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Author Topic: Robbo - past it or still got it?  (Read 2454 times)

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RodneyRegis

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #30 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 15:56* »
He's had one game back after surgery. Some people suggest he was our best player in that game.

Prior to this layoff, he was in the running for MOTM most weeks. His game was never based on pace or intensity; it was about doing his job to a supremely high standard, and not flagging. Both traits remain.

I know this is a tough one to comprehend, but I completely agree with you. I think he'll soon be seen as our MVP again, just suggesting that we've seen him written off so many times before - and the op is a write-off.

The emergence of Wilson has seen many England fans call time on his international career. Again, this is something which has happened before, only for him to come back stronger.

Gone

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #31 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 16:08* »
A ringing endorsement....


He just doesn't have the pace or intensity of those guys any more. His engine still tends to see him through 80 mins time after time but I feel like I've also seen him start to have less and less influence on the game.

I genuinely am not sure what point I'm supposed to have made. You said it was the first time he'd been written off. I said that no one one here appears to have written him off.

But are you saying that you are writing him off?


RodneyRegis

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #32 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 16:21* »
I genuinely am not sure what point I'm supposed to have made. You said it was the first time he'd been written off. I said that no one one here appears to have written him off.

But are you saying that you are writing him off?



Look at the title of the thread and the opening post. I've added an extract in the post you quoted. TBQ is writing robshaw off. I'm pointing out that he's been written off his whole career, and lots of people have been made to look silly for having done so.

No, I'm not writing him off. Obviously. I don't know if you're being purposefully obtuse.

TomBuckQuin

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #33 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 16:32* »
I genuinely am not sure what point I'm supposed to have made. You said it was the first time he'd been written off. I said that no one one here appears to have written him off.

But are you saying that you are writing him off?



Think he was quoting me - but at no point have I felt like I'm "writing him off". Just opened a question up to the floor based on my own perception (yup, I think I'm always very clear that it's just my opinion) that he's not had as much impact per game in the past couple of seasons as he used to (and have caveated when I felt appropriate). Even if you choose to read the OP as "writing him off", it's definitely not a personal attack on you Rodney. It almost comes across that by asking whether he's still up to it, you've taken offence to the suggestion that he one day might not be. And I assure you, one day he will be too old to do what he did. My pontification is that it's been happening slowly week-by-week for a period of time (years) in such a way that it's difficult to see it happening and the Robshaw I watch nowadays has certainly adapted his game but that extra loss of pace has, IMO, led to him looking like he's running through heavy mud a lot of the time. And then, yes, he's still doing a lot of good work around the place - just not as much. I. M. O.

Robshaw's been a long-time favourite player of mine, but I don't get upset when people scrutinise him or any other Quins player I particularly like. Equally, I'm not upset that you disagree on this occasion - otherwise I wouldn't have posed the question in the first place.

Obviously part of being a fan is loyalty to your team, squad, individual players - and I'm fully behind Robbo every time he plays. Just as I am every player that takes that field whether I would have picked them that day or not (who, apart from me, cares if I would have?) I guess I'd just like to keep seeing Dombrandt/Clifford/Chisholm take the field on this season's form and if Robbo can fight his way back in and displace one of those guys then I want it to be because he deserves it - not just on past glories.

DOK

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #34 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 16:43* »
Robshaw always looks like he's had little impact on a game until you look at his stats.

TomBuckQuin

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #35 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 17:07* »
Robshaw always looks like he's had little impact on a game until you look at his stats.

Again, I don't disagree.

But moving away from Robshaw specifically for a second - because I feel stats are too often employed at times like these without context... There are stats (no. of tackles made/missed, no. of passes/kicks/offloads etc) and then there are the real game-changing stats (moments that directly lead to either a Quins score, a swing in momentum, prevention of opposition points). Stats don't tell the whole story and that's when you have to look at how a guy is getting around the pitch, how involved he is in the good stuff, how much he's liable for the not so great stuff. You can make 20 tackles without any of them making a real difference.

So back to the Robshaw question... I guess it's always going to be subjective. If I were to give a one-line answer to the obviously-way-too-trivial subject of this thread (my bad) then in my view based on the trajectory I've noticed in his performances in recent years, he wouldn't be my nailed-on starter at 6 any more. Which I wouldn't have said 3 seasons ago. Whereas the Dombrandt-Clifford-Chisholm back row (however you configure it - I'd personally like to see 6 Chis, 7 Cliff, 8 Dom a lot more) is my favoured back row currently for most games.

To get the debate back on track I guess I would ask the likes of Rodney who they would drop from that back row to make room for Robshaw. Assume Clifford isn't playing for England.

Gone

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #36 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 17:18* »
Anyway. It seems we all agree.

But again I think if Quins didn’t have someone for Robshaw to fight back to get into the side against we’d be in the same bad state we’ve been in since 2012.

