New coach for England (Merged Threads)

[Lowdesert]

27 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

What is going to be interesting will be how Williams goes.  A lot will hinge on form and fitness when selections come round. 

But what is importance is confidence. The team were progressing with that, and then came the 3rd Test in 2018. NZ came up to the plate then to be fair but as all too often we were away at the races.

So we should not worry too much about the coaching, selection is important but the players must be focussed and resist errors. Let's not be afraid of either winning or losing... just be the best we can. 

I honestly think that Williams will end up as one of those players who ‘could have been’. I really hope I’m wrong as I’ve been waiting for him to play well on the international stage but as yet he seems lost when he’s on the pitch.

[Davo5]

4 hours ago, dkw said:

Thats disappointing, I look forward to one out rugby, messing around in every tackle tactics. Unless you can teach an old dog new tricks.

One out rugby,really ?

If that was true it  doesn’t say much for the credentials of other possible contenders for the job if they couldn’t prevent Wane’s team from reaching 5 Grand Finals in 6 yrs,winning a challenge cup & a World Club Challenge playing such predictable rugby.

[Rupert Prince]

20 minutes ago, Lowdesert said:

I honestly think that Williams will end up as one of those players who ‘could have been’. I really hope I’m wrong as I’ve been waiting for him to play well on the international stage but as yet he seems lost when he’s on the pitch.

He has been rarely selected. And we must assume that all the NRL based players will not be able to play in the mid season matches.

[Lowdesert]

3 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

He has been rarely selected. And we must assume that all the NRL based players will not be able to play in the mid season matches.

He’s played 10 times.  4 from the bench and started 7 over 4 years.  It’s not an apprenticeship.

Either he can’t play his natural game or not suited to players around him at international level, I don’t know what it is.  He did ok v NZ but just not consistently.  Wane could get him firing.

[Oxford]

49 minutes ago, Lowdesert said:

Yes, that would be my worry, but I think he would add something in attack.  I can never work out why our kicking game goes to pieces in internationals.  Are the defences that good?

 

Powell?

I think as often as not we don't think how they play week in week out that gets them selected we say will you play this different role and then the fans wonder why they were picked.

Did you mean to put Powell there as a question LD? Or as a statement? Or did you start a list of random names that I have to add to?

[Jim Prendle]

1 hour ago, dkw said:

How is it bias, its his style of play when he was at Wigan. he once played for my club and I actually like him as a person to listen to when talking about the game, I just dont like the way he has his teams play the game. so how exactly am i biased against him? 

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I was referring to your ongoing bias against all things Wigan.

Please don't try to deny it as your previous body of work does all your talking for you.

[Jim Prendle]

1 hour ago, Davo5 said:

One out rugby,really ?

If that was true it  doesn’t say much for the credentials of other possible contenders for the job if they couldn’t prevent Wane’s team from reaching 5 Grand Finals in 6 yrs,winning a challenge cup & a World Club Challenge playing such predictable rugby.

Give up mate, he can't see past his own bias.

[dkw]

24 minutes ago, Jim Prendle said:

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I was referring to your ongoing bias against all things Wigan.

Please don't try to deny it as your previous body of work does all your talking for you.

Aw, does it upset you, are you that pathetic and insecure. Put me on ignore then. 

[Jim Prendle]

Just now, dkw said:

Aw, does it upset you, are you that pathetic and insecure. Put me on ignore then. 

Does it upset me? Not as much as the sight of Wigan seems to upset you.

I will not put you on ignore. Your extreme level of petty mindedness amuses me.

[dkw]

1 hour ago, Davo5 said:

One out rugby,really ?

If that was true it  doesn’t say much for the credentials of other possible contenders for the job if they couldn’t prevent Wane’s team from reaching 5 Grand Finals in 6 yrs,winning a challenge cup & a World Club Challenge playing such predictable rugby.

I didn't say it wasnt effective, it's just not good to watch, and doesn't make the most of the talent he had. If it helps let's call it percentage rugby, very Australian in style and just not the style of rugby I enjoy. We had the exact same under Charlton, and Whitehaven are seeing it too.

[Eddie]

Yet another dour interview with Ralf Rimmer about Warne/Bennett on the BBC podcast this week, where as usual he says nothing of interest and divulges nothing at all. 

