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Thread: Percival could've been the difference...

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    Default Percival could've been the difference...

    Justin Holbrook believes Mark Percival could have been the difference for England in their World Cup final defeat to Australia.

    The Saints centre was used just once during the World Cup as Wayne Bennett and his coaching staff picked makeshift centre John Bateman in the role instead.

    England managed to score just one try in their two matches against Mal Meninga’s men, who in total conceded just 16 points throughout the entire campaign.

    Holbrook was a keen spectator throughout the competition as he worked as a pundit for the BBC, and he told TotalRL that his star centre could have had a big impact if given an opportunity

    Read more...

    http://www.totalrl.com/holbrook-back...isappointment/

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    In The South Stand Paul Newlove's Avatar
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    It's pretty much what we've all said on here, I reckon Shenton could have made the difference also. I don't think Percival will feature much as long as Bennett is in charge.

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    It's the elephant in the room that Bennett cannot or refuses to see. Bateman might be a slightly better defender than Percy but going forward Percy is an awful lot better than Bateman. No disrespect to Bateman but he would not get into the England pack on merit in my view.
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    Personally I think Percy is not quite there at international level. Whenever he has played he has done OK but I can understand him being back up centre in the squad.

    What I can't understand is him being back up to a second row. That's potty.

    I don't think anyone would have argued if Shenton had kept him out with a view to Percy being the long term plan but going to the WC get the experience. It's mind boggling to take a specialist centre as back up for a second row in the wrong position. You might as well have taken another forward instead of Percy and said sod it we don't need any specialist centres.

    As I've said before the entire squad selection was bizarre. Brown went, Maguire didn't. Shenton was left out, Ratchford went, and Ratboy was left out so we had a fullback and centre playing out of position and a stand off who played half the season in the championship.

    Very strange.

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    really is sorry Reacher's Avatar
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    Default Percival could've been the difference...

    From what I have been told, Bennett is a huge stats man. He places a huge emphasis on completion and highlights errors. It’s clear why Percival and McMeeken got so little game time as they were both at the top for errors.

    Of course Percival chances his arm more than most. It’s why we love to watch him. However it also explains why Bennett never trusted him.

    Also it’s no wonder the players want Bennett to stay. After each game the whole squad were given 3 days off. They were then flogged for 2 days and those that weren’t in the 17 man squad for the next game had another 2 days off. So the likes of Williams, Percival and Taylor were basically drinking 5 days out of 7 whilst topping up their tan. Nice work if you can get it!!


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    Last edited by Reacher; 11th December 2017 at 07:21.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Reacher View Post

    Also it’s no wonder the players want Bennett to stay. After each game the whole squad were given 3 days off. They were then flogged for 2 days and those that weren’t in the 17 man squad for the next game had another 2 days off. So the likes of Williams, Percival and Taylor were basically drinking 5 days out of 7 whilst topping up their tan. Nice work if you can get it!!
    That's not how any pro athlete I've ever met has ever thought. You must know a whole different type of athlete.

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    In The North Stand With All The Old Folk Belgian Saint's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Reacher View Post
    Also it’s no wonder the players want Bennett to stay. After each game the whole squad were given 3 days off. They were then flogged for 2 days and those that weren’t in the 17 man squad for the next game had another 2 days off. So the likes of Williams, Percival and Taylor were basically drinking 5 days out of 7 whilst topping up their tan. Nice work if you can get it!!


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    Ridiculous situation if true, but I find it hard to believe.

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    Quote Originally Posted by forward ref View Post
    That's not how any pro athlete I've ever met has ever thought. You must know a whole different type of athlete.
    I didn’t say they were p*****d every day I simply said what the situation was. Having a couple of beers with your evening meal is still drinking.




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    Quote Originally Posted by Reacher View Post
    I didn’t say they were p*****d every day I simply said what the situation was. Having a couple of beers with your evening meal is still drinking.




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    Nobody in a World Cup,could go 'Off Tour' you could be required play at any time through injury,Bennett is the consumate professional, what you are alluding to would never be allowed to happen

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris1964 View Post
    N... what you are alluding to would never be allowed to happen
    More importantly for me is that I just can't see the players themselves believing they were on any sort of good thing not being picked or thinking they were having 5 days off. Those days of that sort of attitude are way gone.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris1964 View Post
    Nobody in a World Cup,could go 'Off Tour' you could be required play at any time through injury,Bennett is the consumate professional, what you are alluding to would never be allowed to happen
    See Scotland RL.

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    The issue for me is purely down to not picking a specialist centre.

    Picking players at test match level out of position rarely works and the lessons seem to be seldom learned. I simply cannot understand why Bennett went with Bateman at Centre when
    he could have picked either Percival or even Ratchford (who has played at Centre loads of times and would have offered more of an attacking threat than Bateman as well.
    If Bennett had gone with Shenton I'd have been more than happy with that as he had a great season, has the experience and would have offered much more in attack and defence than Bateman.

    A poor selection choice which ultimately cost England by nullifying our attacking options to one side of the pitch.

