I think thats a big assumption. If he knuckles down, and plays with better players he could have a big impact

Chase is quoted in this morning's LE and doesn't sound too happy with his performance Friday last.

- lacking composure

- improvising when not needed

- poor kicking

- not smart enough.

I can't fault his honesty but most observers must have seen these shortcomings fairly frequently during his career. He's capable of brilliance for sure but, for a player of 27, these are fairly serious limitations if they're cropping up regularly.

Did someone seriously once tout Joe Westerman as the next Paul Sculthorpe?



Guffaw.

Are you saying such comparisons were not being made between a young Westerman and a young Sculthorpe? www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/ap ... uperleague www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... great.html news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/mobile/rug ... 134560.stm

Are you saying such comparisons were not being made between a young Westerman and a young Sculthorpe? www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/ap ... uperleague www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... great.html news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/mobile/rug ... 134560.stm

I always saw Westerman as a wide running second row, particularly effective down the right hand side. Very different to Sculthorpe who was more a central playmaker, or Farrell who could work as a central playmaker or run wide left.

They all played loose forward, and they all kicked goals. All different in terms of how they played on the field.

Quote tvoc="tvoc"Are you saying such comparisons were not being made between a young Westerman and a young Sculthorpe? www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/ap ... uperleague www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... great.html news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/mobile/rug ... 134560.stm'" No, I was saying how laughable they were.

Quote tvoc="tvoc"Are you saying such comparisons were not being made between a young Westerman and a young Sculthorpe? www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/ap ... uperleague www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... great.html news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/mobile/rug ... 134560.stm'" No, I was saying how laughable they were.

Westerman was a loose, who also played six. He could also play centre and back row. Sculthorpe was a loose, who also played six, started career in centres and also played in back row.



Because Sculthorpe was a star player coming to the end of his career, and a new player had emerged with such talent who played the same positions, that was the reasoning for stating the new "Paul Sculthorpe".



Leroy was tagged the new Jason Robinson when he emerged.

In what way were the comparisons laughable at the time they were being made?



Westerman was an outstanding prospect playing a significant role in Castleford's return to SL at the end of his debut season of 2007, winning both the club and league young player of the year awards. In 2008 he also won the Super League Young Player of the Year Award as well as making the initial train-on squad for England's World Cup campaign but missed out on selection through injury.



His till then quite meteoric rise appeared to stall after he suffered an on-field fit V St Helens during the 2009 season.

Ricky Bibey.

Tim Smith was finished in the NRL before he left regardless of 'off-field issues'. He had a great rookie season, and then was found out for having no running game whatsoever and basically vanished. Are you seriously suggesting he wouldn't be in the NRL if any side considered him even half decent?



I hate to sound like AP, but I stand by what I say - I don't rate any English SL 6 or 7 that highly. Sinfield provides control but to be frank if we had a more 'talented' halfback who didn't hide or start making panic passes under pressure he wouldn't play there for England. Thurston and Cronk provide control but are also devastating passers of the ball.



That's not dissing what Sinfield does for Leeds at all. Without him we wouldn't have been champions 6 times. I'd say he'd also get a gig in the NRL, but there's no way he'd be a star player IMO.

He would. But never in a million years would it be at stand off.

They did, as they did with Brett Seymour.



Tim Smith wasnt finished in the NRL regardless of off field issues, he originally came over as a big talent with off-field issues ala Jamie Lyon but absolutely stank the place out, went back, spent a year in the reserves at Brisbane before becoming a first grader again at Cronulla then coming back to SL.



So yes, I am suggesting Tim Smith could be a unarguable failure in SL and go back to the NRL and get a first grade contract. Because he did that.



There are some real top quality players in the NRL, some absolute stars, I’ll readily admit we don’t really have anyone on the level of Thurston, but the better players in SL are superior players to some of those first graders in the NRL.



Last week saw players like Josh Reynolds, James Maloney, Jarrod Mullen, Luke Walsh, Jeff Robson, Albert Kelly, Luke Kelly, Beau Henry, all lining up at 6 or 7. They aren’t striking fear in to anyone.