Least disruptive is Richardson to scrum half, wilkin goes there and it completely changes our game of Wilkin at first receiver
Least disruptive is Richardson to scrum half, wilkin goes there and it completely changes our game of Wilkin at first receiver
This quote made after the game, so obviously knew that Smith has a possible long term injury.
Kieron added: "Danny Richardson did well. He hasn't been far away. Only a fool tries to hold something back and I'm not a fool. If he makes the team better we will filter him through and make sure it is the right.
This is now the time KC. if he does not work out I think 'us' fans will at least credit KC for trying him.
Humans are more concerned with having than being.
I feel like Cunningham still doesn't trust Fages sufficiently to throw in another youngster at half.
A leopard never changes its spots and Cunningham's risk averseness all but guarantees that an unexciting steady old pro gets thrown in at 7, whether it's Wilkin or Lee.
Kieron has been quoted as saying it was a NINJA tackle? (not sure what this is)
I was in the west stand and did not see it myself, was it bad and does the offending players get banned if found guilty?
Seriously if Wilkin is picked in the halves again I want a refund on my season ticket!
Awful news about Matty Smith and I hope he can make a quick recovery.KC still has a clean sheet with me and we have to hope he will stick the kid in and leave him to develop.Far better than reverting to type and making JW the whipping boy.
Learned comment from The Don
I think we need to show a bit of perspective here and think this through.
Whether he keeps Wilkin at 13 or moves him to 7, he has to keep him at first receiver anyway. There is no way you ask Fages or Richardson to take the team around the field and expect to win games against good sides. Fages showed yesterday why he didn't play consistently last year; he's still not composed enough and blew three potential tries. He's energetic and young so I can see why fans get behind him but he needs to be managed through games. That's why we signed Smith. Richardson hasn't played a Super League game yet, he's 20 years old but that fact still remains. I've watched him consistently over the last three years or so and he's got the ability but it's a huge step up. I'm all for him playing a few games here and there but asking to start the season at 7 and take first receiver is a big ask.
I'd have no issue with him starting Wilkin at 7, fans will no doubt use it against him because the kids can do no wrong at Saints at the minute but Wilkin is a better 7 than Richardson at this stage. You either start Wilkin at 7 alongside Fages or you start Wilkin at 13, play him centrally and have Fages and Richardson play off him. Whichever he goes with is the a fair option but Wilkin takes first receiver either way and that's right thing to do.
Steve Prescott MBE (1973-2013)
V
Exactly, in the short term Richardson needs to be given his chance and be in the 1st 17 with adjustment, I think its already been mentioned and suggested in attack run with 3 halves, Wilkin with Fages and Richardson either side of him. Without Richardson we could possibly have an erratic kicking game. Hopefully we will see Fages/Richardson starting next week, until we know the extent of Matty's injury its not panic stations yet.
Sad news about Smith, I never like to see any player injured. Best wishes for a speedy return to fitness.
Wilkin is nit and will never be a half back. His decision making and execution isn't good enough. I would rather sacrifice the season and let Richardson and Fage play together and learn than keep banging our collective head on the wall of Wilkin in the halves.
This is almost a risk free chance to play Richardson, nobody is being rested, nobody's being dropped and nobody should criticise Kc for doing so. I will be disappointed to see anything else.
I hope he has a speedy & complete recovery. I was against his signing but, now he's here, want him to set the competition alight - albeit with a bit of an enforced delay now.
I think it's a decent idea to play Richardson/Fages at half, with Wilkin in at 13 to help with the game-control aspect until Richardson finds his feet (as long as Capt Coffee doesn't keep hoofing the ball on the third tackle)
Wilkin is very experienced, but after being tortured by hours of watching him ham-fist his way through the job of guiding us around the park I feel it has been well and truly established beyond all doubt that he is not a half back. I'm quite happy to say, on the basis of 60 mins evidence, that Richardson is a better half back than Wilkin. Because he is a half back. If it were up to me, I'd have Richardson in the side and commanding the play (as he does in the youth team) through the early rounds. Let him make mistakes and learn from them, and let Wilkin mentor him on the pitch, but for the love of God let the job of playing half-back be done by a half-back. If it transpires that Richardson can't tackle, then fair enough, that would be a problem, but I don't think he should be left out because of a fear of giving him responsibility.
Aside from wanting to see a young half back get a chance, I'd also like to see Wilkin get an extended run in the back row, where I think he still has plenty to contribute.
I wanted Smith back at Saints, I never wanted him to leave and I was looking forward to seeing us playing with 2 half backs again because I also like Fages now that Matty is injured I want to see the best alternative , a Richardson who I have watched a good few times and who ran the academy final winning team and Fages who I want to begiven the chance that he deserves 2 young good rugby league players give them the chance , I studied long and hard before deciding to renew my season ticket and if Wilkin goes back to Scrum half then I will be annoyed I have watched Saints with Wilkin at scrum half and it has not been a pleasure watching them.
I would agree that starting the season with Fages and Richardson would indeed mean that we were not at 100% effectiveness, and I would agree that right now as a tandem they probably aren't ready to lead a team around to a tip-top level.
However, give them 10 games together and I think they either prove themselves worthwhile or prove that their time has not yet arrived. As another poster said, it is a great chance to give Richardson the 7 shirt and give him some games. Nobody is being dropped, nobody is having their ego or their pride harmed, it is a simple promotion of the No.2 scrum half into the team to cover for the injury of the No.1 scrum half.
We have enough quality in the team to win enough games to keep ourselves in the conversation. If this were August and we were fighting for a Top 2 place and maybe had a Cup Final coming up then I would see the logic in not throwing the lad under a bus so to speak. But for the opening 6-10 games, when we can lose a few and not be unduly harmed by it, I say give him the shirt and roll with it. Better to be in a situation later in the year where we know we can throw Richardson in if we need to, having already giving him a run out now.
My personal opinion is that he probably is yeah but he's clearly got talent so I'm not too concerned with that. Lilley played a lot with Burrow last year who's vastly experienced, Pattern has played alongside Gidley, Briers and Sandow, Shorrocks has played with Smith and a bit off the bench, Williams similar, Albert with Carney and Myler so could play off more experienced players until they found their feet. They were all brought in gradually which is what you want with halves. Theo Fages is in the same boat as the players you've just mentioned so it's difficult to pair them together. I wanted to see Richardson brought in slowly this year alongside Smith so he could play off him. Alongside Fages it's going to be difficult for him because Fages is at a similar stagqe, albeit further along.
As I said though, if you want to play Richardson you just have to split the field a bit. Wilkin's main strength now is his ability to take the ball to the line and engage defenders so by that logic you have Fages covering the left and Richardson the right either side of him. The question mark over that is do you want to sacrifice a forward? We've got a bit enough pack to do that.
Asking Richardson to take control at 1st receiver after never playing a SL game is a big ask though and in the game now it's rarely done. I personally would have Wilkin centrally, Fages left, Richardson right but I wouldn't be disappointed if we saw Wilkin at 7 in round 1. Richardson will play this year, you've got to do in the right way though.
Steve Prescott MBE (1973-2013)
V