Brits in the NRL

[graveyard johnny]

1 minute ago, Dunbar said:

If that is the case then it is the coach who is out of his depth for the poor and predictable game plan, not the half back for executing it.

in fairness williams should flourish under ricky stuart but natural flair and un predictable pieces of individual brilliance that turn games are things great players like kimmorley  and thurston were born with

[Dunbar]

Just now, graveyard johnny said:

in fairness williams should flourish under ricky stuart but natural flair and un predictable pieces of individual brilliance that turn games are things great players like kimmorley  and thurston were born with

We are 13 games into the NRL season. If these inside passes were not what Stuart wanted then he would have sorted it by now. It's the coaches plan, not Williams and your crticism is being misdirected. 

[Tex Evans Thigh]

Williams has been good, he’s not going to be good every game especially playing on the back foot. Panthers were just better, swap Williams with Cleary and that result wouldn’t have been much different.

[DavidM]

23 hours ago, AB90 said:

Feel free to call me out for being naive, but have you been slightly disappointed with Luke Thompson's first few games? 

I think hes done alright, but maybe i was just expecting a bit more. The last couple of seasons I've probably even had a higher opinion of him than George Williams and John Bateman, yet they seemed to of excelled a bit more straight out of the gate.

In Superleague he had a very destructive running style often skittling 2 or 3 players with a quick play the ball. He has great acceleration and leg drive but seems to get stopped in contact quite easy in the first few nrl games hes played. 

Maybe it's just playing against bigger, stronger, faster, fitter middle forwards than hes used to.

 

Yes , slightly disappointing . But two points , firstly he has a great carry but he needs to be passed the ball to utilise it . Yesterday was just like he was the invisible man . Secondly , the defences are taking his legs so he can’t drive through the line as he did here . If he’s used to his strengths though , ie why they bought him , I’m sure he’ll be a fine asset 

[DavidM]

5 hours ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

Williams has been good, he’s not going to be good every game especially playing on the back foot. Panthers were just better, swap Williams with Cleary and that result wouldn’t have been much different.

Pretty much this . I think he’s been very good and took to the NRL like the proverbial. Some of the inside passing and lateral play were a bit overdone there but he tried his heart out and they were second best and monstered a fair bit so tough for halves in that scenario . Overall  , and especially on the front foot  he’s proving a great asset 

[Tex Evans Thigh]

2 hours ago, DavidM said:

Pretty much this . I think he’s been very good and took to the NRL like the proverbial. Some of the inside passing and lateral play were a bit overdone there but he tried his heart out and they were second best and monstered a fair bit so tough for halves in that scenario . Overall  , and especially on the front foot  he’s proving a great asset 

Exactly. I think he’s improved as a player, kicking game is excellent and seems to have been given a license to be creative. I’d put him in the top 10 halves in NRL this season, maybe higher.

Lazy pessimists can’t wait to trot out tired cliched analyses of brits in the NRL. Best to ignore them.

[The Rocket]

4 hours ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

Exactly. I think he’s improved as a player, kicking game is excellent and seems to have been given a license to be creative. I’d put him in the top 10 halves in NRL this season, maybe higher.

Lazy pessimists can’t wait to trot out tired cliched analyses of brits in the NRL. Best to ignore them.

I`m an Aussie and believe me from what I`ve seen of him he has definitely added to Canberra`s game. Even Bateman`s great overhead pass on the previous weekend was preceded by Williams darting back and forth across in front of the defence although he got no credit for the uncertainty that he created in the defensive line from the commentary team.

Edited August 10, 2020 by The Rocket

[BrisbaneRhino]

Canberra as a team look really clunky in attack.  They are really a step down from the better sides.

Ryan Hall's defence isn't good enough IMO - he's all over the place at times in what is otherwise a superbly drilled Roosters team. He does make good metres running the ball back, and his lack of tries has been more to do with the Roosters seeming to favour the opposite side every time he plays.  To be honest it suggests a lack of faith in him with the ball as well, as they are capable of setting up tries on either side.  

On the plus side for Brits, Herbie's doing OK in an awful Broncos side. Not sure what position he'll end up in long term, he looks to have a natural fullback build rather than a centre.

