upthecats wrote:
I agree with most of that but think there's a startling omission from your list!
Arguably the signing we needed to work out most after having so much trouble there last year with injuries and constantly trying different players there...but think Liam Hood has made a real difference at 9. Really strong player all round...gets the forwards moving with quality distribution and a real strong tackler...don't think it's any coincidence that since he's come in and got match fit we're seeing much more from Lino and Miller as they're getting the ball that bit quicker.
On paper a spine of Jowitt, Miller, Lino and Hood may not look as special as many teams but they aint half functioning well at the minute and moving the team around the field really well !
The other real important thing for me with this squad and something I've said for years is, success is built on a solid backbone of local lads who've come through the academy and I think on that score we're in a better position now than we've ever been in since i've been watching us. There's the older brigade in Jowitt, Johnstone, Batchelor and Crowther who all seem to have gone up a level this season...wonder if that's down to new faces in the backroom as WP mentioned in the Trinity Heritage podcast? And then there's the new kids on the block of last season and this...Bowes, Aydin, Hall, Murphy, Kershaw, Shaw, Croft etc...I actually think at this present time we could field a 17 man squad with about 12 who've come through our academy and be really competitive and I can't remember us being able to do that for a very long time!
Looks like we've got a real gem in Willie too...just love the way he's started...his decision making...the way he speaks in interviews...always striving for the best...making the players and fans believe we can go and beat any team anywhere...think it was very clever what he did pre season getting the squad to engage with past players to give them the feel of what it means to represent our club. Those 16 years as a number two might just have helped form one of the brightest coaches out there at the minute...he was a tremendous player for us and when he left...he comes across as a great bloke and so far, and fingers crossed for the future, he looks to be a real top drawer coach!
you are absolutely right, Hood's solidity at acting half is really important, the choice of pass the sense of where his playmakers are... I had him in mind when I started writing but somehow he got left off.
Statistics: Posted by Spookisback — Wed Mar 30, 2022 2:19 am