[EastLondonMike]

39 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

Wane is as good as any candidate really, probably the best. 

Not sure what difference it will make, we aren't going to bully the Aussies out of it

Player numbers and player development are our issues. We just aren't good enough and there isn't a whole lot available for Wane to change

I think if we can get our best 13 on the field, and with a bit of luck, we could see an improvement. Lots of "If's", but who knows, at the end of the year we could be in a better position to beat the Aussies than we were at the end of last year.

If the likes of Percival can improve some more under Woolf, Williams has a decent start to his NRL career, Watkins finds some form and the emergence of a couple of others (Manfredi, Naulogo, Johnstone), who knows.

Wane is very good at getting the best out of his players. Whether he can transfer that from a club environment to an International one is still to be seen. Here's hoping.

[Rupert Prince]

20 hours ago, Lowdesert said:

He’s played 10 times.  4 from the bench and started 7 over 4 years.  It’s not an apprenticeship.

Either he can’t play his natural game or not suited to players around him at international level, I don’t know what it is.  He did ok v NZ but just not consistently.  Wane could get him firing.

He did not play in the World Cup, not significantly, and was not selected in the last tour, despite first choices being rubbish.  So he has not been properly looked at.

What will be interesting, and important, is how he goes in the NRL.

[EastLondonMike]

2 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

Percival is 25, I'm just not sure players ever take the step up needed at that age. Especially in the backs.

We have players who are 25-30 who are good SL level players we are needing to take the step up to world.class, this isnt us blooding young potential superstars, its us hoping that mid career players suddenly show something they never have

Yep. It's exactly that. But we only need them to do it for three games. I hope Shaun Wane can get some improvement out of them for the Ashes. As always time will tell.

[Dunbar]

Picking two centres in the centre and two wingers on the wing will be a hell of a good start from Wane.

[Lowdesert]

1 hour ago, Rupert Prince said:

He did not play in the World Cup, not significantly, and was not selected in the last tour, despite first choices being rubbish.  So he has not been properly looked at.

What will be interesting, and important, is how he goes in the NRL.

I think that’s fair enough but we can look at this another way.  He has been enough squad train on sessions as well as full internationals to make a well considered decision.  Additionally, maybe WB just didn’t think he was up to it yet.  Well documented that he didn’t think George was vocal enough.  Shy kids get nothing usually.

Hes not the young kid coming through anymore.  Hopefully Canberra and Stuart can stimulate him.  He played with some marvellous stand offs so knows what’s required.

[Lowdesert]

3 hours ago, Eddie said:

Yet another dour interview with Ralf Rimmer about Warne/Bennett on the BBC podcast this week, where as usual he says nothing of interest and divulges nothing at all. 

As much as Ralph gives RLs impression of Harold Steptoe, it’s not always easy in front of a camera mate.  

[Rupert Prince]

21 minutes ago, Lowdesert said:

I think that’s fair enough but we can look at this another way.  He has been enough squad train on sessions as well as full internationals to make a well considered decision.  Additionally, maybe WB just didn’t think he was up to it yet.  Well documented that he didn’t think George was vocal enough.  Shy kids get nothing usually.

Hes not the young kid coming through anymore.  Hopefully Canberra and Stuart can stimulate him.  He played with some marvellous stand offs so knows what’s required.

You are correct, he is not the youngest of the most vocal.  But he has been in a number of grand finals, and done a host of assists as well as a lot of tries.  So he's done something.  It's a question of getting a right mix of players of course when selecting a team.  

If Williams plays averagely then it's an opportunity for someone to step up. 

[Davo5]

1 hour ago, Lowdesert said:

As much as Ralph gives RLs impression of Harold Steptoe, it’s not always easy in front of a camera mate.  

He'd talk a glass eye to sleep.

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, Lowdesert said:

As much as Ralph gives RLs impression of Harold Steptoe, it’s not always easy in front of a camera mate.  

I know (though to be pedantic it was a microphone). However someone in his position should be. 

[League of XIII]

"RFL chief executive Ralph Rimmer, who recently admitted that ticket sales for the Ashes Series would be a consideration when it came to appointing the next coach. " 

This is the real reason they got rid of Bennett. I wonder if they asked him to pay a £500,000 bond?