OK, here goes:
With all his pace, his step, his vision, chiming into the line, etc etc, the one thing I thing Sam needs to work on is his passing.
Tim Smith had one of the best passing games: the bullet pass being his speciality, and if Sam can pass like that, he would improve his overall game.
Discuss.











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guess the fact he plays at full back this isn't much of an issue

Ha ha

Its a shame everyone seems to settle into one or the other camp.

For me he's the most naturally gifted RL player in years.

He's a world class FB and, imo, I see no reason he wouldn't make a world class 6 as well.

For me and obviously everyone has different opinions I'd rather see him turn into GB greatest ever HB than our greatest ever FB.

He's that good that it's the level I expect him to get too.

I thought his passing against Leeds when he made the breaks was absolutely shocking

Nothing wrong with his passing, he should stay at full back for the forseeable future. Case closed.

no no no no no, he is sublime at fb, he has the room to create his magic, why spoil this

He'd be just as good at 6

so you say, IMO he wouldn't, it has been stated elsewhere on here that Wane has no intention of moving him from FB

I've said this in a different thread today but, he's a great runner and ball player playing 6 or 7 would give him a lot more influence on our game similarly to how Finch is for us but with the added agility and page he would be of a similar style to Benji Marshall and Shaun Johnson. The more Sam has the ball the more he can create things for him self or players around him, in time as his passing game develops he would be an unbelievable five eight or half back.

Sam as a prop:

With all his pace, his step, his vision, chiming into the line, etc etc, the one thing I thing Sam needs to work on is his bulk and power at hitting the defensive lines
Ricky Bibey had one of the best running games: his brute strength and terrorising off-load being his speciality, and if Sam can build attributes like Ricky has, he would improve his overall game.
Discuss.

















No?

I've seen plenty of HB's currently playing and in the past also who have enough time on the ball to carve teams up.

Heck Finch has sliced through a good amount of teams from 6 this season and he's not got half the running skills Sam has.

He'd be our version of Marshall who never seems to struggle for time on the ball

Very happy with Sam at full back.

Not sure why a response to people suggesting he would make an equally good 6, should bring on derisory laughter?

Question i have is if Sam and Russell are so very similar, would or could Russell make a good half?

Youtube "Benji Marshall - 15 minutes of mayhem" This is how I envisage Sam to be like playing 6. If some one told me Benji was moving to fullback I'd say his ball playing skills are being wasted and him having less time with the ball in hand would reduce his huge influence on the team. With apparent limited options in the halves from next season I see it as the natural progression for Sam and the team. I must add I think Benji Marshall is a better player than Sam in most areas of the game.

One other question should be

"what is Sams take on his best position"?

I am sure he has said he prefers FB

People say that Putting Sam at 6 would effect his ability to pick his spot in the line and ghost though defences. For me his step is that good he would carve teams up at FB by exploiting half gaps here and there.

Like I said if Finch can make half breaks then so can Sam.

I see no reason why Sam can't be as good or as influential as any of the world's greatest stand offs.

I think Sam would need to alter his game an awful lot to play half back and play for the good of the team rather than individually. He would need to organise and structure the play, be less selfish and pass a damn site more often than he used to do at Stand Off or he would stifle our attacking play an awful lot. Full back allows him to play with far more freedom and he can get away with playing more individually and it doesnt damage the team and its structure. I think he could do a job at Stand Off without doubt but we would lose a lot by taking him away from full back and lose an outstanding full back. I think our structure would suffer too.

If you have ever watched the Wests Tigers you'd see how a stand off can have complete freedom and dictate the style of play within a team.

we are in need of a new HB pairing if Finch leaves, if Sam is moved to 6 we will still have an unsettled new HB partnership except we will also have to replace Sam which means we now have an new unsettled FB creating more problems with the performance of the team, why put ourselves in that position when we have the best British player in the game already settled and causing so much devastation in that position

He'll still be world class if we moved him to 6 he doesn't suddenly become Dennis Moran. Mathew Russell with more super league experience and a hard pre season could become a very potent threat from full back, he hasn't been given offers from NRL teams for nothing.

but what if Russell ends up being average and what if Sam didn't gell with his new HB partner, why have 2 important positions in the team disrupted when we only really need to disrupt 1

I think Russell could make a good half back.

There's bothing wrong with Sam's passing. I've seen him put a massive pass out wide several times, and that pass to Carmont to score last wrekend was unreal. It needed absolute pinpoint accuracy, it was such a difficult pass for him to make with the speed involved and the fact that there was a Leeds player inbetween him and Carmont.

If Russell didn't do well at fullback then Tomkins would move back there and Powell would probably have to play in the halves alongside Smith. That's assuming Finch leaves along with Mellor and only Smith is brought in as a replacement.

Ideally we'd sign two new halves but then there's no point signing a player that the coaching staff aren't convinced of. If they take a punt on a player it would have to be on terms that favour the club.

Jack Murphy is also an option at fullback as he seems to have been having some decent games of late.

Moving from full back to stand off never did Lockyer or the Broncos any harm - great players adapt and it's much easier to find a replacement FB than a replacement SO. It's common sense to consider Sam a realistic option to take the 6 shirt, when we have another great prospect waiting at FB. I'd rather have the certainty of both in the team for a couple of years in key influential roles, than potentially losing both if Sam decides to move on and Russell gets frustrated due to lack of opportunities.

Wane won't be stubborn enough to not consider the options, regardless of what he's saying at the moment. He's hardly going to be publicly declaring Sam as the new 6, while the recruitment drive is still on for next season's squad, otherwise he'd be basically giving up on keeping Finch or signing a replacement 6. Sam moving to the halves will be on the agenda though if Finch leaves and assuming the likes of Soward / Chase prove unattainable - which is extremely likely.

It wouldn't just be the direct threat from Sam that would change, it would be how dangerous the whole team's attack is. Him lurking in behind combined with the excellent lines the forwards run is what creates doubt in the defence and hence gaps, that he can then spot and go through. The fb position has changed and teams now try and utilise a the fb as a 3rd pivot anyway. IMO Sam is much more effective as a deep, wide 3rd receiver than he would be getting the ball at 1st or 2nd reciever.

We know Sam can play excellently as a stand off, he's done it before and if he stays in RL I think he'll end up back there when he's 28ish, he just offers so much from fb that IMO it would be silly to move him at this stage of his career.