To be fair his work-rate has upped considerably imo and his all round game is alot better than his early season form showed imo the tries are just the icing on the cake and prove he's still a quality finisher.

I think he sees alot more of the ball when senior moves to the second row. Anyway great to scotty build from for the play-offs!

No Morley just got on with his game and had a ding dong battle with peacock.

Don't shock me. His usual work rate. I don't measure a players' contribution with stats.

Carvell had the biggest impact on the outcome of the game in the 79th minute.

This expert opined that Hall and Watkins were in better form 7 weeks ago (Hudds at home). If form in a game 7 weeks ago counts as current form you'd have a point, but it isn't and you don't.

As Donald's staunchest supporter on these boards I am pleased he's turned things around.

As you say, his contribution against Warrington was vital and his finishing of his 1st try was a sublime piece of skill.

Was Watkins form based on one appearance?

All he needs to do now is stop tackling like a big girl and he'll be just fine - two more misses to add to the five (?) the previous week.

And thank god the coach knew that the best place to regain some form and confidence was in the first team.





Donald always gives his best, that's why he has made the dream team for the past 2 years, to suggest that he was on "borrowed time" just because he was in a poor run of form is just daft, every sportsman goes through bad patches of form even the greats of the game.

Thought Morley was head and shoulders the better of the two on Saturday.

The quantity is there from JP, not so sure about the quality at the minute.

That's why I post links to the previous stat threads at the foot of each new week so posters can check for themselves.

He made five and missed four V Wigan.

Who has the worst tackle efficiency this year between Hall & Donald?

Another poor week going forward for Lauitiiti, who has the fewest metres per carry in the team. Is he carrying a knock?

Hall 25 misses from 121 attempts - (79%)

Donald 17 misses from 76 attempts - (77%)

According to the Super League website.

Donald's defensive efforts the last two weeks however have been below par IMO, particularly at Wigan where Paaaat bullied him I thought.

I am not privvy to what caused Watkins form. Probably naturtal ability and hopefully good coaching.

My opinion, two months ago, was based upon several issues, not solely the form of Watkins.

Morley was excellent, no doubt, but I am not sure about head and shoulders.

In those crucial last dozen or so minutes when we clicked up a gear and the game was won Peacock's game lifted.

I'm not defending his stats or his technique, but his or other wingers' misses can't be looked at in isolation. Wing defence is more technically demanding than the other positions, even if the work rate or effort is not as intense.

He will often be on the receiving end of poor defensive options further infield, and will also have the most space either side of hinm in the defensive line.

If the opposition do some good work to open up a large gap/overlap, and Donald can only get a hand on a player, it still goes down as a miss, even though he had no chance due to the gaps.

The same criteria also applies to Hall, smith, Watkins or whoever plays on the wing. 5 misses against Wigan sounds bad, but possibly more a reslt of the team getting beaten than a very poor individual tackling performance

Six sounds even worse but neither figure are what [url=http://viewtopic.php?t=422004&highlight=OPTA reported[/url.



You are privvy to what forms your opinion though and in this case it appears to be based on a one off performance on the left wing by a natural left sided player. How in your expert opinion would that have got him into the run on side in place of Donald on the right? Would Hall have had to switch?

So we should persist with anyone who's been in the dream team even if their form doesn't warrant it???????
I accept that every player loses form but donald was the one who stood out at that time it wasn't just a knee jerk reaction to a poor match he was off form and low on confidence for weeks.
My view at that point in time stands and to suggest he should be picked whatever because of past exploits is ridiculous imo.

However, you need to have a credible replacement if youre to drop him. It is well acknowledged that Watkins isn't ready for Sl week in week out, and he has been prone to a lot of errors. He's had some good games and some bad.

I guess its up to the coach who he'd rather have on the pitch

If his misses were all due to the opposition getting his man away outside him that wouldn't be a problem. In recent weeks however his missed tackles appear to be more a case of someone running directly at him then bumping him off - perhaps a few lessons on technique with Rob Burrow may be in order?

I completely agree and like i said it was great to see Scotty regain his form but at the time donald was in poor form and low on confidence and when watkins played he didn't do anything imo that warranted being dropped for an out of form donald.

Watkins wasn't dropped when Hall returned from International duty. He just wasn't selected the following week with Hall retaining the position he had before his test call.



Burrow's tackle on Bridge in the second half (when Lauitiiti was wooping it up in front of the South Stand) was simply outstanding.

Indeed I am but that wasn't what you originally asked. You asked me about Watkins form. perhaps you should phrase you're questions a little more clearly.

How very presumptuous and inaccurate. It was based on the level of performance of the player Watkins would've replaced over several games previous culminating in a terrible performance in the game in question, 2 months ago. Watkins display in that game was also a factor in my opinion but nowhere near the determining one.

If you play well on the right wing does that preclude you from playing well on the left wing? It certainly doesn't appear to have done so with Hall.

Indeed. Not denying he has missed tackles that you'd expect him to make. Everyone does. Just to point out that 5 misses in 1 game is more understandable than 5 from someone closer to the action

so you thinking Leuluai is playing well / pulling his weight ?

I've seen players in 1 set do nearly as much as he does in the whole game.