holdsworth holds on

[BulldogStar]

The media are really putting ridiculous focus on DJ, i just hope it doesnt get to him

 

[chipandchase]

Agree. Not sold on his defence just yet, when i watch him trying to tackle pub junkies at the crest i just cant see him doing it with the big boys

yeh i agree he is not a starting player, but definately a weapon for us off the bench.
the game against the bears, when we needed someone to score points, Barba produced, he is that sort of player. he can go quiet but if Moore was to use him properly, like he did against the warriors, he can be a very effective player for us.
it does give us another option in attack if we need one, hopefully we dont but it is a back up plan
we dont need Hickey on the bench, Hannant with a few games under his belt now can play 80 minutes, so can bobcat and stagg
we dont want to die wondering on saturday night, i think game is our season.
if we win, we go through with confidence and BK is back.
if we lose, then Moore will have to make changes and i cant see us beating Mel, manly or the storm without BK.
so it is a massive game for us

 

[Gabs]

You make a lot of great points and I agree with everything that you said (aside from the Titanic remark, maybe a little drastic. Haha.)

I enjoy being a melodramatic!!! LOL

For the last month and a half I have held this fear that we would do a 2001 again. Finish second but not at all convincingly, injuries start to hit, replacements are not up to it and we then back door out the finals in two matches. I still harbour that fear at the moment. Hope I am wrong!!!!

 

[Moe]

common sense prevails. Keep the same team. No changes are needed after an off game. If we do lose this game, then expect changes if Noddy cant make it back.

exactly, especially considering we havnt lost back-2-back all year.
Maybe if we lose 2 in a row expect to see changes

If Ben Barba played on Friday it would have been >40-12. DJ made 30 tackles missed 4.
Barbs would have made 10 of those tackles and missed 25

But apparantly DJ cant tackle :whacky:

 

[B-Train]

I enjoy being a melodramatic!!! LOL

For the last month and a half I have held this fear that we would do a 2001 again. Finish second but not at all convincingly, injuries start to hit, replacements are not up to it and we then back door out the finals in two matches. I still harbour that fear at the moment. Hope I am wrong!!!!

Haha we all hope you are mate! Let's just wait and see.

 

[BOOKER]

The media are really putting ridiculous focus on DJ, i just hope it doesnt get to him

if our forwards dominate and hickey stays off hungry jacks this week , DJ will do well.

 

[chipandchase]

exactly, especially considering we havnt lost back-2-back all year.
Maybe if we lose 2 in a row expect to see changes



But apparantly DJ cant tackle :whacky:

it is the 4 tackles that he missed, he misses the important tackles, the tackles that led to tries.
that is the difference between good and average players, they make the tackles that count

 

[Mr Invisible]

we dont need Hickey on the bench

*gasp* You try telling the big man that after almost scoring tries in his last 3 matches (and in the Warriors finally grabbing one).

Hickey is firing up and getting better with each week. He's putting his body on the line and hitting the line hard, making valuable metres, and has developed an offload, plus if you notice he'll back up a line break, which is not something you appreciate as a defending fullback.

Hickey can't be dropped, nor Armit, or Gordon, or Warburton/Eastwood. All play a vital role in our attack.

Having said this, why panic?

If Holdsworth plays like a busted arse, there is no need to panic. Stagg and Ennis are still in the side, and if come half time Holdsworth is putting on a crap performance, you pull him off like Idris (and like DJ wanted with Leano), move Stagg to the halves (Moore has already indicated it's an option at least), and go on with the game from there.

Infact if I was Moore and things are looking shaky around the 38/39th minute mark, I'd do a sneaky. Pull Holdsworth off if he is having a shocker, and put Gordon/Eastwood/Warburton in there (stick with me here).

Go into the sheds at half time.

Come out at half time, Stagg moves to halves, and Gordon/Eastwood/Warburton moves to lock. All of a sudden the game plan changes, and Newcastle can't get teir coach to give them pointers on the position changes the Dogs have made.

Then if a second rower gets tired, Holdsworth can sub back in to the second row (where out of all games this year he has played the best!).

 

[chipandchase]

*gasp* You try telling the big man that after almost scoring tries in his last 3 matches (and in the Warriors finally grabbing one).

Hickey is firing up and getting better with each week. He's putting his body on the line and hitting the line hard, making valuable metres, and has developed an offload, plus if you notice he'll back up a line break, which is not something you appreciate as a defending fullback.

Hickey can't be dropped, nor Armit, or Gordon, or Warburton/Eastwood. All play a vital role in our attack.

Having said this, why panic?

If Holdsworth plays like a busted arse, there is no need to panic. Stagg and Ennis are still in the side, and if come half time Holdsworth is putting on a crap performance, you pull him off like Idris (and like DJ wanted with Leano), move Stagg to the halves (Moore has already indicated it's an option at least), and go on with the game from there.

Infact if I was Moore and things are looking shaky around the 38/39th minute mark, I'd do a sneaky. Pull Holdsworth off if he is having a shocker, and put Gordon/Eastwood/Warburton in there (stick with me here).

Go into the sheds at half time.

Come out at half time, Stagg moves to halves, and Gordon/Eastwood/Warburton moves to lock. All of a sudden the game plan changes, and Newcastle can't get teir coach to give them pointers on the position changes the Dogs have made.

