Times worst signing of the season

[Rossm]

I bet DW will lap this up!

Not at the moment. It's down again.

[Heathen]

Uplifting Lima from a cosy NZ environment where he was playing in a side where his role was part of a well oiled machine, was always going to be difficult. The Kiwis tend to not settle easily in the NH - Lima has admiited that it has been difficult. If Jimmy had been alondside him all season, we probably would has seen a different side to his game management. Their 10s generally have very good lines of communication between 9, 10 and 12. With Jimmy and Malakai to help next season, we should see him in a much better light. The Kiwi mantra is ball in the winger's hands after the fifth phase. We got it there sometimes.

Overall it was a culture shock forhim both on and off the field.

Unfortunately, Danny left after having played his best two seasons in a Wasps shirt - even better than during his first spell. Lima got compared to what he does and the rest is history.

I fancy we will see a much more authoritative and confident Lima next season.

[Heathen]

Which 'journalists' are responsible for these ignorant pieces of crap? Let me know who they are and I will finally find a use for my twitter account.

Owen Slot and Alex Lowe.

[Rossm]

Which 'journalists' are responsible for these ignorant pieces of crap? Let me know who they are and I will finally find a use for my twitter account.

Owen Slot and Alex Lowe.

Thanks for that. I'm going to give them both barrels. I do hope I'm not alone

[Rory87]

In fairness Beasties, your view point is understandle. We have gone from seeing Cips and the attacking play he produced to a struggling Sops. However, I think BG sums it up well and makes a case as to why we're being patient and hopeful of next season.

Circumstances didn't help Sops.. He had no pre-season with the rest of the squad, then had a merry-go-round of backs outside him, as well as 9's inside him.. and referrring back to another thread.. he's moved his family half way around the world.. so he has off-field (normal life) things to try and adjust to.

Having read the dross on DW this season and the effect it was having on my view point of the club, I'm trying wherever possible to remain 'glass half full' on things and chalk this season up to what it's been... But to counter that with hope and enthusiasm for next season. As we've seen, clubs can be vastly different season to season and have the ability to turn things around... Look at Quins in 10th last year, to competing top four for virtually all the season and missing out at the final round. Despite the lack of news on coaching and further signings, I have every faith we are putting things in place for a good season next season. Missing out on Champions Cup rugby next season will be a big financial impact to the business side of Wasps. So I'm certain Derek and Dai will be discussing what is needed to ensure we get back in the Top 6 next season to ensure we continue the work to becoming sustainable and profitable.

Lets use the longer pre-season, rebuild with a young core and back our stars to perform in a more settled environment.

[wasps]

I think the problem is that people have seen us have Cipriani, Beale, WlR, Piutau and seen these marquee players as total game changers.
There's always going to be a direct comparison between Cipriani and Sopoaga given that they play the same position and one replaced the other, but they really are wholly different players.

We've been spoilt with what Danny brought to Wasps for the last couple of seasons, and I dearly hope that he goes on to get the recognition he deserves by winning the league this year (not only because I have money on Gloucester). There just aren't many fly halves in the game like him. Maybe Quade Cooper or Carlos Spencer, but not Lima Sopoaga.
Lima's skillset appears to be around controlling a game, and also finding a gap for himself if one appears. That's a much more common skillset for fly halves these days, and it's true that Lima hasn't set the league alight in his first season



It's often said that the constantly changing team was part of Lima's issue (as well as moving around the world), so I've taken a look at Wasps' early fixtures.
I'm also highlighting the No.8 and the full back in these games, as well as the 9 and 12. With the way Wasps have played recently, having a full back join the attack has been critical, and the link up between the No. 8 and the scrum half is often crucial for the type of ball that will get delivered to the fly half.

