A few absentees against Catalans was it tactical (as it worked) or forced ? Ashworth, Lees, Welsby & Peyroux. Big shout out to Woolfy first time i've seen him smile and get the team playing as Justin left them.
A few absentees against Catalans was it tactical (as it worked) or forced ? Ashworth, Lees, Welsby & Peyroux. Big shout out to Woolfy first time i've seen him smile and get the team playing as Justin left them.
Surely the club won’t completely leave out Costello and Ashworth for the rest of the season? You would have expected Ashworth to have been fourth sub yesterday not Batchelor yet there was no mention of why he was omitted by the club. And yes I have read the rumours.
Batchelor needs a couple of games to evaluate his game he has only bit part appearances, apart from his first touch knock on I thought he blended into the side quite well on the edges, he's also quite quick when we use the sliding defence.
As far as the other squad absentees go I should imagine the pecking order would be:-
Lees
Peyroux
Paulo
Welsby
Ashworth
Dodd
Certainly a big improvement on early season form, in the short term Thompson wasn't missed. Some real bonecrunchers went in yesterday and after a bit of an end to end start Saints got back into the gear we have all come to enjoy. Bookies made us favourites during the enforced break what do they know that had us doubting whether we'd play the Saints way again. After a shaky start to his reign KW answered a lot of questions yesterday and long may it continue.
On the Back foot looking for the front one.
I think with the faster pace of the games, with the ammended rules, will see players recovery rates being different to previous, especially some of older forwards. I suspect we will start a bit of rotation after around 3 games.
I think it came down to more of a straight fight between Amor and Ashworth for a bench spot rather than Ashworth and Batchelor. Not sure you’d want 3 props on the bench with the new fast paced style of play. Obviously doesn’t see Ashworth as a back row option.
Costello will probably get some game time with the heavy schedule of games as will Welsby. I doubt Woolf will pick a back on the bench as long as he’s got Bentley there as we can cover 1-7 by putting Bentley in the centres and having a reshuffle if required during a game.
Forwards win games. The backs decide by how much.
Bentley 46 tackles
Knowles 45 tackles
Roby 29 tackles
Graham 28 tackles
Taia 28 tackles
Makinson 220 metres
Percival 183 metres
Walmsley 153 metres
Taia 144 metres
126 metres
Roby and Taia didn't half put a shift in that first 50 minutes or so, Bentley was everywhere in defence, and between Percy, Makinson and Grace, we made plenty of fast yards
https://www.superleague.co.uk/match-centre/report/3310
The renewal of Bentley and signing of of Joel Thompson didn't look good for Batchelor.
It looks like he might be being groomed as a running 13 (LMS replacement) who can fill in at SR. Might be the making of him.
He did a Taia with his first touch but beyond that he was very good.
Ashworth going might also help his cause.
Think we will need our full squad before the seasons out.
I personally think out of all the forwards Ashworth would be the one who’d struggle most with the rule changes.
Ashworth will be at Rochdale Hornets in 12 months. Costello had a big chance against the Roosters, he wont be seen again in a Saints shirt.