Or that existing problems with this seasons team have not been solved with the axing of Witt, Fien, Rovelli or the signing of Jones.
So that leaves the coaching team or the forwards give or take?
Or that existing problems with this seasons team have not been solved with the axing of Witt, Fien, Rovelli or the signing of Jones.
So that leaves the coaching team or the forwards give or take?
Well if you look at the win ratio with Fien at 7, I would say that things were fixed
Have you got the stat handy buddy?
Kind of emphasises my point, it wasnt about the ramifications of his signing more what seemed to be the intentions.
Exactly, we won the first two games with Fien at halfback and then Stacey's solo impact play for some reason convinced Cleary that Jones should be starting, which led to Fien dropping off the radar again. The Fien/Moon combo was looking good in the trials (which we won all three of) and we won the first 2 games so why was it changed?
I think both Fien and Witt were pretty hard done by this year, yet Jones who still has not proven anything has unwavering faith. There's just too many inconsistencies.
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What about his 2008 and 2009 stats!?
I don't really care what he did, 2,3 and 4 years a go. I know he was a good player, but I haven't heard anything of him lately, hence why i made the comment he's fallen of the radar.
You said what has Smith ever done and Iafeta put up stats of what he has done. To be honest, there's not a lot of press over here of players doing well in the ESL so Smith has appeared to fall of the radar in our eyes but could actually be playing well in Wigan. The only way to know is to ask someone who follows them and has seen a lot of their games.
Anyway, dug up some 2008/09 stats for Smith (playing five-eighth, not halfback):
2008 - 6 games, 1 try, 2 try assists (not really enough games to make a fair judgement)
2009 - 10 games, 1 try, 7 try assists, 1 40/20
2008 - 6 games, 1 try, 2 try assists (not really enough games to make a fair judgement)
2009 - 10 games, 1 try, 7 try assists, 1 40/20
O.K so those aren't bad stats admittedly. :whistle:
All i'm saying is I think Finch is a very under-rated player, and I don't see why pople are quite reluctant to get him over here.
If you have a half going well in NRL and a half going just as well in Super League, you'd pick the NRL half anyday, because it's a higher calibre of competition. That's just my chain of thought anyway.
Kid, it's not always easy finding ESL stats, but the general consensus as I understand it is Wigan fans are quite happy with him. Wigan have a history of using great Australasian players; Frano Botica, Dean Bell, Kevin Iro, Tony Iro, Brett Kenny, Henry Paul, Steve Renouf, Gene Miles etc. As far as I know, his impact has been good.
I'm mindful we need organisation at the club in the halves. Smith has one of the tidiest kicking games going around. Finch is a little bit of a terrier, I think he has a little bit of what we could have got with Michael Crocker in a never surrender attitude, I thought he was harshly dealt with by the Roosters (then again they are and forever will be the transit lounge) but I thought his performances at Parramatta were signs that his star was waning. The only real comparison I can make between Tim and Finch is when they were together in 2007, Finch had 10 try assists for the year, Smith 27. Finch is a rowdy little bugger though who definitely knows how to make sure his forwards are heading in the right direction and he may be useful.
Either way, as long as they're not playing on one leg like poor old Stace, I think we'll be better off in 2010 with either one.
I'm mindful we need organisation at the club in the halves. Smith has one of the tidiest kicking games going around. Finch is a little bit of a terrier, I think he has a little bit of what we could have got with Michael Crocker in a never surrender attitude, I thought he was harshly dealt with by the Roosters (then again they are and forever will be the transit lounge) but I thought his performances at Parramatta were signs that his star was waning. The only real comparison I can make between Tim and Finch is when they were together in 2007, Finch had 10 try assists for the year, Smith 27. Finch is a rowdy little bugger though who definitely knows how to make sure his forwards are heading in the right direction and he may be useful.
Either way, as long as they're not playing on one leg like poor old Stace, I think we'll be better off in 2010 with either one.
Finch for 2009 is 11 games, 1 try, 6 try assists.
I think the issue though is his attitude, he left the Roosters in rather less than civil circumstances, walked out on the Eels mid-season and now the Storm after only having him for a few rounds have decided they don't want him come next year. That doesn't say a lot about the effect he has on the rest of the team.