Game No	Opposition	Result	Starting position	No. 9	No. 12	No. 8	No. 15
League Rnd 1	Worcester (away)	Wasps Win	Didn't Play	Robson	JdJ	Hughes	Miller
League Rnd 2	Exeter (home)	Wasps Lose	Bench (came on at 53')	Robson	Gaby	Hughes	Daly
League Rnd 3	Leicester (home)	Wasps Win	Fly Half	Robson	MlB	Hughes	Daly
League Rnd 4	Sale (away)	Wasps Win	Fly Half	Robson	MlB	Hughes	WlR
League Rnd 5	Newcastle (away)	Wasps Win	Fly Half	Simpson	MlB	Carr	Miller
League Rnd 6	Gloucester (home)	Wasps Win	Didn't Play	Robson	JdJ	Hughes	Miller
ECC Rnd 1	Leinster (away)	Wasps Lose	Fly Half	Simpson	MlB	Carr	WlR
ECC Rnd 2	Bath (home)	Draw	Fly Half	Simpson	MlB	Carr	WlR
PremCup Rnd 1	Gloucester (away)	Draw	Didn't Play	Porter	Simonds	Tom Willis	James
PremCup Rnd 2	Northampton (home)	Wasps Lose	Didn't Play	Hampson	Gaby	Tom Willis	Miller
PremCup Rnd 3	Bristol (away)	Wasps Lose	Fly Half	Simpson	Gaby	Tom Willis	Miller
League Rnd 7	Northampton (away)	Wasps Lose	Fly Half	Simpson	Gaby	Tom Willis	Miller
League Rnd 8	Bristol (home)	Wasps Win	Fly Half	Hampson	MlB	Tom Willis	Miller
League Rnd 9	Saracens (away)	Wasps Lose	Fly Half	Hampson	MlB	Hughes	WlR
ECC Rnd 3	Toulouse (home)	Wasps Lose	Fly Half	Hampson	MlB	Hughes	WlR
ECC Rnd 4	Toulouse (away)	Wasps Lose	Bnech	Hampson	MlB	Carr	WlR
League Rnd 10	Bath (home)	Wasps Lose	Bench (came on at 61')	Hampson	MlB	Carr	WlR

That's all the way up to Christmas
In the first 6 league games, he played with the same 9/12 combination twice and had 3 different full backs.

After the prem cup he gets a run with the same 9/12 combo, but it's our 3 choice scrum half, being replaced each game by our senior academy scrum half, and our Championship new arrival at 12. However, at least it's some consistency.... but then after Christmas, we're back to Robson.



My gut feel is that when you bring in top quality players, they should be able to adapt their game to work with a number of variables in the players around them, but I think that Lima's problems have been multiplied by Wasps constantly fielding 2nd/3rd choice players.
It's meant that the team as a whole hasn't been good enough, and Sopoaga hasn't been able to settle himself, let alone help pull the team along.



Taken in isolation, I can understand the headline that it's the worst piece of business. However, that's more about Cipriani leaving (let's not get into that again) than Sopoaga coming in.

Going forwards, this will be a massive season for Sopoaga. There really won't be any excuses next season. He'll have had more time to settle, he'll have had a pre-season and he'll know the bulk of the team as well as the new marquee centre.
As fans, we need to realise that his game is different to Danny's and that it's up to the whole team to make the plays work.

[Fats]

The paragraph came from The Times Online, as some of you found out and commented.  I have a subscription so felt It might be something to share.

I would NEVER post something like this on the Other Place but thought it might be commented on sensibly here.

After a couple of comments above I will now cease posting matters I find in the Times Online and Telegraph Online sites that are normally only for subscribers. 

Life is too short.

[mike909]

Uplifting Lima from a cosy NZ environment where he was playing in a side where his role was part of a well oiled machine, was always going to be difficult. The Kiwis tend to not settle easily in the NH - Lima has admiited that it has been difficult. If Jimmy had been alondside him all season, we probably would has seen a different side to his game management. Their 10s generally have very good lines of communication between 9, 10 and 12. With Jimmy and Malakai to help next season, we should see him in a much better light. The Kiwi mantra is ball in the winger's hands after the fifth phase. We got it there sometimes.



