In an article in the SMH July 27 11:59am, Rankin was asked about his dummy half role on the weekend.
**_Rankin said he didn't know about his new role until during the game.\
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"It was always a matter of how Dene was going to handle playing the full 80 minutes, knowing we didn't have a hooker on the bench and (prop) Joel Edwards playing as well," he said.\
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"There was a stage there where it just happened that I had to come out and fill the role for a bit so (Halatau) could get a breather._**
So JT thought it wise to thrust Rankin into the role without prior warning, no gameplan during the week. No practice during training.
Rankin then opens up about Robbie Farah:
**_Rankin, 24, also weighed into the Taylor-Farah saga, hitting out at critics of the former club captain for claiming he wasn't giving the team's young halves enough opportunities in attack.\
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"The stories about Robbie not giving them enough ball, to me it seems like a beat-up," he said._**
Its seem more and more clear that JT has just about lost the playing group. Rather than try to fool them and us with spin, he should have just called the Farah dumping for what it is. They can, just like us also see that he makes it up as he goes (rankin at hooker, lovett in the centres). Its so sad to see coaching decisions actually undermining a team rather than helping them.
I've never seen Taylor say that Farah wasn't giving the halves enough ball, just that he doesn't pass from the ground, so the ball is slower getting to them.
Right or wrong, good to see the players supporting their teammate.
E T said last night, that Taylor was giving plenty of EARLY ball to the halves, , Taylor was complaining that that wasn't hapenning
Well, not really.
"I couldn't see that, I hadn't seen enough to think 'what's going on here?'" Elijah Taylor said.
Either just after or before that line . In both the smh and Tele stories ET said that Farah had been giving the halves plenty of early ball, In other words , good service,
he's on the field and should know. He also said " we need him on the field, a bit of a difference to JT and his "the team plays better without him"
Quite a good endorsement I think
Hardly a ringing endorsement.
"He's an experienced campaigner, knows what he needs to do. The coach has told him what he needs to do and he'll do it."
Sounds like ET understands that Farah wasn't doing what was asked of him, and he expects Farah to "do it".
ETNever said that at all.
I've said before, I would not have dropped Farah BUT I do expect him to follow coaches orders. You'd have to be blind to not see that Farah was not passing from the ground. If it takes a few weeks in reserve grade for the message to sink in, so be it.