Team News v Scarlets

[sam16111986]

I’m sure I’ll get some flack for this, but I’m just not impressed with George Worth. I’m quite sure he really tries and his heart is in it, but will he make the grade? Can’t see it myself. Love to be proved wrong.

Miss judges a couple of kicks and gets slated by one eyed incompetent commentary team and all of a sudden he's not good enough? Try saver on Owens just before half time, his tactical kicking game was good, contested in the air well, made his tackles and generally worked hard. Plenty for him to work on but he's the kind of solid squad player we need.

Yes, he’s solid and works hard. Yes, he makes his tackles and all round competent. But, so far, that’s all I’ve seen . Not enough pace, flair or creativity to really make the grade. And, no, that’s not a conclusion I have reached “ all of a sudden “.

What flair do you want the lad to show whilst our pack are offering up slow ball and the half backs are kicking the ball away.

Worth is never likely to be first choice but is the kind of all rounder that can play several positions and help fill out the squad. Like it or not there's a salary cap and we need solid lads from the academy to do a job sometimes. We aren't in a position where back up players are going to be internationals. He's a good player that'll do a job and not let us down. Hopefully improve with more game time as well.

[newport tiger]

How about giving a bit of credit to the opposition, when you look at the number of internationals missing from their starting line-up it could be argued that they were more decimated than we were. They were hungrier and won every 50/50 situation it just goes to show how much weaker we are than most top level clubs when it comes down to strength in depth.

[Big Dai]

I can't see what the who-ha is about. You pick a depleted squad to play a determined enemy in their own backyard in a game that doesn't matter? What did you expect. Yes, you can blather on about professionalism but then again.......
There's another thread on here about injuries? If you want to reduce injuries how about reducing the number of games? Don't play the dead rubber. Have a "pools panel" sit, or play it on a simulation and move on from there.
Whilst we're at it, ban the play offs. We have a league to organise the ranking of our teams. If you're top why let fourth best have another go at you? Unnecessary!
Cut the number of AIs to three, maybe two and a second tier game and don't play club games whilst internationals are on.
Oh yes, I can hear the uproar, "I like the play offs" "It's all about money." I could turn that into lust and greed.
Just as the bosses (Money men) and project managers (parasites) ruined manufacturing by exploiting those with the skills to make something, so the same species are ruining rugby by exploiting those with the skill to play the game. So much so that the laws of the game are becoming more and more grey areas or simply not applied.
Change the tackle law? No. Enforce what you have and reduce the opportunity for injury by reducing the schedule.

Long live the revolution! And yes......I am exceptionally grumpy this morning.

[wellstiger]

Sorry in advance......
Total apathy. From top down..
The buzz words this past week :-
MOMENTUM.
Pride in the shirt.
Were righting wrongs.
I've posted before. if squad members do not meet the standards required or are past their sell by date, Jog on.
Either jump or be nudged.Until we get BOD or coaches ruthless enough to take this on the chin the decline will continue.
Expect the cliches -
We weren't good enough.
The ref was poor.
(Already said) It was a dead rubber.

Something is wrong when players do not turn up and give 100%. Every game.
Tigers......sorry kittens.

[Tiger_in_Birmingham]

How about giving a bit of credit to the opposition, when you look at the number of internationals missing from their starting line-up it could be argued that they were more decimated than we were. They were hungrier and won every 50/50 situation it just goes to show how much weaker we are than most top level clubs when it comes down to strength in depth.

Scarlets were far more decimated than Tigers in terms of availability, but they picked the team about as strong as they could muster. Their backs were all from their usual 23 - the few players that were missing were replaced by their bench players. Given the front row they started I am amazed we had as much parity in the scrum as we did.

Tigers had more players available but chose to field a much, much weaker side.

[ghdav27]

It was a great opportunity for some of those players to show what they could do. No excuse to say it was a dead game, a win would have built confidence and would have been good for us going forward; also scarlets were there for the taking. Instead it was another embarrassing away defeat. Scarlets played with a lot more pride and passion, fair play to Ken Owens, great effort.

I worry about Toomua at 10 for the 6 nations period, he hasn’t looked remotely interested this season.

Finally I actually thought George Worth played quite well, anyone could misjudge a couple of kicks and he was one of the few that actually looked liked he wanted to be there.

[Leicestertinytiger]

I thought the team did alright to be fair, just seemed to be lacking some confidence and a bit of precision.

The young front towers put in a shift, both at scrum time and ball in hand around the park. Given their age, Kerr and Heyes with both be fine players in the future. White and Worth started pretty poor, but by half time had grown into the game. Evans was probably the best forward on the pitch and tackles more in the right.

Only two players I don’t want to see again are Mapapalangi and Owen. Both very poor and defensively awful, especially postionally. Seemed disinterested and unwilling to work for the team. Not the right attitude we want.

[mol2]

Actually, it was meaningful. Murphy can now see where these players need to improve for our Premiership matches during the Six Nations.

Much prefer to perform like that today and then correct things and then perform in the Premiership matches during the Six Nations period.

