Oxford Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 A quick look at signings around SL and the spines, that over used word, look very strong in quite a few clubs. So who do you reckon has the best one, then? 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Kevin Sinfield Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Leeds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxford Posted December 23, 2019 Author Share Posted December 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said: Leeds Starting spine? Walker, Lui, Dwyer and Gale does look impressive. 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Clothesoff Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Only issue/worry I have with Saints’ is James Roby. He’s 34 now, he played most of the year with an injury and has spent time in hospital so far this offseason. I wonder if we’ll use him a bit less this year, in a similar way to Wigan with O’Loughlin, but if we do, I’m not completely sold on Aaron Smith as his replacement just yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj1908 Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 13 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said: Only issue/worry I have with Saints’ is James Roby. He’s 34 now, he played most of the year with an injury and has spent time in hospital so far this offseason. I wonder if we’ll use him a bit less this year, in a similar way to Wigan with O’Loughlin, but if we do, I’m not completely sold on Aaron Smith as his replacement just yet. Be interesting to see how woolfe goes as a top level coach after what he's done for Tonga and taking over from Holbrook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR23 Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Saints obviously are strong here again despite not having an out and out 7. Wire look decent on paper but it depends how the two half backs gel. Everyone else has a weakness or unknown to contend with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxford Posted December 23, 2019 Author Share Posted December 23, 2019 34 minutes ago, LR23 said: Everyone else has a weakness or unknown to contend with. Can you be more specific? 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave T Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 If we get our attacking structure right with a spine of: Ratchford, Austin, Widdopp, Clark with BMS at 13, then we could go very well. I really worry about us tactically though and unless we embrace those skills we could be in for more of the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj1908 Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 14 minutes ago, Dave T said: If we get our attacking structure right with a spine of: Ratchford, Austin, Widdopp, Clark with BMS at 13, then we could go very well. I really worry about us tactically though and unless we embrace those skills we could be in for more of the same. Hopefully widdop remains injury free As a dragons fan I was upset we lost him he's been so good for us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhinoferg Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 13 minutes ago, aj1908 said: Hopefully widdop remains injury free As a dragons fan I was upset we lost him he's been so good for us Widdop is unproven in SL, he is stepping down a level and won't have the players around him to make him look good like in Australia. He has been poor for England and GB, Wire fans will be hoping his club form isn't the same as his international. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj1908 Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 2 minutes ago, Rhinoferg said: Widdop is unproven in SL, he is stepping down a level and won't have the players around him to make him look good like in Australia. He has been poor for England and GB, Wire fans will be hoping his club form isn't the same as his international. Or they could be hoping his club form is the same as his club form in Australia lol Which other halves did.the dragons have to carry him lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR23 Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Oxford said: Can you be more specific? Do you mean can I be more specific about every team or what I mean about weakness/unknowns in general? I’d rather not pick apart every team so I’ll use mine as an example - we had probably the best spine I’ve ever seen last year but we’ve lost Hastings and the ‘starting’ hooker. Lussick will probably start at hooker and do more minutes now which is obviously fine but will mean a change in tactics. Lolohea has shown for Tonga he can take on more playmaking responsibility but we’ve basically got an older player coming off a major injury (Brown) stepping in for the MoS. Lots of uncertainties and a major gap. You could say similar for a few other teams with young players stepping up, players coming off a bad season/injury or new signings needing to bed in quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxford Posted December 23, 2019 Author Share Posted December 23, 2019 38 minutes ago, LR23 said: Do you mean can I be more specific about every team or what I mean about weakness/unknowns in general? I’d rather not pick apart every team so I’ll use mine as an example - we had probably the best spine I’ve ever seen last year but we’ve lost Hastings and the ‘starting’ hooker. Lussick will probably start at hooker and do more minutes now which is obviously fine but will mean a change in tactics. Lolohea has shown for Tonga he can take on more playmaking responsibility but we’ve basically got an older player coming off a major injury (Brown) stepping in for the MoS. Lots of uncertainties and a major gap. You could say similar for a few other teams with young players stepping up, players coming off a bad season/injury or new signings needing to bed in quickly. I thought it was just a straight forward question but now I know you're a red devil fan things are bound to get muddy. You brought up "the rest" and I was just wondering what your insight was? 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxford Posted December 23, 2019 Author Share Posted December 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Dave T said: If we get our attacking structure right with a spine of: Ratchford, Austin, Widdopp, Clark with BMS at 13, then we could go very well. I really worry about us tactically though and unless we embrace those skills we could be in for more of the same. Yes it's definitely your spines year! I thought Cas were looking the business in this respect. And I think one of the points I was intending to make originally was whether more games will be hard fought contests because of the number of decent looking spines? 