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Sale 23rd December
Topic Started: Dec 19 2016, 01:51 PM (177 Views)
big mac returns
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i think our side is fairly set in stone based on the selections v leinster

A Waller
Hayward
Brookes
Lawes
Paterson
Wood
Clark/Harrision
King Louis
Groom
Smyler
Collins
JJ
Luther (G Pisi dislocated his shoulder apparently but i reckon they may have gone luther anyway cause they seem to be blinded to his lack of ability)
Pisi
Foden

E Waller
Clare
Denman
Api
Harrision/Clark
Kessell
Wilson
???
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Wibble
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Think i agree.

The problem is, even if we put a good team out we have such poor form that its hard to get the best out of these lads.

Most of that team would be my first choice. Perhaps 2/3 changes from what we have but i still cant see us doing all that well. I would be tempted to switch Collins with Foden. Foden can stand on a wing not getting the ball and tackle well without much worry then Collins is free to bring some pace to our counter attack.
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chesty
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Big mac your probably about right we are getting in a position where we dare not try anyone else.Good start on sat thought second rows went well so they wont be in squad,back row looked decent but we have a lot of similar back rows.Ludlam looks something different when I see him so he wont get a chance its all about balance.
Jims selecting for his job and he doesn't like change.
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Onward
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Be a bit ironic if Jim's last game was against his old team Sale. Personally I don't think anything will happen even if we lose.
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Wibble
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It probably depends what is in process behind the scenes.

If jim has lined up a new attack coach to arrive some time soon then he will probably be given the time to put that in place. If his head is in the sand just in hope of things turning around without any changes he might not get much longer.

I hope things improve, i genuinely believe Jim is a very good DOR who just needs to be a bit more ruthless. But we all have limits to our patience.
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ElmaFudd
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Saints are going to give us a huge Christmas present on Friday ............




....... I hope.
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Hood56
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The whole firing of Jim as our DoR is very frustrating to me. I totally agree with some of the comments in that he should be more ruthless and that the players and coaches that are not performing can and should be let go / not picked.
But looking at the facts. 10 years ago the saints were in a terrible state and Jim completely turned us around, won every game in the championship got us promoted. In the following years won multiple LV cups, a final of the european cup, won the secondary european cup and won the league for the first time in our history.
A DoR who has achieved that deserves our support and more of a chance to turn things around again.
At the end of the last season no one was calling for heads and the fact is only 4-5 months of rugby has changed since then.
This year is without a doubt a write off and the only concern now should be getting the top six which is definitely achievable.

Long story short is I will support Jim throughout this and next year, my hope is there is a reshuffle this season and during the offseason. I fully believe that we have the players and financial backing to get back to a top 4 contender again next year. Jim just has to make the right decisions..
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chesty
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Hood 56 your right I think most people are Jim fans but 10 years ago is not now,couldnt he coach the backs to improve, unfortunately he has probably stayed to long' he changes nothing after repeated defeats.I would love nothing more than to be proved wrong and he will have I think most of the season to do this,too late to change now.
A home win against Sale proves nothing either way I am not fickle in defeat or victory .
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Wibble
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chesty, I'm not sure he has changed nothing. We needed a great 8 to replace Samu, We got King Louis ( a season too late but hey), Our attack was bad so he got rid of the attack coach. Our 12/13 combo was bad and Luther was poor at 12 so he changed that (we have had Harry / Hutch and now JJ at 12).

Has he done enough or the right things? Well we are still loosing so NO. But i think he is trying... The problem is, he chose the coaches and he chose the players so ultimately its his fault what happens.

I personally think we have no choice but to see what he can do this season, what coach will want to take on the job ATM? And i think that he is at least trying to do some of the right things.
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flanker
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I agree that Jim didn't put a foot wrong for years and did amazing things. But I think he's made three errors recently that make me question his judgement. One, as he admits, is that we have recruited poorly in the backs and we're not good enough there. Secondly, he should have started with Dylan when he returned from England not begin with him on the bench. That decision probably played a (minor) part in the red card. Finally he shouldn't have taken Tom Woods, captain, off early in the home Leinster game. He said it was because of the line out calls (honestly!) But Woods is a leader and was playing out of his skin. If he gets those fundamental things wrong I wonder what else he gets wrong behind the scenes. Sorry if that sounds harsh.
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Hood56
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In other news as my Jim rant may have been slightly off topic but it was the group I was in at the time haha

George North is ready for selection against sale.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38383231

Great news, let's put out a full team and start playing well again.

@chesty, are you sure a nice bonus point win won't change your mind at all? ;)
So yeah I agree with the three mistakes that Jim made, two of them were in one game. DoR are not exempt like players for having an off game.

As for the recruitment I would say we have signed some nice players. I was very much looking forward to seeing Howard, we have signed some centres this year that look nice and not to mention estelles. I would say the biggest problem is not playing the damn players and give them a chance in the first team when others underperform.

But we haven't signed a proved world class player in some time. On that point I'm pretty sure I saw sonny bill Williams come out of its a gift earlier
Edited by Hood56, Dec 20 2016, 07:39 PM.
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flanker
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Hood56
Dec 20 2016, 07:32 PM
In other news as my Jim rant may have been slightly off topic but it was the group I was in at the time haha

George North is ready for selection against sale.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/38383231

Great news, let's put out a full team and start playing well again.

@chesty, are you sure a nice bonus point win won't change your mind at all? ;)
So yeah I agree with the three mistakes that Jim made, two of them were in one game. DoR are not exempt like players for having an off game.

As for the recruitment I would say we have signed some nice players. I was very much looking forward to seeing Howard, we have signed some centres this year that look nice and not to mention estelles. I would say the biggest problem is not playing the damn players and give them a chance in the first team when others underperform.

But we haven't signed a proved world class player in some time. On that point I'm pretty sure I saw sonny bill Williams come out of its a gift earlier
I heard he's house - hunting in Jimmy's End too.
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