Looking at the description of our 'new' wingman as a 'flyer' started me thinking about the term and also the way that the role of the winger has changed over the years.
We certainly have had flyers in the past in that if they escaped their defender and could run in open field they were unlikely to be caught. Of course Offiah was our top flyer but we have also seen Chisnall, Gaydon, Brown, Wright and even that local trialist (Royle?) who screeched down the wing at the Wires then new ground!
But wingers then were try scorers, pure and simple. I can't recall any wingers of even a few years ago who were expected to field 'bombs' as they do today, and they certainly didn't drive the ball out to spell the forwards!!!
I have been a little disappointed that our present wingers seem to doubt their pace and simply go for the line from their own half. The present custom seems to favour ball retention, maybe a sign of the times.
But the sight of a winger screaming along, flat out, gets the crowd on their feet like no other.
Totally agree SG. Was in awe of Gaydon who travelled mostly sideways and zig-zagged across the pitch beating the likes of Vollenhoven, just sheer speed. Nowadays its size and power with a few exceptions and most would fit into the second row easily.
Iirc we used to call Gaydon 'the bird' because he tipped around on his toes until gap appeared - then he was gone! Funny shape, big body slender legs - tacklers slipped down and off!!
Great crowd favourite!!!
Another memory was Blan (Swinton!) suggested that he was going to 'sort' Gaydon but Vinty told him to think again, he had been a heavyweight boxing champion in South Africa and Vinty, as he did, had the gloves on with him.
I was surprised to see him described as a flyer
Even Spelly has said he has lost speed over the last year or two. In this past season he scored the grand total of 4 tries! Coleman said he was impressed with our outside backs last season so is he planning to play Butt at full back I wonder?
Keith Bentley could shift
Looking at the description of our 'new' wingman as a 'flyer' started me thinking about the term and also the way that the role of the winger has changed over the years.
We certainly have had flyers in the past in that if they escaped their defender and could run in open field they were unlikely to be caught. Of course Offiah was our top flyer but we have also seen Chisnall, Gaydon, Brown, Wright and even that local trialist (Royle?) who screeched down the wing at the Wires then new ground!
But wingers then were try scorers, pure and simple. I can't recall any wingers of even a few years ago who were expected to field 'bombs' as they do today, and they certainly didn't drive the ball out to spell the forwards!!!
I have been a little disappointed that our present wingers seem to doubt their pace and simply go for the line from their own half. The present custom seems to favour ball retention, maybe a sign of the times.
But the sight of a winger screaming along, flat out, gets the crowd on their feet like no other.
Nicky Royle
Keith Bentley could shift
Very fast was Keith. Think he took part in a RL sprint challenge and either won or second.
Lost his way a bit in the game unfortunately, didn't he end up at Salford??
Funny how memory recall works sometimes but when he was looking like a star in the making a coach commented that KB shared a trick with Brian Bevan in that they could dip either shoulder and sidestep either way.
Apparently most wingers dip the right shoulder if they are sidestepping to the right, the left if they are going left etc. Experienced defenders use it as a guide for their tackle direction. If you can mix it up it is a dummy to the defender!
Intriguing, when I side stepped I didn’t realised I was doing it, just did not want be hit hard by a massive bloke in front of me
call it survival !
Wingers are all about the hard yards in the early tackle counts these days, and if you're in a good team, the ability to acrobatically finish in the corner (ala Makinson).
Unfortunately, the obsession with completion rates means the true flying wingers backing themselves on the outside are long gone.
With all due respect to Butt, I'm not sure he'd fit in the flyer category regardless. Hard working and honest, more so.
The referees comment on the Tonga games and slow ptb's says it all, they are happy for working a tackled player on the and interfering at the ptb to carry on! Sad!!
Watching Saints on TV and the opposition rarely get a fast ptb without a Saints defender in the way. McIllorum complained about and was told 'well, you can do it too!'