Shaun1967 wrote:
So are we taking it as fact now that IL does all the hiring and firing with no input from the coaching team?
I think this raises an interesing point.
I don't think Maguire would pick any player he didn't want to. So if he was here next year I think either Gareth Thomas wouldn't be coming, or he wouldn't play him if he did. Notwithstanding injuries and Thomas somehow suddenly becoming a world class Rugby League player overnight.
It will certainly be interesting to see whether any pressure is put on Wane to pick Thomas at any point if he's in charge next season (assuming he does join as a "player" of course).
On a wider point, there is no doubt in my mind that with the RUMOURED incoming players allied to the fact over who we know is going (Hoffman, Coley, O'Carroll) and who might well be off (Deacon) there is no way you could say our squad would have improved for next season, as it stands.
DaveO wrote:I feel sorry for Wane. He is going to be lumbered with Lauaki and some Crusader rejects compared to Madge who has Coley and Hoffman in the side with O'Carroll ready for a come back.
So are we taking it as fact now that IL does all the hiring and firing with no input from the coaching team?
If (and it is all still a rumour) the rumoured signings come off then I would say yes. There is no way Wane would want to sign Thomas for example.
iwficon wrote:I don't think Maguire would pick any player he didn't want to. So if he was here next year I think either Gareth Thomas wouldn't be coming, or he wouldn't play him if he did. Notwithstanding injuries and Thomas somehow suddenly becoming a world class Rugby League player overnight.
It will certainly be interesting to see whether any pressure is put on Wane to pick Thomas at any point if he's in charge next season (assuming he does join as a "player" of course).
On a wider point, there is no doubt in my mind that with the RUMOURED incoming players allied to the fact over who we know is going (Hoffman, Coley, O'Carroll) and who might well be off (Deacon) there is no way you could say our squad would have improved for next season, as it stands.
I agree 100%. My one concern over Wane as coach is how much he will be able to ignore IL telling him to play Thomas (if as you say he signs as a player) and how generally he can stand up any interfering however slight, whereas if Madge were still here I just don't think there would be the slightest chance of Thomas coming or Madge bending to IL over playing matters.
Also glad to see if these rumoured signings do come off how that affects the squad.
Locker's #1 fan wrote:Should be a good signing Mr Leneghan knows what he is doing, he hasn't gone wrong yet, in Pollard we trust
Excuse me, would you mind changing your profile name to
Lockers #2 fan please?
Everyone on here & Sean himself knows I'm his #1 fan
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
First impressions are I am not over inspired with Lauaki, however he has been playing under Agar.
In another thread Leuluai describes the attention to detail Madge puts in. This is the same Madge who coached against Lauaki in the NRL and may have seen something in him there.
Despite what some may say on here, Madge has had input to next years signings with the new coach.
“Usually the fans that abuse players like Sam have never done anything of any note themselves. They’re nobodies, whose greatest claim to fame is abusing someone who has, and these so-called ‘Eddie the Experts’ pretend to their mates that they have."
Put some good runs going forward (and flattened Riley), but gave away a penalty that led to a try and was caught with his back to wire for a tap penalty.
He will seriously need to up his fitness and sort out his discipline if he is to be any good for us next year.
"And Martin Offiah, trying to make some space, now then..." - Ray French, Wembley 1994
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Interviewer: So that obviously means that you're not going to St Helens and you're not going to Leeds?
Frano: I don't know why I would ever want to go to St Helens or Leeds
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Matthew wrote:He looked like Feka Mk2 last night against wire.
Put some good runs going forward (and flattened Riley), but gave away a penalty that led to a try and was caught with his back to wire for a tap penalty.
He will seriously need to up his fitness and sort out his discipline if he is to be any good for us next year.
how long was he playing for? When I lived in Hull I watched Hull FC regularly at the KC and can honestly say I never saw Lauaki do anything worthwhile at all. Last night Lauaki had looked strong and seemed to be on the field for ages. The tackle on hodgson wasn't brilliant but I've seen a lot worse and I dont think it fell into the category of thuggery or stupidity as some of his tackles have been in the past. He did seem to take his time getting back into the line but if we don't know what his instructions are in defence. I think with Feka we made the mistake of having him running about in defence and as a dummy runner rather than using him as a human wrecking ball and maybe Lauaki has been specifically instructed to take his time a bit to conserve energy I really can't knock his attacking effort last night.
Gareth Thomas before his first game: "You wanna spend 10 mins getting smashed up by these guys..Big dudes here.."
