Jump to content

Englands full back dilemma.


Recommended Posts


  • Replies 128
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I agree with Jamie Peacock that Sam Tomkins is England's best option at #1 (given availability and form).

What I don't agree with is that he and Josh Hodgson are England's best players.

"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There’s no dilemma. It’s Sam Tomkins’ position. Tomkins has been the stand out English fullback in the competition for the past couple of years. Hardaker has played there when French has been injured, he’s done well while he’s played there but isn’t close to taking Tomkins’ jumper. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sam all day long - just hope he's fit and inform for the WC.

Still Englands most exciting player and can make something out of nothing.

Even though the Aussies (wrongly) said he was an NRL flop they do know how good he is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

There’s no dilemma. It’s Sam Tomkins’ position. Tomkins has been the stand out English fullback in the competition for the past couple of years. Hardaker has played there when French has been injured, he’s done well while he’s played there but isn’t close to taking Tomkins’ jumper. 

 

Agreed, Sam Tomkins is the only one who even comes close to a World Class International Full Back, the others wouldn’t even get a game in the NRL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

There’s no dilemma. It’s Sam Tomkins’ position. Tomkins has been the stand out English fullback in the competition for the past couple of years. Hardaker has played there when French has been injured, he’s done well while he’s played there but isn’t close to taking Tomkins’ jumper. 

No, he is close.  To say he is not close is silly.

And to reply to the original poster ... There is no dilema.  There would be a dilemma if we did not have a couple or 3 good fullbacks.

Wigan themselves have a couple of interesting options, my guess is that French will start on the wing, and take it from there.

Interesting that a player starts AT fullback or center, but plays ON the wing...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

No, he is close.  To say he is not close is silly.

And to reply to the original poster ... There is no dilema.  There would be a dilemma if we did not have a couple or 3 good fullbacks.

Wigan themselves have a couple of interesting options, my guess is that French will start on the wing, and take it from there.

Interesting that a player starts AT fullback or center, but plays ON the wing...

He’s not close. You don’t drop the standout English fullback for a bloke whose barely played in that position. Disregarding Tomkins’ form over a sustained period for a bloke whose probably played, what, ten games at fullback in the last two years, is ridiculous.

If Hardaker continues at fullback (not a given now French is returning) and keeps up his form, he may be in with a chance but at this present time, it’s not close. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

australia have the same problem as us - dufty? mitchell? gutherson? papernhauzen? tedesco? - its just a different problem thats all

You forgot Turbo Tom too plus Ponga (Knights) and Brimson at Gold Goast. It is ridiculous the options they have there at the moment

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Scubby said:

You forgot Turbo Tom too plus Ponga (Knights) and Brimson at Gold Goast. It is ridiculous the options they have there at the moment

don't think ponga would figure at the moment but yes turbo tom if he can stay fit deffo

see you later undertaker - in a while necrophile 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, graveyard johnny said:

australia have the same problem as us - dufty? mitchell? gutherson? papernhauzen? tedesco? - its just a different problem thats all

 

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

You forgot Turbo Tom too plus Ponga (Knights) and Brimson at Gold Goast. It is ridiculous the options they have there at the moment

Australia have an embarrassment of riches at full back but ultimately they can only play one there and so the Kangaroo 17 may leave out some of the very best players in the NRL.

What I hope they do is try and shoe horn them into the team... as we saw with NSW last year with Gutherson and Wighton in the centre, they were nowhere near as effective as if they had picked a specialist centre (who may not be as objectively as good a player).  Gutherson is a terrific full back but he was poor in the centre.

"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tomkins is probably one of the few players who will be already on the team sheet, barring injury, suspension or a dramatic loss of form then he will be number 1 for England in the world cup, but a couple of years ago, people were saying he was finished, It's a credit to him that he's fought back to now be seen as good as, if not a better player than he was 10 years or so ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

You forgot Turbo Tom too plus Ponga (Knights) and Brimson at Gold Goast. It is ridiculous the options they have there at the moment

 

50 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

don't think ponga would figure at the moment but yes turbo tom if he can stay fit deffo

Both Ponga’s parents are Kiwis and he spent a large part of his childhood living in New Zealand. Would he want to represent Australia and should they pick him?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

 

Both Ponga’s parents are Kiwis and he spent a large part of his childhood living in New Zealand. Would he want to represent Australia and should they pick him?

He wants to represent Queensland and pocket the $90k per series. He can't do both.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got to say, I never thought I’d see Tomkins back to his best.  After his injury he was almost timid at times on the pitch and his speed appeared to have gone.  How wrong I was.  Maybe his speed is not the top end it was but he will cause problems for any team the way he’s playing.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Lowdesert said:

Got to say, I never thought I’d see Tomkins back to his best.  After his injury he was almost timid at times on the pitch and his speed appeared to have gone.  How wrong I was.  Maybe his speed is not the top end it was but he will cause problems for any team the way he’s playing.

 

 

I am not putting Tomkins near Lockyer in terms of ability, but there are similarities in how Lockyer adapted his game as he got older. Just knowing exactly when to come into the game and how to create impact. It is not all about raw pace at the very top end of the game. Sam is at his peak right now in terms of effectiveness.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

 

Both Ponga’s parents are Kiwis and he spent a large part of his childhood living in New Zealand. Would he want to represent Australia and should they pick him?

he would have no chance of selection with the current crop of full backs in the nrl - with rts joining the dark side its a no brainer to rep for nz

see you later undertaker - in a while necrophile 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If Hardaker had a run at full back all season, I think he would be a meaningful challenger for the full back role. As he moves back to centre once French returns, I think that will almost guarantee Tomkins the number 1 jersey, and probably see Hardaker as a squad or back up player in the Word Cup.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Dunbar said:

 

Australia have an embarrassment of riches at full back but ultimately they can only play one there and so the Kangaroo 17 may leave out some of the very best players in the NRL.

What I hope they do is try and shoe horn them into the team... as we saw with NSW last year with Gutherson and Wighton in the centre, they were nowhere near as effective as if they had picked a specialist centre (who may not be as objectively as good a player).  Gutherson is a terrific full back but he was poor in the centre.

Mitchell and Tommy Turbo might end up in the centres 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, DavidM said:

Mitchell and Tommy Turbo might end up in the centres 

How will Australia solve its full back dilemma?

Based on current form:

 

James Tedesco

Brett Morris. Latrell Mitchell, Tom Trbojevic, Josh Addo-Carr

 

Jack Wighton/Cameron Munster

Daly Cherry-Evans/Cody Walker

 

InterchangeRyan Papenhauzen

 

That backline is one that no other nation can compete with.

Sam Tomkins is the only English outside back who should even be mentioned in the same breath as the Australian aces.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.