Stand Off

[doc]

My point is i cant think on any team that would put marquee end wages on a Winger in a capped sport

Offiah in his prime would definitely be worth marquee money.

[Firestarter]

Genuine question, when French first joined us he played Stand Off at first? I also remember him playing Full Back with the Eels before he came here, can't remember him playing SO for them? To me, he is improving, he will get better behind a better pack and if they can sort out a partnership with Field - that would take some stopping.

He played wing for parra… I remember him signing and i said hes something special.Obviously at the time we had the usual people on here saying we dont needs another winger but omg sometimes you just need to take a chance. Didnt he want out at parra coz they wouldnt play him at fullback?

no its because he couldnt get a game, didnt they have ferguson and radradra and gutherson at fullback, so he never got a smiff

Yes might be that then but idid hear he wanted to play fullback.I honestly think hes a better fullback than gutho as he isnt the best in defence

[Wes]

For me i would see the 7 as the primary "leader" and the 6 the more opportunist player

that said id expect both to have the following skillset

Passing - French's is hit and miss atm
Kicking - apart from the odd grubber its not in his locker
Running threat - has this in spades along with possibly the best dummy in the league
Decent Defense - think he has that covered

To me you cannot spend top end of your cap on a Winger, i dont know any club that does or would do this - i cant imagine French being a low earner at Wigan so to that end he is either playing 6 or Fullback. If you move him to Fullback its what you then do with Field

Through their time here both of them have had periods in which they have been the out and out star for Wigan so its really hard to say if you had to keep but if one of them isnt going to be a half and we want to recruit a decent halfback (and by decent i mean above the likes of hampshire/miller/mellor type player) thn one of them will have to make way.

I cant see a situation in which we can recruit a classy 6 and keep both in a capped sport unless you really weaken another area to keep French on the wing which again for me is just not an option

Forwards decide who wins, the backs decide by how much is supposed to be a truism but only to a point in reality. The reason you spend a lot of money on a winger is because they score the tries. The way you go on sometimes you’d think every try a winger scored was a walk in.

Whether you like it or not, French is a better winger than Miski. If Wigan can’t afford French as a winger that’s a financial issue but it doesn’t mean we should afford his wage as a 6.

The problem Wigan have got is there are three wingers capable of being in the first 17, Marshall, Miski and French and no number 6 since Cust has obviously been declared not good enough.

This idea the first team is some sort of training ground for a potential 6 does my head in. First team jobs for players and coaches should be because that’s what they are. Not what they can be.

The trouble is the standard in SL is so low these days a pretend 6 like French may well get away with it.

Sometimes i wonder if recently you are even bothering to read peoples posts or just arguing with what you imagine people might be saying?!

I dont go on about every try being a walk in - and ive never once suggested that Miski has more ability than Bevan French.

You then talk about it being a financial issue if we cant afford French as a winger we shouldnt just stick him at 6 which is exactly the point im making in my post. My point is i cant think on any team that would put marquee end wages on a Winger in a capped sport

I disagree with your last point in bold too as players arent limited to stay in one position sometimes you unlock more potential in a player by moving them into a different position. Sam moving to full back as an obvious example but the sport is littered with other examples of players reaching the next level after a positional switch. Im not saying French will suddenly become the worlds best 6 im simply saying sometimes you have to try something if as a coach you think it will work for that player. You can't send him back to the reserves to spend a year at 6, you try it and see how it goes.

French is a long way from a top 6 however personally i think week on week he's played there he has improved so id be willing to let the experiment run a bit longer until at least the level of development in his understanding finishes

you seem to have this French has to be on the wing because he's suddenly the best winger in the world approach which im not even sure is the case. Who would i trust under a bomb more French/Miski? who would i bet on to make 30 yards on exit sets in a wet grand final French/Miski? who would i back to not be put in touch on a 10 yard dash to the line Miksi/French?

You cant just disregard the aspects of wing play that dont fit your French is the best winger narrative, there is more to wing play than simply running 100 yards or beating 3 people with footwork - if that were the case Kevin Penny and Jamie Foster would of had much better careers.

Again this is not me saying Miski is a better player or even a better winger but if i look at value i.e what they give you for what they are earning and the importance of that position then there isnt a gulf between the two

Not sure why you give his posts the time of day tbf, I can tell you put thought and effort into what you post and you contextualise it well, I don’t agree with all of them but that’s opinion.

What you don’t do is highlight other people’s views as poor opinions with baseless information to support them whilst countering with your opinion from way up high on the saddle whilst talking that much sh!t around your opinion that then like magic it turns into fact that should then be beheld by everyone else as a matter of fact.

[Wes]

I started this topic as personally I see a traditional 6 as someone who’s second receiver can just go through the motions and link together the moves that the 7 is calling for, can kick if needed but generally that’s a 7’s job (1st receiver) but has the freedom to as and when he sees fit to take the line on and try things that he sees instinctively, be it chip over the top, grubber through, big cut out pass whatever and if it doesn’t come off it’s not to worry that’s his job.

People on here say French is as fast of thought as he is fast, he can throw the cut out, and he’s as off the cuff as anyone in super league! Personally he has all the makings of a stand off and some BUT he’s scored a lot on the wing last year so let’s stick him back there.

His defence in the line is solid and his stats to me look pretty similar in the try assists and tries scored as what we’d associate with a 6.

Named in SL team of the week too at 6, go figure

[pedro]

He played wing for parra… I remember him signing and i said hes something special.Obviously at the time we had the usual people on here saying we dont needs another winger but omg sometimes you just need to take a chance. Didnt he want out at parra coz they wouldnt play him at fullback?

no its because he couldnt get a game, didnt they have ferguson and radradra and gutherson at fullback, so he never got a smiff

Yes might be that then but idid hear he wanted to play fullback.I honestly think hes a better fullback than gutho as he isnt the best in defence

give over

[moto748]

He's clearly not better than Gutho, but no shame in that; Gutho is one of he top three or four in the world.

[Firestarter]

Not a big fan of gutho.Much better fullbacks in the nrl.Tedesco, travoyevic.Drinkwater.The lad off brisbane.Cronullas fullback.Mitchell.Like i said his defence is very suspect

[DaveO]

The trouble is the standard in SL is so low these days a pretend 6 like French may well get away with it.

I am so sick of coming to this site and reading crap like this.

Day in, day out, year in, year out.

If it's so bad, why don't you turn your interest to another sport and leave us in peace?

It's an opinion and I get so sick of people like you responding with "reading crap like this" just because you disagree with something written on a forum. Day in, day out, year in, year out.

No one compels you to read it or comment. In fact if my opinions annoy you do much, why don't you bugger off to RLFANS? I am sure you will be happy there.

[pedro]

Not a big fan of gutho.Much better fullbacks in the nrl.Tedesco, travoyevic.Drinkwater.The lad off brisbane.Cronullas fullback.Mitchell.Like i said his defence is very suspect

Maybe 2 of them are

[pedro]

He's clearly not better than Gutho, but no shame in that; Gutho is one of he top three or four in the world.

Absolutely