, otherwise it could be a pretty grim week for 'Brits in the NRL'