Quote ratticusfinch="ratticusfinch"Leyland’s goal-kicking was superb in the pre-season friendlies so it can’t have been that. I’ve no idea what he is like in training but he had two good games pre-season (I didn’t catch the Whitehaven game but by all accounts he did well). Strange decision.'"
Just reading Sam's post-match quotes. On the Ratchford/Leyland call, he says: "It’s just the way I felt on selection day. It was hard to choose between them but I went with a bit of experience. Oli’s been awesome and would have done a very good job for us, so it’s a tough one. Oli’s handled himself really well and has been a really good pro."
Not really sure what to make of that. Yes, you can make a case for going with experience, but it seems quite un-Sam-like, given his previous willingness to give youth a chance. Perhaps there was a bit of sentimentality involved, regarding Stef? I just assumed that Stef would have a 'bits and pieces' kind of role on the fringes of the team this season, but maybe Sam sees it differently? Either way, the onus is on Stef to prove that he deserves to keep the jersey.