That dummy by McShane even sold me, quality

Thought mcshane had a good game and given more game time

Was it greasy in the WCC?

I am all for McShane to play a role. My preference would be from the bench with Burrow to half like we did so well last year. However, let's not pretend there isn't a systematic problem with McShane's game. It's been there from the outset and isn't improving. This is one occasion where I can understand the coaches perceived lack of confidence in the player.

Yet you still, quite rightly IMO, see a role for McShane within the current set-up despite this apparent systematic problem - no doubt we also agree that Watkins his worthy of continued inclusion despite a long standing systematic problem with his one on one defense.

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According to Opta Ablett missed six tackles yesterday. Here we may have to differ.

Who, you and I or you and Opta?

But that's ok, because apparently Ablett is playing injured. Or so tvoc tells us on another thread, using his clairvoyant skills

More likely a complex excel macro calculating how many time he moved left v right, looked left v right and blinked.

The use of meticulously collected data and statistical analysis to predict future events and trends is widely used. To the simple minded or superstitious this may appear as some form of magical power such as clairvoyance.

I'm sure Burrow would have done much better defending in the same position

I'm absolutely certain he would. That is one aspect of Burrow's game that is techincally perfect.

It wasn't for Bradford's first try on Thursday.

Technique is one thing, and Rob's is textbook, but Burrow defending in the middle would be a disaster both defensively and offensively. Thats why we don't do it.

I understand. I was simply addressing nantwhich's point about McShane's missed tackle as I don't think Burrow would've missed it as he implied.

It's also done extraordinarily badly 99% of the time, using "point and click" analysis software that allows people to produce huge volumes of technical-looking output without any real insight into what it means or whether you've run a test that was appropriate for the data, leading to wrong conclusions and predictions made on flawed assumptions.

To the simple-minded and superstitious it's clairvoyance or magic. To the intelligent general reader without critical eye it's good evidence-based practice, to the trained statistician (in the academic, PhD, MSc sort of way, not the bar chart and frequency table type, or worse, Phil Clarke) it's mostly just garbage.

All about levels innit.

Thats fair enough. I thought I may have to take you AAA posters rating from you



For what its worth, I can't make my mind up on the whole Burrow thing. No problem with where he defends. As long as there is a set structure for the teams defense then thats ok. If it means Sinfield defending a little more central, than thats fine with me.

I also don't think we need a traditional hooker in the 17. I assume by traditional we mean 90s+ not prior to that as I'm not sure the ability to hook a ball at a scrum would be much use.

The one thing I do know is that Burrow is our main weapon for impact on a game. he can do stuff that no-one in the league can do. My question is how do you maximise that potential? As has been said about Wakins, give him twice as much ball? Well I think the same as I do for Watkins. The key to getting the most is about using them in the right situation. Get a fresh Burrow, or watkins against some tired legs, or a bit of space and thats where you get your rewards. Based on that, I think I could happily see Burrow miss out on the first 20 mins, and play the rest of the game, and make him that much sharper for when that opportunity comes along.

McDermott has played it both ways in his reign, but obviously doesn't see McShane as being safe enough to trust the opening exchanges with.

I'd agree with all of that.

Burrow is oen fo the most damgerous players in the league. He and Tomkins can give defenders kittens like no other players. I was content with Burrow at scrum half and felt he got a real bad press from our fans. As much as I like McGuire he certainly poses very little threat these days and is not the play maker he often is given credit for. I was, therefore, initially against the move to shift Rob to 9.

That said, I thought McDermott hit upon a very clever ploy last year of starting Burrow at 9 and ing him back to 7 when Lunt came off the bench. It was effective.

However, McDermott clearly doesn't fully trust McShane yet so Burrow is spending a lot more time at 9, the Catalan game apart and that I don't like.

As to defensive alignments I don't care how he lines them up either. This year it seems to be working. What I don't look is the confusion that results from people lining up different places in different sets. We saw a lot of it last year and have seen it some this year.

Achurch has been quality everytime I've seen you men play. Hard running, strong and decent pace for a big guy.

He also looks like Jamie Redknapp and Beau Ryan's love child!

He was off the pace at the start off the season.but since returning from a spell at hunslet has been very impresive.

Getting better with every game, 100% better attitude than griffin

Went well again tonight. Strong both with the ball in hand and particularly in defence.

Would like to see him used as a wider running second row so he can get at opposition halfbacks and centres, but whether he does that or plays down the middle he's not looking out of place at the moment.

Had another good game, strong in defence. And has obviously shown the right attitude going away to hunslet working hard getting his spot back

He looks to have settled in well since coming back from Hunslet, and looks to have regained some self belief. He qualifies for England so maybe he's looking to get a place in the England squad, and if he carries on improving maybe he will, he was certainly better than Westwood.

Slightly OT but would anyone else love Leeds to sign Ben Currie? I thought he was Warrington's best player by a mile.

Agree with the reviews of Achurch's performances and as a whole i think we are defending much stronger than ever under McD especially at this point of the season.
CS-Re-Currie i rate the lad aswell but there's some real quality young Forwards amongst our very own Acadamy squad its just a case of getting them into the team.

Hardaker looked good as well, and is deceptively strong seen stopping the try