Quote PopTart="PopTart"Now I haven't read every post on this thread but the early ones seemed to be bagging the team and Kear’s selection. I know I've come late to the discussion but I don't agree at all.
In my view we were not as good as the opposition, but we knew that before the game. What we did show was great spirit, still playing well and hard at the end when the game was gone. With the team we had and the recent distractions, I thought it was a very good performance across the board.
Team selection, I can understand. Millard has not played well in preseason. I think the others have, so give them the chance. Some of the posts about selection are ridiculous, suggesting that Hyde should not have been in at SO but then suggestion Morrison or Howarth. First, give Hyde a chance as he hasn’t looked bad in preseason, and second, the other two may be able to cover but they are not stand offs and would not have improved things apart from another forward defending.
Thought playing Tommy Lee at LF worked to a certain extent without being quite a masterstroke. He obviously decided that with Hyde playing debut at SO, he needed help and having another ball player in would help. His kicks were good. His defence was good. Personally I like Howarth and wouldn’t keep going with this but it was worth a try to mix things up in a game where we were always up against it. Easy with hindsight to point the finger.
Criticising the defensive pattern because the winger gets caught out isn’t the full story. This very rarely happens because the centre has gone missing. It happens because the forwards are struggling to hold in midfield and the whole line gets dragged in. Shouting “stay with your winger” isn’t really helping. They will just run into the gap along the line. Thought George did well to cut the wide man out, and he got a big hit as well and didn’t break in two so he’s improving fitness.
I can’t imagine Kear tells them to leave a big gap out wide to let some tries in. In a tight defence in midfield the centres and half backs need to come up fast, with the winger and fullback covering the kick. We are just flat footed, which is at least a joint issue with player and coach. Not all coach.
Of course if we had loads of moeny I'd swap a few players out,but overall I say what I said in preseason, they are not perfect but they are putting the effort in against the odds. For that they’ll get my support and money. There have been plenty of previous years where more skilful players have not played for the team……this is better in my opinion'"
This is exactly the point - if Millard hasnt played well,why pick him at all.
But then to compound it,JK picks him on the bench.A complete waste of an interchange player.Lets not forget JK has a track record of wasting interchange places,Blanch/Morton/Blaymire selected on the bench spring to mind.
Has JK realised its a 17 man game?
What concerns me is time and time again he wastes interchange players,so what exactly is his game plan when he has an out and out centre on the bench,or an out and out winger or fullback.Unless of course he bases his plans on 16 players!!!
I have absolutely no qualms with the effort put in by the guys on Saturday.
I dont imagine JK tells them much at all as his coaching methods/techniques are so dated.
We have some promising youngsters,but i fear JK does not have the ability to bring the best out of them.
