2nd Playmaker

[AKWasp]

How long is Sopps here for now? If he's off at the end of the season then we don't need someone to counterract his deficiencies anyway.

It was a 3 year contract. Don’t think it’s to hide his deficiencies but more that we are better with 2 playmakers.

Billy and Jacob (although inexperienced) have also struggled to get the back line firing without a playmaker at 12.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

How long is Sopps here for now? If he's off at the end of the season then we don't need someone to counterract his deficiencies anyway.

It was a 3 year contract. Don’t think it’s to hide his deficiencies but more that we are better with 2 playmakers.

Billy and Jacob (although inexperienced) have also struggled to get the back line firing without a playmaker at 12.

... and yet, when I watched the academy playing last year, it was firing then with Jacob in the team. So, if Jacob ISN'T the one doing it, who in that academy team was? For me, watching, it was Jacob pulling the strings. Outside him at 12 was Booj, and, from what I saw, it was not him, nor Ross outside him. The last game I saw had this back line:

15 Cameron Anderson
14 Taju Atta
13 Ross Neal
12 Michael Le Bourgeois
11 Callum Sirker
10 Jacob Umaga
9 Will Porter (c)

So, that being said, maybe Jacob CAN do it, but is being stopped from doing it, maybe, by someone more senior when he plays in the first team?

[Raggs]

MLB is a distributor though. He may not be as good as a proper 10 etc, but he's very capable of spreading the ball.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Yes. But, my point was, I suppose, that Jacob was very visibly pulling the strings in that game because those around him were letting him lead.

When he has played in the first team (in the early Prem cup games), he wasn't. That will not have been his choice to be 'passive'.

[HDAWG]

It could also be Jacob is struggling with the transition to first team games perhaps.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

It could also be Jacob is struggling with the transition to first team games perhaps.

Maybe, but he played a lot at Carnegie last year, so the step should not be too hard.

[Rifleman Harris]

It  may just be that they are easing him in, so letting someone else manage the backs so he can concentrate on his game.  That approach doesn't suit everyone; Smith at Quins seemed to slot in easily. Mind you he had Nick Evans in the background not a All Black struggling to come to terms with life in the Northern Hemisphere and the weight of expectation.

[Shugs]

If Gopperth is to retire let's hope we're having thoughts about keeping him in some sort of coaching capacity. His on field nous was palpable on Saturday and it would be a real own goal to let that walk out the door.

[W2APS]

A chance to get Loz back post salarycapgate perchance?

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[AKWasp]

If Gopperth is to retire let's hope we're having thoughts about keeping him in some sort of coaching capacity. His on field nous was palpable on Saturday and it would be a real own goal to let that walk out the door.

He’s been learning the trade at Old Leamingtonians I think with some success so I believe the club may see him as a future skills/kicking coach leaving Costello to focus on the defence entirely

[BG]

It  may just be that they are easing him in, so letting someone else manage the backs so he can concentrate on his game.  That approach doesn't suit everyone; Smith at Quins seemed to slot in easily. Mind you he had Nick Evans in the background not a All Black struggling to come to terms with life in the Northern Hemisphere and the weight of expectation.

If Wasps don't ease Jacob back in sooner rather than later (bearing in mind he's been loaned out to Leeds and a NZ club) then there's a very good chance he will ease himself in at another club. It was dissappointing at the end of last seson where we were down to the bear bones at 10, having to play Miller there and Jacob sat patiently on the bench for 2 or 3 games and wasn't given 1 minute of game time

From what I've seen of him, he's a a very skillful playmaker and tactically astute.

Dai said he would change his approach to using the squad this season and seemingly he has by promoting so many academy players to the senior squad.

He needs to throw some of them in at the deep end for 20 mins per game to see how they cope/perform.

[Raggs]

It  may just be that they are easing him in, so letting someone else manage the backs so he can concentrate on his game.  That approach doesn't suit everyone; Smith at Quins seemed to slot in easily. Mind you he had Nick Evans in the background not a All Black struggling to come to terms with life in the Northern Hemisphere and the weight of expectation.

If Wasps don't ease Jacob back in sooner rather than later (bearing in mind he's been loaned out to Leeds and a NZ club) then there's a very good chance he will ease himself in at another club. It was dissappointing at the end of last seson where we were down to the bear bones at 10, having to play Miller there and Jacob sat patiently on the bench for 2 or 3 games and wasn't given 1 minute of game time

From what I've seen of him, he's a a very skillful playmaker and tactically astute.

Dai said he would change his approach to using the squad this season and seemingly he has by promoting so many academy players to the senior squad.

He needs to throw some of them in at the deep end for 20 mins per game to see how they cope/perform.

Unlike us, he gets to see how they perform all week.

[Rifleman Harris]

It  may just be that they are easing him in, so letting someone else manage the backs so he can concentrate on his game.  That approach doesn't suit everyone; Smith at Quins seemed to slot in easily. Mind you he had Nick Evans in the background not a All Black struggling to come to terms with life in the Northern Hemisphere and the weight of expectation.

If Wasps don't ease Jacob back in sooner rather than later (bearing in mind he's been loaned out to Leeds and a NZ club) then there's a very good chance he will ease himself in at another club. It was dissappointing at the end of last seson where we were down to the bear bones at 10, having to play Miller there and Jacob sat patiently on the bench for 2 or 3 games and wasn't given 1 minute of game time

From what I've seen of him, he's a a very skillful playmaker and tactically astute.

Dai said he would change his approach to using the squad this season and seemingly he has by promoting so many academy players to the senior squad.

He needs to throw some of them in at the deep end for 20 mins per game to see how they cope/perform.

You misunderstand me. I meant that he wasn't throwing him in by allowing the senior players around him to make the calls so he can concentrate on establishing himself and on his game.

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[Raggs]

We also now have the euro games to use for development. Allowing a mix of young and old to integrate.

[Neils]

We also now have the euro games to use for development. Allowing a mix of young and old to integrate.

Depends how Dai see's Europe. He did say he wanted to take it seriously and at least two of our pool are playing well. Bordeaux next week will be very tough for the first match. Can't see too much change if we are even slightly serious. At least we will enjoy the wine!