06-01-2024, 10:58 PM
More to the point on Orazio, I thought we were getting a first class small forward who might be cruelled by injuries/age to the point where he no longer has it even if as fit as he can be. Instead we seem to have got something inherently better - he is doing the Cottrell marathon running role which I never thought he could do. Problem is it does look like he has lost his pace and it is unlikely to come back. He is no doubt a bit rusty and might be able to sharpen up with more time in the middle but the tendency to not go when he needs to - "softness" if you like - and the loss of pace are not likely to change. The question then is whether with those limitations he is ahead of other options. I don't think he is when everyone is up and running but he came at a low cost and was worth the gamble. If contrary to my suspicions there is something temporary effecting his pace and he can get a decent turn of pace back then I think he has something none of our small forwards have - except perhaps Williams - in terms of forward crumbing craft.