[urlhttp://viewtopic.php?t=421631&start=0[/url

When we were rumoured there were a few dissenting voices (Mr Gilder) who opined the lad could not pass to his winger.

The above thread makes interesting and (if we're after him) worrying reading.

He'd improve in a better team and have more focus to retain his place.

I think (hope) so too.

From what I've seen of him this year on Sky he's done nothing to change my opinion. He's a big unit, takes some putting down but has no confidence in his ability to deliver and time a pass.

Slightly less error prone, but overall he looks like a poor man's Chev Walker.

Overrated only gets a mention because of the lack of any really emerging talent in his position currently trotting around SL - Shenton is the only other player of note and he is no Brad Godden that is for sure. The fact that Senior is head and shoulders above any British centre in SL says everything you need to know about the quality of centres in SL

I'd say that's an unfair comparison on Chev's behalf to be honest, as Mark Calderwood would probably testify to.

Ryan Hall was very lucky on his international debut that young Myler can throw a miss pass, otherwise he'd have probably gone 80 minutes without touching the ball other than kick returns and dummy half runs.

If Atkins does end up replacing Senior then Hall needs to get his backside across onto the right wing pronto, lest his career goes from feast to famine.

IMO Ratu has everything Atkins has but with more potential.

The issue with Ratu is where that performance on Friday has been hiding for the last four years? He certainly wasn't ripping up NL1 with Halifax or the reserve grades with Leeds in that time.

Atkins is vastly over rated, but thats a joke right?

I've seen both atkins & Shenton several times this season and I agree with Andy Gilder. Atkins is no better than the young lads (Ratu, Watkins & Gibson) that we have coming along. Shenton seems ok but he's playing in a team of few stars and stands out more, the same applys, we have better. Senior stands miles above them both and will continue to do so, you have to understand he is recognised as one of our main strike players and is therefore targeted more. I'm more than impressed with Ratu he has shown good defence and attack lets give him more game time then we will know.

No, being utterly and totally convinced that England would win the world cup is a joke.

I wholeheartedly agree with the point you make about Senior being the best British centre representing a sad indictment of emerging young talent (or lack thereof).

Personally I also think it has a lot to do with the obsession that clubs are having in holding back younger players until they reach a certain age.

You will probably find a glut of talented centres come through soon, rather than a trickle which would be the case if we allowed potential stars to emerge earlier and learn the game quicker.

Only my opinion of course. But thats how it used to work, and suddenly changed over last two years or so.

Yes, I bet Joel Tomkins will think twice before running all over him next time.

I jest of course as none of the current right centre options are top defenders.

Ok, I've become addicted to stats but...

...if you compare Atkins career to date with Chev Walkers Leeds career from 2003 - 2006 you'd get this:

[uTries per game[/u
Walker 0.60
Atkins 0.52

[uAssists per game[/u
Walker 0.17
Atkins 0.10

[uCarries per game[/u
Walker 10.54
Atkins 9.49

[uMetres per game[/u
Walker 89.24
Atkins 73.86

[uMetres per carry[/u
Walker 8.47
Atkins 7.78

[uTackle busts per game[/u
Atkins 2.09
Walker 1.91

[uBreaks per game[/u
Walker 0.94
Atkins 0.53

[uOffloads per game[/u
Walker 1.18
Atkins 0.93

[uErrors per game[/u
Atkins 0.95
Walker 1.14

[uPenalties conceded per game[/u
Walker 0.34
Atkins 0.52

[uTackles per game[/u
Atkins 13.11
Walker 12.38

[uTackle completion rate[/u
Atkins 92%
Walker 90%

Atkins is marginally ahead on a few counts but Walker is ahead for the vast majority - some by some considerable way.

You must be a wow with the ladies....

TVOC himself has queried the way that OPTA award assists. I can't believe Calderwood scored all those tries outside Walker and so few were down to his centre.

Also, why your recent obsession with an avg per game stat? Not an entirely accurate barometer if one has played far more games than the other.

Surely avg per game stats produce a better basis for comparisons.

Unless I've completely misunderstood your point.

He's right. Every player has games where they are not so great. If somebody has played more games than the player you are comparing to, then it goes without saying he will have had more of those not so great games than the other.

Therefore average per games for somobody playing 50 games, can not be compared to someone playing 200 games.

I thought the same about Calderwood's tries. I guess he scored quite a few from kick chase, quick taps or general support play up the middle and Chev probably had the pace to score off a number of breaks himself.

Completely disagree with your point about average per game stats. It levels out the difference when player 'A' has played far more games than player 'B' by virtue of being an average. In this instance though the difference wasn't staggering (87 games for chev vs 81 for Atkins) but still enough that an average should be used.

What's the alternative measure if you wish to compare players performances?

Fifty or two hundred games shouldn't matter as you're taking the average output per game.

Because the avarages diminish (as Gotcha stated) when the player has a lengthier career.

They're useful stats but, like most stats, do not tell anywhere near the full picture.

Are Peacock and Senior's averages diminishing?

Neither you nor DISA understand O level maths or the basic principles of a mean average

neither you or TVOC understand how little those areas help in the assessment of a rugby players' qualities.

And how dare you insinuate I am old enough to have done O'levels.