Spotted this on another thread and thought it worthy of further discussion:



JJB's defensive mistakes were obviously highlighted by the TV pundits in Saturday's game but I've noticed him make quite a few similar mis-reads in several other games I've seen on TV this season. He seems to be caught ball-watching quite a bit.

JJB needs a rest IMO. A few weeks back he was running his blood to water, seemingly getting a bit too tired and then giving needless penalties away.

Interesting also that Peacock by contrast managed to play well, despite being labelled 'past it' and only worthy of a bench place by several posters on this forum in the previous week.

one of the dirtiest players in the game, hands never away from during tackles, the ref missed 24 attempts that i counted

Don't be so stupid. Nothing dirty in his play at all.

Most of his mistakes, just like on Saturday, come from not trusting the guy inside him to make his tackle. Granted it must be a worry when it's Tomkins running at the line but you can't keep doing it. I'd be more concerned if it came from laziness instead of wanting to do too much, the coaches just need to tell him to keep his position in the line and have faith (no pun intended with JJB) in the guy next to him.

Not sure it's true that you wouldn't have seen the players Gotcha mentioned for the rest of the season. Remember Ian Kirke is officially the worst player in the history of the world ever according to some on here......

But JJB's performances over a longer period suggest that the bad ones are a blip. Maybe a rest would do him good, but then I'd like to see a bit of rotation of all our forwards over the next few weeks. JJB is my 2nd favourite Leeds player ever, and I don't think he's past it. SO no panic from me on a bad performance. I bet he'll be more keen than anyone to put it right.

Now that is funny.
Were you mistaking JJB for Gareth Hock?
JJB has had a few mares lately in defence and if it is tiredness he needs to put his hand up and say that he needs resting.
I am not so sure it is tiredness as he has been weak in defence for some time now but his enthusiasm and go forward are not to be questioned.
I don`t for one minute think he should be dropped maybe just coached better.

Are you claiming that JJB uses his hands to tackle?
That the ref missed 24 attempted tackles?
I reckon you ought to have the flue on your gas fire checked out.

Think you're being charitable as I counted at least five tackles that JJB missed which were always his to make. Very unlike him.

He had a mare, and he'll know it, and he'll think he owes his teammates one for getting through the game (even though he's got credit in the bank on that score), and I'm sure he'll get back on form and pay them back.

Sorry mate, but that's rubbish. I suggest you watch Saturday's game again. And the tries by Castleford near the posts.

They are his tackles to make, nothing to do with any other player, and it was him that was flicked off. He is tackling too high and his lightweight frame is easy to swat off with that technique. He missed 6 tackles in that first half alone on Saturday, two of them in the very same break from Tomkins.

If I was to defend him in anyway on Saturday, it would be that to me I think he was given a role to get Tomkins at every opportunity. And because of that he concentrated too much on him and not on him passing to a team mate.

You should change the "boogie" bit in yer username to Brain.
With Lima .Mccillorum and O'head-high in yer ranks along with Hock of the dead you are obviously a clueless T!T!!

or

could i be passing time getting other clueless T!TS to comment on something that isn't true, well 45% not true

He should of still made the Carmont one for their first try no doubt, it was still makeable, but the slight hestitation to check for Tomkins didn't help him. It just put him slighty out of ideal position and it's a reoccuring theme. There was some poor efforts upfield too like the Tomkins double miss mentioned but i was kind of thinking of the the final 20m defence in my post, where he seems to be too often of late a slight step out of the ideal position to make the tackle. You won't see the ones upfield everyweek like that Tomkins one because he's not going to be facing the likes of a Tomkins everyweek, will he have the same concern facing Hodgson & Briers at Wembley, not really because of the difference in evasive skills of those players. When he's in ideal position for the tackle and getting run over the top of then i'll worry more.

It's situations like this that require the coach to step in and put matters right.
firstly by highlighting by video any positional failures, and tackling technique .i have no worries at all about Jamie he is rhinos through and through with the heart of a lion.

JJB did have a shocker and his missed tackles kept Wigan in the game. As one of our most consistent and best defenders over the years I feel he has not quite got back to the pace of the game since his injury. He has the experience and knows what to do so I think it is his match fitness and timing that is off and hopefully will soon return.

Early hours of Sun morn. I stated elsewhere that all the forwards (inc Kirke) had a great game apart from (sadly) JJB. It is hard to accept he deserves criticism as he always been Mr.Reliable for a heck of a long time.

Perhaps he does need a well deserved rest to better guarantee his back-to-his-best Wembley appearance.

Didn't have his best game. I have been reliably informed by someone in the know that he has been carrying a niggle for a few weeks now. Nothing serious but might be effecting him. Maybe a bit of a rest uP before the final?

That's the thing I love about this forum - no player is immune from criticism and that's as it should be.

JJB didn't have his best game on Saturday but everyone is allowed to have an off day. He'll pick up his game of that I have no doubt.

The two highest profile misses, on Carmont for his try and on Farrell for the Flower try, came as a result of over-reading the play and poor body position as a result. That can happen to anyone, I can recall Ellis making a couple of similar errors in a game at Wigan leading to tries.

Does look a little fatigued at the moment though, hopefully the development of Ward as someone the coach can trust to defend down the middle will mean he gets less game time over the next few weeks.

correct

To be fair to JJB he was written off on this board at an early stage of his career, and went on to prove many posters wrong (myself included). IIRC he has mentioned in the past that reading the criticism on here gave him that little bit extra motivation - hopefully this will work again... Apart from his tendency to give away penalties he's largely managed to avoid flak on southstander in recent years, unlike many other players, which is a credit to his consistency IMO.

I was one of his critics early in his career. I honestly couldn't see him making a top flight, first-team player.

It will be a relief to you all that I can confirm that I have nothing whatsoever to do witheither first team recruitment or the academy, as I am clearly a know-nowt.



If you'd told me in 2002/03 that in a decade he'd be my second favourite player of all time, I would have laughed at you.

He'll bounce back from this. The really pleasing thing is that a key member of the pack had an off day on Saturday and the rest of the pack did the job and filled the gap. That's what a team is all about. JJB has upped his game to cover others more than enough times. That's the nature of team sport.

word at the stanningley clubhouse is that jjb was told to target sam's lines of running and that the defenders either side would cover the inside or outside runners,this tactic didn't pay off on the day and jjb looked to be off the pace as a result

How does this explain the two hand offs Tomkins put on him in one set!! surely if he was marking Tomkins he should have made the hit?

Hear he's a problem with his wrist, being assessed and could need surgery.

i can see the headlines now mr perfect
professional rugby league player jjb guillty of 2 missed tackles on sam tomkins


jjb is a 100% grafter for our side and is not prone to having the odd bad game or missing the odd tackle here and there,just as sir kev misses the odd conversion every now and again
i take it that those 2 missed tackles will be your lasting memory of jonesy?