I fancy we will see a much more authoritative and confident Lima next season.

I fancy the same - he also in most of his early games had to help Mike le B who was new to Wasps and the Prem - someone we'd have introduced in a managed way rather than the necessary "you're able to walk unaided, you're playing"

With Jimmy next season and an AB 13, then we can concentrate on ball to the winger asap - which is what we want, I believe!

[Rossm]

The paragraph came from The Times Online, as some of you found out and commented.  I have a subscription so felt It might be something to share.

I would NEVER post something like this on the Other Place but thought it might be commented on sensibly here.

After a couple of comments above I will now cease posting matters I find in the Times Online and Telegraph Online sites that are normally only for subscribers. 

Life is too short.

Hi Fats. I don't think the ire was directed at you personally but at the journalists themselves who seem to have reveled in a cheapshot. I appreciate your postings particularly from The Times.

[mike909]

The paragraph came from The Times Online, as some of you found out and commented.  I have a subscription so felt It might be something to share.

I would NEVER post something like this on the Other Place but thought it might be commented on sensibly here.

After a couple of comments above I will now cease posting matters I find in the Times Online and Telegraph Online sites that are normally only for subscribers. 

Life is too short.

Hi Fats. I don't think the ire was directed at you personally but at the journalists themselves who seem to have reveled in a cheapshot. I appreciate your postings particularly from The Times.

+1

Interesting stuff - ire at the journalists!

[Neils]

+1 - not you just the original writer/ journalist!

[Rifleman Harris]

The paragraph came from The Times Online, as some of you found out and commented.  I have a subscription so felt It might be something to share.

I would NEVER post something like this on the Other Place but thought it might be commented on sensibly here.

After a couple of comments above I will now cease posting matters I find in the Times Online and Telegraph Online sites that are normally only for subscribers. 

Life is too short.

Hi Fats. I don't think the ire was directed at you personally but at the journalists themselves who seem to have reveled in a cheapshot. I appreciate your postings particularly from The Times.

+1

Interesting stuff - ire at the journalists!

I'm not sure if mine was one of the posts, but it was merely frustration at the journalists who wrote this.  I just can't see what it serves; just be positive, celebrate the successes and objectively investigate where things go wrong and any wrong doing.  Just saying so and so was rubbish doesn't really serve any purpose....posting it on here does, as it has opened up debate (with which I have probably just undermined my own argument!).

[Westy68]

It definitely can’t be considered a great signing so far and I think you have to take the cips leaving out of it.

Cips and Dai were not exactly friends, as certain articles have suggested, so letting Cips go maybe a bit harsh on Dai.

Lima has not been good but I don’t think it’s solely down to him. As people have already commented, let him have a good preseason and let’s see what happens from there

[Brandnewtorugby]

In addition to my private message, I also want to appologise to Fats for my post made in the heat of the moment. My comments were aimed at the journalism and not the post. I really appreciate Fats taking time to share, but did not think to say that in my post.

[RBB]

Why is this article even a 'thing', it serves no purpose other than to demotivate a player and the supporters of his team. I thought Lima was hugely improved on Saturday, he needs to back himself with ball in hand, there is still a confidence cloud over his head. It has been a tricky first season in the NH, but he will get better with Fekitoa alongside him and more time with Gopps. The article I am hoping has fired him up, nothing like a prove them wrong scenario to turn the tables in someone's head.

Perhaps the metric should be salary vs. minutes played and associated impact, that award would go to a certain wayward Warriors centre. That is a truer measure of value.

There is no clear supporting argument ref: Lima being selected, just he was lot of money and isn't Cipriani. His kicking accuracy is tremendous, the work needs to be around his self belief in the carry and his game management, fix that and we have a true world beater, as his attitude appears sound.