PF Warrior wrote: ↑Sat Sep 16, 2023 2:07 pm
I'm sure it is a confidence issue with Harry He can only sort that himself with a little help from a kicking coach. It is no good giving the lad grief. Its support he needs.
I think you've missed the point. He's been receiving coaching from a professional goal kicking coach for which I'm sure we've paid handsomely. But I'm not convinced it's worked
For how long?
If it was that easy everyone would be knocking them over at 90+%
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
What frustrates me about our kicking situation is that it seems weird that such an important role is seemingly voluntary.
Smith's kicking has been an issue for the entire season but no one else has stepped up to take over duties from him (except one game against Catalans where I believe Field missed one attempt). Now maybe it's because everyone else is massively worse, but somehow it seems unlikely that among our players there isn't anyone else (Hampshire aside) that can kick goals? Most teams seem to have a few different options.
I just find it strange that we care enough to find a dedicated kicking coach for Smith but don't seem to be getting anyone else to practice and learn from the kicking coach at the same time. All the talk is that he's working with Smith. When Smith was practicing earlier in the year it was with Joe Shorrocks and our analyst.
Maybe it's only me who thinks it's mad, but I don't know why you wouldn't have 3 or 4 players regularly practicing to ensure you have competition. Whoever is best is the kicker and if they struggle the next in line takes over.
"I could kick goals but I don't want to" doesn't seem like the sort of attitude professional athletes would have in any other aspect of the sport.
Maybe this all does happen and we've just got a terrible group of kickers, but whenever there's talk of kicking practice and dedicated coaching it's only ever Smith that's mentioned.
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
