Ashton and Union?

[DaveO]

Nine posted:
Millard was brought in to replace Wagga who was offered considerably more money and had a starting spot for next season dangled in front of him too. Millard offers experience, a crafty football brain, a great attitude and a different style to Higham.

He may have all of that but he can't apply it any more. You can see him spot the gap but he just can't get through it and his speed of passing is so slow the opposition are up in the receiver almost before they catch the ball.

McIlorum is our future at hooker but he's still very young and seems to have an injury jinx at the moment - we could not rely on him to back up Higham.

Surely no one for a moment, within or without the club, thought those two players were part of our long-term building, except in providing experienced cover while our undoubtedly talented youngsters get more experience, mature and let the coaching staff see who really is the real deal and who isn't.

The fact Withers and Millard were given two year deals is surely a mistake, especially Millard. He doesn't look capable of getting to the end of this season without the aid of a zimmer frame so who knows how he will go next.

As fans we need to go against our instincts sometimes and look longer-term than the next 80 minutes, the next month or even this season, and see where we are going and what shape we are likely to be in come 2008 and 2009 and onwards.

I am sure the club employed these two players for exactly the reasons you state. But just because they did doesn't mean it is working out particularly well. We are simply weaker in the hooking department having replaced Wagga with Millard.

Keep the faith - no one thought Nick Graham was a superstar but he is still held in respect for providing the experience and steadiness we needed when an injury crisis left us short of troops and with too many kids in the starting line-up. I think Withers and Millard will be seen to have performed the same service when we look back in years to come, albeit on a longer and more planned basis.

Graham was nothing like these two. He was not at the end of his career and unless Millard miraculously gains several yards of pace and speed of pass I very much doubt people will hold the same view of him as they do Graham. Millard won't be missed when he leaves.

Dave

[Cruncher]

pie eaters posted:
Dont talk so stupid, he is no where near fast enough to play wing he may be fast but nowhwere near fast enough to be a winger and as for centre Farrell and Tindall dwarf him.

When did size suddenly become a precondition to play centre? Remember Jim Renwick, Mike Gibson? Two of the best RU centres ever - both were about the same size as Chris Ashton, if not a little shorter in Renwick's case.

As for speed - that Wakefield kid who was chasing Ashton down last Friday is one of the fastest in SL (he caught Calderwood earlier), yet Ashton stayed a good 5 yards ahead of him for the entire run to the line. I'm a big critic of Ashton, but one thing you surely can't deny, he's very, very fast.

[GeoffN]

http://www.wigantoday.net/warriors-news ... id=2728144

[ancientnloyal]

Although that story does have some sensible words from Farrell, the rest is just tabloid rubbish making the reader... read it. Farrell single handedly keep Northampton up? bah! tosh-posh

[thegimble]

cpwigan posted:
:conf: I think smetimes you may as well tear your hair out when discussing issues. If somebody cannot even recollect the most obvious aspect of why Withers was bad v Saints then what hope is there

HE WAS SIN BINNED

He missed tackles that led to tries, he never did anything with the ball

Name me 1 player who did do anything with the ball against Saints. The side was poor not just one individual.

Still not answered my questio on Is Ashton defencivly very good.

[cpwigan]

Ashton is young player. He has some defensive weaknesses. Not as bad as many make out and he has done some wonderful things in defence. His main problem is he gets too square on to breakaway runners and thus can be stepped. He needs to approach more so he pushes the to one side and then his pace. He is also sometimes over confident dealing with grubbers.

Did you not read Gimble?

How is it that if Withers has a bad game you say well so did everybody BUT if Ashton does you blame him entirely.

V Saints we were in the game then Withers got sin binned and the game went away from us

[thegimble]

cpwigan posted:

Ashton is young player. He has some defensive weaknesses. Not as bad as many make out and he has done some wonderful things in defence. His main problem is he gets too square on to breakaway runners and thus can be stepped. He needs to approach more so he pushes the to one side and then his pace. He is also sometimes over confident dealing with grubbers.

Did you not read Gimble?

How is it that if Withers has a bad game you say well so did everybody BUT if Ashton does you blame him entirely.

V Saints we were in the game then Withers got sin binned and the game went away from us

Problem i have is this exscuse of young. Error versus the Bulls was not down to his young age. Neither is missing bombs and tackles.

Players make mistake never ind how old or young they are. Also he needs to be more direcft when returning a kick. He goes way too lateral at times, Calderwood also does this.

[The King]

Doug Stand posted:

cpwigan posted:
I have heard te link with Briscoe. Briscoe is okay. No better. All the best fullbacks are in the NRL. Briscoe is not a prospect. He shoud be the finished article by now. Although Hull sometimes drop him.

finally a bit of sense spoken about Briscoe... far too much romancing goes oabout him. He is at best OK.

Well said

[ancientnloyal]

Being honest, is anyone else a bit tired of all this talk now?

Obviously there is a right to the topic just im bored with it lol. I think people have said the same thing 4 times over during this thread already.

[cpwigan]

Gimble young players make mistakes through inexperience. To say a young player does not need time to develop beggars belief. To give you some examples, Bryan Fletcher was almost cut from first grade as a youngster. Jamie Peacock likewise. Steve Renouf suffered terribly from nerves as a youngster and was only half the player he became.

Running sideways. Sometimes players run according to instrucions. The back 3 will be told we want the set to begin in this section of the field. The detail is very precise BUT trust me setting sets up is vital in professional RL.