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    The positive for Saints is that Percival was denied the opportunity to show what an attacking player he is.He is now less likely to be a target for any NRL clubs.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Broken Hill Man View Post
    The positive for Saints is that Percival was denied the opportunity to show what an attacking player he is.He is now less likely to be a target for any NRL clubs.
    I also think that Holbrook is a good enough coach to use Percival’s omission from the England team as an incentive for him to prove Bennett wrong.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Broken Hill Man View Post
    The positive for Saints is that Percival was denied the opportunity to show what an attacking player he is.He is now less likely to be a target for any NRL clubs.
    Not true. I was privy to a list of players who were under observation from Aussie clubs prior to the Magic Weekend a couple of years back. Many of the NRL clubs had their scouts over here. Almost every SL club had at least one player being watched, some had four or five!!
    Whilst they were over they also took in some academy games, that's how detailed they were. Some of the players on that list were not regular 1st teamers at the time.
    Last edited by Rogues Gallery; 12th December 2017 at 16:41.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogues Gallery View Post
    Not true. I was privy to a list of players who were under observation from Aussie clubs prior to the Magic Weekend a couple of years back. Many of the NRL clubs had their scouts over here. Almost every SL club had at least one player being watched, some had four or five!!
    Whilst they were over they also took in some academy games, that's how detailed they were. Some of the players on that list were not regular 1st teamers at the time.
    How concerned should we be?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Loose Forward Bloke View Post
    How concerned should we be?
    Two of them were from Saints and have since left, although one has returned to the U.K. I#m expecting Wigan to lose one or two at the end of this coming season. As a game I think we should all be concerned, hopefully the changes to be announced may help but without getting more money into the game it's going to be more difficult. The new t.v deal will be key but I'm hearing the old one isn't quite what it was made out to be.

    edit.
    My major concern was when I saw the suffix "futures" wrt our (all clubs) academy players.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogues Gallery View Post
    Two of them were from Saints and have since left, although one has returned to the U.K. I#m expecting Wigan to lose one or two at the end of this coming season. As a game I think we should all be concerned, hopefully the changes to be announced may help but without getting more money into the game it's going to be more difficult. The new t.v deal will be key but I'm hearing the old one isn't quite what it was made out to be.

    edit.
    My major concern was when I saw the suffix "futures" wrt our (all clubs) academy players.
    I imagine that those that have left where Greenwood and Turner. Turner being the one to since return. Greenwood had long been admired by Gus (?) Gould before leaving for the Gold Coast.

    I agree on the comment about losing academy players. Wasn't there a lad recently who was 16 and signed for Brisbane after coming through at Newton Storm? Can't remember his name but I certainly remember reading about something along those lines.

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    [QUOTE=Rogues Gallery;722216]Not true. I was privy to a list of players who were under observation from Aussie clubs prior to the Magic Weekend a couple of years back. Many of the NRL clubs had their scouts over here. Almost every SL club had at least one player being watched, some had four or five!!
    Whilst they were over they also took in some academy games, that's how detailed they were. Some of the players on that list were not regular 1st teamers at the time.[
    /QUOTE]

    As a matter of interest which players off that list signed for Aussie clubs.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Loose Forward Bloke View Post
    I imagine that those that have left where Greenwood and Turner. Turner being the one to since return. Greenwood had long been admired by Gus (?) Gould before leaving for the Gold Coast.

    I agree on the comment about losing academy players. Wasn't there a lad recently who was 16 and signed for Brisbane after coming through at Newton Storm? Can't remember his name but I certainly remember reading about something along those lines.
    Herbie Farnworth. I know Wigan are still very keen due to connections with someone very close to him, but he's doing exceptionally well over there. Someone showed me some video of a couple of tries he scored over there, very impressive.

    As for the ones who have left already I think there were about five off who have gone. I won't name names for obvious reasons, but as I said previously they were looking top to bottom, age and experience wise.

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    In The West Stand Ralph Fridge's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogues Gallery View Post
    Not true. I was privy to a list of players who were under observation from Aussie clubs prior to the Magic Weekend a couple of years back. Many of the NRL clubs had their scouts over here. Almost every SL club had at least one player being watched, some had four or five!!
    Whilst they were over they also took in some academy games, that's how detailed they were. Some of the players on that list were not regular 1st teamers at the time.

    So what you're saying is that there are possibly players coming through club's academies who have been scouted as it were?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ralph Fridge View Post
    So what you're saying is that there are possibly players coming through club's academies who have been scouted as it were?
    Yes.
    There were two who went from Leeds to N.Z. Warriors but it didn't work out for them. Baldwinson and Tonks?

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    When Joe Burgess went a young Wigan forward was also offered a deal but declined at that point.

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    Quote Originally Posted by THELAST3YARDS View Post
    When Joe Burgess went a young Wigan forward was also offered a deal but declined at that point.
    He's one of the two Wigan players I referred to in a previous post, and I think will go in 2019. It's still a couple of years too early for him IMO, he's still only twenty-two.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogues Gallery View Post
    He's one of the two Wigan players I referred to in a previous post, and I think will go in 2019. It's still a couple of years too early for him IMO, he's still only twenty-two.
    Agreed, iirc he was in the middle of a college course when the initial offer came in.

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