Quote Frank Whitcombe="Frank Whitcombe"1. Conditioner, we simply aren't fit enough and we're picking up injuries that smack of poor conditioning. Though if we used the ball
at bit more instead of one out rugby we might not be blowing after 25 minutes!!
2. Defensive Coach, we're miles behind in technique, enthusiasm, and implementation (see above)
3. Experienced Academy Coach, to prepare our players in waiting properly and instil a winning culture, with all due respect Stuart
who??
4. Top drawer scrum half, even if we need to pay a fee! We can't wait any longer to grow our own. A fee could come from surplus cap
not spent this year before it goes on painting the toilets
5. Quality centre or centres to release Ainscough/Raynor who have 30 tries a season in them combined outside a class centre(s). Our
wingers haven't had a decent supply since Hape left. They also need to be rocks in defence to make up for our lack of size out
wide. Fingers crossed for Lulia as one of them!
In my view thats all we need to push on into the top six, my starting 'fitter' 13 would be:
1. Royston (no coincidence in my view that our little winning streak coincided with Shad at FB, Kearney's a Stand Off, end of!!)
2. Ainscough (we need to see him in space)
3. We need a bloody good Centre!
4. Lulia (hope he's a good solid signing
)
5. Raynor (worth another year)
6. Kearney (spoilt for choice, but he's our best option)
7. We need a very good Scrum Half
8. Kopzjack (solid, we're a better side when he plays and another off season will only help)
9. Le Strange (need his energy from the off, and I'd make him skipper)
10. Hargreaves (Solid 20 from the start with Tom off the bench)
11. Elima (will only get better after a good year this one)
12. Whitehead (will be a star, needs another off season)
13. Addy (time for a ball playing 13, lets throw him in - Saints do it)
14. Scruton (impact baby)
15. Burgess (see Scruton)
16. Diskin (great when opposition tire)
17. Platt (utility back)
In reserve we have plenty of cover and enough to shuffle the pack in:
Bateman (Centre)
Briggs (Scrum Half/Stand Off)
Crookes (Wing)
Crossley (Prop)
Donaldson (Second Row)
Finnegan (Wing)
Jeffries (Scrum Half/Stand Off)
Lynch (Prop)
O'Brien (Hooker)
Olbison (Second Row)
I'd release the following and use the cap money on the Scrum Half/Centres we need!
Ah Van
Herbert
Langley
Sibbitt
Sykes
Walker
See it aint so bad, thats a top eight side coached effectively, discuss...........'"
In what way do the injuries 'smack of poor conditioning'. This fitness gripe is one that always comes up when a team is doing badly and usually it's something of a red herring. Often people interpret failures resulting from the gameplan and players as poor fitness when it's often not the truth. For example, if a team consistently gives ball away and is forced to play without the ball for long spells, they will lose juice quicker.
Looking at the most recent injuries, you've got:
Shaun Ainscough, ankle ligament
Chev Walker, broken ankle
Ian Sibbit, broken thumb
Tom Olbison, knee
Jamie Langley, ankle
Heath L’Estrange, cruciate
Then, the long-term injuries this season:
Danny Addy, broken thumb
Jamie Langley, dislocated shoulder
Gareth Raynor, hamstring tear
Nick Scruton, dislocated wrist
Brett Kearney, broken hand
Bar Gareth Raynor's hamstring tear, those injuries actually smack of stress put on the body as a result of collision/impact. Poor conditioning would cause a lot more soft tissue and muscle injuries but that simply hasn't been the case. There are greater priorities to address and I agree, a quality scrum half and quality centre are high on the list.
