OFFICIAL Oliver Gildart

Fade.To.Black said:
I just named backs considering popular opinion, rightly so, has been pointing out that recently backs coming over from the Old Dart haven't fared as well as forwards have.
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Reason why most the backs haven’t faired well in recent years is their size. Its one thing to have speed and agility but small wingers & centers get found out very fast and struggle to keep up. In the ESL development phases if you’re a bigger back they quickly get moved into the forwards.
 
Mighty_Tiger said:
Reason why most the backs haven’t faired well in recent years is their size. Its one thing to have speed and agility but small wingers & centers get found out very fast and struggle to keep up. In the ESL development phases if you’re a bigger back they quickly get moved into the forwards.
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Size is a factor for wingers and centres, but I don't necessarily think it's the most important. Leilua had the size, Corey Thompson had the heart. Probably a bad comparison.

And Gildart is not exactly a midget, he's 6 foot (taller than Justin Olam) and has apparently bulked up a bit in the last couple of months.
 
TillLindemann said:
Size is a factor for wingers and centres, but I don't necessarily think it's the most important. Leilua had the size, Corey Thompson had the heart. Probably a bad comparison.

And Gildart is not exactly a midget, he's 6 foot (taller than Justin Olam) and has apparently bulked up a bit in the last couple of months.
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There is always exceptions, BJ used his size brilliantly well and at one point was one of the top centers in the game. Don't know how that can be used against the argument.

The difference with Thompson v Gildart is Thompson played his whole life against bigger guys in opposing positions. Yes alot of skill involved but when you play against the bigger guys all the time you think/react/play different. Gildart hasn't. I hope Gildart smashes it. Was just highlighting the reason why most English backs struggle. As to comparing him against Olam - Olam is bigger and again has many a year against the bigger boys. I have coached juniors alot over the years in NSW and VIC - it is a very clear difference maker in the success of kids going up grades.
 
jirskyr said:
Ellis!?! Dave Bolton?!

I also thought Harvey Howard was pretty good for the Maggies back in the 90s.
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Harvey was a cult hero. Shame he didn’t get a contract when the JV was formed. Think he knocked an offer back if Im not mistaken. Went on the following year and won a comp with the Broncos. As did Shane Perry. Another Magpie discard.
 
GNR4LIFE said:
Shane Perry was actually in the 2006 premiership side.
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Yeah he was. I think he went to the bulldogs after leaving Wests and also played Queensland cup. I actually listened to a podcast on him the other day. The Rugby League cemetery have quite a few interesting episodes in different players and matches from over the years
podcasts.apple.com

The Rugby League Cemetery

Sport Podcast · The format is simple - watch old games, talk about them. No detail is too small, no argument is too pointless.
podcasts.apple.com podcasts.apple.com
 
Mighty_Tiger said:
There is always exceptions, BJ used his size brilliantly well and at one point was one of the top centers in the game. Don't know how that can be used against the argument.

The difference with Thompson v Gildart is Thompson played his whole life against bigger guys in opposing positions. Yes alot of skill involved but when you play against the bigger guys all the time you think/react/play different. Gildart hasn't. I hope Gildart smashes it. Was just highlighting the reason why most English backs struggle. As to comparing him against Olam - Olam is bigger and again has many a year against the bigger boys. I have coached juniors alot over the years in NSW and VIC - it is a very clear difference maker in the success of kids going up grades.
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You make a really good argument mate. But regarding the size thing over there, is that just a perception? I never got the impression that Super League players are especially small, especially as so many Aussies Kiwis and Islanders play over there. Apart from a genuine dwarf like Rob Burrow. But maybe you're right in regards to poms coming up through the junior grades playing smaller opposition.
 
TillLindemann said:
You make a really good argument mate. But regarding the size thing over there, is that just a perception? I never got the impression that Super League players are especially small, especially as so many Aussies Kiwis and Islanders play over there. Apart from a genuine dwarf like Rob Burrow. But maybe you're right in regards to poms coming up through the junior grades playing smaller opposition.
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Ryan Hall is a beast of a bloke but never made an impact over here. Had quite a few injuries though.
 
Hope the young man goes well with our club. Will be interesting how he goes first up against a pretty tough opponent in Manly
 
TillLindemann said:
You make a really good argument mate. But regarding the size thing over there, is that just a perception? I never got the impression that Super League players are especially small, especially as so many Aussies Kiwis and Islanders play over there. Apart from a genuine dwarf like Rob Burrow. But maybe you're right in regards to poms coming up through the junior grades playing smaller opposition.
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Fade.To.Black said:
Ryan Hall is a beast of a bloke but never made an impact over here. Had quite a few injuries though.
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Yeah I get it's a step down in quality, but size wise, Gildart was coming up against typically NRL sized opposition like Kevvie Naiqama and Konrad Hurrell.
 
TillLindemann said:
You make a really good argument mate. But regarding the size thing over there, is that just a perception? I never got the impression that Super League players are especially small, especially as so many Aussies Kiwis and Islanders play over there. Apart from a genuine dwarf like Rob Burrow. But maybe you're right in regards to poms coming up through the junior grades playing smaller opposition.
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Over there yeah the size gaps are big. The bigger kids get poached by Union or moved into the backrow so the backs are playing small on small. League in the UK isn't a primary sport, Union has preference of the better players especially damaging backs. If a NRL larger guy goes over it's why they carve up (Richards great example) or end up in Union.
 
Tigerwould said:
Agree. This is my biggest concern for season 2022. Not just Gildart, all our edge players In defence.
The middle with Twal, Steph should be ok. Different story around the edges.
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Yes and that's why at first I was against us hiring Cayless (now I am all for it).
What Cayless will do is toughen up our middle. 2021 our middle was NOT OK.
For the size of our pack there were several games we should have won and we were just soft.

So I expect our middle to change, yet we still have the problem of our backs. That problem being defense. Nofo gets caught out wide, we just don't stop the tries when the other team gets to our endzone. .... Cayless not Hastings is what is going to change with our team, Cayless will get the forwards rallying but it's how well Cayless does with our backs and their defense, that is the key question to how 2022 will go.
 
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