Riddell is the new Kouparitsas

[BUDDY]

I just watched a replay of the first half against the Dogs and even though he was reputedly playing with a niggling injury, Piggy didn't go nearly as badly as people are making out. He certainly isn't flash. He certainly isn't a high class dummy-half anymore. But he is more than competent. Our go forward was strong the whole time he was out there, and he contributed to it. His passing is very accurate; he makes good choices about which side of the ruck to go to, and whether to pass short or long or flat. He doesn't telegraph it either, which is what you always see from a makeshift dummy-half when a team's regular dummy-half goes down injured. The idea that we can just "manufacture" a dummy-half to play like that with the season already in full swing is a complete fantasy. It is one of the most specialised positions in the game, and opposition defences would read an amateur in the role far too easily. Our go-forward would suffer and there would be less pressure on the defence to compress, giving us less opportunites to use our flair out wide.

If Riddell doesn't play; Friend must play for 80 minutes. It's just a question of how much extra impact Jake has by coming off the bench. Probably a fair bit, given that he is a guy who throws himself into a game with frenetic involvement rather than pacing his play.

No offense jf but I think you may be in a bit of a fantasy land. What is there to manufacture? The guy made one run for 4 metres on the weekend and a hand full of tackles. There are plenty that have jumped into dummy half when Piggy is too slow to get there plus for his one hit up. "Which way do I go, left or right" doesn't take much brains to learn on the training paddock. We have a few that can pass from dummy half. A few that have played 5/8 or half back where passing ability is part of their skill. Look at Stanley from the Dragons. He isn't really that nuggety player but he has done a great job filling in when Fien has been off the field. I think some of you are thinking that Piggy can get back to his form from 5 years ago. Now that is fantasy.

[Guest]

Not bad Punky ... but I think we need to work his name in there somewhere.

By the way - glad to see you back today. I thought you might have committed suicide after our defeat on Sunday

thanks MR .....i was contemplating it, trust me

[Guest]

:'(

[Guest]

That's a big call.

He has bulked up a lot over the off season, and against Souths, he ran 8 times for 93 metres, which is Mose-esque.

He does a shitload more than Riddell, anyway.

That's including the 40 metres he ran from the intercept. So in reality it's 7 runs for 50 odd metres.

[Pass the Ball]

No offense jf but I think you may be in a bit of a fantasy land. What is there to manufacture? The guy made one run for 4 metres on the weekend and a hand full of tackles. There are plenty that have jumped into dummy half when Piggy is too slow to get there plus for his one hit up. "Which way do I go, left or right" doesn't take much brains to learn on the training paddock. We have a few that can pass from dummy half. A few that have played 5/8 or half back where passing ability is part of their skill. Look at Stanley from the Dragons. He isn't really that nuggety player but he has done a great job filling in when Fien has been off the field. I think some of you are thinking that Piggy can get back to his form from 5 years ago. Now that is fantasy.

I think you underestimate the role of a hooker....

[BUDDY]

I think you underestimate the role of a hooker....

Not at all. I think you overestimate the ability of Piggy.

I'd have Watts in a heart beat as he offers a lot more and will likely play more than 20 minutes. For the sake of 20 minutes I think we can adjust our game minimally and have 60 extra minutes benefit.

[novice chook]

Poor Piggy - he doesn't deserve the comparison to Koupashitsme, he's better than that.

Mind you, Koupashitsme didn't set the bar very high.

Don't write off the Pigman too soon - he's always been one to slowly work his way into form as the season goes on, he's never been on top of his game in the early rounds at any time in his career.

Have a little faith in the old Pigman - he'll come good eventually (unlike Koupashitsme).


NC

[Pass the Ball]

Not at all. I think you overestimate the ability of Piggy.

I'd have Watts in a heart beat as he offers a lot more and will likely play more than 20 minutes. For the sake of 20 minutes I think we can adjust our game minimally and have 60 extra minutes benefit.

I don't overestimate the ability of Riddell. I don't think he has a lot of ability, but my point is he is a dummy-half, which is a specialist position..

You only need to look at Koops last year as an example of trying to turn a backrower into a hooker. He trained and trained for it, and what was the result?

The result was someone playing out of position...

If Smith wants 2 dummy-halfs in the team then we will see Riddell there until Watts may be available..

If Smith thinks Friend can play 80 minutes then it is a different situation. (My preferred option)..

[BUDDY]

I don't overestimate the ability of Riddell. I don't think he has a lot of ability, but my point is he is a dummy-half, which is a specialist position..

You only need to look at Koops last year as an example of trying to turn a backrower into a hooker. He trained and trained for it, and what was the result?