[DavidM]

Losing Hodgson is huge for Canberra . He starts so much off . They do look blunter without him , unfortunately I can’t see them around at the pointy end 

[AB90]

16 hours ago, DavidM said:

Yes , slightly disappointing . But two points , firstly he has a great carry but he needs to be passed the ball to utilise it . Yesterday was just like he was the invisible man . Secondly , the defences are taking his legs so he can’t drive through the line as he did here . If he’s used to his strengths though , ie why they bought him , I’m sure he’ll be a fine asset 

Yeah, agree with everything your saying. Will good for him to get a full 10 week pre season under his belt next year.

I guess it's just expectations. He's meant to be a Josh Papali type/level of player who can carry a pack (like he did at Saints).

Maybe its unfair to have those expectations and he should be considered a success if hes in that bottom area of top 10 props/middle forwards.

[OMEGA]

1 hour ago, AB90 said:

Yeah, agree with everything your saying. Will good for him to get a full 10 week pre season under his belt next year.

I guess it's just expectations. He's meant to be a Josh Papali type/level of player who can carry a pack (like he did at Saints).

Maybe its unfair to have those expectations and he should be considered a success if hes in that bottom area of top 10 props/middle forwards.

He didn’t carry the pack at Sts, Roby, Walmsley, LMS to name but 3 other quality players in the Sts pack.

Im a big fan of Thompson’s but let’s not get beyond ourselves 

[Lowdesert]

If I didn’t know better, I could have easily thought Thompson had been bought his decoy/blocking runs.  He does a hell of a lot, completely different than when he was the go-to forward at Saints.

[DavidM]

Just looking at his stats from Saturday .. 6 runs for 47 metres . I mean what are they doing there , they watched him before buying him right ? They’re total rubbish and leave him standing around while Tolman trundles it in 16 times 

[FearTheVee]

Thomson will be fine - his value is in long, high quality minutes and I'm sure given time that's what he'll bring.  He's ideal for a new quicker game where engine and mobility are important.

Edited August 10, 2020 by FearTheVee

[AB90]

1 hour ago, OMEGA said:

He didn’t carry the pack at Sts, Roby, Walmsley, LMS to name but 3 other quality players in the Sts pack.

Im a big fan of Thompson’s but let’s not get beyond ourselves 

True - Maybe not carried the pack.

Some people in British rugby league consider him to be the best prop in the world so he will unfortunately be judged to a very high standard (whether that's fair or not is a different question).

[Dunbar]

Just caught up with the Bulldogs vs. Storm game.  As mentioned, Thompson was criminally underused carrying the ball.  I felt his defence carried a bit more sting this week though.

If he gets more time and (critically) more workload, he will shine.

[FearTheVee]

1 hour ago, AB90 said:

True - Maybe not carried the pack.

Some people in British rugby league consider him to be the best prop in the world so he will unfortunately be judged to a very high standard (whether that's fair or not is a different question).

He wasn't even the best prop at Saints

Great player but I'd lose him before Walmsley every day of the week and twice on Sundays

Edited August 10, 2020 by FearTheVee

[graveyard johnny]

surprised gus didnt say anything about herbies body language after he scored that try against souths - it was like "yer- just scored, its early in the game, the scores still tight but were gonna lose anyway" but i think that reflects the rot that has set in all the way through the broncos set up

[OMEGA]

 

 

[barnyia]

A few lucky kicks and passes, and just in the right place at the right time to make the tackles, he's having a nightmare first season

[DavidM]

39 minutes ago, OMEGA said:

 

 

Yeh but what else as he done ...

[Dunbar]

1 hour ago, OMEGA said:

 

 

Clearly out of his depth.

[Mr Frisky]

21 hours ago, AB90 said:

True - Maybe not carried the pack.

Some people in British rugby league consider him to be the best prop in the world so he will unfortunately be judged to a very high standard (whether that's fair or not is a different question).

I think it was Justin holbrook (An Australian and NRL coach) who said that.

[DoubleD]

After a series of underwhelming performances, Ryan Hall dropped from the Roosters game today in place of debutant Christian Tuipulotu, who naturally scores a try on debut 

[DavidM]

39 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

After a series of underwhelming performances, Ryan Hall dropped from the Roosters game today in place of debutant Christian Tuipulotu, who naturally scores a try on debut 

Tells a story . Just not been good enough .