Scaape goat? He was terrible!

BJB positional play was poor tonight but he hasn't been playing for weeks so that could be his excuse. I think Kallum Watkins could be outstanding at FB.

BJB was awful but he's a class player and should have another week at full back to show it. Briscoe poor form has been going on for much, much longer and is more of a worry long term. He and Watkins just do not seem in sync.

I think you are spot on with that bit.




I don't think you are correct with that bit. They certainly looked in sync earlier in season. Think it is more to do with the ball coming across that way rather than the players playing there.

Also partnerships take time. I seem to recall the same said last year about Hall and Moon, wrongly IMO, but all the same they look very good together now.

BJB wasn't great, but as has been pointed out the two kicks by Brough were pretty exceptional pieces of skill.

Briscoe's form is indeed as much of a worry. He looked fantastic at the start of the season but seems to have lost confidence since a period of time out when the backs were rotated. That said, Moon has been inconsistent, Hall's role as an extra forward is bringing diminishing returns, and Watkins is not getting enough quality ball at the right time. I suspect these performances are underpinned by the disruption to the spine of the team. R. Ward isn't able to impose himself in the same way as Aiton or Burrow, and while Sutcliffe looks a good runner his passing and kicking are definitely inferior to those of McGuire. As has been mentioned, BJB isn't really a good full back (whatever he may think), and Hardaker was another huge miss in this respect.

I actually think Robbie Ward has looked pretty good in the last two games. he seems to be coming along quite nicely.

Sutcliffe drifts out of games for too long with moments of class in between. that is to be expected for his age.

We desperately miss Burrow. His absence demonstrates how much. Interesting considering how so few on here have ever rated him.

BJB had a nightmare. But I saw no evidence in our game plan that anyone had really considered the possibility that Brough just might attempt the odd 40/20 on any other tackle than the last. Then again, I saw precious little to indicate that anyone had given much consideration to our own kicking game either.

I can forgive the 40/20s because there wasn't much to get at before it went out, but I thought he ended up taking two kicks into touch which weren't even 40/20 attempts. Either take it on the full or leave it and we'll at least get the scrum! Hardaker plays last night and we probably would have won.

He's a great winger, but not a full back.

The first one was the on the 6th tackle. It was poor play from BJB, he had no reason to catch it on full. It would never have gone out, as the ball landed nearly 20 yards infield, it was only the bounce off his legs that took it to the touchline.

The second one I agree with you totally on.

The last one though, was extremely poor play.

Just highlights why Hardaker is so clearly better than BJB at FB. I would say they have similar speed, possibly BJB is faster but Hardaker's quick reactions and speed of thought and reading of the game would've meant he was off and heading off in the right direction by a few strides to catch/stop the ball before BJB has even made a move.

You want your pivot players to have this kind of confidence in themselves that sets them apart from other positions but BJB always look a bit timid and not like someone who'll go out to grab a game by the throat like Hardaker would try to do.

Agree with all of that Printer.
I would say that maybe Hardaker has had more practice at FB recently than BJB that might explain things a bit.
But without doubt we would have been in safer hands with ZH and he might have come up with something different in attack.

Granted Hardaker has had more time there but from what I remember from when he first switched there in 2012 he looked just as comfortable without really a 'bedding in' period.

I agree, and that's what, in my opinion, has marked out Hardaker as an exceptional player.

Yes good call.
Flippin heck I am getting worried that`s two posts I have agreed with you

It saddens me a bit to say that I don't feel too gutted BJB is leaving. A while ago I was full of praise for him but I think more recently I have felt that although he is decent, he isn't as good as our alternatives in the positions he plays. Which is a shame.

I have even started feeling that he is potentially a 'typical Salford signing' - from the outside one that looks very good and exciting, but actually when you get down to it is a little bit over-rated and the reality of what he will give them doesn't quite match what you might expect it would.

I guess inadvertantly I am praising ZH above all else in saying this. It just seemed last night that BJB's 'reading' of where he needed to be wasn't as good as it would've been if ZH was playing.

Whereas ZH maybe 'anticipates' where he needs to be, BJV 'reacts' to where he needs to be - he isn't already in the vicinity when the play is made like ZH seems to be a bit more.

I don't know why some here are surprised at BJB's lack of success in comparison to Hardaker at FB. It has been patently obvious to me - and some others - that keeping Hardaker at FB was paramount wherever possible.

I found it amazing that so many were willing to move Hardaker to accommodate the inferior BJB at FB.

He always looks feeble in his return of the ball and in his error prone defence. He has never instilled any confidence to me...and perhaps now all will realise what a special first choice FB we have in Hardaker.

You have been droning on about Hardaker at half back - which is it?

There is no doubt that Hardaker has made the full back his own and if you recall kallum was put there for a while and despite being a quality player he struggled as the FB position is all about reading the opposition play.
What does concern me is BJB in my opinion has delivered more as a winger than briscoe has in the limited outings BJB has had.
Briscoe had a great game against HKR but since then nothing his work rate is half Ryan's and he is suspect at defending. On Thursday he did next to nothing for 79 minutes.
I personally would prefer keeping BJB as wing and make Briscoe work for his place which he does not seem to
like doing

I suggest you check your facts

Briscoe's form is concerning.... He appears to often over run the ball and makes glaringly bad defensive reads. To think many of us thought we were going to have a devastating right wing partnership to at least match the left wing partnership in Moon and Hall. It certainly started off that way.....
In fairness it has taken a little time for the left wing partnership to blossom.....I would still prefer to give Briscoe more opportunity over a guy who we know is leaving at season's end. If BJB was pulling up trees then sure keep him in the team....otherwise retain Briscoe outside Watkins.

No I think you need decide what your stance is and remove some splinters from your bottom!!

Again I suggest you check your facts.....

Hardaker would make as fine stand off: something I suggested a long time ago to the scorn of others....BUT that was before he established himself as the best FB at the club since IMO the sublime ET. ( even I dared to suggest THE best FB I have seen in my 35 years of watching Leeds ). While others were clamouring for Hardaker be moved to centre to accommodate BJB I along with Billy and G1 (I think) were advocates of keeping Hardaker in the role he had surerly deservedly claimed as his own.

Either way he should always be a first to appear on the team sheet ....certainly long before MCGuire.

Care to remove those splinters?

I think you're exaggerating there. From memory only Juan has made an appeal of having BJB at FB over Hardaker. Some might've said switch Hardaker to centre for certain games against lower opposition so we could rest Watkins/Moon but hardly the way you're making it out to be.

Not sure how I was meant to be "making it out to be"....you ARE right!

My point was (and is) that Hardaker should not have been (and should not be) moved from FB [iwhatever[/i the circumstances (when available of course - as we all know he is presently serving a lengthy ban for the heinous life threatening act of on field extremely malicious violent conduct ...or something like that

).

Last 3 years vs Hudds in league games the number of 40/20's conceded.

2012
Home - BJB @ FB = 1
Away - Hardaker = 1

2013
Home - Watkins = 2
Away - Hardaker = 0

2014
Home - BJB = 2
Away - Hardaker = 0

Total
BJB/Watkins = 5 (technically 6 if you count the one that bounced off BJB's legs) in 3 games.
Hardaker = 1 in 3 games.