Then if a second rower gets tired, Holdsworth can sub back in to the second row (where out of all games this year he has played the best!).

i tries to stick with you there lol
i know Hickey has been playing well, but for the balance of the team and becasue we dont have a 1st string half back, id definately play Barba off the bench.
yes Stagg can play 5/8 but only at a pinch, if we are behind, stagg is not going to score points, he is a defensive player.
the reason for haveing Barba there as security, is to score points if we are behind.
what you are suggesting, is a game plan you have from the start of the match, but you would still keep barba or Holdsworth on the bench.

 

[Terry Mortimer]

Alot of focus on holdsworth , has anyone been watching ben roberts for the last 4 weeks...absolutley shocking !

4 weeks...He's been awful since he signed his new deal..

 

[Hansta]

pretty much since that epic game against an out of form broncos team

 

[Moe]

it is the 4 tackles that he missed, he misses the important tackles, the tackles that led to tries.
that is the difference between good and average players, they make the tackles that count

like haz and patten against marshall?
Or roberts attempt close to the line?

 

[chipandchase]

like haz and patten against marshall?
Or roberts attempt close to the line?

i agree with you there also, Haz was woeful in defence, but also the players inside of him, DJ and Idris were out of position also

 

[Terry Mortimer]

Terry Lamb on Barba -

I think Benny is a tremendous athlete, a very natural footballer. He needs time to develop at the club, he’s been here two years - he could be a late bloomer. His strengths are his speed, great kicking game. His weaknesses would be his defence and overreading the play in defence. He has got one more year in his contract. Hopefully we can turn him into a great player.

 

[Terry Mortimer]

Tery Lamb on Holdsworth :

I’m a big fan of Daniel Holdsworth as well, but I don’t make the decisions at the club. I think Daniel could be a very good lock. He gives the players good direction, has a great kicking game and his vision is improving.

 

[Gabs]

4 weeks...He's been awful since he signed his new deal..

You guys are being pretty harsh on Roberts. He's been ok in my opinion. We have learned over the years that he doesn't have the organisational skills of a half back. We know he has a brilliant running game and great little short kicking game but is not good at putting up the pin-point bombs or with precision in his long kicking game (notwithstanding he's a sweet timer of the ball).

He shows flashes of brilliance every week. He's never going to be a consistently solid player. He's one of those blokes which many people call a confidence player. If he's on, he's red hot. That's what you can expect from Benny.

The difficulty is that Holdsworth is no organiser either. His long kicking game is more accurate than Roberts but he's got no running game these days (which he did have in 2006) and his passing game is very average. His short kicking game is poor for a half back. DJ does not have the time with the ball that class half backs do. Even young Mortimore looks like he does things in slow motion but they come off more often than not. In the old days, they used to say the great players have time with the ball. They look like they are doing things in slow motion but invariably they would put someone through a hole or lob a wonderful kick into the in goal. Cliffy Lyons is a great example. These are the areas we miss most with Noddy on the sidelines.

 

[chipandchase]

You guys are being pretty harsh on Roberts. He's been ok in my opinion. We have learned over the years that he doesn't have the organisational skills of a half back. We know he has a brilliant running game and great little short kicking game but is not good at putting up the pin-point bombs or with precision in his long kicking game (notwithstanding he's a sweet timer of the ball).

He shows flashes of brilliance every week. He's never going to be a consistently solid player. He's one of those blokes which many people call a confidence player. If he's on, he's red hot. That's what you can expect from Benny.

The difficulty is that Holdsworth is no organiser either. His long kicking game is more accurate than Roberts but he's got no running game these days (which he did have in 2006) and his passing game is very average. His short kicking game is poor for a half back. DJ does not have the time with the ball that class half backs do. Even young Mortimore looks like he does things in slow motion but they come off more often than not. In the old days, they used to say the great players have time with the ball. They look like they are doing things in slow motion but invariably they would put someone through a hole or lob a wonderful kick into the in goal. Cliffy Lyons is a great example. These are the areas we miss most with Noddy on the sidelines.

i was going to say exactly same post, i think Roberts has been great this year and has really stepped up.
those being harsh on Roberts have no idea, he is a running 5/8, ala in the mould of Kenny, he is not an organising half. this is why BK and Roberts work well together.
unfortunately Holdsworth has none of that, as Barrett said he is a confidence player and has had no confidence since 2006.

 

[chipandchase]

Tery Lamb on Holdsworth :

I’m a big fan of Daniel Holdsworth as well, but I don’t make the decisions at the club. I think Daniel could be a very good lock. He gives the players good direction, has a great kicking game and his vision is improving.

this is why Lamb will never coach first grade again after failing in his previous posts. A champion player but they dont always make great coaches

 

[Terry Mortimer]

i was going to say exactly same post, i think Roberts has been great this year and has really stepped up.
those being harsh on Roberts have no idea, he is a running 5/8, ala in the mould of Kenny, he is not an organising half. this is why BK and Roberts work well together.
unfortunately Holdsworth has none of that, as Barrett said he is a confidence player and has had no confidence since 2006.

Robers is our best opiton, theres no doubt about that. But His form has dipped miserably since he signed. No one can dispute that....

 

[chipandchase]

Robers is our best opiton, theres no doubt about that. But His form has dipped miserably since he signed. No one can dispute that....

no i disagree, i think he played well and he stepped up against the warriors also. yes he made a few mistakes but he took control and set up most of tries.
i think you are being very harsh on Roberts imo