Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Sat Nov 25, 2023 12:49 pm  

christopher wrote:

Myler saying in the YEP that it was 100% his decision to go to York and the club wanted him to stay, seems like there’s no ill feeling at all between the two parties and he’s saying he’s a Rhinos fan for life now.

I di think we might see another incoming before the season starts.

Yep. Says Leeds wanted him to stay, which casts doubt on the notion that he was allowed to go in order to remain cap compliant. I think we do have space, but we're not going to fritter it away on a nothing signing.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Sat Nov 25, 2023 3:19 pm  

Myler is too good to be looking ahead at the season and possibly not playing first grade. Right time to move on: you can’t just keep endless reserves of players; it works better when the young talent is coming through and trying to push past the senior player, rather than two senior players for one spot.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Sun Nov 26, 2023 9:00 am  

We haven't had enough quality come through the juniors consistently enough to put pressure on senior players. That might be changing, but hopefully the lesson has been learned that development isn't a tap you can turn on and off at will, you need to keep it going, even if it means developing quality juniors that go elsewhere.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Sun Nov 26, 2023 9:54 am  

Once were Loiners wrote:

We haven't had enough quality come through the juniors consistently enough to put pressure on senior players. That might be changing, but hopefully the lesson has been learned that development isn't a tap you can turn on and off at will, you need to keep it going, even if it means developing quality juniors that go elsewhere.

100% spot on. I hope you're right and it is changing.next The club's been too easily drawn into a next great white hope mindset for too long. The overhaul of the starting 17 is welcome. Let's hope the same applies to player development.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Sun Nov 26, 2023 11:15 am  

Developing youngsters is the only long term sustainable way for any club. I don’t understand why clubs wouldn’t do it, it’s cheaper, you get to decide which players you try to keep (rather than sign) and you can constantly improve the quality of the squad if you get it right. There’s no negative.

Glad to see the club are taking it seriously again.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Sun Nov 26, 2023 1:13 pm  

Once were Loiners wrote:

Not sure what you're saying there. The one thing everyone agrees on is that Olpherts was really poor last year. Smith will know that better than anybody. The only questions are whether there's a decent option elsewhere for Olpherts, and what happens if he stays. On a personal level I hope Olpherts can turn it around regardless, as I did with Hooley. The difference so far is that Hooley really only had one bad game, but Olpherts kept making mistakes all season.

Its not impossible for him to change that, as he clearly wasn't that bad at Cas, but unless he manages a complete reset in the off season he looks shot.

I'm convinced it is all psychological at this point. There is no way that a player has got to top-flite level rugby without the ability to catch a ball. He has got into his own head, and is now dropping the ball before it has left the other players hands.

The club needs to be putting him in front of a sports psychologist and then giving him some confidence building catching drills. Once he sorted the basic handling errors, he should be a reasonable cover player.

On another note, a coach friend of mine suggested that his errors look like those made by someone who habitually overuses grip spray. I've never used the stuff, but surely it would take a coach 5 minutes to check.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Sun Nov 26, 2023 1:25 pm  

Leeds_Luke wrote:

I'm convinced it is all psychological at this point. There is no way that a player has got to top-flite level rugby without the ability to catch a ball. He has got into his own head, and is now dropping the ball before it has left the other players hands.

The club needs to be putting him in front of a sports psychologist and then giving him some confidence building catching drills. Once he sorted the basic handling errors, he should be a reasonable cover player.

On another note, a coach friend of mine suggested that his errors look like those made by someone who habitually overuses grip spray. I've never used the stuff, but surely it would take a coach 5 minutes to check.

Not sure about the grip spray stuff but it’s not uncommon for players of all sports to get the yips.

As others have said I don’t remember him habitually making errors like this at Cas, that seemed to be much more aimed at Eden.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Sun Nov 26, 2023 2:54 pm  

Wrt Olpherts I must admit when I saw him play for Cas I always thought he looked ok.
However after he signed for us a number of Cas supporters I spoke to said he quite often had a mistake or two in him.
Sour grapes I thought but after seeing him play for us it did ring true.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Sun Nov 26, 2023 3:24 pm  

Barrie’s Glass Eye wrote:

Not sure about the grip spray stuff but it’s not uncommon for players of all sports to get the yips.

As others have said I don’t remember him habitually making errors like this at Cas, that seemed to be much more aimed at Eden.

It definitely looks to me like a mental issue like the yips. Maybe starting when he had a bad game against Cas at the start of last season, and got worse feom there. He wouldn't be anywhere near the squad if he genuinely couldn't catch a ball.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Sun Nov 26, 2023 8:36 pm  

batleyrhino wrote:

Developing youngsters is the only long term sustainable way for any club. I don’t understand why clubs wouldn’t do it, it’s cheaper, you get to decide which players you try to keep (rather than sign) and you can constantly improve the quality of the squad if you get it right. There’s no negative.

Glad to see the club are taking it seriously again.

Care to elaborate re. "Taking it Seriously again?"