Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Tue May 14, 2024 9:07 pm  

If previous rumours are true it might be the opposite: that Johnson is back in the frame as #2 hooker to Ackers for next year, and we're looking for him to play into some form in the Champ first.

We have another couple of hookers coming through the system but they're at least a couple more years off first grade I think.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Tue May 14, 2024 9:54 pm  

I think of people I'd rather send to Halifax

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Wed May 15, 2024 5:51 am  

ArthurClues wrote:

I hope you're right. I think it's unlikely we'll come away with anything from Saints though. We've generally lifted ourselves against them, but their 80 minute high intensity approach is like kryptonite to our mistake ridden, play in spurts style. I just want to see us go there and not play soft, which in my book means not giving it to them on a plate with knock ons in every other set, suicidal kicking, and letting the opposition camp out in our half for long stretches of the game. That would be significant progress and proof that the coach and players alike had used the break to address fundamental failings. And Jim, Saints are not in the CC Cup.

100% agree I don't mind the defeats as long as we are competitive and can demonstrate some attacking structure establish field position and cut out basic errors.
Thats the concern for me that we don't appear to be progressing in any of these areas. We had some decent results last year against the top teams but in most cases they were in crazy games with no structure built on one fantastic half of rugby and some top individual performances mainly from Austin in the half dozen games he turned up in over 2 years. Thats not the foundation for consistent success. On paper in theory if we get all our players fit we should be competitive and I really hope that we can turn things around as there is no obvious easily attainable coaching solution currently available so hopefully RS can ride things out and deliver improved consistency and address the issues Unfortunately what I am currently watching every week tells me the July is out on if he can. With 2 weeks off to prepare we should hopefully see some improvements in the basicsif we are working on the right areas

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Wed May 15, 2024 6:15 am  

that is my big bugbear.
everyone can see the issues except the man in charge who continues with the same failing tactics he has used, and failed with, for 18 months.
that's why I'm convinced nothing will change until the coach is changed

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Wed May 15, 2024 7:32 am  

tad rhino wrote:

that is my big bugbear.
everyone can see the issues except the man in charge who continues with the same failing tactics he has used, and failed with, for 18 months.
that's why I'm convinced nothing will change until the coach is changed

Thats your issue Tadders, tell me, how many Rhino's coaches have you been happy with for the last 20 years?
How many of the current crop of players do you rate and would keep?
Who do you think that is attainable we should recruit as a coach and how much have they won?
Its so easy to snipe from the background, how difficult should it be to be constructive ?

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Wed May 15, 2024 7:43 am  

what is there to be constructive about?
the last good coach was macdermott. agar steadied the ship well but stayed too long.
this group is capable of much more. i said last year graham Murray would have this group top 5 easily. not winning but competing.
im not sure, after 18 months of rubbish and not signs of change, how people can still think smith turns this around.
he is set on playing this style. that's fine. he is the coach its his choice. but he also has to face the criticism when it blatantly doesnt work yet carries on. I work with a guy who won SL, not with leeds, who can't believe what he sees.im with him

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Wed May 15, 2024 8:04 am  

tad rhino wrote:

what is there to be constructive about?
the last good coach was macdermott. agar steadied the ship well but stayed too long.
this group is capable of much more. i said last year graham Murray would have this group top 5 easily. not winning but competing.
im not sure, after 18 months of rubbish and not signs of change, how people can still think smith turns this around.
he is set on playing this style. that's fine. he is the coach its his choice. but he also has to face the criticism when it blatantly doesnt work yet carries on. I work with a guy who won SL, not with leeds, who can't believe what he sees.im with him

I'm no Agar apologist, as I don't think he was the answer, but one thing that doesn't seem to be acknowledged is that Smith got us to the GF completely utilising Agar's system / style. It was the following year we completely changed the playing style and tactics. At the time, that made sense, we got all our injuries back and put a decent run together having practiced that style in pre-season. We obviously got battered in the final, but we did not get there playing Rohan-ball.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Wed May 15, 2024 8:23 am  

Whatever Rohan's style is, and perhaps too much is made of it, I'm not sure he has the players to execute it. We are getting battered in the collision too often bringing it away from our line, fail to establish momentum, we lose the ruck too often and then pile pressure on ourselves by repeated basic mistakes.

The playing roster comes back round to Rohan again ultimately, but the first half we played against Saints in the league at home, we were more than competitive. Our main issue to me seems that we can't sustain playing well for long enough. Whether this is truly down to lack of structure, the need for some better quality players or a combination of all these things... I keep saying it but performances are multi-factoral, and not all of it is down the the coach.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Wed May 15, 2024 8:28 am  

KaeruJim wrote:

Whatever Rohan's style is, and perhaps too much is made of it, I'm not sure he has the players to execute it. We are getting battered in the collision too often bringing it away from our line, fail to establish momentum, we lose the ruck too often and then pile pressure on ourselves by repeated basic mistakes.

The playing roster comes back round to Rohan again ultimately, but the first half we played against Saints in the league at home, we were more than competitive. Our main issue to me seems that we can't sustain playing well for long enough. Whether this is truly down to lack of structure, the need for some better quality players or a combination of all these things... I keep saying it but performances are multi-factoral, and not all of it is down the the coach.

Agreed. What I’ve noticed is that we can’t stay with good teams when they up the intensity. Multifactorial reasons……

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Wed May 15, 2024 8:44 am  

KaeruJim wrote:

Whatever Rohan's style is, and perhaps too much is made of it, I'm not sure he has the players to execute it. We are getting battered in the collision too often bringing it away from our line, fail to establish momentum, we lose the ruck too often and then pile pressure on ourselves by repeated basic mistakes.

So if we don't have the players to execute the playing style, why do we persist with it? Isn't that Einstein's definition of insanity?