About time you got something right

Brilliant

I will turn that back on you, since I don't believe it was tactical. If it WAS tactical, why wasn't he on the bench against Wigan? If ever there was an opposition we needed to confuse, Wigan was it but instead we stuck to the same combinations in spite of repeated beatings.

I think the decision pre-match was strategical.

Perry was injured and Gaskell was the next best player fit to play.
But was used Tactically during the match.

If Perry was fit Gaskell would probably not have got a look in.
Had Gaskell been on the bench and Royce was in charge, he probably would have not got any time as they were only there to cover injury, not to be injected into a match to make a difference.

I was told flangan was due to miss out last night until Perry pulled out and I think past history shows gaskell would be starting if Royce was still in charge with lance on the bench

I think it's a good to see a coach pick his team that he thinks is best against the opposition and not just picking the same 17 every week.

Maybe he's watched the tapes on Salford and thought Gaskell would do them damage in the secound half.

It worked anyway.

Whereas I think it is good when a coach learns that a given 17 don't work and so adapts accordingly, which clearly hasn't been done in the case of Wigan so I don't see how it would be done against anyone else.


IMO it worked because Gaskell needs to be on the pitch but no doubt he will be disappeared again.

I have absolutely no idea how you come by that conclusion! A back for a prop?! And for the last ten minutes only? Makes no sense IMO. Didn't Gaskell physically replace Jones anyway? I don't remember Jones being on the pitch while Gaskell was on it.

Gaskell come on for clough tp went prop Wilkin second row roby loose lance hooker Jones play full game

Rush also changed the team for the bulls game at Langtree as he wanted the biggest pack out there to steam roll them and that worked.

Sometimes changes to to team selection are needed depending on who we playing and not just swapping the team around just for the sake of it.

Your correct, we've not yet picked the right team to beat wiigsn but I'm sure every defeat has been a learning curve and with a little luck we will get it right at play off time.

Ah right. Me and a few around me were trying to figure out who left the pitch when Gaskell came on and I don't remember seeing Jones. But I wasn't sure. Clough put in a good stint IMO. He was one of the few forwards who consistently ran forward (as opposed to sideways!).

However, I still don't think Perry being available to play would have made any difference to Gaskell. Not that Perry wasn't available to play. We don't get injury updates these days and so I have no idea whether Perry was fit or not.

Yes, I was aware of that, which kind of backs up my position that Gaskell wasn't a direct replacement for Perry. I don't think Perry's fitness or otherwise bore any impact upon whether Gaskell played. I think Gaskell played because we needed the creativity in attack which frankly Hohaia isn't giving us and yet Rush will not concede that point beyond playing Gasky for 10 minutes at the end of the occasional match.


Really? I wouldn't have guessed!

Yes really, it was tactical unlike early in the year when the wingers and centres was taking it in turns to play



Perry just wasnt picked so I'm told.

That would be tactical then.



(Perry will be moaning to the press again if he doesn't get picked!)

I think Perry prefers to sit on his fat bum rather than play.

I think if saints have their way, he won't be there next year.

That would be a good move. He is the stereotypical journeyman Aussie in my view and he is blocking the development of one of our young forwards.

I think the injuries he suffered in his last year in the NRL and the injuries he picked up in his first year here finished him. He basically missed a season and half with injuries. He's getting on a bit and is a big guy which hasn't helped.

Very good signing at the time but it's just not worked out. Just one of them things.

Oh it's like talking to a wall.

The problem is that he might be a bit of a dumpling, but he would still need replacing. The chances of getting a top Aussie are receding, and there are none available here.

To be honest, ive not looked whats available but I doubt it would be hard to replace perry as he's basically a waste of a player.

I don't know why you bother trying!!!!

Another British prop slipped through the fingers already , Watts went to Hull F for free didnt he?

Give over. Whilst he had a slow start with a disrupted season last year, since Royce went he's been very good in pretty much all games bar Wigan (for which he's not the only one) and he's been given plenty of compliments by a variety of posters.

No he replaced whoever was at loose, possibly flash

I think someone said earlier, Gaskell came one, Hohaia to Hooker and Robes to backrow.