Future Centre Options ... Ayshford

[hadds75]

I think our outside backs have been shown up for how really good they are with Lawrence out of the side. Nothing against Ayshford, his a solid player, but I think alot of people got overexcited by him at the end of last season.

Our attack has always been left side dominant. The amount of tries and breaks scored down the left has always been significantly higher on the left. Yet people still thought Ayshford was this world breaking centre.

Now without Lawrence in the side, we go left and we look unthreatening, we go right and we look like nothings on. Noone in our outside backs looks threatening at all.

Brown is no more than a very solid player who does little things right (defends, takes bomb, positions himself well), but he is again not a game breaker. A nice person to have to finish on the wing (if anything was ever created).

Blake Ayshford generally defends well, but theres no flare about him. I like him, and would try him elsewhere but long term I dont see him there. We need a centre who can run at the line at a bit of pace and look threatening.

Even with Lawrence back, we need another centre, another outside back. I think its cost us a bit already this year and last year. At the moment, we have nothing whatever side we go and are just relying on Benji/Robbie to pull somthing out etc. All good teams will put points on either side of the field, it changes ur whole side dynamic.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Ayshford is solid…put it this way he's x10 the footballer Dean Collis is

 

[everett]

I agree Ayshford is a solid player but hardlly threatens the line in attack. Doesn't score many tries or sets them up.

I agree with need to find another centre to partner Lawrence.

Ayshford would make a perfect utility player off the bench. Capable of playing in the backs and forwards.

 

[Captain_Awesome]

2\. Utai
3\. Lawrence
4\. Tuqiri
5\. Ryan

 

[Bazzinator]

jake clarke will be a given a shot once he gets used to playing with men similar to hyland and mullaney in that regard. clarke has been training with the FG squad for the last 2 seasons so there is obviously big wraps on the kid

 

[Colonel]

With the salary cap you can't have an entire 17 of dominant players.

We're lucky to have three players in our backline (Marshall, Lawrence, Tuqiri) who are amongst the top 5 players in their position. The rest of our backline varies between average and above average to good.

I believe our squad of backline players is stronger than most teams in the comp.

Unfortunately at the moment, two of our top 3 backs (and our first choice backup centre) are injured. This severly limits the strike power of our side. (Just as it would be if you took Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk out of the Storm backline, or removed Idris and Morris from the Bulldogs team)

Luckily for us Tuqiri should be returning from injury soon. This will improve our strike power. Hopefully, later in the season, Lawrence will come back fit, just as we're making a run for the finals.

But unless there's some junior players coming through who can star for our side and not get paid much, I don't think there's too many options at the moment. We simply can't fit Tuqiri, Marshall, Lawrence, Farah, Ellis, Galloway, Heighington, etc under the salary cap AND sign Adam Blair AND sign another star centre or winger.

The salary cap doesn't let you do it…

 

[AngryEmu]

As I mentioned in another thread I am worried about who will partner with Lote in the centres. The two guys we have at the moment don't seem to be creating much in attack and aside from Marshall throwing a cut out ball, I don't see Lote getting a lot of ball.

 

[hadds75]

I dont think Tuquiri is a bad centre option. I see no reason why he couldnt do it. I mean theres two types of centre. Theres your flashy ones with the footwork etc and then theres your big strong runners which tuquiri I think could be and be quite well. We have plenty of wing options so dont see why it wouldnt work.

 

[happy_tiger]

How about our junior stocks Jake Clarke looked promising in NYC and is running around in reggies . Could he be the future centre if need be . Ayshford is a far better player when Lawrence is playing as defences concentrate the efforts on Lawrence At the moment he is learning what it is to be a marked man and is something he will need to develop if he wants to make the next step in the NRL Possibly second season syndrome with him ??

 

[Demps]

Yawn

 

[boonboon]

Not many teams has 2 top class centres in the one team (the dragons perhaps with Cooper and Gasnier) but Hodges partners with Copely, Inglis partners with Farell, Dogs have Idris and Morris but are loosing Idris , so while we have Lawrence who is one of the top 5 in the game and Aysford we should be happy - Our problem at the moment is that we have 2 Australian test backs out of our backline and our best forward out

 

[tiger05]

Ayshford is slow but as stated above you can't expect to have a team full of internationals. I'm happy if he gets his defence in order and barges over for a try every so often.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Not many teams has 2 top class centres in the one team (the dragons perhaps with Cooper and Gasnier) but Hodges partners with Copely, Inglis partners with Farell, Dogs have Idris and Morris but are loosing Idris , so while we have Lawrence who is one of the top 5 in the game and Aysford we should be happy - Our problem at the moment is that we have 2 Australian test backs out of our backline and our best forward out

Hodges partners with Jack Reed.

 

[adamtiger]

has ashyford scored a try this year??

 

[weststigerman]

Ayshford has been solid and is the least of our problems. The inconsistent defenders like Dwyer and Farah are more of an issue at the moment IMO.

At least he consistently makes his tackles and makes hardly any errors. When the blokes in the middle learn to tackle, Ayshford will go back to scoring tries consistently.

 

[TiggaPlease]

Ayshford to the forwards then sign someone like Joe Tomane.

 

[BeanStew55]

i like ayshford in the centres but mabye we need to sign another centre as back up for chris lawrence if he was to get injured again next year because even though i think moltzen is doing a good job, i just don't think that he fits the role properly. I would like to see maybe daine nielsen from the melbourne storm at the tigers because apparently he is very good. In fact i don't miss collis at all i think he was a traitor for leaving us.

 

[Guest]

i like ayshford in the centres but mabye we need to sign another centre as back up for chris lawrence if he was to get injured again next year because even though i think moltzen is doing a good job, i just don't think that he fits the role properly. I would like to see maybe daine nielsen from the melbourne storm at the tigers because apparently he is very good. In fact i don't miss collis at all i think he was a traitor for leaving us.

Collis was told to look elsewhere because he spent the majority of his time injured and failed to kick on from the promise he showed as a junior.

 

[everett]

Dean Collis frustrated me as you can see he had talent but didn't bring his game to another level. Also injuries did not help his cause.

Cronulla are struggling for outside backs and he can't get a gig. His form must be oridinary.

I would love to see Ayshford play off the bench as he can cover the forwards and back and we buy someone like Joe Tomane who appears to be on the outer with the Titans.

We need 4 forwards on the bench to complete in today's NRL.

 

[underdog]

has ashyford scored a try this year??

yeah against the raiders - off the back of a MAGIC Todd Payten flick Pass.