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Centre Conundrum

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 1:58 pm
by AndaleManito
What a great selection headache to have at 12 and 13, with Manu, RJVR, Hill, Luke and Sam + Doherty to choose from.

Once immediate affect of singing Manu is increased press coverage, for example this interesting article in the Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... hip-glory/

Interesting read!

The article mentions Sam James as a potential option at 15, which while acceptable when necessary, I would hope doesn't happen. For me he's a nailed on 13, who can do a job at 10 and 15 when called upon. Much rather Luke get another go at fullback where he looked very competent.

Looking forward to lots of rotation, we now have 5 top level centres!

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 2:13 pm
by MikeGC
Sam James is an excellent distributor.
I wonder whether there’s an option for A. N. Other at 10, Sam at 12 and Manu Tuilagi at 13, to be set free by Sam's distribution skills.

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 2:29 pm
by Van Cannonball
I seem to be aligned with Dimes in that I prefer the 2nd distributor at 13, although in reality 12 and 13 rotate a lot more than they used to anyway.

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 2:38 pm
by Clutch
Think it’s more of a Deacon thing to be honest.

I still think 15 is an issue if we want to be competing on all fronts. I’m not against James playing there but it needs to be permanent. Can’t be moving him around from week to week. Esp as Manu will leave we assume after the season and a half.

I think as long as one of 13 or 15 has good distribution skills I’m ok. The other needs real pace and the ability to threaten the outside. That’s what we lack with James and Hammersley playing as they lack top gas and explosivity. Manu doesn’t have top end gas but hes the dictionary definition of explosive.

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 3:26 pm
by IrishShark
Without ashton and byron far better suited as a wing, Luke will gladly take minutes at full back i'd imagine

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 3:53 pm
by Monty9
AndaleManito wrote:
Tue Jul 14, 2020 1:58 pm

Once immediate affect of singing Manu is increased press coverage

I think we are going to see lots more positive press coverage moving forward, especially when all the media around the new training facilities is released. Good time to be a Sale fan!

1 month to go till the Quins game.

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:37 pm
by Lord Elpus
For me Sam James isn't good enough defensively at 12. What a combo of VR & Tuilagi lack is a kicking game. let the ball - not the body - do the work.

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 7:46 pm
by FarnhamShark
Playing on the wing outside them would be a bit frustrating, too!

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 8:01 pm
by Van Cannonball
I think the wingers will be happy with the space created by the holes punched inside and the defenders scared to death of drifting.

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 11:07 pm
by Thekeg
I don’t really see a conundrum this season, we will just rotate the players in all positions as the schedule will be pretty brutal. We will probably do similar the year after given it will only be a brief break. Out “first choice” 15 or 23 will only be apparent in knock out or must win matches and obviously that will be injury dependent, so in reality we might never see it.

It’s great that we now have so many players who have a genuine case to start week in week out, must be our strongest squad ever. Even the title winning side didn’t have this much depth. I have slight concerns if Akker or Faf go down long term injured, but that’s it really....

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2020 9:45 am
by Elgar
Wouldn't see an issue with Tuilagi playing 12 inside Sam James. Would be a similar axis to he and Slade for England.

Imagine that Hill will be flexible between 12 and 13 as played a lot both inside Slade and outside Devoto and Whitten at Exe. (I think also on the wing a number of times but maybe not for a few years)

I like Sam James at 15 as a cover option but prefer him at 13 and Luke at 15.

Worth remembering that Tuilaigi and RJVR are both capped on the wing. Wouldn't be surprised to see either, on their 'turn' to start on the bench and depending on the game, come on at 50/60 mins on the wing.

Agree with @Thekeg, no conundrum.

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 12:00 pm
by H's D
As others have pointed out subsequent to the revised schedule of games being announced, the almost twice weekly game schedule for the rest of this season, the absence of a significant break before the next, and the likely somewhat more intense schedule for next season all tend to add together to make the small size of Sale's squad a far more significant issue.
I no longer see Manu's recruitment as contentious at all for that reason. Starting centres will almost certainly need far more regular recovery breaks. Especially players like RJVR and Manu.
I wouldn't be surprised to see 2 different starting XV's that alternate games with the most that players are asked to do is start one game and bench the next. Or perhaps only just play the first half after playing a full game the previous match.
So I therefore also agree, Thekeg and Elgar are correct, no conundrum at all.
Hopefully Sam and Luke also see it that way and I hope to confirm that with them when I next see them.
It will do Sam (and Luke) no harm at all to be seen creating half chances for more well-rested hard-hitting centres like RJVR, MT and SH to convert into scores (or our high quality wingers of course)... They can both develop even faster as distributing centres.
To my mind it is better to have a second distributing player at 12/13 rather than 15. Although obviously there may be times when both centres are of the hard-hitting variety!
I hope Dimes will have given reassurances in those regards where necessary and talked all this through with the squad to a degree. Squad togetherness and a positive atmosphere over the next year will be critical .
It is important all our squad keep involved and engaged.
We may even see a bit more of Cameron Nield on the pitch, he deserves it, as he has seldom disappointed.

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 1:39 pm
by StalyShark
H's D wrote:
Thu Jul 16, 2020 12:00 pm

We may even see a bit more of Cameron Nield on the pitch, he deserves it, as he has seldom disappointed.
I still shudder thinking about that Newcastle home match from a few seasons ago...

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2020 5:29 pm
by StalyShark
Toronto Wolfpack aren’t continuing with Super League this season. They train in Manchester, they have Sonny Bill Williams training in Manchester...

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2020 6:27 pm
by AonM
would be nice but, think it might just tip us over the salary cap

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2020 2:20 pm
by Yareet
Looking for old information, I stumbled across this article from all of 2 years ago. Shows how far we’ve come.

https://m.rugbynetwork.net/main/sale-sh ... ll?print=1

Also, what’s wrong with trying JOC at centre? 🤣🤣

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 9:38 am
by Olyy

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 12:11 pm
by Taplow 1861
For those of us who are yet to join the Instagram revolution, does it provide any details?

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 1:22 pm
by Olyy
Nah, it's just a post by his agent saying he's signed an extension - no mention of length

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 1:45 pm
by ale shark
Olyy wrote:
Sat Aug 01, 2020 1:22 pm
Nah, it's just a post by his agent saying he's signed an extension - no mention of length
Hopefully they both remember how long it’s for :joy:

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 4:36 pm
by Flumpty
ale shark wrote:
Sat Aug 01, 2020 1:45 pm
Olyy wrote:
Sat Aug 01, 2020 1:22 pm
Nah, it's just a post by his agent saying he's signed an extension - no mention of length
Hopefully they both remember how long it’s for :joy:
& for which Club :pray:

Re: Centre Conundrum

Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2020 9:40 am
by Lord Elpus
He's probably extended with Glaws too - just in case.