There is no such thing as a meaningless game, or if there is the players should retire immediately. No sportsman/ woman at ANY level should feel that way. They should despise the very thought of losing or quit. It is attitude which makes decent players into good players and good players into great ones.

No one in here is a professional sportsperson. (I presume).

In which case their employer should make that decision for them.

[Smudge]

Big Dai wrote:

I can't see what the who-ha is about. You pick a depleted squad to play a determined enemy in their own backyard in a game that doesn't matter? What did you expect. Yes, you can blather on about professionalism but then again.......
There's another thread on here about injuries? If you want to reduce injuries how about reducing the number of games? Don't play the dead rubber. Have a "pools panel" sit, or play it on a simulation and move on from there.
Whilst we're at it, ban the play offs. We have a league to organise the ranking of our teams. If you're top why let fourth best have another go at you? Unnecessary!
Cut the number of AIs to three, maybe two and a second tier game and don't play club games whilst internationals are on.
Oh yes, I can hear the uproar, "I like the play offs" "It's all about money." I could turn that into lust and greed.
Just as the bosses (Money men) and project managers (parasites) ruined manufacturing by exploiting those with the skills to make something, so the same species are ruining rugby by exploiting those with the skill to play the game. So much so that the laws of the game are becoming more and more grey areas or simply not applied.
Change the tackle law? No. Enforce what you have and reduce the opportunity for injury by reducing the schedule.
Long live the revolution! And yes......I am exceptionally grumpy this morning.

T

An excellent post Dai, I couldn't agree more.

[BigDan50]

Joe Ford will be at Tigers next year because George Ford has told Murphy he wants him here, and what George wants George gets.

[Scott1]

Yep! God help us if Mike comes in!

[Mark62]

Joe Ford will be at Tigers next year because George Ford has told Murphy he wants him here, and what George wants George gets.

Don’t disagree with your premise but this is where Geordan with the backing of Glynn and Cohen needs to grow a pair and say no he isn’t good enough. Same could be said of Manu and Freddie

[BFG]

No doubt Joe Ford will get the blame but the game was over before he arrived.

12-0 down at half time. It wasn't over when Joe Ford came on. It was probably over because he came on.

Anyone who thinks Joe Ford is alone in being a player of limited ability is fooling themselves and others.
He shouldn't be here but then many shouldn't.
English attrition has all the creativity of a brick.
Whilst others bleat about potential like White and Hardwick I am left underwhelmed at the level of creativity.
Joe Ford versus Hardwick is often argued on here, neither is worth arguing over and are two of a kind in my opinion, symptomatic of the English game, jobs for the boys!
The front five forwards whilst being able to cope in certain areas, ball in hand and around the park they are like whales out of water.
At the peak you can pick out a half decent England team but below this is packed mostly with players who simply shouldn't be playing at this level and only are doing so because they went to the right school, their Dad's got them in, or they are just big for boshing.
The English game is so obsessed with bosh rugby that they even need to bring in South Africans to bolster it.
Scarlets tactical play was completely different, rounded rugby players.
The Scarlets hooker played at No8 last night, imagine Hartley or George at No 8, no thanks!
Sam Underhill is England's best open side and he came through as a youngster in Wales.
Alex Goode can't get picked for the England team.
Paul Hill isn't big enough etc.
It has been a poor weekend so far for English teams, I suspect ring fencing the league will be wrongly discussed again as a cure, there is so much else wrong before this!

[Louis]

I can't see what the who-ha is about. You pick a depleted squad to play a determined enemy in their own backyard in a game that doesn't matter? What did you expect. Yes, you can blather on about professionalism but then again.......
There's another thread on here about injuries? If you want to reduce injuries how about reducing the number of games? Don't play the dead rubber. Have a "pools panel" sit, or play it on a simulation and move on from there.
Whilst we're at it, ban the play offs. We have a league to organise the ranking of our teams. If you're top why let fourth best have another go at you? Unnecessary!
Cut the number of AIs to three, maybe two and a second tier game and don't play club games whilst internationals are on.
Oh yes, I can hear the uproar, "I like the play offs" "It's all about money." I could turn that into lust and greed.
Just as the bosses (Money men) and project managers (parasites) ruined manufacturing by exploiting those with the skills to make something, so the same species are ruining rugby by exploiting those with the skill to play the game. So much so that the laws of the game are becoming more and more grey areas or simply not applied.
Change the tackle law? No. Enforce what you have and reduce the opportunity for injury by reducing the schedule.

Long live the revolution! And yes......I am exceptionally grumpy this morning.

With you on The Revolution.

With you on reducing the number of games. A lot. (Sad for me as a fan in some ways, better for the players).

With you on enforcing the laws on the books.

Not sure about the "project managers" thing, depends who you mean. There is a(n unappreciated) skill to "getting things done on a bigger scale". Time and Motion people will be the first against the wall come The Revolution though.*

*Is "Sack Cockers" sung to the tune of "The Red Flag"?

[BigDan50]

It's very sad that Tigers as a club allow the Fords, Youngs & Tuilagis to dictate what happens in the club. As quoted Murphy needs to grow some balls.