Re: Stand off - playmaker - game controller. : Fri Sep 16, 2022 5:46 pm  

charlie wrote:

Early on in the season Millers defence was lacking, remember that match winning tackle Murphy made against Wire? He really saved his captains bacon that day.

He turned it around though and the second part of the season came good.

Why he was so poor for large parts of the year who knows? He's always been a bit of an engima, not unlike Ben Jeffries. When hes on fire he is class, doesn't happen for a sustained period of time though.

I think it's the right time to move on for both parties, if he doesn't hit the ground running at Cas the support base will quickly turn on him.

Well we all see it differently but I’ve never seen Millers defensive game ever being off. He’s missed plenty but let’s be right so will Murphy through his career.

Miller is a slight man, he’s always at risk of being out muscled and sometimes is. The real question is why he was the one having to make at least some of those tackles because he makes way more tackles than some. I’ll go further Miller gets knocked off far less times than the man mountain Tanginoa does.

Re: Stand off - playmaker - game controller. : Fri Sep 16, 2022 7:36 pm  

Millers best games were when our forwards were dominant, though I feel when we were being dominated or on the back foot he struggled to turn the momentum, though how many in SL can do that? For me, there’s so many different factors to how a 6/7 performs, with the starting point being how the players around them are performing, particularly the forwards. The Miller/ Lino combo for large parts were below par, as neither are the game controlling players, it’s not their faults, but we went with what we had.
To find a player who will control the game and be dominant, even when we’re under the pump will be difficult. I rated Miller, I thought his defence was strong and put himself about, he obviously had flaws in his game, but most who join us have. I feel we’ll have to drop on lucky to get the player we all want to replace Miller, as for every Jackson Hastings coming over from the NRL there’s a Josh Reynolds, Jack Cogger or Matt Frawley.

Re: Stand off - playmaker - game controller. : Fri Sep 16, 2022 7:52 pm  

Pat Bateman wrote:

Millers best games were when our forwards were dominant, though I feel when we were being dominated or on the back foot he struggled to turn the momentum, though how many in SL can do that? For me, there’s so many different factors to how a 6/7 performs, with the starting point being how the players around them are performing, particularly the forwards. The Miller/ Lino combo for large parts were below par, as neither are the game controlling players, it’s not their faults, but we went with what we had.
To find a player who will control the game and be dominant, even when we’re under the pump will be difficult. I rated Miller, I thought his defence was strong and put himself about, he obviously had flaws in his game, but most who join us have. I feel we’ll have to drop on lucky to get the player we all want to replace Miller, as for every Jackson Hastings coming over from the NRL there’s a Josh Reynolds, Jack Cogger or Matt Frawley.

I’d never suggest that Miller had it all and I suppose that’s why we had him. Pound for pound though he is right up there in SL terms.

It will be interesting to see him at Cas, a team who’s style may suit him. I’ve always felt his biggest weakness was his decision making but with age that has improved. My fear is that he hasn’t peaked but is about to.

I’m in two minds, any other club and I’d wish him all the best but with Cas I’d be really happy if it doesn’t quite click.

Re: Stand off - playmaker - game controller. : Fri Sep 16, 2022 8:39 pm  

vastman wrote:

You mean a has been like Finn or Sykes or many more. Do we never learn?

The great Toppo left us at the so called passed it end of his career and went on to to do rather well at Hull.

Can we stop this. A player is a good player regardless of age and if we need a certain player and he’s over thirty so what.

Enlighten me why 25 - 27 is so special? There is no evidence of this whatsoever.

Topliss what a player…. A true legend. Be great if we could sign a player of his calibre.

Re: Stand off - playmaker - game controller. : Tue Sep 20, 2022 5:28 am  

To me it's not so much as Miller going, its more the calibre of the player we're going to get, to replace him. With the words said by MC a couple of weeks back, it doesn't look like too many major signings will be made.

On the whole, he's been good for us, but the best part if his play has always been running at the oppositions defensive line. However, is doesn't do this as often these days

Re: Stand off - playmaker - game controller. : Tue Sep 20, 2022 6:56 am  

Travelling Wilbury wrote:

To me it's not so much as Miller going, its more the calibre of the player we're going to get, to replace him. With the words said by MC a couple of weeks back, it doesn't look like too many major signings will be made.

On the whole, he's been good for us, but the best part if his play has always been running at the oppositions defensive line. However, is doesn't do this as often these days

He never said that or not in that context.

One thing MCJM have learnt and something I remember Ted eventually learning is that Trinity must NEVER give the impression that we have scored a coup.

In the past I know for certain that we have been out bid at the last moment on a number of players because somebody got to know we wanted them. Other clubs know Trinity are good at scouting talent, especially in the NRL and they know they can usually outbid us.

When we signed Solomona (the only real marquee signing we've ever made in SL) it caused an earthquake in the game at the time. He was easily the best signing of that season and could have gone anywhere. Gary Hatherington was spitting feathers with his own staff as he just couldn't believe how this had happened.

It actually happened because Solomona was an oddball on a mission and Ted actually stopped going out and drinking for a month so he didn't blab.

If we do sign a star player directly from the NRL, opposed to one already here, we the fans won't know about it until the moment it happens IMO.

Re: Stand off - playmaker - game controller. : Tue Sep 20, 2022 8:12 am  

I remember years ago we were meant to of signed Michael De Vere from Brisbane only for him to sign for Huddersfield instead, going back on a verbal agreement. He was an SOO and Aussie test centre at the time. Tbf he didn’t pull up trees.

Re: Stand off - playmaker - game controller. : Tue Sep 20, 2022 8:38 am  

Pat Bateman wrote:

I remember years ago we were meant to of signed Michael De Vere from Brisbane only for him to sign for Huddersfield instead, going back on a verbal agreement. He was an SOO and Aussie test centre at the time. Tbf he didn’t pull up trees.

Yep there is a long list.

TBF 90% were not signed and sealed so nobody was doing anything wrong, but the moment we showed interest so did others. 10% were pure skullduggery.

A lot depends on the player, some make a decision and stick to it, but like in normal life most can be tempted, just how it is, essentially it's a free market.

Hence we have to be more careful than most, we can't afford a bidding war and for now we've not much else to tempt them with.

If you listen to the podcasts a lot of the Aussie ones have one thing in common, they didn't know much about SL and didn't look too hard.

Re: Stand off - playmaker - game controller. : Tue Sep 20, 2022 10:23 am  

I seem to remember we signed Quentin Pongia but couldn't secure him a visa or work permit.

He signed for Wigan not so long after and they managed to sort the visa.

Re: Stand off - playmaker - game controller. : Tue Sep 20, 2022 10:29 am  

charlie wrote:

I seem to remember we signed Quentin Pongia but couldn't secure him a visa or work permit.

He signed for Wigan not so long after and they managed to sort the visa.

TBF that was as likely to have been pure incompetence on our part, hopefully those days are gone