Finch's best years were in the 03/04 Roosters side where he played behind a strong forward pack but since then he's struggled to find that kind of form.
I think the issue though is his attitude, he left the Roosters in rather less than civil circumstances, walked out on the Eels mid-season and now the Storm after only having him for a few rounds have decided they don't want him come next year. That doesn't say a lot about the effect he has on the rest of the team.
Finch's best years were in the 03/04 Roosters side where he played behind a strong forward pack but since then he's struggled to find that kind of form.
Brett Finch has never quite found his niche at any club.
The Warriors need someone just like him.
The Warriors should sign him for 2 years.
He is a solid director of play and the sort of mouth the Warriors need who does play heartily and has a few years of good football still in him.
We are not looking for a game breaker-we have any number of those.We just need a conductor.
The powers that be thought Stacey could offer that but he can't.
The Warriors need someone just like him.
The Warriors should sign him for 2 years.
He is a solid director of play and the sort of mouth the Warriors need who does play heartily and has a few years of good football still in him.
We are not looking for a game breaker-we have any number of those.We just need a conductor.
The powers that be thought Stacey could offer that but he can't.
ppl have got to learn the difference btw star players and passengers. brett finch is highly over-rated. he was touted as the next big halfback. plenty of high hopes around him. he is at max an average play-maker simple as that. u think he led the roosters to prominence or do u think it was him playing along side was of the greatest players in modern league?
he has a poor attitude and average skills. not a player i want on my team.
tim smith has plenty of potential. whether he can unleash it at the warriors is another thing. btw smith and finch tho, i say tim smith all the way.
he has a poor attitude and average skills. not a player i want on my team.
tim smith has plenty of potential. whether he can unleash it at the warriors is another thing. btw smith and finch tho, i say tim smith all the way.
We seem to be freeing up a LOT of salary cap space recently - when is Thurston off contract?
Or is it going to be from left-field (Piri Weepu?)
Or is it going to be from left-field (Piri Weepu?)
Jonathan Thurston would never come to the Warriors. Even the unlikelyhood of us offering him 600k.
It wouldnt be all that bad if we did sign Brett Finch. He's not the worse halfback in the nrl. He would be better than what we have now. But in saying that I hope we dont sign him. Unless he was really really cheap, and we intended to play Shaun Johnson alongside him. Or use Finch soley as a hooker.
It wouldnt be all that bad if we did sign Brett Finch. He's not the worse halfback in the nrl. He would be better than what we have now. But in saying that I hope we dont sign him. Unless he was really really cheap, and we intended to play Shaun Johnson alongside him. Or use Finch soley as a hooker.
Gary, I seem to recall (rightly or wrongly) that you said in the Ah Mau thread that the Warriors should have offered him whatever it took to keep him. But in this instance, you're saying no matter what the Warriors offer Thurston, he'll never come here. I know they're two different players at polar ends of the spectrum, but...the Warriors are in a lose-lose situation regardless, it seems.
I see your point, even though it is a different situation between the two players.
Jonathan Thurston is the best player in the world, hes an australian, he plays a key position, he demands a high price, rightly so, it would be hard to lure him over to NZ, especially when all the clubs in the nrl and uk would be after him. Whereas Lesson Ahmau already plays for the Warriors, hes been through our system, I feel like he should have been on top of the prority list along with Packer, Locke etc. A deal should have been done last year when the young guys like Sonny Fai, Russel Packer and Kevin Locke were signed for longer term deals. Lesson should have been part of that. I do think the Warriors should be offering him whatever it takes to resign him, within reasonable grounds, if it meant spending more on him than what we like, or what his market value is. Obviously if he was asking for 300k, than no. We all know who critical it is to have good quality depth in the front row. We need atleast 3 or 4 good props to make it. Good props dont come around often. And if we already have one in the making, why cant we do everything we can to hold on to him.
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Thurston's been quoted as saying he wants to go back to the Bulldogs when Brett Kimmorly retires. Our only hope of signing him would be Pricey, Thurston apparently is friends with Steve, hence one of the reasons Thurston gave Steve his 2004 Premiership Ring. So he intends to sign with the Bulldogs but if Price is still involved in the Warriors in 2010 Price may convince him, unlikely but from the articles I've read our only hope of us signing him.
