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My Take: Bombers Release of Kicker Liegghio

Credit: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

At this point if you are a Bomber fan you know that Marc Liegghio – the Blue Bomber’s kicker – has been released. They say confession is good for the soul, so here is my confession, I was wrong. In my last article I mentioned that the kickers were something that I was going to be watching for from the Bomber’s pre-season game. I even went on the record and said, “I have to believe that the Bombers are likely to keep both kickers Marc Liegghio and Sergio Castillo. I just do not see how Chandler Staton sticks around.” Boy was I wrong. I thought that since Liegghio was the only Bomber to take on kicking duties in 2022, has played in the last two Grey cups and who has played in 32 regular season games had earned some more leash.

Apparently that was not the case. Yes, Liegghio did struggle at time last year. Yes, some fans will blame him on the 2022 Grey Cup loss. But the Bombers do not make emotional coaching or player decisions. If anyone thinks that releasing Leigghio is a move just for optics I would disagree.

Bomber’s Head Coach Mike O’Shea has been criticized of being loyal to a fault. And while the roster decisions are made my Bombers General Manager, Kyle Walters, they are not made in isolation. I do not know exactly what the communication between the General Manager and Head Coach is when it comes to cutting players, but there is communication and discussion especially when you are talking about a guy who has been around.

As a result, the Bombers will be starting the season with kicker Sergio Castillo, Sheahan, who was the Bomber’s first pick in the 2023 Global Draft, will handle the punting duties and Schmitz, the second pick, will stick around on the practice roster for now. Kyle Walters did promise a legit kicking competition in the 2023 training camp…and apparently we had one.

Clearly the Bombers believe that the combination of Sheahan and Castillo is better than the combination of Sheahan and Liegghio. The Bombers do not make moves to appease fans…they do not need to. The Redblacks, Elks, and Roughriders need to appease fans, the Bombers on the other hand and trying to win championships.

Should the Bombers have released Liegghio? Let me know in the comments.

Find all my articles here.

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Don Cruickshank Reporter
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7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. Darrel Wendt

    June 5, 2023 at 11:56 am

    Yes

    Reply

  2. Keith Gordon

    June 5, 2023 at 12:36 pm

    For the very reasons you outlined, yes, the Bombers should have. This is because they would have decided based on objective data and intense scrutiny. You can tell the organization did not do this lightly and from an emotional side, many involved are pained it came to this. But clearly this organization takes matters like winning seriously and building the best team for the long term.

    Reply

  3. Bob

    June 5, 2023 at 8:47 pm

    Glad to see him go. Should have been “booted” a year ago.

    Reply

  4. Garett Martell

    June 13, 2023 at 9:25 pm

    I may be overly loyal myself but I love this guys spirit. He always does what is asked, took on both duties years ago, gets involved in tackles when needed and that sidestep yast year was pure gold.

    Reply

  5. David

    June 24, 2023 at 8:32 pm

    Yikes, Garrett! Liegghio was the key critical factor in the Bombers losing to Mtl, missed critical kicks in both the Western Final and Grey Cup and – more to the point – looks poop scared every time he lined up. And even moreso whenever it really mattered. He had to go. Full. Stop. Period.

    Reply

  6. glen sutley

    July 9, 2023 at 7:22 pm

    They did it for two reasons. Money=can’t afford to pay him for both jobs if only doing one. Opportunity =. Give him a chance to go to another team. He is having success as a ticat. Just hope he doesn’t beat us in this year’s grey cup
    He did not lose the 2022 grey cup. He doesn’t block on his kicks duh. Someone on the offensive line let a Toronto player through.
    Get over it.

    Reply

  7. David Albert Newman

    August 18, 2023 at 1:32 am

    Yes. Liegghio was terrible for most of his time as a Bomber and he was THE reason the Bombers did not go to OT against the Argos in the 2022 Grey Cup (missed a routine convert before the “blocked” field goal, glen). I would take the Bombers as a favourite in OT against the Argos, but we’ll never know what might have occurred.

    And current note – Liegghio is terrible in Hamilton which is why Winnipeg released him: he hasn’t changed by improving.

    Reply

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