He is a great player, but he is nearing the end of his career and any club that hasn’t given up should be in a place where they don’t need to play him every game by now because the next robshaw should already be there - not a prospect in the academy.

Think we’re closer to being in that position now than any time since Connor seemed to have given up on recruitment for the future.
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RodneyRegis

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #37 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 17:22* »
Think he was quoting me - but at no point have I felt like I'm "writing him off". Just opened a question up to the floor based on my own perception (yup, I think I'm always very clear that it's just my opinion) that he's not had as much impact per game in the past couple of seasons as he used to (and have caveated when I felt appropriate). Even if you choose to read the OP as "writing him off", it's definitely not a personal attack on you Rodney. It almost comes across that by asking whether he's still up to it, you've taken offence to the suggestion that he one day might not be. And I assure you, one day he will be too old to do what he did. My pontification is that it's been happening slowly week-by-week for a period of time (years) in such a way that it's difficult to see it happening and the Robshaw I watch nowadays has certainly adapted his game but that extra loss of pace has, IMO, led to him looking like he's running through heavy mud a lot of the time. And then, yes, he's still doing a lot of good work around the place - just not as much. I. M. O.

Robshaw's been a long-time favourite player of mine, but I don't get upset when people scrutinise him or any other Quins player I particularly like. Equally, I'm not upset that you disagree on this occasion - otherwise I wouldn't have posed the question in the first place.

Obviously part of being a fan is loyalty to your team, squad, individual players - and I'm fully behind Robbo every time he plays. Just as I am every player that takes that field whether I would have picked them that day or not (who, apart from me, cares if I would have?) I guess I'd just like to keep seeing Dombrandt/Clifford/Chisholm take the field on this season's form and if Robbo can fight his way back in and displace one of those guys then I want it to be because he deserves it - not just on past glories.

No worries, I certainly didn't take it as a personal attack. The extract I quoted did look a bit like you were suggesting you think he's over the hill. I don't have a problem with that opinion, my reply was just a way of indicating that I disagree. As has been mentioned, pace was never an asset for CR and he has always more than made up for it with his graft and reading of the game. If anything I think he's more astute now and picks his moments better, rather than needing to be involved in every single breakdown.

Quinky

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #38 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 17:27* »
I know this is a tough one to comprehend, but I completely agree with you. I think he'll soon be seen as our MVP again, just suggesting that we've seen him written off so many times before - and the op is a write-off.

The emergence of Wilson has seen many England fans call time on his international career. Again, this is something which has happened before, only for him to come back stronger.

My apologies Rodney, I didn't realise you were quoting. :)

You are right - he gets written off on a strangely regular basis. It seems like every player must be better than him, but none of them are. Wasn't Matt Kvesic supposed to be the player that would take Robshaw's England shirt? Or Steffon Armitage? Or any one of a number of other flankers.

His England career may or may not be over, but his club career has never faltered.

poorfour

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #39 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 19:34* »
Anyway. It seems we all agree.

But again I think if Quins didn’t have someone for Robshaw to fight back to get into the side against we’d be in the same bad state we’ve been in since 2012.

He is a great player, but he is nearing the end of his career and any club that hasn’t given up should be in a place where they don’t need to play him every game by now because the next robshaw should already be there - not a prospect in the academy.

Think we’re closer to being in that position now than any time since Connor seemed to have given up on recruitment for the future.

I agree about 80% with that. We need to manage his game time if injuries aren't going to mount up. Fortunately, we now have some very able alternatives. I don't think Conor gave up on recruitment, but he focused heavily on the academy and EQP development only for a lot of the emerging players to get injured or fail to make the step up. The academy has produced a lot of kids who spent a long time in rehab, didn't quite make it or both.

Everyone’s a Quinner

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #40 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 20:00* »
it was Rhys Gill.

Thanks Rodders! Good memory!

Banstead Quin

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #41 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 20:22* »
Sorry that's the most ridiculous suggestion that he may be past it. He'll lead us back to glory and will exorcise his world cup demons in Japan.

One of the best English players of the last decade.
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quinalan

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #42 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 20:35* »
Depends which of the Robshaws you are talking about..!!

Gone

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #43 on: Tuesday 05-Feb-2019, 20:56* »
Sorry that's the most ridiculous suggestion that he may be past it. He'll lead us back to glory and will exorcise his world cup demons in Japan.

One of the best English players of the last decade.

He’s great but that’s not going to happen.

deadlyfrom5yardsout

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Re: Robbo - past it or still got it?
« Reply #44 on: Wednesday 06-Feb-2019, 11:03* »
I know this is a tough one to comprehend, but I completely agree with you. I think he'll soon be seen as our MVP again, just suggesting that we've seen him written off so many times before - and the op is a write-off.

The emergence of Wilson has seen many England fans call time on his international career. Again, this is something which has happened before, only for him to come back stronger.

Rodders I feel rather faint.....

 

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