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR23 Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 4 minutes ago, Oxford said: I thought it was just a straught forward question but now I know you're a red devil fan things are bound to get muddy. You brought up "the rest" and I was just wondering what your insight was? Don’t know what your issue with Salford is but you’ve seen the same squad lists that I have - no particular insight from me, just wanted to focus on the two I felt were the strongest rather than picking out what I think are weaknesses from everyone else. Saints and Wire seem to be to be the most well rounded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxford Posted December 23, 2019 Author Share Posted December 23, 2019 1 minute ago, LR23 said: I felt were the strongest rather than picking out what I think are weaknesses from everyone It would only be an opnion and saying strong FB and hooker less so at seven wouldn't hurt anyone. 2 minutes ago, LR23 said: Don’t know what your issue with Salford Don't have an issue with SRD, be a bit hard as I've been a fan since I don't know when. When Moses were a lad. I reckon. 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhinoferg Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 You can have the best 6,7,9 and 1 in the league but if your forwards can't defend or make yardage then you will struggle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxford Posted December 23, 2019 Author Share Posted December 23, 2019 2 minutes ago, Rhinoferg said: You can have the best 6,7,9 and 1 in the league but if your forwards can't defend or make yardage then you will struggle. I admit I took that as read. 2 warning points Non-Political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedfordshire Bronco Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 8 hours ago, Oliver Clothesoff said: Only issue/worry I have with Saints’ is James Roby. He’s 34 now, he played most of the year with an injury and has spent time in hospital so far this offseason. I wonder if we’ll use him a bit less this year, in a similar way to Wigan with O’Loughlin, but if we do, I’m not completely sold on Aaron Smith as his replacement just yet. I'd pick a one legged Roby over any other SL 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southwalesrabbitoh Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 6 hours ago, Rhinoferg said: Widdop is unproven in SL, he is stepping down a level and won't have the players around him to make him look good like in Australia. He has been poor for England and GB, Wire fans will be hoping his club form isn't the same as his international. IMO Widdop is better at full-back when he hasn't got top quality players around him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELBOWSEYE Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 35 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said: I'd pick a one legged Roby over any other SL 9 Clark has been outstanding for years and didn't lose any credit on tour so although Roby is an outstanding player a one legged Roby would be useless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMEGA Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 9 hours ago, Oxford said: Starting spine? Walker, Lui, Dwyer and Gale does look impressive. Does it? Walker seems to have plateaued, still young enough to improve some but I think it’ll be a small amount, what we see now is what he’s going to be. Lui, individually dangerous but not really an organiser Gale hasn’t played for nearly 2 years, is coming back from a very serious injury and is reaching the tail end of his career Dwyer is a great impact player but he’s no Roby! They may well combine to become greater than the sum of their parts but as it stands they wouldn’t be near my choice of best spine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris22 Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Had a go at putting together the possible 'spines', a few question marks in here where there may be other options Saints: Coote, Lomax, Fages, Roby, Knowles Wigan: Hardaker, French (?), Hastings, Powell, O' Loughlin Salford: Evalds, Brown, Lolohea, Lussick, McCarthy Warrington: Ratchford, Widdop, Austin, Clarke, Murdoch-Masila (?) Castleford: Mata'utai (?), Trueman, Richardson, McShane, Milner Hull FC: Shaul, Connor, Snyed, Houghton, Sao Catalans: Tomkins, Maloney, Drinkwater, McIlorum, Garcia Leeds: Walker, Lui, Gale, Dwyer, Ward Huddersfield: Golding, Gaskell, Sezer, O' Brien, Lawrence Wakefield: Walker, Miller, Brough, Wood, Westerman Hull KR: Quinlan, Abdull, Brierley (?), Parcell, Hadley Toronto: O' Brien, Mellor, McCrone, Ackers, Wilkin Saints and Warrington seem the strongest to me. Wigan is an interesting one, especially if they run with French at 6, he has explosive pace and would add dynamism, probably a better option that Leuluai for me. Castleford's half backs have great potential but lack experience. If they can keep Trueman and Richardson together for a few years, they might be able to climb the table again. At the bottom, Hull KR and Toronto look to be the weakest. Hull KR have options with Joe Keyes and Jamie Ellis, but none that will set the league alight. Toronto's isn't the best either, especially at hooker and loose forward. Huddersfield will probably depend on how Sezer goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Clothesoff Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 43 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said: Clark has been outstanding for years and didn't lose any credit on tour so although Roby is an outstanding player a one legged Roby would be useless. You mean like how Roby played with one leg all year and waited for a post season operation to lead a team to a sixteen point gap in the regular season and then win the Grand Final? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELBOWSEYE Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 8 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said: You mean like how Roby played with one leg all year and waited for a post season operation to lead a team to a sixteen point gap in the regular season and then win the Grand Final? Not in anyway trying call Roby, more the comment I replied to, I have always rated and admired him but the statement was ridiculous. There have been some oustanding hookers in SL for a few years and Roby at his peak was the best but he is not at his peak but is still good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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