Leicestertinytiger wrote: ↑Fri Oct 04, 2019 9:15 pm
I imagine McPhillips was signed to replace Joe Ford as he has shown great potential in the past so was worth a try. However, it seems that Hardwick must have been smashing it in training and has leapfrogged him to 3rd choice fly half, especially as he can also cover 12. His offload against Exeter was great.
Maybe a bit ruthless by the club, maybe the gametime in the championship will do him good.
I imagine the plan was to have Hardwick out on loan gaining experience. After he leapfrogged McPhillips then I guess the plan has just adjusted slightly. When McPhillips was signed it was mentioned he was also cover at 15 but it looks like Steward is showing up well there.
There is no real point having McPhillips sat around not playing.
I think the plan would always have been to keep Hardwick around the club and not going on loan. He needs to be pushing himself in training against Reid every week and prove he is the long term successor at 10/12. Putting him on loan after last season effectively as a first team semi- regular would be disastrous man-management.
He rarely played last season. PRC and occasional sub appearance. No more than a dozen appearances and maybe not that. Very much development level game time. Following that up with a full season of week in week out championship games wouldn't have been a bad thing, a chance to work on the tactical side of his game. Would have been similar to what we did with Dan Cole. Looks like he's worked hard on his game in pre season and is forcing his way into Geordan's thinking so hopefully he gets a lot more first team action this season.
I think with a playmaker you need the chance to make the mistakes and bounce back. The best playmakers are the ones that make a mistake and then don't let if effect them, they will keep backing themselves. You need experience to develop that ego, certainly a bit of youthful exuberance can help as well.
I see that Johnny McPhillips who I thought did ok in the Worcester game played for Doncaster Knights at fullback and got a M.O.M rating. Could the plan be to give him game time in that position opening up competition for a fifteen place later in the season?.
JP14 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2019 6:13 pm
Anybody know if Tigers are after any World Cup bolters, should we be looking in the first place?
I still think we’re a specialist lock short, not sure who though.
We’re covered at prop, but my favourite player in RWC has been the Japanese prop who usually comes off the bench, with the white dyed hair and beard.
Sorry unsure of his name but he was brilliant against Scotland
JP14 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2019 6:13 pm
Anybody know if Tigers are after any World Cup bolters, should we be looking in the first place?
I still think we’re a specialist lock short, not sure who though.
We’re covered at prop, but my favourite player in RWC has been the Japanese prop who usually comes off the bench, with the white dyed hair and beard.
Sorry unsure of his name but he was brilliant against Scotland
Filo Paulo is available
Formerly of Burbaaage (not Inkleh), now up north at uni
LE18 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2019 6:21 pm
All of the Japanese show plenty of speed and great handling and offloading, lets sign them all.
In The Times today, their rugby writers named their team of the pool stages (i.e. best player in each position sort of thing). One of them picked 15 Japanese players
JP14 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2019 6:13 pm
Anybody know if Tigers are after any World Cup bolters, should we be looking in the first place?
I still think we’re a specialist lock short, not sure who though.
We’re covered at prop, but my favourite player in RWC has been the Japanese prop who usually comes off the bench, with the white dyed hair and beard.
Sorry unsure of his name but he was brilliant against Scotland
Isileli Nakajima. Plays in the Japan league. His wife is Japanese and he changed his name to show his live for her and his adopted nation. Not sure he'd fancy a move. Made a great impact off the bench Vs Scotland.
JP14 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2019 6:13 pm
Anybody know if Tigers are after any World Cup bolters, should we be looking in the first place?
I still think we’re a specialist lock short, not sure who though.
We’re covered at prop, but my favourite player in RWC has been the Japanese prop who usually comes off the bench, with the white dyed hair and beard.
Sorry unsure of his name but he was brilliant against Scotland
Isileli Nakajima. Plays in the Japan league. His wife is Japanese and he changed his name to show his live for her and his adopted nation. Not sure he'd fancy a move. Made a great impact off the bench Vs Scotland.
JP14 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 15, 2019 9:59 am
If we are after locks, I was impressed by Tonga’s Leva Fifita and I’m also a big fan of Australia’s Lukhan Salakaia-Loto.
Contracted to Grenoble. His team mate Kapeli who played 7 all tournament but looks big enough to slot into the second row or play 6 in the prem. Bit younger and according to Wiki not contracted to a big team yet.
The winger Viliami Lolohea looked sharp this RWC, particularly against the USA when he had some ball to play with. At 26 and currently working as a youth worker in Auckland he's got to be worth a punt. I'm sure TV will give our scouts the low down and put in a good word if required. A bit more PI magic in the backline wouldn't go amiss, the punt we took on TV worked out rather well.
