Quote ="leeds owl""Can we keep this one? I just love the deluded naivety of this one. He's like a new puppy walking into walls. Please can we keep him ? I promise I'll look after him.
" Awwww he's so cute when he tries to get angry ! He's like scrappy do !
Pretty childish comments don't you agree ? Or are you a hypocrite as well as a bully ? You made the above comments during the last few days towards a contributor on the Virtual Terrace, and then have the brass neck to say I act like a small child. Which way do you want to play it ? Do you want the banter, or do you want to be a straight member without the banter ? Seems to me you turned into a drama queen when I had a little laugh at your expense, and that's when you don't like the banter, that's when it's "childish". '"
Your initial reply to my point was laden with sarcasm and since then has included numerous sarcastic references such as "kicking guru". Why is that? Is it because you won't argue the actual point being discussed?
It would appear that way as you didn't respond to my reply to you and then just posted a paragraph trying to take the p!ss but all it has done has prove you have understood at all what I've been saying.
Quote ="leeds owl" As I have already pointed out to you, over the 8 pages of this topic I have made numerous contributions, all but one have been rational and respectful, if you choose to disregard them and continue to cry about the one where I was tongue in cheek, you will continue to make yourself look like a big baby. '"
No they haven't. In fact only 1 has. But hey I suppose I could always threaten legal action when someone calls me a name eh?
Quote ="leeds owl"If you seriously think Shaun Wane has not explored every avenue to improve Matty Smiths kicking while it is costing them trophies you must be deluded. '"
Rational & respectful eh?
I have no doubt that Shaun Wane is doing everything he and the entire coaching team thinks is best to make Matty Smith the best player possible for Wigan. Will you ignore this point, again?
Quote ="leeds owl"When you ask who Wigan have as kicking coach, it is none other than Mr Paul Deacon, one of the best kickers of the modern era. He could probably teach your Dave Alred a thing or two in fairness. '"
"My" Dave Alred? You haven't a clue who he is or his reputation in sport do you? That you dismiss both a quote from him regarding improving kicking quality and dismiss him in favour of Paul Deacon is frankly staggering.
Quote ="leeds owl"As for your theory that continual practice could even make Jamie Peacock a world class kicker, it's total bunkum. Some people don't have the natural physical strength, rhythm or mental strength to achieve such levels. '"
Once again, those issues can be practiced and improved significantly over time. But did you just suggest that Jamie Peacock doesn't have enough physical or mental strength? Seriously?
Quote ="leeds owl"A case in point would be Matty Smith versus Pat Richards, the last two Wigan kickers. Pat Richards is a stronger kicker of the ball, far stronger than Matty Smith could ever be. Tell me how any coach could give Matty Smith an extra 20 yards on his kicks, it is just physically impossible, Matty Smith is smaller,weaker and could never generate the distance of the bigger, stronger man. That immediately rules out Smith ever kicking the long distance kicks Richards could achieve. It also compromises Smiths angle from touch line conversions, he has to take the tighter angle due to the lack of natural power he generates, whereas Richards gives himself the bigger target to aim at due to being able to take the ball further away thus enhancing the angle. They are facts, and nothing that you or Dave Alred say will ever change that. '"
Why? Strength can be increased? To diagnose Matty Smith's issues as a kicker would require a full analysis of his kicking which obviously neither of us can or are equipped to do. But what makes you think working on issues such as leg, foot or ankle strength, his run up, his body position, his leg/quad movements etc wouldn't result in significant improvement? And that's just physical issues.
You keep taking the p!ss calling me a "kicking guru" because I think players can improve their kicking. Yet you are making a similar assumption on their ability by saying they can't. So which is it?
Quote ="leeds owl""Practice makes perfect" is simply not true in some cases, if it were I would be making millions every year by throwing darts at a board from a few feet. The board is in the same place, the oche never moves, weather conditions don't come into play, and physical strength is not a pre requisite. The reason why I have not become a millionaire by mastering the easiest sport to play is because I don't have the necessary skill level required, there happens to be a small bunch of people that can do it better than everyone else no matter how much we practice.
Over to you.'"
So, are you saying that the likes of Barney and Phil Taylor are naturally gifted to play darts? You think it's just co-incidence they spent a hell of a long time in a pub? It's a strange world you live in where you think that the top people in every single field are only the people with some kind of gift of birth. Especially at sports and actions that were invented after these people were born.
The point that you are continually choosing to ignore over and over again is this:
Some people find things easier than others. But dedication to training and perfecting those things is virtually always the defining difference between top sportspeople/athletes than their competitors, not some kind of natural gift.
If Matty Smith had put in anywhere near the same amount and quality of practice as Kevin Sinfield then (I suspect) he still wouldn't be quite as good as Sinfield at goal kicking. That's because in my view Sinfield has a superior mentality. However if Smith had put in significant additional practice, including on his mentality, he could eventually be just as good.
There are lots and lots of valid reasons as to why Smith didn't put the same amount and quality of practice in as Sinfield. Coming to the game later, no certainty of club future, different priorities etc. but that amount and quality of practice from Sinfield (ie his dedication) is the defining difference between his and Smith's goal kicking.
