Ryan Mills absence explained and Elliott Stooke update

[Rossm]

Report from Bobby Bridge.

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/ryan-mills-absence-explained-wasps-24156484

[NellyWellyWaspy]

In other words, not as good as Jimmy, who, let's be honest, apart from his penalty kicking, hasn't been exactly outstanding for a few games.

A sort of acknowledgement that he is, at best, #2 as long as we have almost anyone else. Like Burger.

Also sadly confirms that someone was daft enough to give him a 3 year deal. A quite large waste of money.

It is my view that our 12/13 axis this year has been very poor. I have nothing against Mills, or Spink, or Odogwu, but none of those are going to fix that problem next year, not unless they have a major change in their game play skills. I wonder what happened to Rekeiti Ma’asi-White? He would be 20 next year. I recall watching him a few years back, and what a unit he is. Fast, powerful and big.

Did he get loaned to Moseley (and isn't that where Ash went)?

[baldpaul101]

In other words, not as good as Jimmy

....
...at kicking penalties I think was the gist. Play your best kicker in games that may be won or lost by a missed kick.
With Jacob mentally not there, or not picked, you wouldn't want him kicking & with Atkinson already under a reasonable amount of pressure it probably made some sense at the time

I wonder what happened to Rekeiti Ma’asi-White?

Didn't he play in the prem cup games? Looked average in those IIRC

[Brandnewtorugby]

Wasn't the general feeling that he played very well on the few occasions that we saw him?

[Neils]

Wasn't the general feeling that he played very well on the few occasions that we saw him?

Seemed to but then, generally, was broken for the next match.

[Shugs]

Two things that come out of that for me. Firstly it was a basic selection error to keep picking Gopperth ahead of Mills irrespective of kicking ability. And secondly we’ve got a goal kicking problem next year. Gopperth had looked off the pace for ages and we’d been assuming Mills was injured. If that wasn’t the case we’ve basically shot ourselves in the foot.

[hookender]

Two things that come out of that for me. Firstly it was a basic selection error to keep picking Gopperth ahead of Mills irrespective of kicking ability. And secondly we’ve got a goal kicking problem next year. Gopperth had looked off the pace for ages and we’d been assuming Mills was injured. If that wasn’t the case we’ve basically shot ourselves in the foot.

Or was it that, in training, gopps kicking percentage was (a lot )more than Mills ?

[Shugs]

I’ve no doubt they were. But for me lack of fluency through 12 was a bigger issue for me than one or two missed kicks.

[Hymenoptera]

I’ve no doubt they were. But for me lack of fluency through 12 was a bigger issue for me than one or two missed kicks.

Absolutely..isn't it a bit mind blowing, some of the decisions that are being made by our so called coaches, especially knowing that Gops was off. None of it makes sense and kicking exposure for Atkinson, whether he slots or not can only be good. On that note, I haven't noticed he's a particularly bad kicker, he slotted a lovely one at the weekend.

NW - I agree with everything you stated.
I've said it before but our coaches appear to be clowns.
We have a dedicated skills coach yet our skills are age grade 10. This isn't the much vaunted 'Confidence'..it's been going on for 2 seasons now and doesn't look like changing next season.
We have a foward and previous defence coach now in charge of attack, which is garbage at best and as above..2 seasons of it.
We have Mitchell..i'm not sure what he brings but do think our defence has improved, but that could be a product of Everard.
And then we have Blackett, where to start on this one...i'll stick with Clueless.

We have the worst backs/back play in the league and I'm not sure that's even debatable. The only reason we aren't in 12th is down to stellar forwards.

[Rossm]

That's a relief, H'optera. At least (in your opinion) we are not as bad as Bath

[JonnyD]

I wonder what happened to Rekeiti Ma’asi-White?

Didn't he play in the prem cup games? Looked average in those IIRC
[/quote]

Been at Moseley this year regularly starting at 12 and 13, which is pretty good really for a 19yr old. Was brought in to the England U20 set up for the last 6 nations game but then again so did most players of that age range this year. Only played about 20 mins I believe.

I think he was used to running through people at school and at wasps u18 and May take some time to adjust a little and get his skills up. Also a school year behind Atkinson and Hartley so still has plenty of time considering how much rugby he would have missed during covid.
Still one to watch but a few years behind Spink in his development I would think.

[Steve from Cov]

I’ve no doubt they were. But for me lack of fluency through 12 was a bigger issue for me than one or two missed kicks.

Absolutely..isn't it a bit mind blowing, some of the decisions that are being made by our so called coaches, especially knowing that Gops was off. None of it makes sense and kicking exposure for Atkinson, whether he slots or not can only be good. On that note, I haven't noticed he's a particularly bad kicker, he slotted a lovely one at the weekend.

NW - I agree with everything you stated.
I've said it before but our coaches appear to be clowns.
We have a dedicated skills coach yet our skills are age grade 10. This isn't the much vaunted 'Confidence'..it's been going on for 2 seasons now and doesn't look like changing next season.
We have a foward and previous defence coach now in charge of attack, which is garbage at best and as above..2 seasons of it.
We have Mitchell..i'm not sure what he brings but do think our defence has improved, but that could be a product of Everard.
And then we have Blackett, where to start on this one...i'll stick with Clueless.

We have the worst backs/back play in the league and I'm not sure that's even debatable. The only reason we aren't in 12th is down to stellar forwards.

LOL.

[baldpaul101]

The coaches are paid to make decisions. They made one. Turns out it might have been wrong.

Imagine if they had picked Mills over Gopperth & Atkinson had had a nightmare with the boot & Wasps had missed Euro cup qualification because of it.
How many people would be on here moaning that they should have picked Gopperth & wondering how much damage had been done to Atkinson's confidence etc?

Hindsight & armchair coaching are wonderful things...

[Shugs]

Agreed, but to be fair a lot of people were pointing out our lack of fluency through 12 a good while ago.

[Hymenoptera]

The coaches are paid to make decisions. They made one. Turns out it might have been wrong.

Imagine if they had picked Mills over Gopperth & Atkinson had had a nightmare with the boot & Wasps had missed Euro cup qualification because of it.
How many people would be on here moaning that they should have picked Gopperth & wondering how much damage had been done to Atkinson's confidence etc?

Hindsight & armchair coaching are wonderful things...

Likely none.
It's neither armchair nor hindsight, it's common sense, which is why we are where we are and 8 other teams are above us.
Imagine if we had a quality 12 fit and ready to play...we might have been less garbage..just imagine.