Re: Jeff Lima.

[cpwigan]

I watched his last game for the Storm and he was very good. He seems incredibly popular so on that front he should placate the Feka fans that liked him because he was nice. He kicked a conversion, almost a tradition when players leave. He made solid yards, one bust and did superbly to ride a big shoulder charge hit. He strikes me as the player Madge and Waney were trying to make Feka into which in itself worries me. Consistency and doing the unglamarous hard work is IMO Lima's forte in the mould of a Brian Case which means if fans are expecting fireworks they will be unhappy. Seems fit, agile and has a bit of a rugby brain so he can do the James Graham style go to the line, pass before it etc.

Hoffman scored a try and was very good. He is a lefty but like Hock carries and offloads with his right hand/arm. Again seems very popular and a real team player.

Finch did not play because he has broke a bone in his hand IIRC.

I would describe the players we are getting as really proffesional and team players. Think Case and at a stretch Platt and that is Lima. The idea of a fiery enforcer al a Skerrett is far from it. Strikes me more as cool under pressure and not easily intimidated.

[Woodentop07]

My mate is a massive roosters fan and hates the Storm with a passion but he says all three of our signings are awesome players.
Hoffman has the potential to be massive for us!

[exile in Tiger country]

I watched his last game for the Storm and he was very good. He seems incredibly popular so on that front he should placate the Feka fans that liked him because he was nice. He kicked a conversion, almost a tradition when players leave. He made solid yards, one bust and did superbly to ride a big shoulder charge hit. He strikes me as the player Madge and Waney were trying to make Feka into which in itself worries me. Consistency and doing the unglamarous hard work is IMO Lima's forte in the mould of a Brian Case which means if fans are expecting fireworks they will be unhappy. Seems fit, agile and has a bit of a rugby brain so he can do the James Graham style go to the line, pass before it etc.

Hoffman scored a try and was very good. He is a lefty but like Hock carries and offloads with his right hand/arm. Again seems very popular and a real team player.

Finch did not play because he has broke a bone in his hand IIRC.

I would describe the players we are getting as really proffesional and team players. Think Case and at a stretch Platt and that is Lima. The idea of a fiery enforcer al a Skerrett is far from it. Strikes me more as cool under pressure and not easily intimidated.

God forbid we get James Graham style forwards.
Get me a blockbusting, barnstorming, leaves the opposition scattered to the four corners of the pitch prop forward. One that excites and entertains, not that throws his dummy out and can't take a shot, and goes to ground as soon as he's touched.
Yes I know all his stats show Graham as a good forward, but he is deathly boring!!

[cpwigan]

For what it is worth I think Graham does not take the ball into contact enough. However, 1 v 13 is the worst odds possible and a prop that forces the defence to consider him possibly drawing and passing to a runner OR running the ball increases his odds considerably. No prop scatters defenders every time they take the ball up, I am not sure they ever did to be honest. Lima takes the ball up hard and saps energy from the defence. He does that 9 trimes out of 10 but 1 in 10 he might draw and pass because he seems to have a bit of a rugby brain.

The best prop forward this club / country ever had was a rugby playing prop who would not it seems be to your taste. What the likes of Graham or anybody do is nothing new. McTigue and Huddart was the perfect combination and that was 50 years ago.

[doc]

FWIW I think Graham's ball handling abiity is underrated. He can hit the line and off-load or act as a pivot causing the opposition to hesitate for that vital split second that gives Saints the advantage going forward. He also has a quick PTB. His main failing is that he goes missing when on the receiving end of a few good hits.

[gpartin]

FWIW I think Graham's ball handling abiity is underrated. He can hit the line and off-load or act as a pivot causing the opposition to hesitate for that vital split second that gives Saints the advantage going forward. He also has a quick PTB. His main failing is that he goes missing when on the receiving end of a few good hits.

I agree with this and with CP about his temperament. He is a quality ball handling prop and his workrate is second to none. He still acts like a spoilt child when things don't go his way and the way he speaks to referees is disgusting at times but he's a scouser so I guess its in his blood. Was discussing props with CP the other day and I just wonder what he's going to be like in a few years time, he's coming up to 25 and he's already been playing prop at a high level for about 7 years, not sure if bodies are designed to take such punishment over a long period and anyone who's played prop at even much lower levels will know how much it can take out of you although in my case it didn't help that I weighed 3 stone less than the others

[Mike]

Graham is offloading waaay too much this year. He is going to be a great prop and could already be, but he is getting carried away with his "ball playing" skills. A prop needs to take the ball up 9 out of 10 times, but he is seemingly at 1 out of 2 times IMO.

Props seem to come good in their 30s so I'd say he has time to learn on his side.

[gpartin]

Props seem to come good in their 30s so I'd say he has time to learn on his side.

This is the bit I'm not convinced about with Graham. You're right that props peak later than other players but most of them spend their early careers playing second row or, if they're out and out props they're usually deputising to a couple of older, more experienced props and playing shorter spells accordingly. Graham is still only just turning 25 but made his debut at a young age and has consistently played long spells since. Players who do this are the exception rather than the rule so I don't know when he's going to peak or if he's going to burnout prematurely.

[chris11]

BOOM!



[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyX1xPJN7-s[/youtube]

[cpwigan]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NljWW33BZs[/youtube]