The result was someone playing out of position...

If Smith wants 2 dummy-halfs in the team then we will see Riddell there until Watts may be available..

If Smith thinks Friend can play 80 minutes then it is a different situation. (My preferred option)..

Gees you are drawing a long bow with Koups. He wasn't even a park second rower let alone trying to teach him how to pass. The guy couldn't pass, kick and may just pass as a tackler for Newtown.

I return again with Stanley. Probably best at 5/8 and so has a passing game and has filled in very well.

I agree that Friend for 80 minutes is they way to go and that may come as he gets fitter. But for me Piggy is a waste for the sake of 20 minutes as has been documented. So in your opinion of the 17 other players named on the weekend, you can't see one player who can take on that role for 20 minutes and offer as much if not more than Piggy?

[Guest]

There are plenty that have jumped into dummy half when Piggy is too slow to get there plus for his one hit up.

That happens when we spread the ball or have made a break. Those instances and the hit-ups by the outside backs when returning a kick are completely different to when a dummy-half is directing the go forward 3/4/5 rucks in a row.

"Which way do I go, left or right" doesn't take much brains to learn on the training paddock.

That's like saying it doesn't take much brains to run into gaps, so we could anyone at all who's got a bit if size and space to run lines out wide like Maubs and Symonds. Except that dummy-half is in fact a far more specialised skill.

[Guest]

I don't overestimate the ability of Riddell. I don't think he has a lot of ability, but my point is he is a dummy-half, which is a specialist position..

You only need to look at Koops last year as an example of trying to turn a backrower into a hooker. He trained and trained for it, and what was the result?

The result was someone playing out of position...

If Smith wants 2 dummy-halfs in the team then we will see Riddell there until Watts may be available..

If Smith thinks Friend can play 80 minutes then it is a different situation. (My preferred option)..

Well put. I'd be satisfied with Friend playing 80 too, but Smithy obviously doesn't believe it's the best option.

[BUDDY]

That happens when we spread the ball or have made a break. Those instances and the hit-ups by the outside backs when returning a kick are completely different to when a dummy-half is directing the go forward 3/4/5 rucks in a row.


That's like saying it doesn't take much brains to run into gaps, so we could anyone at all who's got a bit if size and space to run lines out wide like Maubs and Symonds. Except that dummy-half is in fact a far more specialised skill.

You are missing the point my friend. I know it is a specialised skill and I am hugely in favour of Watts as part of the team to take on that role if Friend can't hack 80 minutes. Watts is probably the only other in the club that is specialised in that role. We have lost Brunton and Jaubs (to a lesser extent) that I feel could do the job. But IMO Piggy does not provide the skill as well as Friend or Watts and I feel that someone else can do as good a job in that role for the sake of 20 minutes which in turn provides benefits for the remainder of the game. Add the pros vs cons and tell me otherwise. Piggy will never be the player he was 5 years ago. Not even close.

[Guest]

You are missing the point my friend. I know it is a specialised skill and I am hugely in favour of Watts as part of the team to take on that role if Friend can't hack 80 minutes. Watts is probably the only other in the club that is specialised in that role. We have lost Brunton and Jaubs (to a lesser extent) that I feel could do the job. But IMO Piggy does not provide the skill as well as Friend or Watts and I feel that someone else can do as good a job in that role for the sake of 20 minutes which in turn provides benefits for the remainder of the game. Add the pros vs cons and tell me otherwise. Piggy will never be the player he was 5 years ago. Not even close.

you're saying;

1) You know it's a specialised skill

2) Watts is the only other guy at the club that is a specialist in the role

3) But you still want someone else to do it

[BUDDY]

you're saying;

1) You know it's a specialised skill

2) Watts is the only other guy at the club that is a specialist in the role

3) But you still want someone else to do it

Read again. IF Friend can't play 80 minutes and Smithy wants someone to do it for 20 minutes it then Yes I prefer someone else do it than Piggy. Does that make sense?

[Guest]

Gees you are drawing a long bow with Koups. He wasn't even a park second rower let alone trying to teach him how to pass. The guy couldn't pass, kick and may just pass as a tackler for Newtown.

Koups has plenty of deficiencies but passing in the line isn't one of them. The only good moments he had for us last year were his involvement in a few tries and line breaks where he displayed good quick hands in helping to create overlaps. He often showed good ballskills when playing as a backrower for the Dogs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LnDrdElM9k

Dummy-half requires a very different skill set, and being forced to play there was the very thing that gave Koups a reputation as being absolutely hopeless, when he is in fact a fringe NRL-standard backrower.