Title says it all. Bevan French, you're time is here. We aren't making the finals, this is the PERFECT way to give him game time when really, the result doesn't mean a whole lot. Gordon continues to stifle our attack, all he does is catch and pass without challenging the line. The defence can easily slide and cover this shift because Gordon doesn't straighten, nor does he take it on enough himself. He hasn't got the speed or size to trouble the defence. His passing and kicking is lacklustre in the modern day where fullbacks need to have the skills of a half. French has this. He also has the speed off the mark to worry teams that he may go himself and bust through.
While Gordon is great under the high ball and his kick returns are good, it just isn't doing it for us. The Sharks suddenly look much better in attack without him too? Granted they now have genuine halves there, but Gordon for me has always been a good hole runner, off an outside-inside pass or something similar. In terms of getting the ball on a sweep play, he just doesn't cut it. We run out of room and Jennings & Semi just don't get enough good, clean, early ball in space. Our plays rely on getting outside teams and scoring on the edges, whereas Gordon is more suited to the way the Sharks have played in the last few years of trying to go through teams.
The circumstances could not be better to introduce French. We essentially have 13 games left which we can use to build things for next year, and decide which off-contract players we are going to keep. We can try a few new things in attack and possibly a couple of players (French, King, Fuimaino)? BA said we have only used 22 players of which maybe only Kelly (?) was part of the 2nd tier cap, so there should surely be space there to use?
We can get a headstart on 2017 if we actually use the next 13 games, and especially once we get inside the final 6 or so weeks, to try some combinations. Sort out who our #9 will be (IDG, Pritchard or King) and sort out who our fullback will be (French, Gordon) and let's see how we go with that. The rest can be fine-tuned in the off-season. We MUST use this penalty to our advantage, if we trot out the same 17 for the rest of the year, it just isn't the most efficient way of doing it. If players get injured, hold them back an extra week or 2 so we can see some others who are in the mix have a game.
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I think he should get at least 2-3 games this year and not just the final 2-3. That way we see if he is up to it at this stage, if not, drop him back again to the 20's or Wenty. If he has a bad game, so what? Everyone does at some stage. It's at least worth a go in our current situation surely? Never know if we don't try.
Hard to counter that but this is based on an objective view, it's beginning to become really frustrating with Gordon at the back. We look decent with our ball movement but we can't land that final pass or create the extra bit of time we need to finish off a movement.
French IS NOT ready. At all.
Perhaps with Jennings out for Origin, it would not hurt givng French a go in those games where he is missing for Origin. Next game is against the knights & should be a game we win, both in top & NYC, blooding him in those games will not weaken the NYC & he has a chance to show his wares.
Personally I also think DeGois has had his time, & again blooding King or perhaps Nelson against the Knights could work with Pritchard getting the main starting 9 spot.
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